Dave Key
Project Consultant
Founder, Footprint Consulting

Natural Change Design: Process

The Natural Change process is complex, dynamic and operates on different psychological levels simultaneously. These include, conscious levels of awareness - comprising those ideas, values and beliefs which are relatively easy to access and explore; subconscious levels - including deep-seated assumptions about the world, which are accessible to us but often only after deliberate and sometimes challenging effort and; unconscious levels - which take us into the realms of dreams, symbols, myths, archetypes, images and transpersonal experience.

Within the context provided by the aims of the programme the groups’ aspirations - their psychological and social well-being, their needs and concerns - lead the process at all times. This creates a unique experience that is co-evolutionary at every stage. It’s in this highly creative and supportive environment that the personal journey can take form and contribute to the leadership and communication aspects of the programme.

In practical terms the process includes small and whole group work; undertaking tasks as an individual - including intellectual, sensory and emotional elements; structured wilderness ‘solo’ time; ‘story-telling’ and reviewing of experiences; spending time together outdoors; and short theory sessions on a wide variety of subjects.

The process builds a highly cohesive community of people who explore lifestyle change and leadership towards pro-environmental behaviour in an open, authentic, honest, inspiring and empowering way.

Natural Change Design: Themes

I’ve been asked quite a lot about the design of the Natural Change programme. ‘What do you do?’, ‘Where do you start with such a big subject?’.

The programme is structured around six themes. These provide a progression of awareness from the individual - where the loci of concern usually starts when people are initially brought together into a new group - out into wider cultural, social and ecological contexts. From here the themes move into practical issues of culture change, for example leadership, and awareness of change processes.

While the content of these themes operate most obviously at the conscious level, the way they are explored - the context, methods, techniques and style of facilitation - allows engagement with deeper psychological processes.

The themes are designed as threads to follow into the massive and diverse web of our human ecology. They are:

Human Needs
By confusing ‘needs’ with ‘wants’ and by attempting to meet fundamental psychological needs through mediated and distorted material consumerism (‘pseudo-satisfiers’), we have created a culture that consumes resources and creates pollution - while evidently decreasing individual levels of ‘subjective well-being’ (happiness).

It makes sense to start here, with our basic needs. What do we really need to be fully human? How can we best meet those needs? What distracts us from meeting those needs? What models, ideas and concepts are available to help us understand the way we meet our needs? How does meeting our own needs effect the ability of others to meet theirs?

Interconnection
Developing a sense of our own needs and how to meet them soon leads to a realisation that we are each dependent on other people and our ecosystem habitat. To deepen this awareness - and what it might mean to the way we think, feel and act - we explore the theme of interconnection.
In what ways are we interconnected with the world around us? Does interconnection diminish our individual freedom? Is it weak to depend on others? Where are the boundaries of our own responsibilities to others? What does our industrial culture tell us about our ‘ideal’ relationships with other people and nature?

Self as Ecology
As the groups’ awareness of interconnection deepens, we start to delve into the reality that we humans are part of the Earth’s ecosystems. Although relatively simple to grasp intellectually, the evidence suggests that in psychological and cultural terms we persist in believing that human beings are superior to, and separate from, the rest of nature. This belief leads us to act in ways that are not true to our own human ecology.
How can we make the jump from intellectual understanding of ecology, to a shift in beliefs about who - and what - we really are? Can this realisation lead to changes in our every-day behaviour? If so, how?

Making Meaning
How do we translate personal awareness into our daily lives? How do we live with other people who don’t share our values and beliefs?  How do we practice pro-environmental behaviour in a cultural system that seems to be working against us all the time?
Bringing things into our everyday lives - making meaning out of our own experience - is what this theme is all about.

Leadership
Being able to create change in a group of people is difficult. This theme explores the challenge of catalysing, motivating and supporting change processes, and the ethics and dynamics of power.
What is leadership? How do human groups and communities work? What is power and what issues does it bring up? Are all leadership styles the same? Are leaders ‘born or made’? Do we need leadership?

Change Processes
The final theme delves into personal and social change processes. What triggers change? What’s changed things in the past? How do we set about deliberately changing things and what are the ethics of engineering change? What concepts, models and historic examples might we use to better understand change? What are the barriers to change?

This progression provides threads into the web of human ecology, keeping the flow and direction of the development journey relevant, meaningful and firmly connected to real-life issues of sustainability.

Resources (ONE)

I have thousands (and I mean thousands) of references for material that supports the theories and practices that underpin the Natural Change approach. I’ve selected a few here and will post lots more in the next few weeks.

