Bioregionalism

Bioregionalism is a philosophy about how humans live on Earth. It suggests that political, cultural, and economic systems work better when they match natural areas. These natural areas are called bioregions. A bioregion is not a country or a state. Instead, it is defined by physical and environmental features. These features include things like watershed boundaries and soil types. Bioregionalism is different from scientific ecoregions. While ecoregions focus mostly on ecology, bioregions include human culture and history. This way of thinking helps people live in harmony with their specific environment.

To define a bioregion, people look at several different layers of information. They start with "hard" lines, which are the oldest physical features. These include geology, topography, and tectonics. They also look at wind patterns and continental divides. Next, they look at "soft" lines. These are the living systems like climate, soil, and ecosystems. This layer includes the specific flora and fauna of the area. Finally, they add "human" lines to complete the picture. These include human geography, language, music, and agriculture. By combining these layers, a bioregion represents the total relationship between nature and people.

Bioregional mapping is a special tool used to understand these areas. This is a participatory approach to cartography, which is the science of making maps. Instead of just using human borders, these maps show natural and cultural realities. A good bioregional map shows layers of geology and plants over time. It also includes local stories, songs, and historical landmarks. This method allows local people to contribute their own knowledge. It aligns with Indigenous mapping practices by focusing on natural boundaries. This helps show the deep relationship between people and their environment.

In the 1980s and 1990s, bioregional mapping became very important for legal reasons. Several First Nations, including the Tsleil-Waututh, Nisga'a, Tsilhqot'in, and Wet'suwet'en, used these maps. They created bioregional atlases to help in court cases. One famous example is the Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia case. These groups used mapping to defend their sovereignty and their land. For many, bioregionalism is also a way to reclaim traditional knowledge and languages. Some people even use different names for land, such as "Turtle Island," to help with decolonization.

The history of bioregionalism began in the 1970s on the West Coast of North America. A Canadian poet and biogeographer named Allen Van Newkirk is credited with coining the term. He shared his ideas with Peter Berg in 1971. Berg and Judy Goldhaft founded the Planet Drum Foundation in 1973. This foundation became a leading center for the movement. They published "Bioregional Bundles," which were envelopes filled with art, poetry, and science. Between 1973 and 1985, they published nine of these bundles. They covered many places, including the Arctic Circle, West Africa, and Japan.

By 1990, the Planet Drum Foundation served as a hub for over 250 groups. These groups were located in North America, Canada, and Mexico. The movement even spread to Australia, Latin America, Italy, and Spain. Bioregionalism grew from many different social movements. It was influenced by the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement. It also grew from the Digger movement in San Francisco. Many people joined the movement to find a positive alternative to mainstream culture. They wanted to move away from a consumer culture that lacked stewardship for the environment.

Bioregionalism differs from some other types of environmentalism. Many 20th-century environmentalists saw human industry as an enemy of nature. They often viewed nature as a victim that needed to be saved from people. Bioregionalists have a different view. They see humanity and human culture as a part of nature. They want to build a proactive, positive relationship with the land. This means encouraging the use of local foods and local materials. It also means cultivating native plants that belong in the region. This approach seeks sustainability through harmony rather than through separation.

Real-world examples show how bioregions ignore human borders. One example is Cascadia. This region includes most of Oregon and Washington. It also includes the Alaska Panhandle and parts of Canada. Another example is the Ozarks, or the Ozarks Plateau. This bioregion includes parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. These areas show that nature does not follow the lines drawn by governments. Understanding these boundaries helps people understand their true connection to the earth.