Welcome to Terralingua — Your Hub for Biocultural Diversity.

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Did you know? Biocultural diversity is the diversity of life in nature and culture. It’s a living network made up of the millions of species of plants and animals and the thousands of human cultures and languages that have evolved on earth. And you are a part of it!

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Think of it as biodiversity, cultural diversity, and linguistic diversity all bound together — interconnected and interdependent. That “inextricable link” has arisen over time through coevolution and through the myriad ways in which people around the globe have interacted with the natural environment.

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We at Terralingua came together around the idea of “biocultural diversity” nearly 30 years ago. In fact, we coined that term! We recognized that diversity in both nature and culture is vital for the thriving of life on earth, and since then we’ve been promoting understanding, appreciation, and support of biocultural diversity worldwide.

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If you, like us, believe that sustaining biocultural diversity is essential for a healthy, just, and resilient future of life on earth, you’ve come to the right place! We’re your hub to learn more about biocultural diversity, where you can read stories, find resources, watch videos and listen to podcasts, and more.

Featured Updates

**Order Your Print Copy of “Territories of Life,” Langscape Vol. 13**

Essays, stories, and poetry, breathtaking images, stunning filmography, potent artwork, and creative dance — “Territories of Life” is a concept that embodies the core tenet of biocultural diversity: that there’s an inextricable mutual link between people and the natural world. Order Langscape Magazine

Indigenous Youth Storytellers Circle

Explore inspiring first-person stories from Indigenous youths worldwide! We started our Indigenous Youth Storytellers Circle in 2019 as an official project of the UN’s International Year of Indigenous Languages. The project was such a great success that we are continuing to gather and publish their important stories. Learn More.

Donate to Support Stories about Nature, Language, and Culture

Each and every story we publish educates and inspires about biocultural diversity. All of these stories are freely accessible online! Our goal is to bring the concept of biocultural diversity to hundreds of thousands — even millions — of people around the world, especially to younger generations so that they can learn about the inextricable link between nature, culture, and language and can push for change. Please donate.

Langscape Magazine

Unique stories celebrating the bounty of diversity in nature and culture. Indigenous and non-Indigenous voices and viewpoints. Stunning pictures, videos, and art. Discover Langscape Magazine, our flagship publication — thought-provoking, inspiring, and always ad-free.

Explore

A Journey of Decolonization

A student embarks on a quest to learn about and reconnect with her Khasi heritage. Cana Nongkhlaw . The shadows of colonialism still loom, casting a grimy veil upon those who suffered at its vile hands. People may question how a past era should have any significance, arguing that dwelling on history is irrelevant to

Life in Territories

Tea and coffee plantations in southern India encroach on Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life and territories, threatening the protection of their sacred groves. WORDS AND IMAGES Lakshmi Unnithan . Are our modern temples different from sacred groves? Sacred groves are patches of trees on forestland, representations and remains of what forests used to be

A Journey of Decolonization

A student embarks on a quest to learn about and reconnect with her Khasi heritage. Cana Nongkhlaw . The shadows of colonialism still loom, casting a grimy veil upon those who suffered at its vile hands. People may question how a past era should have any significance, arguing that dwelling on history is irrelevant to

Life in Territories

Tea and coffee plantations in southern India encroach on Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life and territories, threatening the protection of their sacred groves. WORDS AND IMAGES Lakshmi Unnithan . Are our modern temples different from sacred groves? Sacred groves are patches of trees on forestland, representations and remains of what forests used to be

Featured Projects

A Journey of Decolonization

A student embarks on a quest to learn about and reconnect with her Khasi heritage. Cana Nongkhlaw . The shadows of colonialism still loom, casting a grimy veil upon those who suffered at its vile hands. People may question how a past era should have any significance, arguing that dwelling on history is irrelevant to

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Indigenous Youth Storytellers Circle

Explore inspiring, first-person stories from Indigenous youth worldwide — and share your own! Our Indigenous Youth Storytellers Circle (IYSC) provides a global platform for Indigenous youths to share their unique perspectives online and/or in print via Langscape Magazine, Terralingua’s flagship publication.

Explore

News & Views

Help Build a Future Where Nature and Culture Thrive Together

When you imagine the future, what is your vision? Do you, like me, wish to see a world where diversity in nature and culture thrives? One in which biocultural diversity is revitalized, protected, and celebrated? I was dreaming of a world like that when I co-founded Terralingua nearly 30 years ago! Since then, we at

What Is Linguistic Diversity and How Is It Linked to Nature and Culture?

Understanding language and diversity can help bring about a new set of life-affirming values and promote a paradigm shift in how we think and act. What Is Linguistic Diversity? Linguistic diversity is the number of distinct languages — or the diversity of languages — spoken within a given area and overall around the world. Globally,

¡Seeking Volunteer Spanish Translators!

Terralingua is seeking one or more Volunteer Spanish Translators to support our organization’s communications. Do you have experience translating documents from English to Spanish, from Spanish to English, or in both directions, or are you enrolled in an accredited translation program? And do you have an interest in cultural diversity, linguistic diversity, and biodiversity —

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