The First Network Gathering
Written by Lucy Gavaghan, with Photos by Pietro Torrisi
In July 2024, the UK Rights of Nature Network (UKRoNN) held our first in-person gathering. We spent three days together, in the enchanting environment of Hazel Hill Woods, sharing knowledge and experience; discussing the evolving landscape of the RoN in the UK; and forging plans for our collective work in the future.
The purpose of the gathering was multidimensional. We hoped that having an extended period of time together would allow us to discuss, at length, how to move forward as a group. Sessions revolved around possible projects, the structure and governance of the network, and how to put Rights of Nature principles into practice in the UK-context.
We also hoped that convening in the woods would allow us to get to know one another better, creating lasting connections which will help the network to flourish in the future.
We were hosted by two professional facilitators, Mira Bangel and José Barco, who crafted a rich programme and helped the group to distil a clear set of collective aims. Mira and José gave our time a sense of flow and direction, ensuring that we kept on track and covered everything we had hoped to.
Our time in the woods was also enriched by the presence of the talented chef, Bogdan Theo who cooked up a storm using local, vegan ingredients. Each evening, we shared food around a long wooden table, continuing our conversations about the theories, and practicalities of the Rights of Nature. Bogdan knew that we would be spending the most part of each day in detailed conversations, grappling with big ideas and talking between disciplines. The opportunity to come together over food, with networkers pitching into the preparation processes, created a remarkable sense of unity and rhythm. The gathering offered an opportunity to get into the granular details of how the Rights of Nature could be recognised in the specific cultural and political landscape of the United Kingdom.
Some attendees already knew each other well, with some working for the same organisations and institutions. At the same time, many were meeting in-person for the first time. Our facilitators created space and time for everyone in attendance to forge lasting connections with one another.
One particularly memorable activity revolved around the ideas of telling stories. We were encouraged to find two people who we had not spent time with before and were sent walking in the woods with the simple task of describing an event, or moment, which had moved us to work in the field of the Rights of Nature. Also with us in the woods was Pietro Torrissi, a filmmaker who has been travelling the world to record the stories behind RoN initiatives and actions. Pietro records events in an impressively subtle manner and many attendees remarked that the occasional presence of the camera added a sense of poignancy to our conversations, reminding us that these discussions could have rippling effects in the word, into the future.
Some key outcomes flowing from the retreat include:
Galvanising the commitment of attendees to work as a collective, sharing knowledge and support one another's work to strengthen the Rights of Nature movement.
Developing a governance structure, including a steering committee and various ‘streams of action’.
Forming a mission statement which will become a lasting source of guidance and unison for the group.
Sharing details of our current projects as individuals and devising a series of new initiatives and possibilities.
Producing a timeline to envision the network as it evolves over the coming months and years.
As our first group gathering, we remember our time in Hazel Hill Woods with great fondness. We left the woods with a real sense of clarity and a renewed sense of dedication to the movement.
For more information on Hazel Hill Woods, see here.
We would also like to thank all those who fed into the planning despite being unable to attend. Throughout the retreat, we send summaries of our activities to the wider network and shared a full report of all our sessions shortly afterwards.
