Event 4 Returns Unfolded Inspiration in Landscape Restoration April 2020

In this event we celebrated 7 years of lessons learned on the role of inspiration within holistic landscape restoration together with expert speakers. Commonlands Return of Inspiration acknowledges the fact that restoring landscapes also means lifting peoples spirits and a sense of hope. Over the years weve been working with the most incredible partners to try and bring inspiration back into communities that have been facing loss of biodiversity and soil health economic pressure and weakened social fabrics. And resultingly a loss of hope for a better future. In this event weve opened up shared our findings and invited expert speakers to guide us through our reflection process. Speakers: Anne van Leeuwen As an environmental entrepreneur she is setting up a carbon-positive biodiverse production farm with a learning center called Bodemzicht Soil Perspective. Driven by the search to bring natural and cultural worlds together she will share with you how to join forces to rebuild this relationship. Mike Edwards an environmentalist and co-founder of Sound Matters experienced in using sound and the art of listening to build more effective communication strategies around issues of sustainability and resilience. Astrid Vargas Through her organisation Inspiration 4 Action Astrid works with individuals communities and organizations to help develop creative ways of nurturing nature and achieving regenerative change. She will share on the ground examples of inspiration and connection through collective art music and festivals. Music by Winterdagen Mink Steekelenburg Note: this event is part of a learning process we have gone through with our landscape partners in which we have collectively shared and reflected on our lessons learned regarding the Returns of Inspiration in the past few years. Internally we have named this learning process the Mountain Trail so dont be confused if you find this word during the event. However this event in which we open up and share our collective lessons learned we call 4 Returns Unfolded. Enjoy! For all resources discussed during the event see below: BOOKS - The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins - Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing.  - Politics of Nature Bruno Latour - Facing Gaia Bruno Latour - Parliament of Things Bruno Latour - Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants - Robin Wall Kimmerer - Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World by Tyson Yunkaporta - Ellie Percey: Earth Beings: Ecologies of Practice across Andean Worlds by Marisol de la Cadena ORGANISATIONS: - The great work of our landscape partners: www.alvelal.es Wij.Lands crowdfunding project - art-cycle route: The great organisations of our speakers: Songs we listened to: Première of Soil Composer by Sound Matters Winterdagen Velez Spirit by Sound Matters ,

#