TALATERRA

“Human rights are held by all persons equally, universally and forever.

Human rights are the basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity.

These rights are inalienable. This means you cannot lose these rights just as you cannot cease to be a human.“

                                                                                                                                         - The World As It Could Be

In this episode, we learn from Sandy Sohcot and Ellen Sebastian Chang of The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program. We also learn about a collaboration between TWAICB and Talaterra that will help environmental professionals from diverse fields advance their work within a human rights framework.

• What circumstances led to the creation of The World As It Could Be?
• How do Sandy and Ellen introduce people to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights?
• How have they strengthened the relationship between community members and law enforcement?
• How is The World As It Could Be and Talaterra collaborating to help environmental professionals view their environmental work through a human rights framework?

These questions will be answered in this episode.

We begin with Sandy explaining how The World As It Could Be, got its start.

(A quick note to our regular listeners. This episode is a little longer than our usual episode.)

LINKS

• The World As It Could Be (TWAICB)
• TWAICB Facebook
• TWAICB Instagram (@TWAICB)
• TWAICB LinkedIn
• Join TWAICB Email List
• Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs Activities League (DSAL)
• Rex Foundation

Register for Amplify Your Practice for People and the Planet (begins January 19, 2023). 

Join Sandy Sohcot and Ellen Sebastian Change of The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program to amplify the impact of your environmental education practice.

In this workshop, you’ll consider your educational objectives and the impact your programs have on people and the planet. You will engage in conversation about the fundamental purpose of environmental education and reflect on how the Universal Declaration of Human Rights connects with your practice and environmental education overall.

View Details/Register

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ABOUT SANDY SOHCOT

Director and originator of The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program. Sandy holds a California Lifetime Teaching Credential. In July 2001, Sandy became Executive Director of the Rex Foundation and served as in that capacity through 2013, to help renew the Foundation in the absence of direct Grateful Dead concert funding. In 2006, as part of her work, Sandy developed The World As It Could Be initiative to raise awareness about the human rights framework. The initial work evolved to become a full program with curriculum that includes the creative arts as a vital part of teaching about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since January 2014, Sandy has been Director of TWAICB, now a program of the Alameda County Deputy Sheriffs’ Activities League (DSAL). Sandy has been active in the small business and women’s communities of San Francisco. She co-founded the Women’s Leadership Alliance, and is past president of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. In July 1999, the San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women honored Sandy with their Women Who Make a Difference Award. Sandy served as a Commissioner on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission 2004 – 2008.

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ABOUT ELLEN SEBASTIAN CHANG:

Ellen Sebastian Chang (she/her), whose creative practice spans 45 years, is a storied figure in the performing arts, as a multi-disciplinary director (theater, opera, dance, and installation) arts educator, and lighting designer. 

"I create as a director, producer, writer, and teaching artist.  I began my theater practice as a lighting technician (Berkeley Stage Company) and designer. In 1981, I shifted to directing/writing/creating devised experimental performances with the premiere of Your Place is No Longer with Us which followed a ten-year-old biracial girl throughout a Victorian mansion in San Francisco.  In 1986, I was the co-founder/co-artistic director of LIFE ON THE WATER, a national and internationally known presenting and producing organization at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center. In the 21st century, with Deep Waters Dance Theater I have co-created 14 Episodes of "House/Full of Blackwomen," in 2020 episode 14 called New Chitlin Circuitry: a reparations vaudeville; “How to Fall in Love in A Brothel” interactive installation, performances and short film with Sunhui Chang and Maya Gurantz commissioned by Catherine Clark Gallery;  “A Hole In Space (Oakland Redux) created with Maya Gurantz connecting to Oakland neighborhoods via 24-hour video portal; Consulting Producer for “Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley” HBO and interviewee; “Fabulation”  by Lynne Nottage Lorraine Hansberry Theater with Margo Hall and Daveed Diggs. Lost and Found Sound with The Kitchen Sisters. Since 2006 as the ongoing Creative Director and Teaching Artist for The World As It Could Be Human Rights Education Program (TWAICB) I co-created curriculum and a series of successful initiatives employing the creative arts to deepen learning about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and its principles. My perspective is an ongoing desire to engage creatively and collaboratively, to make works that connect us across disciplines, cultures, class, and break through our fears by challenging our learned beliefs. I have collaborated with and directed the works of KITKA, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Eisa Davis, Youth Speaks, Holly Hughes, Word for Word, Center for Digital Story Telling, Fauxnique, Magic Theater, Lorraine Hansberry Theater, The Kitchen Sisters, Bill Talen, Anne Galjour, Felonious with One Ring Zero, Robert Karimi and George Coates Performance Works."

