Speaker: Sam Wearne, Ella Hubbard, Krisztina Jónás, Maria Wilke
Our research project has generated insights into how bioreigoining is emerging. It sheds light on a range of topics that we feel are of interest to a broad audience of sustainability researchers and practitioners. Specific insights that we’ll share in the first part of our session relate to the discourse and practice of bioregioning, as we encountered it: 1) The concept of a ‘bioregion’ appears to motivate proponents in three ways: it inspires visions of the future that encompass more-than-human thriving, creates a conceptual container that enables a strategic narrative for change, and justifies the importance of everyday people exercising their right to “do” something. We’ll discuss these motivators and their resonance with conference participants. 2) Despite central similarities, bioregioning appears to be patterned. Different perspectives about the state of the Earth System and different exposure to socio-ecological histories influence how bioregioning is expressed. We’ll host discussion about the practices bioregioning draws forth and the hopes and tensions they carry. 3) There is a long history of bioregional thought and action. As we encountered it, bioregioining represents a Western scientific narrative for the hybridization of humanity’s place on Earth. This carries political, ethical and practical complexities. We will use our presentation to provide some context to this observation, and highlight some opportunities as well as tensions that the discourse of bioregioning carries. 4) We found parallels between our research process and central features in bioregioning; both respond to ambitions and calls to enact relational values and surface contextualised knowledge whilst valuing generalisations and abstraction. We’ll create a space for a reflexive discussion about knowledge creation in sustainability science, and how relational values and contextualised knowledge engage with current norms. While our presentation will seek engagement, each theme sets the basis for more detailed and open discussion in the break-out sessions.Our session will include: 1) A collaborative group presentation which outlines what we found about contemporary bioregioning from our research. We’ll include prompts, questions and discussion about the tensions and hopes we encountered to engage participants about the findings. (20minutes) 2) We’ll then open 4 break out rooms organised by theme to dive deeper into specific topics and host an open discussion with participants (20minutes). The four themes are: (i) Relationality and context. Here, we’ll invite discussions into the role of context and abstractions in knowledge production and research. This will include discussing what a place–conscious or scale–conscious approach might look like, and what it might offer. (ii) “Practice” as if it’s “placed”. Bioregional thought has a long history of starting with the question ‘where the heck are you?’ In this breakout, we’ll invite discussions about promising practices, and the importance of cultural and ecological literacy as a premise for sustainability action. (iii) Critical reflexivity and debate. Here, we’ll discuss the observations, and tensions in bioregioning and how we might deal with them. We’ll dive deeper into bioregioning and what it represents in (Western) sustainability discourse, opening the space for conversation amongst the cohort. (iv) Bioregioning as philosophy. Bioregioning draws forth fresh perspectives about knowledge, ontology and epistemology. We see strands of connection to process-relational ontology. This space will dive into the prospects of more deeply considering what and how process-relational ontology (or other frameworks) might offer to proponents in bioregioning. 3) We’ll then return to the main room to exchange reflections and discussions about hopes, tensions and opportunities that we see and have encountered through the session. (15minutes).Contemporary bioregionalism, which we frame as Bioregioning, is attracting increasing interest amongst sustainability researchers and practitioners that seek to reconnect society to nature in systematic and practical ways. Over the past two years we have undertaken a collaborative learning journey into Bioregioning through interviews with contemporary leaders and a reflexive research process. The process provided an opportunity for us to distill insights, hopes, and tensions into the movement, as we encountered it, drawing on experiences across seven countries. We propose to host an online session that creates space for a collaborative discussion and engagement with conference participants, across all hubs, to discuss the findings, hopes, tensions, and practical opportunities from this research, and for bioregioning more broadly. Our session will become generative and has been designed as a way to complement the conference design. Our session is targeted at the central conference. While our session aims to connect to the US Hub Discussion, it provides an opportunity for a central, trans-place discussion about bioregional thought and practice, raising questions and sharing insights that are not only related to the US, but also other localities, such as perspectives from the contextualities of Europe, South America, Australian and United Kingdom. To support Glenn and the US community, we’ll be available to contribute to the US Hub’s agenda if he would like to include a follow-up, contextualised discussion with participants of that event.