Bioregionalism is a philosophy and natural organizing pattern that defines a sense of place. It can be used to inform a new system of organization and action to support regenerative community development and landscape regeneration.

But what is a Bioregion, anyway? Well, this is a question with varying answers. In short, a bioregion is an ecosystem with similar flora and fauna. It’s a place that has its own unique feel, its own unique story.

This story can change depending on who is telling it, and what they’re talking about. Is the entire Colorado River basin a bioregion? Or is it a tapestry of bioregions that contribute to the same river system? The answer can be both, and that’s ok. Nature is flexible and our frameworks should be too.

In this episode, Jason Snyder speaks with Alex Corren about ReCommon, which aims to address the logistics and financing around land access and tenure for regenerative stewardship, in particular catalyzing the creation of a network of bioregionally embedded regenerative land trusts. They also touch on the shared vision of ‘networked bioregionalism’ as the most viable and hopeful path for the future

They explored intriguing concepts like contemplative practices, consciousness, and bioregionalism, all converging on the innovative notion of Regenerative Community Land Trusts.

Crypto and DeFi (decentralized finance) tools are a great leap forward in creating a financial system that is more accessible, fair, transparent, trustless and resistant to corruption, but that alone is not enough.

The ReFi (regenerative finance) movement is another great leap forward, and its participants are creating the tools for a regenerative economy, where economic value is shifted from extraction to conservation, from exploitation to collaboration, and from degeneration to regeneration.

Though the ReFi movement is still nascent, its success can lead to a future with perpetual funding for regenerative projects, place-based communities with resilient local economies, and full integration of the immense value of natural capital and ecosystem services into the foundation of our financial infrastructure.

The popular show Yellowstone provides a glimpse into the tensions that exist around land in the American West. It highlights the many, often conflicting wants and needs of the environment, government, indigenous tribes, property developers and ranch owners. Yes, it’s more violent and dramatic than what happens in real life, but the various stakeholders fighting for ownership of the land is very real.

Luckily, there is another way - a golden opportunity to convert these ranches into ecologically and culturally productive multi-use spaces that serve as common ground for a regenerative economy.

I call this the Ranch to Regen Pipeline.

For the vast majority of our time on Earth as Homo sapiens, we settled differently than we do today. Very differently. People didn’t move around and relocate into other tribal territories - to do so would mean death or conflict. Our population did not expand uncontrollably - to do so would also mean death or conflict. Evolutionary balance over millions of years has driven all successful species to occupy a place-based niche in the environment and to respect the laws of life to which we humans are inextricably linked.

All existing communities can benefit from the reclamation of land for stewardship, regeneration, and sustainable use. A community that reclaims land for the commons sets the stage for moving beyond sustainability and into ecological regeneration and climate resilience. Land ownership affects everything - our food systems, water quality, affordable housing, local economics and more. Depending on who owns the land and what their intentions are, forests can be protected or razed to the ground, soil can be destroyed or built up, and housing can be a toxic soulless box or a nurturing, connected home.