Talaterra

This week’s episode is about the launch of Talaterra Cowork, a coworking space for freelance environmental educators. What’s it all about?Let’s find out. LINKSTalaterra Cowork (cowork.talaterra.com)Transcript: Ep42 Talaterra Cowork

Margaret Best is an award-winning contemporary botanical artist and a respected teacher. Her work can be viewed in books, catalogs, magazines, public and private collections, and on coins distributed by the Royal Canadian Mint.How did Margaret stumble into this genre?What life experience prepared Margaret for the specialty she’s become known for?How does botanical art differ from flower painting?Let’s find out. LINKSMargaret Best’s websiteMargaret on Instagram (@margaretbest8904)Margaret on FacebookAnn SwanPandora SellarsCoral GuestAmerican Society of Botanical ArtistsOut of the Woods ExhibitionBotanical Art and ArtistsPlant BlindnessMargaret Best Designs Wild Rose for Royal Canadian MintMargaret Best Discusses Color in Botanical Art, Provides Tips for Informal Science EducatorsThe Blue of the Artist’s Ocean, an article for Environmental Education Week by Margaret Best

Marijke Hecht is a doctoral candidate in Learning Sciences and Policy at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research is focused on how people learn about nature outside of the classroom. I shared her paper, “Becoming a Naturalist,” this past summer (see Episode 21).What has Marijke learned about how a naturalist identity develops?How can guest educators contribute to an outdoor program?What drives learning ecosystems in the informal sector? What should be driving them instead?Let’s find out. LINKSView Marijke’s researchFollow Marijke on Twitter (@marijkehecht)Visit the UPCLOSE lab at the University of PittsburghiNaturalistEpisode 21: Cultivating NaturalistsTranscript: Ep40, Marijke Hecht, Developing a Naturalist Identity

Hello and Happy New Year. Almost one year ago, in January 2019, I launched this podcast. Launching this podcast was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. I wanted so much to move my project forward, but at the same time was very unsure about hearing my own voice out in the world. When I published the trailer for this show, it was the first time that I spoke my intention out loud outside of my group of podcasting peers and colleagues. Since then, I've had the opportunity to interview amazing educators and researchers, people who've picked themselves to create change in their communities. But since today is January 1, and as this week is a time of reflection, I wanted to reflect on how my podcasting journey began. And I wanted to do this by revisiting my very first interview, which was with scientific illustrator Gretchen Halpert, founder of the Science Illustration Distance Program. If you heard this interview a year ago, thank you so much for being on this journey with me. If you haven't heard this interview

Mark and Crystal Mandica founded the Amphibian Foundation in 2016. The Foundation focuses on the conservation of amphibians in the southeastern region of the United States. Mark and Crystal also lead educational initiatives that facilitate conversations addressing the global amphibian extinction crisis.How did Mark and Crystal build The Amphibian Foundation to what it is today?What is their philosophy about community building?What is critter camp for adults?Let’s find out. LINKSAmphibian FoundationThe Amphibian Foundation on FacebookThe Amphibian Foundation on TwitterThe Amphibian Foundation on InstagramFrog.life StoreDonation page for The Amphibian FoundationUrban Kings Citizen Science ProjectBlue Heron Nature PreserveFamous Frog Toughie Dies, Sending Species to ExtinctionTaking Stock of Hurricane Michael's Effects on Rare Wild Animals

Steve Heatherington is an alpaca shepherd and co-owner of Welsh Valley Alpacas in Wales. Steve manages a large herd of alpacas and offers support services to alpaca owners, as well as workshops for individuals interested in owning alpacas. Steve welcomes the public to his farm and provides immersive learning experiences for visitors.Steve also provides learning opportunities through his podcast. To “visit” the farm yourself, visit Steve and the alpacas on Instagram. There’s a link in the show notes.How did Steve become an alpaca shepherd?What is his podcast about?What's next for this 21st-century shepherd? Let's find out. LINKS Welsh Valley AlpacasAlpaca Tribe podcastThe Waterside

