Immersions are happening around the planet as part of the Design School for Regenerating Earth's current six-month learning journey, How to Organize Your Bioregion. Bioregional Thames in the UK grew out of the Design School's previous learning journey, Birthing Bioregional Learning Centres.
For the last few years, I've felt a growing connection in my own mind between my interest in ProSocial and in regenerative principles. I had come to feel a devotion and sacred connection to my life place (bioregion), and could feel the potential of connecting people in this work together.
The River Thames is the longest river that flows entirely within England, and the second longest in the UK (after the River Severn). The source is in Gloucestershire, which is in south-west England. It flows in an easterly direction through Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and into London. The Thames is tidal a few miles upstream from London. Past London it becomes an estuary, and from there runs into the North Sea.
A vision came to me: kayaking as a group down the River Thames, linking projects and people along the flow.
I started sharing the idea, connecting with Earth Trust and Path Hill Outdoors at the Hardwick Estate to seek feedback.
People were inspired by the idea, but the distance to kayak would be too far.
A little-known town down river from Earth Trust was suggested, highlighted in the book A Town Called Wallingford. Wallingford has historical significance as the place where William the Conqueror crossed the Thames at its shallowest point in 1066 to then travel along the north bank to take London and profoundly alter land ownership in England and Wales.
Path Hill also suggested using the campsite on the Hardwick Estate right by the river, as this would be an easier place to leave kayaks. The heirs to the Hardwick Estate are disinheriting themselves, and a Community Trust is being formed to steward the land. It's become a hub housing many individuals and organizations working on regeneration (e.g. organic market gardening, outdoors education for children, hemp growing, and so much more).
I trusted the emergent process with help from a co-organizer, Trish, and invited attendees into the organizing process with online meetings using a Miro whiteboard. We also used a messaging group to continue the emergent organizing up to and during the weekend.
We flowed with the pattern of the river, with a confluence of some people kayaking, and others walking and meeting along the way.
On the first day of the immersion, we gathered at Wallingford.
Everyone found a partner to kayak with – less experienced kayakers choosing to pair with more experienced kayakers. I didn't have it all planned out; it unfolded naturally. We all helped each other get into the kayaks and started our journey.
On the river, we immediately felt connected to her and all of her relationships. Mayfly were emerging from the water to dance and reproduce in the air above the river.
Black-headed Gulls and Grass Snakes (Britain's longest snake, they can exceed a metre in length) came to feed on the Mayfly. Mother and father geese were guiding their goslings along the river. A Red Kite, once extinct in this bioregion until successful re-introduction in Wales, swooped over our heads to raid a bird's nest in the reeds.
We had to adapt our plans along the way, going at the pace of the river and each other. We ended up stopping at an earlier lock than planned for lunch. We had to help each other out of the kayaks, and then back in again. One person hadn't brought any lunch with them as they were going to get some food from the café at the next lock. We had an abundance of food with us, so everyone shared and had more than enough.
We kayaked through the Goring Gap, where the River Thames persistently carved her way through the Chalk Hills to completely alter the course of the river to more a southerly direction.
At the end of the first day, we kayaked right up to the campsite. Trish and Mary had walked there and had a fire going, with a kettle boiling. I'd brought chopped vegetables sourced locally for a big vegetable "one pot." Bruce told me to give him all the ingredients and he would cook it up, so I could relax and talk to people. Everyone brought chairs, cutlery, drinks, meat, salads, and more. After a day of kayaking, dinner was delicious!
We also had nourishing conversations. We all didn't know each other – but we all felt we belonged.
As the sun set and nearly a full moon shone on the river, a few of us went for a cold swim and then warmed up in the sauna.
The next morning, one person commented that as they were lying in their tent that night, they could feel their body flowing with the river.
The second day, we helped everyone into the kayaks to continue the adventure.
We passed through a lock where I'm working with a group of people to create a community space, connected in place with the River Thames. Andrea read a poem, called River Song that Barbara had brought along, connected to place by the artist.
We stopped at the wonderful Mad Duck Café. They're passionate about creating community and caring relationships, and provide space for a local repair café, run by Purley Sustainability Group.
We then dropped our kayaks off at Thames Canoe Hire and walked along the Thames path into Reading to visit Reading Hydro, which generates community energy from the power of the River Thames and has involved community art.
In our initial online organizing meetings, Tony had asked if we could go to the confluence of the River Kennet (a chalk river of which there are only around 200 on the planet, with most in England) with the River Thames – so we did.
We walked up the Kennet to visit the Holy Brook Nook, where Nature Nurture have transformed a drug-littered place (to which most people would not want to go to) into a thriving community space that includes a food commons, a space for outdoor learning for two local primary schools, and an area for local residents to simply walk through and enjoy.
In the end, the entire experience felt like the River Thames carried us along with care, deep connection. and at her pace.
New ideas around connecting people and place are already emerging following on the immersion – a beautiful, loving, ongoing process.
