Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Zino.
Hi Ben, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always been fascinated with the living things that we share this planet with, especially creatures that are often underappreciated or despised because of how they look or what they do.
As a child, I used to go on backyard wildlife expeditions with a field journal and digital camera, and was immediately hooked on wildlife when I found a skunk visiting my yard one night – much to my mom’s chagrin. I was amazed that skunks and other animals were living in my own yard undetected, and my encounter with Mr. Fluffy would soon become the topic of a Nat Geo Kids essay contest entry which won me and my dad a 10 day wildlife expedition in Montana.
That experience changed my life forever, giving me a chance to see what conservation can do for a landscape, and igniting a passion to work in conservation back home in NC.
At a NatGeo explorers symposium a few years later, I would meet Dr. Paula Kahumba, a wildlife conservationist whose work focuses on connecting local people to their native wildlife. I loved her vision for equipping communities to engage with the biodiversity that was already accessible to them in a positive way, and it’s that vision that guides the content of The Wild Report today!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not always. Trying to create meaningful content on a consistent schedule alongside school, work, and other responsibilities can definitely be a challenge – there’s a lot of days when you get back from work/school and it feels like you’re going to work again on a new video edit.
At the beginning, I was also using views or likes as a metric for video success – but over time, I’ve realized that what really counts is creating a project that I’m proud of and that means something rather than a project that I know will get attention.
If I didn’t absolutely love learning about local ecosystems and creating videos, there is no way I would still be doing this today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the creative director of The Wild Report, an educational wildlife content brand which focuses on connecting viewers with local biodiversity. I specialize in telling the stories of animals like snakes, spiders, or other “creepy crawlies” which rarely receive positive media attention but are critically important to our ecosystems and also have deeply fascinating natural histories.
What sets The Wild Report apart from other talented wildlife content creators is my commitment to education. I’m a teacher at heart, and I want each video to help viewers feel more competent as scientists and conservationists.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I think that generative AI has caused people to appreciate human content creators more, and I actually see it being a good thing for the wildlife space long-term, as it becomes more clear which brands are just pumping out content as a product and which creators are in this field because they love it. Also, there seems to be more and more people who are becoming interested in local conservation efforts over time, which is really exciting!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.patreon.com/thewildreport
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildreport
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thewildreportofficial