Susan Chung is an experienced co-design artist and a science educator. Her specialty areas are environmental education and intergenerational mentorship.Her work promoting architecture as ecological education that helps youth respond creatively to ecological challenges has been recognized by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.Susan teaches youth about sustainable design and has organized fairs, forums, and conferences for youth, parents, and the public.How was Susan introduced to co-design?What happens during a co-design session?How does Susan involve youth in the design of sustainable communities? LINKSCo-Design Youth Manual WebsiteYouth Co-Design Workshops (PDF) - Workshop summary by the city of Vancouver for their planning of False Creek South.Co-Design: A Process of Design Participation. 1989. Stanley King, Merinda Conley, Bill Latimer, Drew Ferrari. New York, NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold (9780442233334)Correction to audio: The authors of the co-design book are Stanley King, Merinda Conley, Bill Lati

The Freelance Condition and Lifelong Learning in Communities project experienced a lot of growth this year. Week by week, the number of episode downloads has increased. The number of newsletter subscribers has too, and while these metrics matter to some, the metric that matters the most to me is the number of face-to-face conversations I get to have with educators. Click on "Transcripts" to view the transcript for this episode.

Today my guests are the author and illustrator of the award-winning book "Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook."Dina Falconi is a clinical herbalist, author, and teacher. Her focus is on food activism and nutritional healing.Wendy Hollender is a botanical artist, illustrator, author, and instructor.Together Dina and Wendy own Botanical Arts Press, a publishing company formed to handle all aspects of the marketing and distribution of their book and related products.How long has Dina worked on this cookbook?How did Dina and Wendy create the contents of this book?How did they launch a successful Kickstarter campaign without having an extensive online presence?Let’s find out. LINKSBotanical Arts PressWendyHollender.comDrawBotanical.comForaging & Feasting on FacebookForaging & Feasting on TwitterForaging & Feasting on Instagram

John Muir Laws is a scientist, educator, and author whose books and workshops help people forge personal connections with nature. A trained wildlife biologist, John has inspired nature journalers across the globe.What generous act launched John's freelance career?What's the key reason why people don't keep a nature journal?What is John's next book about?Let's find out. LINKSJohn Muir Laws’ websiteThe Nature Journal Club Public Group | FacebookJoin John’s mailing list

Alasdair Plambeck is a retreat leader, coach, and founder of RippleOut Retreats. He and his team lead transformational travel experiences enriching people’s connection to nature and place.Why did Alasdair leave the California startup scene to travel the world?Why did he create RippleOut Retreats?How does he facilitate connections between people and nature?Let’s find out. LINKSAlasdair Plambeck’s websiteRippleOut RetreatsThe FAR OUT PodcastLeave No Trace

Dr. Stephanie Dole is a scientist, educator, researcher and the founder of Beetlelady.Through programs taught at schools, libraries, birthday parties, and corporate events, Stephanie introduces the public to insects and the field of entomology.Stephanie has extensive field experience collecting and studying insects and brings her expertise to her public programs.What kind of research has Stephanie completed?How did she start Beetlelady?How is she expanding her programs?Let’s find out. LINKSBeetleladyBohart Museum of Entomology at UC DavisTaxon ExpeditionsWild Wonder Nature Journaling Conference SchedulePollinator WeekPollinator SyndromesXerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation

The Talaterra podcast goes to the Wild & Scenic Film Festival On Tour to introduce festival-goers to the work of freelance environmental educators. While at the festival, I had the opportunity to interview three people in-between my conversations with the public.What did I learn from the people I interviewed during the event?What did this experience teach me about community building?Let's find out. LINKSInland Empire WaterkeeperTalaterra Handout w/QR CodesWild & Scenic Film FestivalInland Empire Resource Conservation DistrictWestern Riverside Council of GovernmentsMonster MediaPrints on WoodInland Empire Kids Outdoors

Mindy Lighthipe is a nature artist and the author and illustrator of The Art of Botanical and Bird Illustration and Mother Monarch, a children’s book about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly.Her work is featured in the book Today’s Botanical Artists, a book about North American botanical artists and on a set of oracle cards about nature’s wisdom.Mindy is also an award-winning artist. In 2009, her series titled Symbiosis received a silver-gilt medal from the Royal Horticulture Society.How did Mindy develop her freelance career?How does she help her students tell their story?Why does she lead trips to Costa Rica?Let’s find out. LINKSMindy LighthipeJourney to the Heart of Creativity in Costa RicaHolbrook TravelWanderlust EntrepreneurNature’s Wisdom Oracle CardsThe Art of Botanical and Bird IllustrationMother MonarchToday’s Botanical ArtistsNew York Botanic Garden Botanical Art & Illustration ProgramRoyal Horticultural SocietyVicky Earle - An Artist’s Journey for ConservationGuild of Natural Science Illu

