AskNature Learning

Like Nature itself; starting small with lichen eating rocks to create soil, building towards a living complex forest; this course is part of a growing movement to bring Nature’s voice into organisational governance.

We begin by learning from First Nations cultural understandings of Nature , which  have long integrated practices affirming that  Nature isn’t a resource to extract from but a living stakeholder in decision-making. From there, we explore how the rise of legal personhood has opened new possibilities for imagining Nature back at the table. These shifts create the psychological and cultural groundwork for what becomes possible.

With that foundation, we turn to Nature’s own organising principles. Ecological models like succession, nutrient cycles, systems thinking and the adaptive cycle offer profound lessons for how boards can make more resilient, holistic decisions. We’ll discover how Nature experience itself drives innovation, creativity and the kind of problem-solving that silos can’t achieve.

Then comes the practical heart of the course: how organisations are actually doing this. Drawing from case studies of over 30 organisations, we’ll examine four key approaches such as Shareholder/Stakeholder models, Executive Roles, Non-Executive/Advisory positions, and Guardian/Trustee and Zoöp voice of the living frameworks. The Regen Melbourne case study anchors this module, showing how Dr. Dominique Hes’s Voice of Nature role contributed to decision-making quality and organisational culture in practice.Finally, we focus on you. You’ll think about your organisation’s readiness, design which model fits your context, and create an action plan for introducing Nature’s voice. The intention is that by week four, you’ll have a concrete approach to bring Nature into your governance and join a growing community reshaping how organisations make decisions.

• Executive governance level of organizational leadership
• Non-executive level as well – organizational staff
• Academics and researchers interested in nature-based governance
• The course provides opportunities for participants to consider how to apply the presented concepts in their own contexts.
• This course does not provide legal advice. Dominique is not legally trained, and every country has different laws and conventions. The aim is to share and hold space to see what could work for you in your place.

• Start with acknowledging  First Nations cultural understandings of nature and the rise of legal personhood for nature. 
• Learn how ecological principles – succession, nutrient cycles, systems thinking, and adaptive cycles – translate directly into frameworks for more resilient and holistic board-level decision-making.
• Understand the four key models for representing nature on boards – Shareholder/Stakeholder, Executive Role, Non-Executive/Advisory, and Guardian/Trustee; and, The Zoöp speaker for the living model – and explore examples of these models in action, particularly through the work of Regen Melbourne. 
• Create a personalized action plan to integrate the perspective of the living world into their own work/organization.

Module 1: History and Foundations traces how First Nations people have long integrated nature into decision-making, and how the rise of legal personhood has opened new possibilities for imagining nature as a stakeholder. From the lived practice at Regen Melbourne and other case studies, you will discover the psychological and cultural shifts that occur when we recognise nature as a subject, not merely a resource.

Module 2: Nature’s Wisdom teaches ecological models that inform resilient governance. Exploring succession, nutrient cycles, systems thinking and the adaptive cycle, you’ll see how ecosystems offer profound lessons for boards. We’ll examine how nature experience drives innovation, creativity and holistic problem-solving.

Module 3: Models in Practice introduces four key approaches: Shareholder/Stakeholder, Executive Role, Non-Executive/Advisory, and Guardian/Trustee. Drawing from case studies from over 30 organisations. The Regen Melbourne case study anchors this module, showing how Dr. Dominique Hes’s Voice of Nature role was part of what contributed to decision-making quality and organisational culture in practice.

Module 4: Your Practice is interactive and personalised. You’ll think about your organisation’s readiness, design which model fits your context, and create an action plan for introducing nature’s voice. The course will touch on legal frameworks, and how they vary by jurisdiction but focuses on lived practice.

The intention is that by week four, you’ll have a concrete approach to bring nature into your governance and join a growing community reshaping how organisations make decisions.