It’s that time, I feel, when we need to validate, contextualise and make sense of our experiences together. We’re not alone and we’re not mad! Human’s have been ‘doing Natural Change’, well, since we became human!

Nature is our home - makes sense to spend some time there!

Here’s the refs…

Abram, D. (1996). The spell of the sensuous: perception and language in a more-than-human world.
New York: Pantheon Books.

Beringer, A. (1999). “On adventure therapy and Earth healing.”
Australian Journal of Outdoor Education 4(1): 33-39.

Birrel, C. (2001). “A Deepening Relationship With Place.”
Australian Journal of Outdoor Education 6(1): 25 - 30.

Brookes, A. (1994). “Reading Between the Lines - Outdoor Experience as Environmental Text.”
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance: 28 - 39.

Bucke, R. M. (1956). Cosmic consciousness: a study in the evolution of the human mind. New York: Dutton.

Capra, F. (1997). The Web of Life: A new Synthesis of Mind and Matter.
London: HarperCollins.

Chawla, L. (1998). “Significant life experiences revisited: a review of research on sources of environmental sensitivity.”
Environmental Education Research 4(4): 369-382.

Clinebell, H. (1996). Ecotherapy: healing ourselves, healing the earth; a guide to ecologically grounded personality theory, spirituality, therapy, and education.
Minneapolis: Fortress Press.

Cobb, E. (1977). The ecology of imagination in childhood.
New York: Columbia University Press.

Cooper, G. (1994)”The Role of Outdoor Education in Education for the 21st Century.”
Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Leadership 11(2): 9 - 12.

Cooper, G. (1996). “Assessing the Value of Outdoor and Environmental Education Programmes Provided by Residential Centres.”
Environmental Education Research 23.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. and I. S. Csikszentmihalyi (1988). Optimal experience: Psychological studies of flow in consciousness.
New York: Cambridge University Press.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. and I. S. Csikszentmihalyi (1990). Adventure and the Flow Experience. Adventure Education. J. Miles and S. Priest.
PA: Venture Publications.

Deikman, A. J. (2000). A functional approach to mysticism.
Cognitive models and spiritual maps: Interdisciplinary explorations of religious experience. J. Andresen and R. K. C. Forman.
San Francisco: University of California

Duenkel, N. and H. Scott (1994). “Ecotourism’s Hidden Potential: Altering Perceptions of Reality.”
Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance: 40 - 47.

Eliade, M. (1964). Shamanism : archaic techniques of ecstasy.
New York: Bollingen Foundation; distributed by Pantheon Books.

Ellis, M. J. (1973). Why people play.
Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall.

Ewert, A. (1989). Outdoor adventure pursuits and self-concept: Foundations theories and models.
Columbus, Ohio: Publishing Horizons Inc.

Fox, W. (1990). Toward a transpersonal ecology: developing new foundations for environmentalism.
Boston: Shambhala.

Greenway, R. (1996). “Wilderness Experience and Ecopsychology.”
International Journal of Wilderness 2(1): 26-30.

Haluza-Delay, R. (2001). “Nothing here to care about: Participant constructions of nature following a 12-day wilderness program.”
Journal of Environmental Education 32(4)

Harper, S. (1995). The Way of the Wilderness.
Ecopsychology: restoring the earth, healing the mind.
San Francisco: Sierra Club

Henderson, R. (1999). The Place of Deep Ecology and Ecopsychology in Adventure Education. Adventure Programming. J. Miles and S. Priest.
PA: Venture Publications.

Herbert, J. T. (1998). “Therapeutic effects of participating in an adventure therapy program.” Rehabilitation Counselling Bulletin 41(3) Mar 1998

James, W. (1902). The Varieties of Religious Experience.
USA: Longmans, Green & Co.

Kanner, A. and M. Gomes (1995). The all-consuming self.
Ecopsychology: restoring the earth, healing the mind. T. Roszak, M. E. Gomes and A. D. Kanner.
San Francisco: Sierra Club: 77-91.

Kaplan, R. and J. F. Talbot (1983). Psychological benefits of a wilderness experience. Behavior and the natural environment. I. Altman and W. J. F.
New York: Plenum.

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning : experience as the source of learning and development.
Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice-Hall.

Martin, P. (1999). Critical Outdoor Education and Nature as Friend. Adventure Education. J. Miles and S. Priest.
PA: Venture.

Maslow, A. H. (1959). “Cognition of Being in Peak Experiences.”
Journal of Genetic Psychology 94: 43 - 66.

Maslow, A. H. (1962). “Lessons from the Peak Experiences.”
Journal of Humanistic Psychology 2: 9-18.

