Coffee & Geography 5x02 Meryl Batchelder (NE-based Climate Ambassador from MoEE)

A season-long special of the podcast interviewing #ClimateAmbassdors up and down the country! Why did they become Ambassadors? How can they help communities and education settings to take climate action? Joining Kit Marie based in the North-East region is Meryl Batchelder, talking about living sustainably in a small field in Northumberland, running micro-music festivals, parody journalism, and more! Meryl is an Environmental Education Consultant and the North East regional coordinator for the Ministry of Eco Education. After a degree in Geology and a PhD in environmental science she gained 15 years of experience as a secondary science teacher before recently leaving the chalkface to focus on developing climate and sustainability initiatives in education. She regularly writes or blogs about climate education and is Climate Ambassador with STEM Learning. Some links to things mentioned in the chat: - Climate Ambassadors (www.climateambassadors.org.uk) - Case study of linking school Climate Action Plans and safeguarding policy (https://geogramblings.com/2024/12/14/empowering-schools-linking-climate-action-to-safeguarding/) - Leadship for Sustainability by David Dixon (https://www.drdaviddixon.earth/) - Biodiversity stripes (https://biodiversitystripes.info/global) - Earthwards by Katherine Burke (https://www.hawthornpress.com/2024/10/earthwards-book-talk/) - Meryl filming with the RHS (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/meryl-batchelder-a73a659_yesterday-i-was-filmed-by-the-rhs-for-a-training-activity-7255492476835098625-0pVY) - Homestead Gathering Micro-Festival (https://www.facebook.com/homesteadgathering/) - Melody Bird, parody eco-journalist for the North East Bylines (https://northeastbylines.co.uk/author/melodybird) - Leaving social media 'X' guide for teachers (https://geogramblings.com/2024/11/17/teachers-yes-you-can-leave-x-and-not-lose-mostly-everything-youve-collated-heres-how/) Connect with Meryl via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/meryl-batchelder-a73a659/) and Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/merylbatchelder.bsky.social) =About Coffee & Geography== The aim of ‘Coffee & Geography’ is to get to know, explore and celebrate the diverse & intersectional range of people and their love for the world. If you're interested in being a guest or want to find out more, then visit geogramblings.com/coffee-geography-podcast/. There you will also find an interactive map to explore the locations of guests and the brews that they drink! Music: 'Spark of Inspiration' by Shane Ivers (www.silvermansound.com/) ==How you can support the podcast and continue the conversation== • Follow us on Bluesky at bsky.app/profile/geogramblings.com and the hashtag #CoffeeGeogPod • Post a listener question for guests using #GeogQOverABrew • Rate, review (ratethispodcast.com/coffeegeogpod) and subscribe to the podcast via your preferred platform. • Sponsor us! See bit.ly/CoffeeGeogSponsor for details. • Support Geogramblings education efforts by donating at ko-fi.com/kitrackley • Switch your energy provider to Octopus Energy via this link: share.octopus.energy/reed-foal-15. Any referral rewards will go towards Geogramblings education efforts.