Anne Armstrong is an author, an educator, and a Ph.D. student in the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University.She is also the mother of a three-year-old daughter who inspires her investigation into how environmental educators communicate climate change.Anne stopped by to discuss her new book, Communicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators.What kind of field experiences inspired Anne to write her book?How can environmental educators facilitate conversations about climate change?What types of resources can educators use to develop programs about climate change?Let’s find out. LINKSAnne ArmstrongCommunicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators ($19.95), Cornell University PressCommunicating Climate Change: A Guide for Educators (Open Access), Cornell OpenShore People Advancing Readiness for Knowledge (SPARK)Iceberg Model of CultureClaudia Diaz Carrasco, Intercultural CompetenceNational Network for Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCI)Greta Thunberg’s Speech at U.N. Climate Action Summit, Sep

The article A Learning Pathway to an Integrated Approach Involving Natural, Applied and Social Science, Humanities and Arts to Face Climate Change by Stephano Alessandri was written for non-scientists, scholars, students, and scientists whose fields do not involve the study of climate. Alessandri, Stefano. (2019). A learning pathway to an integrated approach involving natural, applied and social science, humanities and arts to face climate change. Sustainability: The Journal of Record. 12(4): 199 - 214. Retrieved from https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/sus.2018.0040 LINKSBuilding Community with Dr. Rupu Gupta, Part 1Building Community with Dr. Rupu Gupta, Part 2 

Kellie Cox is a landscape designer, botanical muralist, and teacher who encourages an interest in horticulture, gardening, and native plants through public art.How does Kellie get her projects?What type of community partnerships has she formed?Where can you see Kellie's art in person?Let's find out.Related LinksKellieCox.comIthaca MuralsMt. Cuba Native Plant ProgramHatchfund.org - Crowdfunding for artistsGinkgo Gardens Producer: Julie-Roxane Krikorian

The problem most students seem to have is that they see nature as “Other.” Nature is a tourist destination, a place on the map, something saved by buying and selling crunchy candy. They rarely understand that they themselves might actually be a part of it. — Christian McEwen and Mark Statman The Alphabet of the Trees: A Guide to Nature Writing is a collection of essays written by nature writers, poets, fiction writers, and educators. Editors Christian McEwen and Mark Statman published this book for teachers because they wanted to change how the subject of nature is approached in the classroom. To view a list of contributors and the activities they write about, view the show notes for this episode at Talaterra.com.

Anna Laurent is an award-winning photographer, author, and teacher. Through her projects, Anna introduces new audiences to the wonders of the botanical world. Anna has worked as a columnist for Garden Design magazine and Print magazine. Her first book, published in 2016, examines the art and science of plant biology in 19th-century wall charts. Anna’s interest in plants began in college. Years later, her interest prompted her to quit her job and to find a way to get paid to learn about plants. Did she succeed? Let’s find out. Links Anna Laurent’s website The Sorcery of Seedpods: Little Packages of DNA that Explode with Beauty Temperate House at Royal Botanic Garden, Kew Botanical Art from the Golden Age of Scientific Discovery Anna has graciously shared photos of her work with listeners. You can view these photos at Talaterra.com. Producer: Julie-Roxane Krikorian

To download the card sorting activity and instructor guide, visit the show notes for this episode. This week we return to our conversation with Dr. Rupu Gupta, conservation psychologist at New Knowledge Organization whose research focuses on inclusion and equity in the environmental field. Last week, Dr. Gupta talked about community building. Part of our conversation centered around the paper “Practitioners’ perspectives on the purpose of environmental education.” If you read this paper, it becomes clear that the field of environmental education (EE) is struggling to answer the question, “What’s it for?” Today we take a brief look at this paper. In this paper, Dr. Gupta and her colleagues answer this big question: How do North American environmental education practitioners (both from formal and non-formal institutions) think about their work? View the show notes for this episode