Between 2013-2017, she was the co-owner and events planner for the award-winning West Oakland restaurant FuseBOX, with co-owner and Chef Sunhui Chang.

She is currently serving as Resident Owner and Board Member for East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative/Advisor for Esther’s Orbit Room Project/Artist Housing.

She is a recipient of awards and grants from Creative Capital, MAP Fund, A Blade of Grass Fellowship in Social Engagement, Art Matters, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, NEA,  MAP Fund, Creative Work Fund, California Arts Council, Sam Mazza Foundation and Zellerbach Family Community Arts Fund.

• Diversity and Social/Human Justice Work through the Arts with Ellen Sebastian Chang
• Fishing Lessons, a digital storytelling project in collaboration with StoryCenter

MUSIC:

So Far So Close by Jahzzar is licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike License.

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UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

This summer, I have featured episodes from various shows on The Carbon Almanac Podcast Network.

In July, I shared an episode from The Carbon Almanac Collective, a podcast about the team who created The Carbon Almanac. 

In August, I shared an episode from Generation Carbon, the podcast for kids 6-10.

This month, I am sharing an episode of the CarbonSessions podcast. This podcast features everyday conversations about climate with people from all over the world.

Listening to this podcast is like sitting at the kitchen table with neighbors and talking about the changes we're all seeing in the world around us.

In this episode, we gather around the table with host Katherine Palmer, an aromatherapist and workshop coordinator; Tonya Downing, a digital marketer; and Kristy Sharrow, a journalist-turned-marketer.

Tonya and Kristy are also scriptwriters for Generation Carbon. In this episode, they discuss what they learned while researching and writing the script for the episode about ocean plastics.

LINKS

CarbonSessions

Generation Carbon - Ocean Plastics

The Carbon Almanac

Great Pacific Garbage Patch (National Geographic)

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UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

Today we get to learn from Diane Wyzga, story strategist, guide, and founder of the practice called Engaged Storyism.

Diane is also the creator, host, and producer of Stories From Women Who Walk, a much-loved and listened-to podcast that has spread wisdom and touched hearts worldwide.

I reached out to Diane so you and I could think about story. Not in an MBA/marketing sort of way, but in a real way. A way that reflects who we are as individuals and professionals.

What is your story?

How do you find it?

Let’s find out.

LINKS

Quarter Moon Story Arts

Stories From Women Who Walk

Camino de Santiago

Receive updates about the story workshop with Diane

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UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

As you know, I've been working on a project involving The Carbon Almanac for the past several months. One of the projects I've been able to help with is the Carbon Almanac Podcast Network. This network includes a podcast featuring conversations with individuals who worked on the book, a podcast about climate conversations happening across the globe, a podcast featuring the conversations everyday people are having about our changing world, and a podcast for kids aged 6-10. 

Today's bonus episode comes from Generation Carbon, the kids' podcast. In this episode about bugs, you'll meet our host Edie, Callie Caterpillar, and Spencer Sparrow. You'll also hear science reporters on the climate case and curious changemakers asking Beetlelady questions about bugs and our changing climate.

If you are a longtime listener of this podcast and wondering why Beetlelady sounds familiar to you, it's because you've met her before in a  previous episode.

Generation Carbon is part of the Carbon Almanac Network of Podcasts and has been rebroadcast with permission.

Supervising Producer: Jennifer Myers Chua. Senior Producer: Tonya Downing. Expert Outreach Advisor: Tania Marien. Written by: Carolanne Petrusiak with support from Kristy Sharrow. Hosted By: Jennifer Myers Chua, Edie Chua. Talent: Sam Schuffenecker, Olabanji Stephen, Steve Heatherington Editor: Jennifer Myers Chua. Project Co-ordinator: Jen Ankenmann. Shownotes: Amanda Hsiung-Blodgett

View Generation Carbon’s catalog of episodes

____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

Sue Heatherington is a quiet disruptor. She started introducing herself this way after a period of time marked by family trauma, business challenges, and serious illness. The first time Sue introduced herself as a quiet disruptor, she was surprised by the reaction she received.  in this episode, we join a conversation Sue led at an author event in May.

What is a quiet disruptor?

What has Sue learned about them?

Let's join the conversation.

LINKS

QuietDisruptors.com

Maria Sibylla Merian

Twitter (@QuietDisruptors)

Facebook (@quietdisruptors)

Instagram (@quietdisruptors)

____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

Welcome back to the Talaterra podcast!

