Valtellina 114: the podcast giving voice to climate change (and to the people living it)

Climate change isn’t a distant story — it’s already here, among the mountains and fields of Valtellina. That’s why Valtellina 114 was created: a community podcast that follows the Sentiero Valtellina, a 114-kilometer path through nature, stories, and the lives of those experiencing this transformation every day.

A project that combines local memory, environmental research, and co-design to give voice to the people shaping a possible, sustainable future for their land.

From idea to reality

A year ago, Valtellina 114 was “just” an award-winning concept, earning a top spot at the EIT Community Ignite NEB – DS4Planet Festival, the design sprint promoted by Studio SHIFT and funded by EIT Community Grow NEB. Today, that idea has become reality.

With the support of our team, the project took form — and found its voice — becoming a true community podcast. Residents from Civo, Morbegno, and Talamona contributed their stories, joined by environmental experts and researchers who offered scientific and technical perspectives on the territory.

A 114-km journey through nature and memory

The podcast — created by Andrea Cerri, Irene Giorgetti, Paolo Matias Robles, and Rossella Aldegani, and produced by Gabriele Beretta — unfolds in three episodes available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spreaker, and YouTube.
It can also be listened to directly along the Sentiero Valtellina, by scanning QR codes placed between Paniga Bridge and Ganda Bridge in Morbegno.

Each episode explores a different aspect of the relationship between people and the environment:

• Episode 1 – “The Seed Suitcase”: In Talamona, among fields preserving ancient varieties, the story revolves around agricultural biodiversity and how saving and nurturing local seeds can become an act of resistance against climate change.
  
• Episode 2 – “Across the River Lies America”: Along the Adda and Bitto rivers, water emerges as both a resource and a threat. The stories of those who live by the river intertwine with reflections on how climate shifts affect both native and non-native species.
  
• Episode 3 – “Valfenaa, Castagnun and the Parco della Bosca”: In Desco, among chestnut groves and new plant species, the transformation of the landscape reveals how environmental change reshapes habits, traditions, and even the rhythms of local life — now searching for new balance.

A project of community and sustainability

“Valtellina 114 is a podcast that crosses a territory… and lets that territory cross through us.” This is its essence: a collective narrative that blends memory, science, and ecological awareness to bring forward the voices of those living the effects of climate change — and responding to it by reconnecting with the lessons of our recent past.

Thanks to the co-design process led by Studio SHIFT, the project fully reflects the studio’s mission: to regenerate communities that are more inclusive, sustainable, and joyful through design and participation.

An invitation to listen and (re)discover the territory — because changing perspective is often the first step toward changing the world.