Change Lab: Bioregionalism
The Cascadia Department of Bioregion embraces a philosophy called Bioregionalism. Bioregionalism at its most simple is a philosophy that connects people and ideas into place, which work watershed by watershed, in ways that are sustainable, democratic and just. Bioregionalists work to find solutions to the worlds most challenging issues by using bioregions to break large issues down to a local level, creating or magnifying solutions already being practiced in a community, and create accessible pathways for every person living in a region to be able to get active about issues they care about. Each watershed and community will be different, and each region and community will know their needs the best, and be the best to represent those needs. We believe that bioregionalism is one of the most important, least known philosophies of the 21st century, and has the power to help organizers, planners and visionaries, regardless of their cause, background, or political view. Below you will find a unifying set of core principles of bioregionalism.
Here you will find essays, case studies and examples of bioregionalism in practice.
Resources:
Recent Essays:
As we face mounting ecological, social, and political challenges, one thing has become increasingly clear: top-down systems alone won’t save us. Regeneration begins from the ground up—through people organizing in place, building trust, and cultivating the relationships that make life flourish. That’s the spirit behind Bioregional Confluencing 2025, an ambitious global initiative to revitalize bioregional gatherings and reclaim the practice of congressing—an ancient and future-facing model of participatory governance.
This summer, cooperative leaders, organizers, visionaries, and values-aligned businesses from across the Cascadia bioregion will gather in Seattle for the first-ever Cascadia Cooperative Conference (CCC)—a landmark event dedicated to deepening the roots and expanding the reach of the cooperative economy in the Pacific Northwest.
On June 14, 2025, more than 70,000 people flooded the streets of Seattle to join one of the largest demonstrations in the city’s history. The No Kings Day protest, part of a national day of action in over 80 cities, brought people together in response to the Trump administration’s militarization, ICE raids, attacks on public programs, and deepening disregard for human rights and constitutional limits.
Each year on May 18th, people across the Pacific Northwest and beyond gather to honor Cascadia Day—a celebration of bioregional identity, cultural diversity, ecological reverence, and community resilience. For me, this year’s Cascadia Day felt like a homecoming. Not just to a place, but to a purpose.
From May 16–18, 2025, over 250 visionaries, organizers, artists, funders, and culture-shapers gathered at the historic Georgetown Steam Plant in Seattle for the inaugural Cascadia BioFi Conference—a gathering rooted in the question: How do we regenerate an entire bioregion?
This week, the 9Zero Climate Innovation Hub in downtown Seattle was buzzing with action—and not the usual kind of startup hustle. On February 18th, a passionate crew of volunteers gathered for a bioregional sticker-packing party, and by the end of the day, 20,000 stickers were sorted, bundled, and prepped to ship across the bioregion.
We are officially debuting Regenerate Cascadia in collaboration with Design School for Regenerating Earth and Regenerative Communities Network.
Collection of resources about mapping, education, and compiling information on bioregionalism.
We are super excited for our first run of Cascadia shirts and hoodies, just in time for the holidays!
This fall, the Cascadia Department of Bioregion will proudly join innovators, artists, youth, engineers, and makers at the second annual Georgetown Steam Plant Science Fair, a celebration of SHTEAM (Science, History, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) and a rallying cry for system-wide transformation.