Systemic View

In this episode of Terrestrials, they detail how the small actions of a family of beavers and their friends made 7+ acres resilient to raging wildfires by enabling a whole community to make small, independent changes.

We Iowa Citians operate under incentives that make big actions attractive. Comprehensive plans, giant warehouses, sprawling housing developments, big roads. When we're feeling like we have large problems, it's easy to be convinced that we just don't have time for small solutions.

But it's small actions that scale up to big impacts. We can, collectively, do an almost unlimited number of small things. The beavers and their dam make it so snakes, birds, frogs, turtles, and all their neighbors can take more small actions towards resilience, and together they transform their entire ecosystem. I'd like to see our leaders continue to make small, local projects easier and safer for more of us. I'd like to see less encouragement of large-scale projects controlled from other places.

For a resilient, sustainable future, smaller is better!

 

Upcoming Event - Bioregional Economy Gathering

On January 29th, RSFIC, Field to Family, the Coralville Community Food Pantry, and the Great Plains Action Society are bringing folks together for a relaxing and interesting lunch gathering centered around the concept of "bioregional economy." We'll share food, watch a webinar presented by the Post-Carbon Institute, and discuss the work already happening in our area. We'll leave with our work reaffirmed and stronger social connections - but no additional obligations :) 

For more details and to register for lunch (free), click here.

And a community study group: Values and Practices for Kinship Living

From community leader Peggy Garrigues:

Indigenous cultures developed spiritual, life, and community practices based on kinship with all beings, that helped them live in sustainable and regenerative relationship with the earth and within their ecosystems. Peggy Garrigues will meet twice a month with a small group to study kinship values in Cocreating with a living intelligent Earth: Pathways towards Kincentric Leadership (by Justine Afra Huxley and Anna Kovasna). Each session we will also try out some outdoor kinship practices for both individuals and groups from the handbook.

Sign up here to express your level of interest, and to sign up for one of two orientation sessions in January. Contact Peggy with questions: [email protected]

 

Hard to stay focused

At RSFIC we believe we have the most power locally, so that's where we should spend the most time and energy. We think the best way to make the world better is to make your neighborhood better.

But jeez, lotta stuff going down right now which makes it pretty hard to stay focused and healthy. It's hard to be confident about our choices right now, which I think makes us all more likely to be defensive and/or judgmental when we see that others are making difference choices.

I dunno. But listen to that podcast. The beavers aren't organizing a rally or volunteering at a food bank, but they helped their little community thrive when the rest of their world was on fire.

 

Peace,

Riley

Co-founder of RSFIC