Dinah Awino Kawino is the founder and director of Akadi Eco and Mentorship Ventures.

Akadi Eco is a consulting firm based in Kenya. It focuses on bringing environmental mentorship and sustainability solutions to educational and community spaces.

This year, Akadi Eco is leading an initiative called  Pendo Mazingira. Pendo Mazingira is Swahili for "Love Environment."

Awino describes this program as “an eco-sensitivity mentorship program designed to cultivate a sense of environmental belonging through nature-based sensory experiences.” Pendo Mazingira serves both youth and adults.

How is the program working?

Let’s find out.

SUBSTACK:  Pendo Mazingira Substack - AkadiEco and Mentorship Ventures Kenya

PANEL DISCUSSION:
Empowering Women in Science: Bridging Gaps and Building Futures
Interesting and honest conversation about being a woman in science. Awino's presentation begins at timestamp 57:22. Her presentation is titled, Empowering Women and Girls: Disrupting Fear-based Silence for Thriving Sustainability Science. This is a presentation by LIAISE.

BOOK:
Weaving a Green Future: Opportunities and Barriers in Textile Manufacturing in Kenya (Eliva Press, 2025)

ARTICLES:
Closing the Loop: A framework for tackling single-use plastic waste in the food and beverage industry through circular economy - a review (Journal of Environmental Management)

Challenges and Opportunities for Green Transitions Adoption in Kenya's Textile Manufacturing Industry  (Frontiers in Sustainability)

Assessment of Green Growth Practices in the Textile Industry: A Study of Thika Cloth Mill and Rivatex in Kenya  (East African Journal of Environment and Natural Resources)

LEADERSHIP:
The Green Embassy Kenya

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
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Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

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Christina Carter is the author, illustrator, and founder of Gumnut Trails—a unique collection of Outdoor Adventure Guides that help families rediscover the joy of exploring nature together.

In this episode, we dive into how Christina’s own nature-rich childhood inspired her to create the “Lonely Planet of childhood adventures”—starting with four beautifully illustrated Guides across Melbourne.

Each Adventure Guide transforms an ‘ordinary’ walk into an immersive experience using storytelling, creative missions, and joyful illustrations. Designed to be interactive, screen-free, and deeply local, Gumnut Trails helps families connect with the natural spaces around them in fun, meaningful ways.

Every guide is built around the history, features, and hidden stories of each location. Months of on-the-ground exploring, researching, writing, and illustrating go into each one—making them more than just ready-made adventures, but true works of art.

What began as one parent’s mission to capture the magic of a childhood spent outdoors is now a growing movement.

So how did it all come together—and what’s next for Gumnut Trails? Let’s find out.

Website: www.gumnuttrails.com.au

Follow along on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gumnut_trails/

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us

We are all in the attention economy.

Louise Karch (pronounced CARSH) makes sure good people like us break out not blend in.

Louise is delighted to speak us. She has a special fondness for environmental educators having been an Outward Bound Instructor.

For over a decade, she also was a career management professional, She was honoured to study with and support Richard Bolles, the author of the bestselling career/life planning in history, What Color Is Your Parachute.

It was Richard Bolles who inspired Louise to write guidebooks. Louise is the award-winning author of Word Glue, and head cheerleader and one of the co-authors of the global mega-hit The Carbon Almanac, It’s Not Too Late (Penguin Random House),

Louise’s most recent book, First Aid for Fairies: From Rain to Rainbows, is an uplifting steampunk-inspired guide that helps teens shift from stress to strength It’s been nominated for the American Library Association’s MIchael Princz award.

Louise has mentored leaders in 71 countries and edu-tained audiences from Australia to the Arctic. She prefers being warm.

You can find Louise at…

Word Glue

First Aid for Fairies

Interview Database with Addendum for Environmental Educators

RESOURCES MENTIONED

What color is your parachute? (2022)*

Transitions (2019)*

Brag! Toot Your Own Horn Without Blowing It*

Outward Bound (Canada)

Outward Bound (USA)

ASSESSMENT

Institute on Character

Jackson Vocational Interest Survey

Gallup CliftonStrengths Finder

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us

Episode description:

Join us as we dive into the world of innovation with Vanessa Thompson, Managing Director of The Sustainability Experts. Vanessa shares bold strategies for sparking disruptive ideas, seizing new opportunities, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to transform businesses and careers.

A renowned keynote speaker and consultant, Vanessa partners with startups, VCs, and global corporations to deliver powerful solutions that merge innovation with sustainability for lasting impact.

Listen to Vanessa’s Podcast: https://www.the-sustainability-experts.com/the-show
Book Vanessa as a Speaker: https://www.vanessathompson.com
Contact Us:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sustainability-experts/?viewAsMember=true
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: The Sustainability Experts
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5PLmkmxJLJQ5BJ2Kgluxku

Don’t miss this insightful episode packed with actionable ideas to drive innovation and sustainable success!

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us

Last week I launched the new newsletter. It’s called Transferable Solutions and the theme of the newsletter is “Environmental Skills, Reimagined.” When I started The Freelance Project, I wanted to explore what freelancing looked like in environmental education. The people we've had the opportunity to meet through the podcast have shown us there are dozens of ways to approach working as an environmental education professional. 

