Terralingua

Founded in 1996, Terralingua, aims to promote the understanding that the diversity of life on Earth is both the diversity of plant and animal species as well as the diversity of human cultures and languages – the organisation believes it is essential for diversity in all its forms to be sustained for the future of humanity and species.  

Terralingua was formed from the idea of creating a non-academic organisation that would be dedicated to research and action – and went on to coin the term “biocultural diversity”.  

Through integrative programs, research, education and outreach, Terralingua works to shift human values, creating a just, equitable, sustainable world in which the biocultural diversity of life is valued and protected for future generations. 

© Cristina Mittermeier

Since receiving the first ever grant specifically for biocultural research and application, Terralingua’s impressive work has received large amounts of recognition over the years. Alongside this, their research has helped to demonstrate the interconnectedness of language, culture, nature: by mapping ecoregions with the world’s peoples, they demonstrated for the first time the high concentration of linguistic diversity in areas of high biodiversity. Their magazine, Langscape, is the world’s largest collection of biocultural stories.  

Other work includes Terralingua’s Indigenous Youth Storytellers Circle, a global platform to share the perspectives of Indigenous youth. Through this, young Indigenous creatives have contributed stories exploring their connection with ancestral languages, cultural traditions, and land-based knowledge and practices. 

They continue to promote Indigenous rights and amplify the value of the traditional ecological knowledge many Indigenous and local communities live by.