Hi Subscriber First Name,

I’m excited to share what I’ve been up to this week.

It’s genuinely been one of the most eye-opening and hope-filled few days I’ve experienced for a while.

Lots of my work sits somewhere between sustainability, culture, wellbeing and systems thinking. It’s a fascinating place to be but it can also feel complex, overwhelming and (at times) frustrating.

I was brought up to be freethinking, spiritually aware and ultimately a bit of a hippy. So when I left the corporate world, I was hopeful that my new career would give me a chance to explore some of those more revolutionary ideas I’d been carrying around for years. But surprisingly, the thinking feels rather limited to the swim lanes we’ve been given.

I’ve always been interested in looking beyond the obvious problem and asking what’s really going on underneath it. Symptoms are interesting but the roots are where things start to get really interesting.

And the more I look at the world through that lens, the more I find myself asking a slightly different question. That feels relevant at the moment as the fear and volatility rises.

I noticed the rather dystopian BBC headline recently of: “Which emergency foods should you stock up on?”

But I think a more wise question could be: How do we become more connected, capable and resilient together?

Because I don’t particularly want to become a ‘prepper’ with a cupboard full of dehydrated food and ever increasing (philosophical and maybe literal) higher walls waiting for the apocalypse. I’ve seen The Walking Dead and it doesn’t end well.

Our real strength comes from connection, not hoarding.

And that’s one of the reasons I’ve become so interested in growing food, understanding natural systems and spending time with people who are experimenting with different ways of doing things.

This weekend reminded me just how much possibility there is when we follow those threads. These wonderful people spoke of regenerative natural systems, interconnected research and how when we think differently, the answers are often staring us in the face.

So on Saturday, my friend, co-conspirator and one of the original Four Acre Farm founders, Kate and I headed down to Totnes to visit food forest pioneer and Agroforestry Research Trust founder Martin Crawford.

A food forest is essentially a way of growing food by working with perennial plants, trees and natural ecosystems rather than trying to impose a traditional agricultural system on the land.

Martin’s forest is more than 30 years old and walking around it was a pretty extraordinary experience.

Then on Sunday we headed over to Farmacy in Sussex, a biodynamic farm and events space, to hear from a whole host of fascinating people, including mushroom legend Paul Stamets (I was a little star struck!).

What stayed with me most wasn’t any particular piece of information, it was the feeling of hope.

It’s the feeling that there are loads of people experimenting, learning, growing, questioning and creating.

These are the people who aren’t necessarily rushing towards an answer or being limited by dogma but are willing to follow a thread, see where it leads and spending their lives exploring it.

Sometimes that thread takes you somewhere that initially feels a little off the beaten track and then, after a while, you realise it might actually be one of the most logical places to look.

That feels like community resilience to me, not everyone agreeing but having enough connection, curiosity, practical knowledge and trust between us that we can meet whatever comes next with a little more imagination.

And that’s exactly why I’m so pleased to have so many opportunities to gather people together over the next few weeks and months.

So much so that I’ve brought the calendar back!

Upcoming Events

The Natural Network at Patch

24th September: 10am - 12pm. Tickets here

Our monthly gathering at Patch, exploring how we work, lead and do business in more sustainable, human and natural ways. We’d love you to come and join us.

Gather at Four Acre Farm

29th September: 6.30pm - 8pm. Tickets here

Once a month, we’re opening the gates at the Farm and inviting people to come and gather yourself, gather together and gather on the land.

Gather to watch - ‘The New Peasants’

11th October: 5pm - 8pm. Tickets here

Come and join us in Brockenhurst for a film, food and fundraising.

Wrapping up

The world can feel heavy sometimes but sharing the weight with others can be a powerful reminder that we were never created to operate alone.

Food forests flourish because they are part of a system. The mushroom networks beneath our feet are part of an intricate web of life. Nothing exists entirely on its own.

If we accept that humans are part of nature too, perhaps the answer is less about finding another clever solution and more about reconnecting with some of the wisdom we’ve forgotten?

I’m increasingly convinced that if we want more resilient communities and more flourishing futures, we have to actually build them.

One gathering at a time, I’d love to see you at one of them.

And this is also at the heart of the work I do with individuals, leaders and teams.

Whether I’m coaching someone who feels lost, helping a team understand what’s really going on beneath the surface or working with an organisation to find a more meaningful way forward, the starting point is often the same.

Remembering who we are, understanding where we want to go and recognising that life was never meant to be something we simply endure.

There is so much more possibility available to us when we feel connected to ourselves, to each other and to the world around us.

That’s where I think the magic starts to emerge.

Nick