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REGENERATIVE
 

Wild Flowers

REGENERATIVE approaches are gaining attention in many research fields and sectors of life. In some way, they represent a yearning for something more impactful and engaging than sustainability. They also recognise that many efforts in addressing the continuing degradation of the earth's biosphere, including all of nature on land, in the sea and in the atmosphere, have not been able to halt or reverse biodiversity loss or climate change. Regenerative approaches are inclusive of all life. They take a systems view including humans and their individual, social, cultural and spiritual wellbeing in the context of the wellbeing of the interconnected web of life present in place.

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Knowledge and engagement in regenerative practices and approaches have emerged in relation to

 

  • urban development 

  • land management, including its soils, flora and fauna

  • water 

  • air and atmospheric conditions

  • people and communities

  • social, political and governance systems

  • colonised and oppressed cultures

  • businesses and economic systems

  • and relationships between all of the above

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Wild Berries
Tree canopy
Yellow Flowers

In this project we draw on a range of traditions, knowledge and academic literature that inform our thinking about regenerative practices. They include a broad range of knowledge from the fields of

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  • Regenerative development and design

  • Regenerative agriculture

  • Regenerative forestry

  • Conservation biology

  • Ecology

  • Regenerative sustainability

  • Regenerative learning

  • Systems thinking and resilience 

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Regeneration in this project means the ability of a place (or system) including its human and more-than-human participants to renew and restore itself and its interrelationships after disturbance or damage. In biology it is recognised that every species is capable of regeneration to some extend (1). Similarly, ecosystems can regenerate after minor level disturbances. However, for regeneration to occur at systems level the damage has to be halted before it reaches catastrophic levels.  Otherwise, our natural and social systems (socio-ecological systems) will not be able to regenerate. These moments are referred to as tipping points, when a relatively stable system suddenly has passed a threshold and is no longer able to regenerate. 

 

As regeneration is a prerequisite for resilience it is important for land and waters to be treated with regenerative practices and thinking to assist their natural ability for regeneration. In this project we focus on three regenerative land practices: cultural-burning, Ridam/Ladam and rewilding. Each of these practices require and at the same time foster regenerative cultures and systems - in other words they co-create regenerative places.

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REFERENCES 1. Carlson BM (2007). Principles of Regenerative Biology. Elsevier Inc. p. 400. ISBN 978-0-12-369439-3. ​

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