Episodes

  • Alexandra Dumitrescu, What nonprofits can learn from e-commerce
    Sep 19 2025
    Today my guest is fundraiser and impact growth leader, Alexandra Dumitrescu. In this episode, we discuss nonprofit funding. Alexandra highlights the potential of technology to enhance fundraising efforts and presents ways nonprofits can diversify income streams. We discuss e-commerce models, leveraging SaaS platforms, improving donor relations, and lost funding opportunities.We also discuss initiatives Alexandra founded to help nonprofits create sustainable income and integrate social impact features in business products.How might Alexandra's ideas (or some version of them) be applied to your project, organization, or partnerships?How does this conversation reframe what you see as being possible in environmental education? LEARN MOREAlexandra Dumitrescu on LinkedInBiggerPie (LinkedIn)RWAYS for Nonprofits (LinkedIn)Shop for Hope (Alexandra on Substack)Fundraising Platforms Mentioned:FundraiseUpDonorBoxiRaiserDataro.io Automation Services Mentioned:ZapierZendeskAcronyms Defined:Saas - Software as a Service (cloud-based services)KPI - Key Performance IndicatorsMVP - Minimum Viable ProductCSR - Corporate Social ResponsibilityAlexandra's Recommended Resources:Daniela Papi Thornton - Reclaiming Social Entrepreneurship (TEDx)Dan Pallotta - The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong (TED)Skin in the Game: Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life (Nassim Nicholas Taleb)*Manifesto for a Moral Revolution (Jacqueline Novogratz)*Subscribe to the Transferable Solutions newsletter. _______________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. CREDITS:Producer: Tania MarienMusic: 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.Contact Us© 2019 - 2025 Talaterra Inc * TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org.
    Show More Show Less
    57 mins
  • Rob Law, The Creek Kids
    Jul 3 2025

    Rob Law is a musician and composer with decades of experience in the music industry. He has composed music for films and advertising campaigns. Rob is also a podcaster, a storyteller, and an advocate for outdoor learning. In this episode, Rob and I talk about The Creek Kids, his podcast for children inspired by the radio plays from the Golden Age of Radio.

    • The Creek Kids on Podbean
    • Rob Law (website)

    AUDIO SAMPLES (in order of appearance):

    • Lux. “Lux Radio Theater - Single Episodes : Old Time Radio Researchers Group : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive.” Internet Archive, 2025. https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Lux_Radio_Theater_Singles. Sample is from "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes.' https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
    • The Mystery of the Flood: The Creek Kids. Produced by Rob Law. Used with permission.
    • Campbells Creek Soundtrail. Produced by Rob Law. Used with permission.

    _______________

    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.

    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.
    • Contact Us
    • © 2019 - 2025 Talaterra Inc

    * TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org.

    Show More Show Less
    39 mins
  • Dinah Awino Kawino, Pendo Mazingira
    Jun 12 2025

    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

    _______________

    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.

    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.
    • Contact Us
    • © 2019 - 2025 Talaterra Inc

    * TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org.

    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Christina Carter, Gumnut Trails
    May 22 2025

    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/

    _______________

    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.

    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.
    • Contact Us
    • © 2019 - 2025 Talaterra Inc

    * TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org.

    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • Louise Karch, Interview Database for Environmental Educators
    Jan 30 2025

    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

    _______________

    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.

    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.
    • Contact Us
    • © 2019 - 2025 Talaterra Inc

    * TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org.

    Show More Show Less
    50 mins
  • Vanessa Thompson, Career Opportunities in Sustainability for Environmental Educators
    Dec 12 2024

    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: info@the-sustainability-experts.com
    - 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!

    _______________

    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.

    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.
    • Contact Us
    • © 2019 - 2025 Talaterra Inc

    * TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org.

    Show More Show Less
    42 mins
  • [INSIGHT] Announcing Transferable Solutions
    Dec 12 2024

    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.

    _______________

    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.

    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.
    • Contact Us
    • © 2019 - 2025 Talaterra Inc

    * TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org.

    Show More Show Less
    3 mins
  • Kalliopi Monoyios, Visual Climate Communication
    Sep 12 2024

    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

    _______________

    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.

    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.
    • Contact Us
    • © 2019 - 2025 Talaterra Inc

    * TALATERRA is an affiliate of Bookshop.org.

    Show More Show Less
    47 mins