ABOUT THIS COURSE

This two-week online course is led by Dr Stephan Harding, facilitated by Juliana Schneider and June Ngan of KFBG. It introduces Gaia theory and deep ecology, providing an integration of scientific, philosophical and practical foundations for developing a deeper engagement with the natural world. This online journey combines learning materials, live teaching and discussions with guided exercises and experiential sessions. This includes practical exercises that can be done independently at home to help ground the learnings and reflections. The course follows the Schumacher College model of encouraging exchange between participants as well as with the teachers and facilitators, thus creating a community of learners.

This course is for anyone wishing to deepen their relationship with the natural world, whether in their own lives or in their professional practice. No previous knowledge of Gaia theory or deep ecology is required.

“A human being is part of the whole called by us the universe. We experience ourselves, our thoughts and feelings as something separate from the rest. A kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from the prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty… We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if humanity is to survive.” 

Albert Einstein

Teacher

Dr Stephan Harding Stephan is one of the founding members of Schumacher College, an international centre of transformative education for sustainable living, located in Devon, UK. He has coordinated and lectured on the master’s in holistic science for nearly two decades, besides teaching many of the college's short courses. During this time, Stephan has taught alongside many of the world’s leading ecological thinkers and activists, including Arne Naess, the proponent of deep ecology, and James Lovelock, proponent of Gaia theory, as well as Fritjof Capra, Lynn Margulis, Brian Goodwin and Rupert Sheldrake. He is now the Deep Ecology Fellow at Schumacher College and is a teacher on several ecological educational projects internationally.
Facilitator
Juliana Schneider Juliana has been a close affiliate of Schumacher College for more than a decade, having graduated with a master’s in holistic science and worked as a facilitator alongside a variety of experts including Stephan Harding, David Abram, Vandana Shiva and Satish Kumar. In 2013 she founded an educational enterprise in Brazil that experiments with more participative organising methods. Juliana has also taught and facilitated holistic thinking through numerous groups with highly diverse backgrounds. She is now a collaborator of educational initiatives in Brazil and internationally through mentoring, consulting and teaching, as well pursuing a PhD as a researcher of the Schumacher Society.
June Ngan of KFBG June is the Education Officer at KFBG, she is also a certified forest bathing guide and Zentangle teacher.

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CONTENT & SCHEDULE
The two-week course includes the following:

Session 1: Coming together | Online Zoom session
Date and Time: 18 June 2024 (Tuesday), 7:30 - 9:30pm HKT
Welcoming group members and introduction to the scientific revolution and its impact on the modern world. Participants are guided through the particular ways in which rational thought has become separated from our sensory engagement with the world.

Session 2: Online Zoom session
Date and Time: 20 June 2024 (Thursday),  7:30 - 9:30pm HKT
Continuing our exploration of the scientific revolution and introduction of more holistic ways of seeing. Participants are invited to reflect on their plant observation exercises carried out at home and practice contemplative exercises during the session.

Session 3: Experiential Nature Immersion at KFBG
Date and Time: 22 June 2024 (Saturday), 9:30am – 12:30pm HKT*
(Session 3 will be postponed to 29 June (Saturday), 9:30am – 12:30pm HKT, in case of bad weather)
Nature immersion experience by KFBG staff (ANFT-certified forest therapy guides). This journey offers a sensory connection and a rebuilding of our relationship with the living forest. The session highlights the interconnectedness between humans and nature, and explores experientially our ecological engagement with the living earth.

Session 4: Online Zoom session
Date and Time: 25 June 2024 (Tuesday), 7:30 – 9:30pm HKT
Who is Gaia? Stephan Harding guides participants in an exploration of the view of scientist James Lovelock, founder of Gaia theory. This hypothesis proposes that from the complex interactions and feedback between living and non-living things on the planet emerges self-regulation of key planetary variables at the scale of the whole planet, such as global temperature and acidity.

Session 5: Online Zoom session
Date and Time: 27 June 2024 (Thursday) , 7:30 – 9:30pm HKT
A journey into deep ecology: introducing a sense of belonging to an intelligent universe and developing deep commitment to a more eco-centric lifestyle. Using Arne Naess’s deep ecology approach, participants look into nature’s intrinsic value, which proposes an in-depth interaction with the community of all beings as a way of expanding one’s ecological awareness committed to living well with Gaia.

Session 6: Experiential Deep Time Walk with mobile application
Date: Any day between 25 June (Tuesday) – 01 July (Monday)
A self-guided experience in which participants use the “deep time walk” mobile application on a 4.6 km walk designed to scale with Gaia’s developmental trajectory over geological time. As participants walk in their own Gaia space, they can feel the earth beneath their feet and consider the planet’s astonishing history over vast spans of time to reflect on the role of humans in the evolution of the planet.

Session 7: Online Zoom session
Date and Time: 2 July 2024 (Tuesday), 7:30 – 9:30pm HKT
In the closing session, participants will be guided to ground the learning from the whole journey of the course including how to assimilate deep ecology into their everyday lives.

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Deepening our connection to nature - A journey into Gaia and Deep Ecology 2024

Date
18 June 2024 (Tuesday) - 02 July 2024 (Tuesday)

Format / Location

• Live course and interactive session: Zoom
• Experiential activity — forest immersion walk: onsite at KFBG
• Experiential activity — Deep time walk: mobile application

Language
Sessions will be conducted in English, with Cantonese option ​available for the experiential forest immersion walk.

Target Audience
Aged 18 or above

No. of Participants
12-20 participants

Fee
HK$1,700
*Including admission fee, activity fee and programme materials.

Notes

• Participants need to acquire a pot plant for the home exercise and available for the start of the programme.
• Recordings of the Zoom sessions will be shared on KFBG learning platform. Personal login ID and password will be provided prior to the start of the course. Participants can login to access materials within the learning period.
• Please download and install Zoom on your device before the interactive week.

Application

• Please click HERE for the online registration and payment on or before 24 May 2023. Upon receipt of the application form and payment, a confirmation letter will be sent by email within two weeks.
• Please check your email inbox and junk/spam folder regularly to ensure you receive the latest updates.
• Prior notice will be given to participants in case of cancellation and a full refund will be arranged accordingly.
• KFBG reserves the right to select participants for this workshop in order to ensure the quality of the workshop for all participants. Unsuccessful applications will receive a full refund.
• Payment is not refundable after confirmation.

Enquiry
Contact Ms. June Ngan at 2483 7112 /  Ms. Holly Ho at 2483 7111 or email edu_programme@kfbg.org 

Related Links

• Kadoorie Earth Programme (KEP) is an initiative co-created by KFBG and its network of collaborators and volunteers. By integrating the various strands of KFBG’s nature conservation, sustainable living and holistic education programmes, it provides life-transforming learning experiences that reconnect people with themselves, each other and the rest of nature and enable them to cultivate resilience in the face of global challenges.

• Nature Art Programmes: Immerse yourself in silent contemplation of nature. Deepen your awareness of beauty and connect with nature through art. KFBG organises a variety of art workshops, including Zentangle drawing, sketching and wood art, and exhibitions to guide participants, with or without artistic background, to create nature art.

• Nature Education Programmes: Become animal detectives and explore the mysteries of wild animals. Use different senses to discover the beauty of plants. Learn about the significance of forests, trees and even soils through field visits, experiments and woodwork, to reconnect with nature.
  
  
• Group Guided Tours: Led by trained environmental interpreters, the content includes experiential and hands-on activities. We encourage a passion for nature, conservation and ecology by nurturing an appreciation of the natural world.

More about Kadoorie Earth Programme