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. 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.
