About us
Our small team has a big commitment to whole-region revitalization
The Bioregional Learning Centre (BLC) is a Community Interest Company formed in 2017 to shift the South Devon bioregion towards long-term climate resilience.
From our experience in getting to know our own bioregion and learning which are the useful actions to take, we have developed away of working: we generate trust through partnership, resource others, lay out pathways for practical action, inspire and demonstrate.
We work with action-based practices and are developing foundational pillars as a contribution to the evolution of the bioregional movement, which was first brought into focus many decades ago.
In all our work we bring civil society into the frame as the systemic crises we now face are going to need all of us working together. Our collaborations are with the whole fabric of our bioregion and its communities. We share, publish and advocate for a regenerative approach to landscapes and systems.
Our vision is a world where communities and economies work in harmony with nature. In South Devon and beyond, we support people to design and create futures that promote biodiversity, climate resilience, and social justice.
We work in and at the intersection of economy, ecology, learning, arts and culture and the gaps in between.
We aim to build the capacity of citizens and policymakers to respond and adapt to climate change.
Inspiration: Toril Johannessen, Colloquial place names linked to military activity, 2022/2024
We aim to build the capacity of citizens and policymakers to respond and adapt to climate change.
Our history
Mar 2025
Three years of saltmarsh restoration
600 willow and hazel bundles staked in the mud, a new boardwalk and a repaired Napoleonic wall... a big reason to celebrate!
Jun 2024
A second Learning Journey
To gather evidence of climate adaptation, the aim was to establish the current situation and opportunities at the local level.
May 2023
Water Stories
An exhibition in a public space brings together everything we have been learning into a multi-perspective local story of water.
Oct 2022
Attention shifts to climate adaptation
A series of gatherings, this one at the Apricot Centre, bring focus to the challenges of climate adaptation across sectors.
Oct 2022
A water walk
We began at the top of town at the old reservoir, walking down to the castle looking for taps, to the the Leechwell, a set of three springs. A social act to understand how water works in Totnes, a market town.
May 2022
Voices of the Dart
Working outdoors and opening up a creative space, a ‘third’ space, where people speak or communicate differently. Funded by SW Water, with Dr. Sally Sutton and artists Ione Maria Rojas and Anne-Marie Culhane.
Oct 2021
The Battle for Our Rivers
As information circulated on the condition of the UK's rivers, The Sunday Telegraph Magazine ran a feature article on the folks here on the Dart working in various ways on behalf of the river.
Jul 2020
A year of Doughnuts
During Covid we developed the Devon Doughnut by organically growing a network, meeting once every two weeks for a year.
Jan 2020
Friends of Ernesettle Creek
The Plymouth Riverkeepers project took us to Tamerton Lake, to meet this dedicated community group taking good care of their streams, tributaries, river—and lake.
Sep 2019
Learning from people on the ground
River, City Moor, Coast: we travelled around the bioregion on our first Learning Journey, joined by restoration ecologist Glenn Page from Portland, Maine.
Mar 2019
Citizen science on the Dart
Linked to the Charter, BLC teams up with Westcountry Rivers Trust to host training sessions.
Feb 2019
Speaking up for practitioners
Isabel takes the stage at the Leverage Points Conference hosted by Leuphana Uni, inspired by the essay by Donella Meadows, Places to intervene in a system.
Dec 2018
UK's first River Charter
A BLC initiative that brought together the contributions of over 1,200 people in Dartington.
Nov 2017
An early boost
Our first grant funding from Quakers in Britain is cause for celebration!
Oct 2017
BLC goes public
At the first Archimedes Screw Fest we share BLC's 1-pager showing a map of the South Devon bioregion.
How we work
Our approach is rooted in bioregioning – understanding the distinctiveness of place – and action learning – adapting through doing. Through communication and collaboration, we create spaces where ideas emerge, partnerships flourish and solutions take root.
Bioregioning
Bioregioning is about understanding the unique characteristics of a place – its people, ecosystems and resources – and working within these natural systems to create regenerative futures.
Action learning
We believe in learning by doing. Action learning allows us to tackle real-world challenges through experimentation, reflection and adaptation, creating solutions that evolve with our bioregion.
Communication
Effective communication is at the heart of our work. By crafting compelling stories, visuals and media, we inspire curiosity and foster connections that drive bioregional change.
Meet our team
Our team is made up of passionate individuals dedicated to creating a thriving future for South Devon and beyond.
See who's involvedOur partners and collaborators
Our work is strengthened by partnerships with local councils, universities, NGOs, community groups and global networks. Together, we’re creating impactful projects that inspire change.
