Bioneers, also known as the Collective Heritage Institute, is a New Mexico

New Mexico

New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...

-based nonprofit organization promoting practical and innovative solutions to environmental

Natural environment

The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....

 and social problems based in a philosophy which recognizes the aliveness, interdependence, and intelligence of the natural world. Bioneers holds an annual conference each October in San Rafael

San Rafael, California

San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Plenary sessions from the main conference are also broadcast through satellite feeds to "Beaming Bioneers" conferences held simultaneously at sites in various locations throughout the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Collective Heritage Institute/Bioneers was founded in 1990.

Origin of name

Bioneer

Bioneer

Bioneers, also known as the Collective Heritage Institute, is a New Mexico-based nonprofit organization promoting practical and innovative solutions to environmental and social problems based in a philosophy which recognizes the aliveness, interdependence, and intelligence of the natural world. ...

(root: "biological pioneer") is a neologism coined by founder Kenny Ausubel. It describes individuals and groups working in diverse disciplines who have crafted creative solutions to various environmental

Ecosystem

An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....

 and socio-cultural problems rooted in shared core values, including whole systems, (anticipatory) thinking, a view of all life as interdependent, and sustainable mutual aid.

Annual conference

The first annual Bioneers Conference, organized by Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, took place in 1990. Currently the conference takes place annually in San Rafael, California

San Rafael, California

San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...

, on the third weekend in October. The conference highlights the work of scientific and social innovators and helps support, nurture and propagate their ideas and models. Conference speakers come from interdisciplinary fields: environmental

Environmentalism

Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...

 and socio-political activism; "green" biology

Biology

Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

, chemistry

Chemistry

Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

, design, architecture

Architecture

Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...

 and urban planning

Urban planning

Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....

; organic and "beyond organic" farming

Organic farming

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...

 and gardening; indigenous

Indigenous peoples

Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....

 perspectives; biodiversity

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

, bioremediation

Bioremediation

Bioremediation is the use of microorganism metabolism to remove pollutants. Technologies can be generally classified as in situ or ex situ. In situ bioremediation involves treating the contaminated material at the site, while ex situ involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated...

, and wildland preservation

Nature reserve

A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for wildlife, flora, fauna or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research...

; alternative energy

Alternative energy

Alternative energy is an umbrella term that refers to any source of usable energy intended to replace fuel sources without the undesired consequences of the replaced fuels....

; engaged spirituality, literature and the arts; holistic and "ecological" medicine

Holistic health

Holistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole. As defined above, the holistic view on treatment is widely accepted in medicine...

; ethnobotany

Ethnobotany

Ethnobotany is the scientific study of the relationships that exist between people and plants....

; socially-responsible

Corporate social responsibility

Corporate social responsibility is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model...

 entrepreneurship, business and philanthropy; the environmental justice

Environmental justice

Environmental justice is "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In the words of Bunyan Bryant,...

, women's and youth movements; independent media

Independent media

Independent media refers to any form of media, such as radio, television, newspapers or the Internet, that is free of influence by government or corporate interests. The term has varied applications...

; etc.

In many cases the technological or social solutions to problems showcased are founded on emulation of natural self-organizing systems.

Beaming Bioneers

In 2002, Bioneers expanded with the addition of simultaneous satellite conferences, called "Beaming Bioneers," which model themselves after the conference in San Rafael. Beaming Bioneers sites screen satellite feeds of plenary speakers from the national conference, while also serving as conferences that focus on regional solutions and presenters.

Other activities

Some of the non-profit's events and projects include: hands-on trainings in various aspects of organic agriculture; the building of a membership base; books; radio series; audio-tapes and DVDs; newsletters; reports; live satellite feeds of the conference to many locales; spin-off events around the country and internationally; film festivals; special youth organizing initiatives; etc.

See also

• Andy Lipkis
• Ecovillage
  Ecovillage
  Ecovillages are intentional communities with the goal of becoming more socially, economically and ecologically sustainable. Some aim for a population of 50–150 individuals. Larger ecovillages of up to 2,000 individuals exist as networks of smaller subcommunities to create an ecovillage model that...
  
  
• Neologisms
• Oceanographers
• Water Keeper
• Wild Green

External links

• Biomimetic Connections, LLC - Advancing the commercialization of 'biological paradigms'
• BioParadigm ACCESS - Consolidates monthly information on available bio-inspired/biomimetic intellectual property (IP) for product designers, engineers and material scientists worldwide
• Bioneers.org - site of the Collective Heritage Institute.
• Read a blog by Founder Kenny Ausubel at Huffington Post
• Beaming Bioneers (satellite conferences)
  • Great Lakes Bioneers Conference (20–22 October 2006)
  • Bioneers Southeast Leadership Forum (Atlanta, GA)
  • Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change (Dartmouth, MA)
  • Heartland Bioneers (Carbondale, IL)