Bioregionalism

Bioregionalism is a philosophical and political framework that promotes the organisation of cultural, economic, and governance systems around naturally defined regions known as bioregions. These regions are shaped by physical, ecological, and cultural features rather than by the administrative boundaries created by nation-states. As a place-based approach, bioregionalism emphasises the interconnectedness of human communities with the natural systems in which they reside, promoting sustainable and locally adapted ways of living.

Background and Core Principles

Bioregionalism is rooted in the belief that societies function more sustainably when aligned with the ecological characteristics of their surroundings. Bioregions are generally delineated by natural features such as watershed boundaries, soil types, terrain, and climatic patterns. However, bioregional determination is also viewed as a cultural process, incorporating local knowledge, traditional practices, and long-term inhabitation.
Unlike scientifically defined ecoregions, which focus primarily on vegetation and wildlife, bioregions combine ecological realities with human cultural and political elements. This distinction underscores the philosophy’s aim to create locally grounded, ecologically informed governance systems. Examples of bioregions cited within this discourse include Cascadia, which spans areas of the north-western United States and western Canada, and the Ozarks Plateau, which extends across multiple U.S. state boundaries.
Bioregionalism opposes homogenised global economic and consumer cultures, critiquing their failure to account for environmental limits and regional diversity. The approach advocates political boundaries that better reflect ecological basins, encourages regional self-reliance through the consumption of local foods, and emphasises stewardship of indigenous ecologies. Central to its philosophy is the cultivation of sustainable relationships between human societies and their environment.

Origins and Development of the Concept

The term bioregion gained prominence during the early 1970s through the work of bioregional thinkers such as Peter Berg and Raymond F. Dasmann. Allen Van Newkirk, founder of the Institute for Bioregional Research, is credited with coining the term in the mid-1970s, although he had used it in earlier unpublished writings and small-press publications. These thinkers articulated an emerging worldview that combined ecological insight with cultural critique, emphasising a holistic understanding of place.
Bioregionalism developed alongside social movements active along the west coast of North America, particularly in California. Influenced by poets, activists, artists, and members of countercultural groups such as the Diggers and the back-to-the-land movement, bioregionalism represented a constructive alternative to what its supporters viewed as a reactive and adversarial environmental movement. Key contributors included Judy Goldhaft, Kirkpatrick Sale, Stephanie Mills, Gary Snyder, and numerous others associated with the Planet Drum Foundation, established in 1973.
The philosophy also drew from wider social and political contexts, including civil rights activism, the American Indian Movement, anti-war and anti-nuclear campaigns, and Indigenous struggles for language and land rights. Bioregionalists saw in Indigenous mapping traditions and territorial claims a model for ecological and cultural integrity. This contributed to efforts to reimagine North American landscapes through concepts such as “Turtle Island”, emphasising pre-colonial cultural geography and ecological diversity.

Defining Bioregions

A bioregion is typically conceptualised by examining several overlapping layers of information. These may include:

• Hard ecological lines: deep geological structures, tectonic formations, continental divides, topography, and major watershed systems.
• Soft ecological lines: soils, ecosystems, climate patterns, hydrology, marine influences, flora, and fauna.
• Human-centred lines: patterns of settlement, resource use, agriculture, language, transport networks, energy systems, and indigenous cultural histories.

The integration of these layers results in what bioregional theorists describe as a life-place—a geographical area with coherent ecosystems and cultural adaptations that enable sustainable human habitation. This multidimensional approach emphasises the co-presence of natural and cultural influences, positioning humans not as external to nature but as participants within dynamic ecological systems.

Bioregional Mapping

Bioregional mapping is an important methodological tool used to visualise and understand the natural and cultural characteristics of a bioregion. It builds upon participatory mapping practices that incorporate ecological data, community knowledge, cultural heritage, and historical change. The technique aims to produce maps that reflect lived experience within ecological boundaries rather than political borders.
Effective bioregional maps often include layers representing geology, vegetation, wildlife, water systems, and human settlement patterns over time. The mapping process encourages communities to document traditional pathways, species distributions, landmarks, stories, songs, and other elements that rarely appear on standard topographic or administrative maps.
This approach aligns strongly with Indigenous cartographic traditions, which prioritise natural boundaries and emphasise the relationship between land and cultural identity. Notably, First Nations groups such as the Tsleil-Waututh, Nisga’a, Tsilhqot’in, and Wet’suwet’en peoples employed bioregional mapping techniques during the 1980s and 1990s in legal cases supporting sovereignty and land rights. These initiatives contributed to the development of some of the earliest bioregional atlases used in legal and political advocacy.

Relationship to Environmentalism

Although bioregionalism shares similarities with modern environmentalism—particularly its emphasis on harmony with nature—it diverges in critical ways. Bioregionalists characterise their approach as proactive, seeking to build sustainable and adaptive relations between human societies and ecosystems rather than relying on protest-centred activism. Early environmental movements often treated nature as a passive victim of industrial activity, whereas bioregionalists emphasise humanity’s place within ecological systems.
This worldview resonates with aspects of classical environmental thought. Writers such as Henry David Thoreau, who advocated for simple living and ecological awareness, are sometimes viewed as intellectual predecessors. Bioregionalism thus situates itself within a broader historical lineage of environmental philosophy while offering a distinct and place-centred alternative to mainstream environmentalism.

Historical Expansion and Influences

The growth of bioregionalism in the 1970s and beyond was facilitated by networks of activists, scholars, and community organisers dedicated to rethinking societal relationships with place. The western coast of North America served as a cultural incubator, with influences from the Beat movement, countercultural communes, and ecological science. Organisations such as the Planet Drum Foundation played a central role in disseminating bioregional ideas through publications, workshops, and mapping projects.
Bioregionalism also evolved in dialogue with Indigenous struggles for cultural and territorial revival. Its practitioners saw the reclamation of Indigenous place names, languages, and mapping practices as part of a broader project of ecological restoration and decolonisation. The emphasis on watershed-based governance and ecological boundaries reflected concerns about pollution, resource depletion, and environmental degradation prevalent in regions such as California during the mid-20th century.

Allen Van Newkirk and Institutional Development

Allen Van Newkirk’s contributions to bioregional thought were foundational. As a poet and biogeographer, he introduced the term bioregion within the context of ecological and cultural research. His early writings circulated within small press communities and intellectual circles, where the concept gradually gained traction. The establishment of the Institute for Bioregional Research provided an organisational base for the development of bioregional theory, enabling collaboration with figures such as Peter Berg.
The convergence of their ideas in San Francisco helped consolidate bioregionalism as a defined philosophical and political movement. Through conferences, newsletters, and collaborative projects, they helped shape the contemporary understanding of bioregions as areas defined by both natural systems and cultural adaptation. Their work continues to influence environmental philosophy, place-based education, and regional planning initiatives in the present day.