Rewilding Learning: Leading Like a Living System

Reflections from the book “Regenerative Leadership: The DNA of Life‑Affirming 21st Century Organisations by Giles Hutchins & Laura Storm

Design the system like a living ecosystem

Instead of rigid curricula detached from place, design a learning environment that mirrors natural rhythms: observation → feedback → adaptation. Let students and community members become co-designers of their learning.

Cultivate culture & being

Encourage behaviours such as curiosity, collaboration, reflection, connection with place. The “being” dimension means helping learners (and educators) shift from passive recipients to active stewards of learning and land.

Embed inner work

Facilitate moments of reflection: Who am I in this ecosystem? What is my relation to land, others, knowledge? Use storytelling, observation, nature-immersion to foster that personal shift.

Value cycles not just linear progress

Rather than “finish module → test → next module”, structure learning as seasons: exploration, emergence, rest, renewal. Let time for observation, play, experimentation.

Foster networks and relationships

Bring in diverse viewpoints: students, elders, nature-keepers, community members. Use the idea of ecosystems of knowledge — many minds, many perspectives.

Measure success differently 

Instead of only exam scores or outputs, track vitality: sense of belonging, connection to place, enthusiasm for inquiry, responsiveness to change.

Be a nurturer of the learning ecosystem

As educator or leader, your role is less “instructor” and more “facilitator”: setting conditions, noticing what emerges, being ready to adapt.

Anchor everything in life-affirming purpose

Ask: Are our learning activities enriching life (human, non-human, ecological)? Are we creating conditions where curiosity, community and connection thrive?