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Funky Foodies Podcast Nominated for Webby Award
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — April 6, 2026 — An ESF-produced podcast designed to champion kids interested in sustainability, the environment, and their relationship to food is in the running for two Webby Awards, including a People’s Choice Award in the Kids & Family category.
Funky Foodies is the brainchild of faculty member Benette Whitmore in the Department of Environmental Studies. She was inspired to create the podcast when she returned to her faculty role after serving as department chair. “I wanted to make space for environmental humanities projects that combined my past experiences and current interests,” she said.
Funky Foodies is a podcast for kids featuring tween foodies Frankie, Fern, and Zara who share a passion for food and its impacts on the environment. Adventures follow after they form an alliance called Funky Foodies, Inc., pledging to “Save the Planet, One Veggie Burger at a Time.” Kid-friendly recipes reflecting the theme of each episode are included.
Whitmore partnered with WCNY, the local PBS affiliate, to launch Funky Foodies. The first episode was recorded at the WCNY studio using professional voice actors, with Whitmore writing the script and directing the episode. WCNY handled the recording and editing.
After the first episode, production moved to ESF’s Digital Storytelling Studio (DSS), allowing Whitmore to retain creative control while elevating the podcast’s production quality. Tyler Dorholt and Jason Kohlbrenner lent their expertise to the project polishing some scripts and editing the podcast.
Although production happens at ESF, the podcast is distributed nationally through WCNY/PBS, and fully archived on WCNY FM, giving it a world-wide audience. Since its launch, Funky Foodies has generated more than 250,000 views across social media. It is available on major podcast platforms via WCNY. ESF student Amaya Denson supports the project through social media and marketing, expanding the podcast’s reach among families and educators.
The nominated episode, “The Funkies’ Garden Gets Washed Out,” focuses on the devastation of the Foodies’ newly planted community garden following a rainstorm, and the unexpected encouragement and help that arrives. People can vote for the episode at the Webby Awards website. Voting is open until April 16.
Winners of the juried Webby Award will be announced April 21, with honorees celebrated at the 30th Annual Webby Awards ceremony in New York City on May 11.
“Funky Foodies shows how ESF connects with young people through creative storytelling that builds curiosity about the environment, food systems, and community well-being,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “The Webby Awards recognition puts a national spotlight on Professor Whitmore and her team of ESF students and collaborators, celebrating the creativity and heart behind Funky Foodies.”
The podcast’s seasons have an overarching theme such as food insecurity that spans each 10-episode season. Having produced 40 episodes over four years, Whitmore would like Funky Foodies to expand its reach. Yncantessa Hawkins, ESF alumna and the voice of Zara, is a science educator in the Syracuse City School District. She told Whitmore she would like to incorporate the podcast with her curriculum. To that end, Whitmore hopes to develop companion materials to accompany the episodes that teachers could use in the classroom.
“What I love about Funky Foodies is that it engages young people who are the future of our world,” Whitmore said. “If they feel committed to the environment and improving how we live, that gives us something promising to look forward to.”
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.