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Bio-Leadership Source Programme


  • Alladale Wilderness Reserve IV24 3BS (map)

Bio-Leadership Source Programme.

A collaboration with Alladale Wilderness Reserve


This programme, including a three day nature ‘solo’, is our deepest in-person retreat, consisting of a deep journey into nature to help us navigate these complex times.  

The Source Programme is an exciting collaboration with Alladale Wilderness Reserve, one of the most inspiring ecosystem restoration projects in the UK. Taking place over eight days, it is a journey to help deepen connection, systemic awareness, resilience and capacities to support deeper change. Supported by three days alone in the wilderness, it is an experience that can open out profound and powerful insights to take back into life and work. 

‘Source’ has been developed to support people working across many forms of leadership for our planet. It is a chance to go to the source of life both out in the wilderness and within ourselves. It is an opportunity to explore and share stories about how we can best tend to the systems that make up life and our lives. Not least, it is a chance to take care of ourselves so that we can continue to live and work well.  

‘Deep questions and deep experiences lead to deep understanding and deep commitment.’

- Arne Naess

Before we can do anything well, we must know how to care for ourselves’.

- Thich Nhat Hanh

Programme*

The Source Programme is about stepping back from everyday patterns and habits, going into the practice of letting go; reconnecting with the flow of nature and allowing a different form of insight and understanding to reveal itself.

The days move as a dance from small group sessions to moments of time alone, working gently as we explore stillness, presence, flow and different forms of power, building slowly towards a personal nature ‘quest’ - an experience that we hold with a great deal of care, and something that can reveal profoundly helpful insights to take back into life and work.

We know ourselves, and we have heard many times, that the essence of these programmes stays with people and benefits them and their work for long after the retreat itself.

This is a journey about taking care of self, community and the world we live in. We offer it with wide open hearts and commitment to support good things for our Earth.

Preparation Call:
To help us land before meeting in Scotland, as well as a virtual session two months after the event to help us keep the benefits of the experience alive.

Day 1 - Arrival - 16th

Meeting in person at Inverness Train Station, we’ll meet and travel together to the reserve and hike to base. A ceremony and welcome meal under the stars.

Day 2 - 17th

Landing and cultivation practices in the morning.

In the afternoon we’ll tour the Wilderness Reserve with the Alladale Team, Innis, Biodiversity Manager and Kate who works with The European Nature Trust (TENT). This includes their aquaponics farm, their replanting work and species reintroduction work.

Day 3 - 18th

Practices, stories and intentions.

Day 4 - 19th
Leave for time alone in nature

Day 5 - 20th

Continuing deep time alone in nature.

Day 6 - 21th

Full day in nature and return to group.

In the afternoon we give plenty of space to the giveaway - a practice rooted in indigenous tradition of sharing stories within the community.

Day 7 - 22nd

Full day of integration - enjoying the land - closing our days.

Day 8 - 23rd

Full day enjoying the land and a celebration

Day 9 - Departure, 24th

Back in Inverness for 11am.

2 weeks after the programme - Virtual Integration call

So often the work of Re-sourcing happens when we return to our lives - we support you in integrating practices and learnings into your life and work with a call a couple of weeks after the programme.

References 

Helpful references in understanding this process: 

John P Milton: Sky above, Earth Below

Wonder and letting go: A helpful Wonderspace Podcast

Splendid Isolation: A Guardian Long Read article about a solo experience with our own Andres Roberts. Also available as a podcast

How nature would change leadership: our TED talk on working with nature to draw out new forms of human progress.

Location & Travel 

We are delighted to be returning to working with a cherished venue and partner with this programme - Alladale Wilderness Reserve, in Scotland. Alladale are doing fantastic work to rewild forests and bring back endangered species and it’s a great joy that our being there helps them in small but very meaningful ways. 

Note the programme is all about being out and under the stars, so it is based on camping and we ask that you bring your own equipment. There are basic bunks in case of adverse weather, but we invite you to prepare to enjoy the great outdoors as much as possible through the programme.. We can of course help prepare if you need support with planning, and more information on this is provided in a welcome back.

In terms of travel, on arrival we will pick everyone up from Inverness Railway Station and Airport on the morning of the 16th September, and we will take everyone back to one of those two locations by on the Sunday 24th September - this transfer is included in your place cost. We encourage rail or shared road travel as much as possible, especially for those of you travelling within the UK. 

Guides 

 Andres Roberts is a guide dedicated to a new kind of progress, fit for a positive future for all. His work combines renewed ideas about learning and change, reconnection to Nature, and the wisdom of ancient cultures to help more positive, and more systemic, change happen. Building on twenty years of experience in learning and leadership, Andres has studied with respected elders from across the world, helping to make ancient wisdom and Nature-based practices more accessible in the modern world. Andres is founding partner of The Bio-Leadership Project.

Ella Wiles is a host and operations and production lead for Bio-Leadership. She is dedicated to urgent action knowing we need to develop life-centered practices and awareness to lead differently. She has worked in a series of sectors from human rights, research to materials reuse and social enterprise and tech start-ups - all with ambitions to help people and planet. At the core of all these sectors she has learnt the importance of how we connect with nature and each other, overcoming the fallacy of separation is at the core of her work. That sense of purpose has led Ella to work closely with the Bio-Leadership project over the last couple of years.

Costs and Location

Cost includes all programming, experiences and meals across the week of the programme, and transfer from local station. 

Organisational Price: £2000 

Individual/ NGO Rate: £1400

Bio-Leadership Fellow Rate: £950

Included in this cost is the location (we’ll be based form our own lodge (with bedrooms) in our own valley of the reserve, all meals (and feasting!), all transfers to and from Inverness, all host and guiding costs. Alladale is a wilderness reserve so your money will be going towards tree planting and wildlife restoration.

If you need to speak about access, please contact us at connect@bio-leadership.org.

Please take some time to read our terms and conditions before registering.

Earlier Event: 5 September
Tierra Sabia | Sept 2023, Pyrenees