Hey there, Penguin Pals!

My name is Katherine Hobbs. I’m a public media journalist, the co-founder of 18 Species Productions and a penguinologist studying the intersection of penguin’s breeding behavior, climate change and mitochondrial DNA. I am so honored to be Penguins International’s ambassador of the year.

I’ve loved penguins for as long as I can remember. I’m autistic, which means human interaction can be really difficult. Like many autistic folks, I’ve had to find ways to make sense of my peers and, for me, penguins make sense. They’re close enough to humans that I understand their basic needs and desires. They want food and safety, and most species want a partner for life and chicks and to avoid danger. 

Their intricacies make sense to me, and not because they lack social complexity, which they have oodles of, but because studying penguins allows me to observe social behavior in a way that feels safe. As a kid, it didn’t always feel safe to ask questions about human behavior. I was frequently met with annoyance when I didn’t understand social conventions, but when I sit in front of a penguin colony, it feels safe to ask questions. My hypotheses about their behaviors are interrogated rather than shamed. For these reasons and so many more, I’ve dedicated my scientific career to ensuring penguins are around for many more generations to come.

Penguins International shares my mission to inspire folks to champion penguin conservation through an understanding that what’s good for the penguins is good for the humans. I hope our partnership will inspire you to become an everyday conservationist, making choices and changes in your daily life to support thriving penguin populations worldwide.

When I considered the ways I could help folks form a connection with penguins, I kept returning to my personal favorite mediums: radio and documentaries. I’m thrilled to have partnered with scientists and facilities around the world to produce Sequencing for Survival, an upcoming documentary seeking to unravel the mysteries of penguins’ DNA. Documentaries take a heck of a lot of time to produce, so I’ve been staying on my sci-comms game by making my penguin obsession NPR’s problem. My delightful editors have indulged me on several occasions, and the response from public radio listeners to the penguins’ plight has been overwhelming in the best way. 

From my listeners’ feedback, I’ve learned that just about everyone can find a meaningful connection to penguins, and I’d love to hear from you. Shoot me a DM on Instagram and tell me why penguins matter to you and why you love Penguins International. I simply cannot wait to hear from you!

Waddle on,

Katherine Hobbs