Jeremy Coburn translates for PBS Documentary, Bugs That Rule the World
Jeremy Coburn, Visiting Assistant Professor from the Department of Linguistics, recently contributed to the new PBS documentary series Bugs That Rule the World as a translator, helping bring Indigenous and local voices to an international audience. The four-part series explores the critical ecological roles insects play across the globe and the growing threats they face.
Jeremy's translation work is featured in two episodes now streaming online:
- “Insect Apocalypse?” – Watch on PBS
- “The Lifegivers” – Watch on PBS
In “Insect Apocalypse?”, Coburn translated interviews conducted in Hadza and Swahili, including conversations with Hadza community members in northern Tanzania. The Hadza, an Indigenous hunter-gatherer group, reflected on the deep cultural and ecological significance of honey and bees in their society, and how the global decline of bee populations is affecting their traditional ways of life.
In “The Lifegivers”, Coburn's Swahili translations supported interviews with participants in the Kipepeo Project, a conservation initiative based near Kenya’s Arabuko Sokoke Forest. The project highlights how sustainable livelihoods centered on butterfly farming are creating strong incentives for forest preservation in one of East Africa’s most ecologically important regions.
By translating interviews conducted in native languages, Coburn ensured that the perspectives of local communities were preserved with clarity and cultural respect. His work played a key role in amplifying these voices in a series that underscores the importance of insects as pollinators, decomposers, predators, and keystone species in ecosystems around the world.
Bugs That Rule the World is available to stream for free on PBS. You can learn more about the full series here.