Maslow, A. H. (1968). Toward a psychology of being.
Princeton, NJ: Van Nostrand.

Maslow, A. H. (1970). Religions, Value & Peak Experiences.
New York: Viking Press.

Mezirow, J. (1990). Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood: a guide to Transformative and Emancipatory Learning.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Miles, J. (1995). Wilderness as Healing Place.
The Theory of Experiential Education. Warren, Sakofs and Hunt.
Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

Mortlock, C. (1984). The Adventure Alternative.
Milnthorpe, UK: Cicerone Press.

Mortlock, C. (2001). Beyond Adventure.
Milnthorpe, UK: Cicerone Press.

Naess, A. (1989). “Ecosophy and Gestalt Ontology.”
The Trumpeter 5(4).

Orr, D. (1992). Ecological Literacy: Education and the Transition to a Postmodern World. Albany: State University of New York Press.

Palmer, J. A. (1992). “Life Experiences of Environmental Educators.”
Environmental Education Research 41.

Palmer, J. A., J. Suggate, et al. (1998). “An overview of significant influences and formative experiences on the development of adult’s environmental awareness in nine countries.” Environmental Education Research 4(4): 445-464.

Pirsig, R. (1974). Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
London: The Bodley Head.

Roszak, T. (1992). The Voice of the Earth: an Exploration of Ecopsychology.
Grand Rapids: Phanes.

Roszak, T., M. E. Gomes, et al., Eds. (1995). Ecopsychology: restoring the earth, healing the mind.
San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.

Sessions, G. (1995). Deep ecology for the twenty-first century.
Boston: Shambhala

Stringer, L. and L. McAvoy (1995). The Need for Something Different: Spirituality and wilderness adventure.
The Theory of Experiential Education. Warren, Sakofs and Hunt.
Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing.

Tanner, T. (1980). “Significant life experiences: a new research area in environmental education.”
Journal of Environmental Education 11(4): 20-24.

Watts, A. W. (1990). The Way of Zen.
New York: Arkana/ Penguin.

Just remember one thing…

It was clear from our last weekend together that this environment thing is extremely complicated. In fact, the environment is the most complicated thing in the world, the most complex system know to human beings.

On the other hand, the whole social and environmental situation is pretty simple too. You just have to remember one thing and then apply it to every situation. Here’s the ‘one thing’ brought to you by The Wombat.

http://www.globalcommunity.org/flash/wombat.shtml

Happy New Year!

Privilege, wildness and middle-class navel-gazing

There’s been some talk recently, on Louise’s blog and coincidentally in various corridors of power, about the potential for the Natural Change project to be privileged middle-class navel-gazing.

Is going to wild places a privilege? Yes, definitely. Is this privilege a problem? Well maybe the point is being missed.

The work I do outdoors is exclusive. Less physically able people can’t do it, elderly people find it too challenging, those who can’t afford to equip themselves with all the right clothing meet an economic barrier to taking part. So, on this basis, should we say it’s unfair for anyone to go out there?

Being in wild places has the power to transform the way we think, feel and act towards the natural environment, each other and, indeed, towards ourselves. John Muir famously took someone who was extremely privileged out into the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountains - President Roosevelt. The result was the US national park system and the American Wilderness Act. Both of which are now global phenomena.

I think, on balance, the world is better off thanks to that particular camping trip.

I have numerous other examples of this type of process: Wilderness experience leading to radical personal and often social change. I wrote my masters thesis on the topic.

I think it’s important not to throw the baby out with the bath water, or to fall into the trap of mutual exclusivity. Just because wilderness approaches to personal and social change aren’t accessible to all, doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be used by some, or that they don’t ultimately effect many.

And then there’s the simple fact that outdoor access has always been a staunchly working class issue. In the 1930’s the largest mass trespass in British history took place on Bleaklow in the Peak District. The leader of the group was confronted by the Duke of Devonshire and his hunting party out on the moors. “Get off my land”, shouts the Duke. “Why?”, responds the trespasser. “Because my forefathers fought for this land.” The trespass leader casually took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and calmly said, “Right then, I’ll fight you for it now!”. Working class rhetoric at is Mancunian best. Access to wild land is not a middle-class privilege. It’s a privilege full stop.

To achieve social change for sustainability we all need to be working wherever we are most effective. We all have a place along a broad frontier of change. As long as we each move our bit of the frontier in the ‘right’ direction, we are helping the cause.

I work with people who have influence and I work outdoors. It’s where I find it easiest to create change. I think the “wilderness is a middle-class privilege” mantra is completely true. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a hugely powerful and effective way of achieving social change.

After all, what are we trying to do here?

