Welcome to the bioregion of South Devon. From prehistoric times onwards this place has been on a leading edge of innovation and change. Today we are a seedbed of innovation in soil restoration, organic farming, community-supported fishing, rewilding, the circular economy, social enterprise, re-localising procurement, community action and leveraging systems change with small-scale interventions. We are, together, growing a learning region for a climate resilient future.
What we do
Building collaborations to shift South Devon towards long-term climate resilience. We work in and at the intersection of economy, ecology, learning, arts and culture and the gaps in between. We are a learning centre and action learning lab located on the River Dart. What we do falls into 3 strands of work.
Action Learning in South Devon
Projects that highlight critical resources
and the complex systems they are part of.
Bioregioning
The collective practice of
understanding South Devon
as a learning platform.
Learning Centre
How-tos and examples
of whole systems thinking
and citizen agency.
Exploring the food shed; Guy Watson sharing his experience on a BLC Learning Journey.
Why we are different
We work through designing, convening, facilitating, informing, linking and generating collective will so that individuals, communities, businesses and whole sectors can co-design the road maps and tools for making change happen themselves. BLC was founded in early 2017 in South Devon by three experts in design for regeneration, communications and ecology. What we do today as a team is only possible because of the web of connections we have built in this place and the practical experience we have gained living here–in education, start-up culture, local collaborative governance, participatory environmental planning and community-based climate adaptation.
Foregrounding civil society
We give a central role to civil society in driving the kind of shifts needed to confront climate change and biodiversity loss, alongside government and the public and private sectors–breaking down silos, putting economies and ecologies in dialogue with each other, hearing and valuing all the voices in an equitable way. To achieve systemic responses at appropriate scale, in which everyone can find a place, we employ learning, design and creativity in an ‘all-together’ process, equally valuing local know-how and expert knowledge.
Bringing the River Dart into the room for the South Devon Catchments Partnership.
Our latest project
The Devon Doughnut Collective is now a group of over 90 changemakers putting the ideas of Doughnut Economics into practice in Devon in the UK.
Sessions
Months
Doughnut Makers
Hours contributed
Meet the team
The Bioregional Learning Centre is the brain-child of Isabel Carlisle and, since it’s formation in 2017, the team has been growing into a multi-skilled and passionate group of people who are all deeply committed to protect and improve the South Devon Bioregion and others all around the world…
Joseph Rose
Jane Brady
Isabel Carlisle
Nick Paling
Elena Plugaru
Supporters
Collaborators and networks
We would love to hear from you
Say hello!
We work in and at the intersection of economy, ecology, learning, arts and culture and the gaps in between.