Learning network
Bioregional Summer School
BLC is launching the South Devon Bioregional Summer School in July where participants will experience the full spectrum of how to work bioregionally, with South Devon as our classroom and local and international tutors sharing their work and practice. The Summer School is linked to a "Bioregioning in Practice" webinar series hosted by Gaia Education and designed by the Bioregional Learning Alliance (of which BLC is a founding member).
Lighting a beacon on the Exe. Credit: Radio Exe / Lord Mayor of Exeter
South Devon Bioregional Summer School, 18th -25th July
Foregrounding the practice rather than the theory of bioregioning
PLACES ARE LIMITED, BOOK TODAY
Come and join our Summer School this July for a week packed with learning sessions, discussions, field trips, fresh air and great food at the beautiful Rill Estate. With South Devon as our classroom, four local and five international tutors will share their bioregional work and practice. Learn by doing and find out how a place can become a beacon for bioregional revitalisation.
Our first practical course is designed to be a collaborative experience that gives the flavour of how we practice bioregioning in South Devon. Bioregioning is the bundle of practices for working regeneratively with landscapes and whole systems in a given bioregion. We do this work in the context of climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, failing economies and political instability. Because we see bioregioning as a relational practice, we pay a good deal of attention to increasing the capacities of vitality, viability and evolution of the networks, flows and relationships that make up the landscapes and human systems such as health and food that we engage with.
The course brings together nine long-term bioregioning practitioners to share their experience and knowledge of how to do this work. We will be covering almost all aspects of bioregioning from economies to ecologies, from culture to politics. There will be a focus on how to start and how to continue; the capacities needed to lead this work; the many entry points into bioregioning and how different places around the world are tackling this work.
We will get into our place-shaped bodies and minds, guided by 'Pattern Mind' and enjoy wonderful food and the South Devon countryside. Meals will be created by renowned Schumacher College vegetarian chef, Julia Ponsonby. Situated just beyond Totnes, between Dartmoor and the coast, the Rill Estate is almost hidden by 80 acres of woods, fields and organic farmland. The accomodation is formed of a quadrangle of honey-coloured stone 19th century barns, lovingly restored and remodelled.
By participating in this course you will:
- Develop an understanding of the deep-time origins of bioregioning
- Be introduced to regenerative design for systems, and bioregions in particular
- Be guided through the steps of animating a bioregion that you can find here
- Make deep dives into case studies from around the world
- Begin to "sense" the bioregion, experiencing first-hand the roles of communication, art and ecology in deepening a bioregional culture
- Consider the producer role and the competencies needed for this work
- See the workings of a bioregional economy
- Explore bioregional governance and how to interact with existing power structures, linking that to a matrix of indicators for bioregional health
- Work on a design brief for a bioregional knowledge network
- Unpack the complexities of bioregional finance and how to resource our work
There will be space for asking questions, designing, trying things out, reflecting, asking better questions and sketching out pathways to action.
We welcome you bringing your own places, questions and experiences. As well as teaching/learning sessions, discussions and field trips there is the opportunity for 1:1s with the tutors.
SEE TUTOR BIOGRAPHIES, PRACTICAL DETAILS, COST - BOOK YOUR PLACE
The Bioregioning in Practice Webinar Series
The Bioregional Learning Alliance is an international circle of bioregional practitioners who have been collaborating for two years and are committed to growing the field of bioregioning. Bioregional Learning Centre is both a founder member and lead convenor. Together, we designed a series of 10 webinars and a discussion forum called "Bioregioning in Practice", covering the full spectrum of bioregional practice. After meeting the practitioners, learning and gathering resources, the idea is to move on from there into a residential, a learning lab, working with a mentor, a learning journey, group discussions and knowledge sharing, or further online learning.
Find out more on the Gaia Education website . Have a look at our latest blog post for background on the Alliance.