Means but no meaning

In his incredible book, ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ Victor Frankl writes:

‘People have enough to live by but nothing to live for; they have the means but no meaning.’

I think this quotation unleashes a huge potential for the environmental movement.

If we can harness the growing realisation in people that consumerism is meaningless and that material wealth is only truly helpful up to a point (beyond which, research shows, we are increasingly likely to suffer from mental health problems), then we could replace this ‘existential vacuum’ with meaningful action towards sustainable living. Frankl suggests that such action is a key ingredient in having a meaningful life.

Perhaps living more sustainably can bring joy to our lives, as well as securing our survival?

Don’t Despair!

During our weekend in Knoydart the issue of social and environmental despair came up.

When something is too scary we can despair. In order to protect ourselves from the pain, we can then find ourselves dumping that scary thing (without even consciously knowing we’re doing it) somewhere deep in our minds - where we don’t have to deal with it, where we can deny it exists.

This ‘denial’ process has been worsened by the mass media, and accidentally by various social and environmental organisations, who have over the years bombarded us with horrific images of butchered whales, starving children, war charred bodies, clear cut forests, dioxin filled rivers and oil soaked sea birds. It’s important that these issues are known about, of course, but after a time we can’t cope psychologically anymore, we despair, we feel overwhelmed and helpless… We have a couple of choices.

One is to work on really burying the scary stuff! Alcohol works, so do various other drugs, watching mind-numbing TV (Big Brother?), buying stuff we don’t need, immersing ourselves in celebrity culture…

Another is to act to draw those bad feelings out into the open where they can be dealt with. Essential with this option is having people to share the difficult stuff with and giving yourself the time to explore your feelings deeply in a supportive atmosphere.

This second response is one of the principles of the Natural Change approach. That’s why we work with a small group and spend a lot of time together in a kind of ‘retreat’ situation. The group is our container where stuff can be let out and then dealt with openly and in ways that feel emotionally safe.

What usually happens is that the energy which was subconsciously being used to keep all that difficult stuff in denial gets unleashed… often into positive action that directly improves some of the situations that were driving us to despair in the first place.

Environmental activists Joanna Macy and John Seed call this type of process ‘despair and empowment work’. Dealing with our despair leads to empowerment… which leads to change.

Peace or Pleasure?

In Vietnamese there are two words for happiness. One translates roughly as ‘pleasure-happiness’ the other as ‘peace-happiness’. I think in our industrial culture we are drowning in pleasure-happiness and are bewildered to find that this does not lead to peace-happiness

Peace-happiness is something deep in our hearts. It’s that feeling you get when you’re in love, when you catch yourself exploding with joy while watching your children play, when you lose yourself in a piece of music, when you swim in the sea and ‘that feeling’ of calm sweeps over you.

Pleasure-happiness is more fickle, there’s a burst of apparent joy (like when you buy something new) followed by a slightly sick feeling when the joy evaporates - leaving an awkward feeling of wanting something more.

I think both types of happiness have their place. It gets tricky though, when they get confused. Because if you get trapped trying to find peace through shallow pleasures, then you’re on a treadmill that leads nowhere. And often because pleasure requires the consumption of ‘things’ and ’stuff’ it can lead to an insatiable desire for consumer goods. Wholly unsustainable!

If we focussed our lives on being peace-happy first and foremost, we might find that the ‘hair-shirt’ assumptions about sustainable living would become irrelevant.

Going Solo

In the last five weeks I’ve facilitated three different types of ’solo’ with a very diverse range of groups. I never cease to be amazed, inspired and humbled by the affect these types of experience can have on people. Despite 12 years of practice and intense research, I am still convinced that something completely ‘magical’ happens during these times outdoors alone that will always lie beyond the realms of reason.

Often solo’s simply provide what people need most at the time. Sometimes that’s intensely personal - about self-confidence, challenge, reflection, relaxation and self-awareness. Other times social relationships are the focus - family dynamics, things happening with partners and friends, relationship issues, gender, ethnicity, bereavement, or the transition to a new job or relationship.

Quite often though, we can wake up to the fact that just because there aren’t any other humans nearby to talk to doesn’t mean we’re alone! There are five million creatures in handful of mud!

Solo’s can bring a deep and surprising awareness of the natural world. Boundaries get crossed and our relationship to nature becomes palpable, tangible, real and undeniable. Sometimes these experiences of relationship can also be spiritual - either in the context of some kind of religious belief or simply as an awareness that there’s ’something else’ beyond the human realm that is more powerful then we are. It’s no coincidence that all the major religions and belief systems have their prophets who spent time ‘in the wilderness’!