Goal #1: Help Send Deep Look to Film in Oaxaca, Mexico!

Hey Deep Peeps! As most of you may know, Deep Look is a show produced by KQED, the local PBS station in San Francisco, California. 

Even though we definitely punch waaaay above our weight, we don't have the big budgets of Nat Geo or the BBC, who can send big crews all around the world. 

Which means our stories about unique, weird and wonderful creatures - whether it's about mosquitoes, sea urchins, or next week's episode on porcupines - are almost always limited to being filmed here in California. 

But you can help change that if you help us reach our first Patreon goal!

Where will we go first? Oaxaca, Mexico: a biodiversity hotspot filled with amazing plant and animal life. 

Cochineal bugs (Dactylopius coccus) on Opuntia cactus. Source: Zyance [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5)]

So far, we have our sights set on two edible insects that are found (and even grown) there. Dactylopius coccus, or the cochineal bug, is a source of red carmine pigment that’s used for coloring food and dyeing textiles. The brilliant reds, pinks and purples you see below came from this very bug. And you read that correctly; this same red ends up in a lot foods you may be eating right now.

The reds, pinks and purples and  of this Oaxacan textile from Teotitlan, Mexico are courtesy of the tiny bug, Dactylopius coccus.

And the squirmy larva of the moth Comadia redtenbacheri, (the mass of pink lovelies seen at the top of the post),  is what may have spotted at the bottom of a shot of mezcal ... or sprinkled on top of your tacos.

We're almost 2/3 of the way towards our $2000 per month goal. Won’t you help us create these unique stories? Join our Patreon community today and support our dream to travel beyond the Bay Area. And as a member, you’ll get early access to our award-winning episodes, get a sneak peek behind-the-scenes, live streams and more! Let's make it happen.

Gratefully yours,

–The Deep Look Team