About

Meet the team

Marion Atieno Osieyo,Creator and Host.

Hi! I created Black Earth to share the love I have for nature and black people and to inspire people to reconnect with the inherent and profound relationship they have with nature.

As a leader, I bring together strategy, storytelling, science and contemplative spirituality to create solutions that promote human and ecological wellbeing. I am inspired by environmental justice, sustainable development and the diverse cultural practices of living with Earth that exist all around the world.

I have worked with a number of organisations including, WWF, UNHCR Innovation Service, and European Commission.

As a communicator, I write and speak regularly on environment and biodiversity, sustainable development and environmental justice issues. I graduated from Oxford University with a Master of Science in Global Governance and Diplomacy.

When I'm not working for nature, I love to live a soft life which involves plant-based food, rest, meditation and movement ;)

A special thank you to Anesu, for being an absolute legend of a team mate.

Recognitions (Awards)

2021 - United Nations, ‘Good Practice on SDGs implementation’ for establishing a global innovation network, SDG Hub.

2020 - World Wildlife Fund for Nature, Legend Award for ‘Integrity’

2015 - European Commission, Future Leader of International Co-operation and Development

2009 - UK Prime Minister’s Global Fellow (UK and India)

Anesu Matanda Mambingo,Social Media and Marketing Lead.

My passion for the outdoors is deeply linked to my desire to want to protect it and to make it as inclusive as possible. I love spending my time outdoors, be that reading a book in a park, venturing out on a walk or going for a climb in the Peak District. I’m also a strong believer in the ability of digital media to bring about positive change, with my undergraduate dissertation being titled “From Hashtag to home office: A study on the use of digital activism to bring about political change”.

Whilst completing my degree in Digital Media and Society from the University of Sheffield, I worked as a campaigns intern at WWF-UK and later as a Trade Policy officer. After graduating with a first-class honours degree, I became the first-ever elected student officer for Welfare and Sustainability at Sheffield Students Union representing over 27,000 students on a range of sustainability matters such as embedding sustainable development into the curriculum, championing responsible investments, and opening the first ever permanent swap shop.

I co-created a Sheffield-based female climbing youtube channel to showcase and encourage women in the sport. Since then, I’ve become a qualified climbing instructor and have held free coached climbing sessions for people from global majority backgrounds. I also volunteer as a walking leader for a people of colour walking group called Peaks of Colour. My work championing inclusivity within the outdoor industry recently led to me co-presenting the British Mountaineering Councils' first Women in Adventure film competition event at Kendal Mountain Festival, one of the largest and most varied outdoor events in Europe.

My hope for the future is to be able to use my digital media skills to explore the intersections between sustainability, ED&I, and the outdoor and adventure industry.

To contact the team for partnership and media enquiries, email blackearthpod@gmail.com

Logo credit: Shanice Da Costa

Image Description: Logo of Black Earth Podcast. Pastel green background with illustration of yellow fish at the top, middle, and bottom right corner of the image. In the centre of illustration is a drawing of bald woman facing sideways coloured in blue. Illustration of purple leaves covers her head and bottom left corner of the image. In the bottom right corner of the illustration reads the text 'Black Earth'. In the top right corner of image is a sun illustration.