Talking Taiao

Behind every garden is a person, a journey and a reason for growing. In this episode, Sophie talks with two of our Taranaki Sustainable Trails garden hosts Mary Mattock of Bluebells and Beetroot and Emma Boyd of Wild Table. Together they share their journey to becoming hosts, the lessons the whenua has taught them, plus the practical skills and sustainable gardening tips they’re sharing with visitors. A kōrero about growing, learning and finding ways to live more lightly with te taiao. Find out more about the sustainable trails at www.sustainabletrails.org.nz 🌿🌱🪏

What happens when a lifelong passion for te taiao becomes a career in waste minimisation, sustainability and environmental science? This week Sophie chats with Taranaki environmental champion Kimberly Hope, a trustee of Sustainable Taranaki. Kimberly shares her journey from a deep-rooted love of the environment to working in local government and consultancy, the lessons she’s learned about creating real change in our communities, and what inspired her to join the board of Sustainable Taranaki. We’ll also dig into some of the success stories and surprising moments from her mahi.

Carl has been teaching horticulture for five years at WITT. He is looking back on his journey, all the way from Australia to the beautiful Taranaki soil! Dig in this episode to learn about the different Horticulture programmes at WITT, but also why (and how) assessing your soil is key in growing food and all plants! Carl will be running a workshop during the 2026 Sustainable Trails: "Soil Health: Know What You Need" on Saturday 7 November. Visit WITT's website to learn more about the Horticulture programmes and www.sustainabletrails.org.nz to book your spot at Carl's workshop!

This week Sophie chats with Sustainable Coastlines co-founder Sam Judd ahead of the Hirepool Big Clean Taranaki, happening across the region from 14–20 September. Sam has spent years bringing people together to tackle plastic pollution and care for our coastlines, from community clean-ups here in Aotearoa to working internationally on solutions to marine litter. Together, Sophie and Sam explore why getting people out onto the whenua and moana can create genuine behaviour change, build stronger communities and help people see themselves as kaitiaki of the places they love. Register your group here: https://app.sustainablecoastlines.org/big-clean-taranaki ♻️🤲🌊

Co-hosts Sophie and Elric are looking back on a LOT of Talking Taiao episodes! From gardening to waste, transport to conservation, and much more, they are sharing their experience of meeting and discussing with our community doing some good in Taranaki! Explore all our previous episodes on www.artmedia.org.nz/programme/talkingtaiao and on www.sustainabletaranaki.org.nz/talking-taiao-sustainable-podcast-in-taranaki 💯👀🔙🥳

What if growing food could also grow community, strengthen our connection to the whenua and help create a more sustainable Taranaki? On this episode, Sophie chats with Shari Corbett-Dwyer, Manager of Growmeez Communal Gardens, about an innovative approach to community gardening that transforms under-utilised private land into small, thriving spaces for growing healthy, spray-free kai 🥦🍆🌶️ We’ll explore how Growmeez supports people to learn, share and grow together, while building practical skills, reducing barriers to growing food and nurturing a stronger culture of kaitiakitanga.

Join Sophie Walker with Suzy Randall and Jenni Hammonds as they celebrate the launch of Taranaki Sustainable Trails 2026 🌱 Discover what's new this year, explore the brand-new web app, and find out how you can plan your own sustainable adventure across Taranaki. Visit www.sustainabletrails.org.nz for more details.

Join Sophie for a kōrero with Sustainable Taranaki's new Zero Waste Events and Education Manager, Sunita Torrance. Hear about Sunita's journey, the behind-the-scenes mahi that helps make Taranaki more sustainable, and how Zero Waste Events and education supports waste reduction, boosts recycling and composting, and care for our taiao.

What began with a single set of footprints on Ōakura Beach soon became a family-led conservation project helping to monitor and protect Kororā (little blue penguins) along the Taranaki coastline. In this episode Sophie talks with Edyta Materka about citizen science, kaitiakitanga, and how curiosity, connection to place, and community action can inspire us all to become guardians of te taiao.

Plastic Free July doesn't have to be perfect; it just starts with one swap. Join us as we explore easy ways to reduce single-use plastics, support local businesses, and look after our beautiful Taranaki environment. Expect practical ideas, plenty of laughs, and inspiration to make a difference.

Link to plastic free shopping in Taranaki: www.sustainabletaranaki.org.nz/news/zero-plastic-options-in-taranaki-our-interactive-map