A landmark project pulled me away, and I let it take priority during an intense period of its production. So I return to podcasting by explaining where I've been, and to do this, I've decided to share a conversation I had for The Carbon Almanac Collective. This podcast is one of the podcasts built around The Carbon Almanac, a book of facts that will make it easier for ALL of us to talk about climate change. 

I had the opportunity to contribute to The Carbon Almanac Project and am excited to share that the book will be published next week. To learn more, visit thecarbonalmanac.org.

Special thanks to Jennifer Myers Chua, Executive Producer of The Carbon Almanac Podcast Network, for allowing me to share this episode with you.

____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

About Kalliopi

Kalliopi Monoyios is a visual creative dedicated to communicating the wonder of the natural world to a wide and varied audience.  After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in geology, she built her career as a science illustrator for the prominent paleontologist Neil Shubin at The University of Chicago. Her scientific illustrations have appeared inside and on the covers of top peer-review journals such as Nature and Science as well as in four popular science books, including The New York Times best-seller, Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin as well as his most recent, Some Assembly Required. In 2011, she co-founded Symbiartic, a blog covering the intersection of science and art for Scientific American. Since 2019, she has been on the Board of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, a group of professionals who communicate science through art, acting as President since 2020. Now, driven by the conviction that science communicators operating in all spheres are a critical part of creating a scientifically literate public, she is developing new avenues of public engagement with science via her own art and curated exhibits. 

The Shubin Lab at the University of Chicago studies the great leaps in evolution by combining paleontology with cutting-edge molecular biology and genetics. Professor Shubin is also an author, frequent public speaker, and television host, having authored three popular non-fiction science books and hosted the PBS series Your Inner Fish (highly recommend!).

Patterns of Consumption, a solo exhibit of work by Kalliopi Monoyios, explores the complexity of our relationship with plastic with humor, beauty, and wonder. It is on view at the Littleton Museum in Littleton, CO now through June 26, 2022. An online artist's talk will be scheduled in May.

The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI) is a 54-year-strong organization that began at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, USA. Today, they are a community of over 800 visual science communication professionals and enthusiasts worldwide. In addition to functioning as a generous and resourceful community of peers, they host the annual GNSI Visual SciComm Conference, publish the Journal of Natural Science Illustration, and run workshops and social events year-round, both in-person and online.

Ridwell, a company that specializes in keeping trash out of landfills by collecting hard to recycle items and finding local companies to either sustainably reuse or recycle them. (For the record, I don't get any perks for referring people to them beyond a cleaner world for us all!)

Sashiko Embroidery on Instagram

Symbiartic was a blog written by Kalliopi Monoyios, Glendon Mellow and Katie McKissick covering the intersection of science and art for Scientific American from 2011-2016. Select archives are still available here and here.

____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

Blending art and science to help young learners establish a science identity.

A tabletop activity designed for a Pi Day event introduces students and families to Fibonacci and scientific illustration as a career path. This activity was adapted for classroom use by The Leonardo Principle. In this episode, we learn more about The Leonardo Principle from founding director, Sally Bensusen.

LINKS

The Leonardo Principle

Activities for developing observation skills

Vi Hart - Fibonacci, Doodling & Math

Science Identity Matters

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World*

* Talaterra is a Bookstore affiliate. Commissions support the podcast.

____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

Stephanie Rozzo is the founder and principal educator of Nature Sketch Crate, a subscription service that not only inspires interest in nature but supports people in their exploration of it. How did she build this subscription service?

Let's find out.

LINKS
www.naturesketchcrate.com

Nature Sketch Crate on Facebook

Nature Sketch Crate on Instagram

Nature Sketch Crate on YouTube

Nature Sketch Crate on Tiktok

Nature Sketch Crate on Twitter

Special coupon code for Talaterra listeners: 

TALATERRA20

Use this code at www.naturesketchcrate.com to receive 20% off your first crate with a month-to-month purchase or 3 Month

prepay. Offer valid March 11, 2022 - April 29, 2022.

____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.

Be a guiding light.

Here is the link you need to lead.

Photo by Joshua Woroniecki on Unsplash

____________________________________________________________________________________

UPDATE:

On September 2, 2026, the TALATERRA website merged with Transferable Solutions. Conversations can be accessed through the interactive map. You can also explore the podcast's catalog of episodes on Simplecast, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

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, a newsletter about reimagining environmental skills
• Contact Us
• Talaterra is an affiliate of Bookshop.org. Learn More
• © 2019 - 2026 Talaterra Inc

ABOUT:

TALATERRA combines "tala" (Icelandic for "to speak" and "to talk") with "terra" (Earth)—because speaking for our planet and telling its stories is what environmental educators do.

TALATERRA: to speak Earth.