Bioregionalism is an environmental philosophy advocating that human activity and governance be organized around bioregions, geographical areas defined by natural features like watersheds, mountain ranges, and ecosystems, rather than arbitrary political or administrative boundaries. It emphasizes living-in-place, sustainability, and local self-reliance to foster a deeper connection between communities and their native landscapes.
History of Bioregionalism
Bioregionalism emerged in the early 1970s, developing primarily along the western coast of North America, and specifically from a broad coalition of poets, artists, writers, and community leaders, who envisioned a positive, place-based alternative to mainstream environmental efforts. It included many individuals (including Peter Berg, Judy Goldhaft, and Kirkpatrick Sale) working together through the Planet Drum Foundation to create a new place-based philosophy they called bioregionalism.
Hernandez-Herrero. Courtesy of the Drum Foundation
Bioregionalism also grew from a relationship with the American Indian Movement and efforts to reclaim Native American languages, territories, and maps, as well as from the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement, and an increasing awareness of pervasive environmental pollution.
The term is credited to Allen Van Newkirk who in 1975 published “Bioregions: Towards Bioregional Strategy for Human Cultures” but the idea goes further back, being floated in early published small press magazines by Newkirk, and in conversational dialogue. Newkirk, who would go on to found the Institute for Bioregional Research, issued a series of short papers using the term “bioregion” as early as 1970.
Kirkpatrick Sale wrote in 1974 that “A bioregion is a part of the earth’s surface whose rough boundaries are determined by natural rather than human dictates, distinguishable from other areas by attributes of flora, fauna, water, climate, soils and landforms, and human settlements and cultures those attributes give rise to.”
Chelsea Green Publishing
Another early proponent of bioregionalism was biologist and environmental scientist Raymond Dasmann, who studied under the legendary wildlife biologist Aldo Leopold. Working with Peter Berg, Dasmann was one of the pioneers in developing the use of the term “bioregion” and identified the crucial importance of recognizing indigenous peoples and their cultures in efforts to conserve natural landscapes. Murray Bookchin, who ran the Institute for Social Ecology, was also deeply involved in influencing and helping define the early bioregional movement.
A major evolution in how bioregions were defined also occurred in the mid-1980s and can be attributed to David Haenke, who conceptualized the Ozark Area Community Congress in 1977, started the Bioregional Project in 1982, launched the Ozarks Bioregional Congress in 1980, and then launched the first ever North American Bioregional Congress in 1984. He would also go on to be one of the founders of the United States Green Party, which he viewed as a political wing of the bioregional movement.
the Ozark Regional Land Trust
North American Bioregional Assemblies have been meeting at bi-annual gatherings of throughout North America since 1984 and have given rise to national level Green Parties. The tenets of bioregionalism are often used by green movements. At the local level, several bioregions have congresses that meet annually.
The Bioregion
A bioregion is a geographic area with coherent and interconnected plant & animal communities and other natural characteristics (often defined by a watershed or other hydrologic boundary), plus the cultural values that humans have developed for living in harmony with these natural systems. It is defined by its natural features (drainage basin, soil types, rainfall & other climatic patterns, and native plants & animals) as well as by its human cultural values (energy & transportation, agriculture, food, music, language, history, traditional land-use patterns, and indigenous cultures).
Bioregionalism serves as a framework for addressing global environmental issues through tangible, local actions, often drawing on indigenous knowledge to create a sustainable life-place.
Key Aspects of Bioregionalism
At its heart, bioregionalism is about reinhabitation, learning to live sustainably and responsibly within the specific limits and gifts of one’s local environment. It asserts that human culture should stem from place, reflecting the unique environmental conditions of the region. Humans are viewed as integral parts of the ecosystem, not separate from it. Individuals develop an intimate, deep knowledge of their local flora, fauna, geology, and history. Residents advocate for local, community-based governance & economies that reduce dependence on global supply chains.
Bioregional thinking involves becoming “native to a place” by learning the local ecology, consuming local resources, and ensuring long-term sustainability. It encourages local, community-based decision-making and participatory democracy. It recognizes that culture stems from place, urging a shift away from exploitative economies to ones that celebrate local, unique ecosystems, and cultural & ecological integration.
Bioregional practice opposes a homogeneous economy & consumer culture with its lack of stewardship towards natural systems. Instead, it seeks to ensure that political boundaries match natural boundaries, highlight the unique ecology of the bioregion, and encourage consumption of local foods and the use of local materials where possible, as well as the cultivation of native plants.
Bioregionalism serves as a counter-movement to globalization and is often treated as a spiritual, long-term commitment to nurturing and defending the local biosphere. It involves developing a deep, detailed understanding of the local environment, protecting & restoring natural habitats as a primary concern, supporting local economies, and creating self-sufficient communities that can withstand global disruptions.
Bioregional Mapping
Bioregional mapping is a powerful tool to increase understanding of a bioregion. It is a participatory approach to cartography that focuses on mapping the natural, ecological, and human realities that have emerged. It highlights the interconnectedness of the region’s natural systems and human communities, offering a holistic view of the landscape that integrates ecological data with cultural and historical insights.
A good bioregional map shows layers of geology, flora, fauna, and inhabitation over time, allowing individuals to contribute to the documentation of local knowledge, history, and cultural significance, thereby creating maps that are more inclusive and representative of the lived experiences. It includes the identification of traditional pathways, local species, historical landmarks, stories, songs, how things change over time, and other culturally significant sites that might not appear on standard maps.
Bioregional mapping also aligns with Indigenous mapping practices by recognizing the importance of natural boundaries and the relationship between people and their environment. The idea of bioregional mapping largely grew from first nations who used bioregional mapping to create some of the first bioregional atlases as part of court cases to defend their sovereignty in the 1980s and 1990s, including David McClosky’s new map of Cascadia.