With this deeper understanding established, it is time to add the next layer to my project.

Subscribe to the newsletter at https://talaterra.com.

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us

Today we get to learn from Kalliopi Monoyios, visual science communicator and lead author of "Visuals as a Catalyst for Climate Science Communication," a chapter in the book "Storytelling to Accelerate Climate Solutions" (Springer Nature, 2024).

In this episode, Kalliopi and I discuss the value of visuals in climate change communication. We discuss what effective visuals look like and also talk about creating culturally relevant and sensitive information. Kalliopi shares how someone can become a visual science communicator and what a collaborative project between a visual science communicator and a client might look like.

LINKS

Kalliopi Monoyios website

Guild of Natural Science Illustrators

Visuals as a Catalyst for Climate Communication (Open Access)

Kirsten Carlson | Fathom iT Studios

Taina Litwak 

Fiona Martin | Visualizing Science

Your Inner Fish (book)

Your Inner Fish (PBS video)

Association of Medical Illustrators

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

Storytelling and Climate Solutions - A conversation with co-editors Emily Coren and Hua (Helen) Wang

Gretchen Halpert, Scientific Illustration Distance Program

Gary Hoyle discusses museum plant models, exhibit design, and dioramas

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us

A conversation with Emily Coren and Hua (Helen) Wang, editors of Storytelling to Accelerate Climate Solutions (Springer Nature, 2024). They collaborated with 44 authors to create a resource addressing many forms of climate communication.

Each of the book chapters addresses a specific type of storytelling. You’ll find chapters about entertainment education, locally-driven narratives, youth engagement, Hollywood, climate fiction, music, news reporting, geospatial tools, interactive storytelling, mental health, and telling stories through food. There is also a chapter about using visuals as a catalyst for climate science communication. 

Storytelling to Accelerate Climate Solutions is an open-access title. You can download the entire book or individual chapters for free. 

LINKS

Storytelling to Accelerate Climate Solutions (Download)

Publications by Emily Coren

Contact Emily Coren

Helen Wang, University of Buffalo

Entertainment-Education Behind the Scenes - Case Studies for Theory and Practice (Download)

Emily Coren: Science communicator, author, and affiliate in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. (Read Bio)

Hua Wang: Professor of Communication at the University of Buffalo, New York. Communication scientist whose specialties are health promotion, behavior change, and social justice. (Full Bio)

Episode Art: Photo by Naoram Sea on Unsplash

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us

Introducing a new feature to the podcast. This new feature is called INSIGHT. With each episode we’ll explore some aspect of freelancing and how it intersects with the environmental awareness work being done by independent professionals worldwide. In this first episode, we consider seven types of freelancing as described by Nikita Tambe, a contributor to Forbes magazine. Which type of freelancing best describes you?

Let’s talk. I am inviting people to 1:1 conversations to learn more about them and their experiences freelancing. Join me here.

LINKS

The Freelance Project Portfolio

What is freelancing and how does it work? (Nikita Tambe)

(Photo in episode art by Annie Spratt on Unsplash)

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us

Maria Coryell-Martin is an expeditionary artist.

That’s right.

Expeditionary, as in expeditions. What type of imagery does this bring up? If you imagine an artist traveling with a scientist or an explorer, you are imagining things correctly.

This episode originally aired in 2019. Back then, Maria took a few moments to speak with me while she was packing for her trip to meet a scientist in Alaska.

In this episode, we discuss Maria’s journey from student to artist, how she has sustained herself as a working artist, and the three questions she answers before taking on new projects.

Plus, I have exciting updates to share. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Maria.

LINKS

• Learn more about Maria’s current project in the post Witnessing Climate Change.
• View the exhibition and other news about Maria's trip to Alaska.
• Expeditionary Art (Maria’s website)
• Maria talks about her work in this presentation for Girls Can Do.
• Maria shares how she introduces nature journaling to kids.
• See the Art Toolkit's new store!
• Follow Maria on Instagram at @expeditionaryart and @arttoolkit.

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us

Wendy Nadherny Fachon is an author, journalist, podcast host and environmental educator. Her work is published by Natural Awakenings Magazine, Sustainable Living News, and Dreamvisions 7 Radio.

After working many years in the healthcare industry, Wendy left her position to focus on children's health and wellness issues. She developed an afterschool walking program, which gave rise to her radio show, the Story Walking Radio Hour.

How did Wendy develop her afterschool program?

What is her radio show about?

How does she approach partnership building, which has been critical to her success?

Let's find out.

LINKS

Story Walking Radio Hour

Listen to the latest episode

Story Walking Website

Story Walking Radio Hour Facebook group

Nature Drawing Program

The Empowerment Factory's Trash to Treasures Short Video (YouTube)

Contact Wendy

CREDITS:

• Producer: Tania Marien
• Music: So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License;
• SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR by Jason Shaw is licensed under a Attribution 3.0 United States License.
• Subscribe to Transferable Solutions.

Affiliate Relationships:

Purchases that begin as a click through any Bookshop.org or Descript.com link (or ad) may result in a commission. 

• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Connect with, and support, independent bookstores.
• TALATERRA is an affiliate of Descript.com. Edit audio and video as easily as you edit a typed document.
• Contact Us