Eco-Systems
Innovation Lab
The Eco-Systems Innovation (ESI) Lab is a systems-transformation lab for holistic landscape restoration and healing Country in Western Australia. Over the course of more than a year, we will journey together through a regenerative learning process where we can collectively amplify and accelerate the change we want to see.
Oct 2026 - Nov 2027
What is it?
The lab is a carefully-designed, global-leading and tailor-made systems-change process to enable a microcosm of system stakeholders from Western Australia to slow down long enough to collectively see and sense the system that we ourselves are co-creating, and then implement self-identified actions to shift our social and natural systems in the direction of health. There are different ways to be involved in the journey.
Who is the lab for?
The lab is for ecosystem innovators, network convenors, and movement builders from from all sectors—government, not-for-profit, business—and all relevant areas of work: Indigenous land management, farming, conservation, environmentalism, government (local and state), mining, small and large business, investment, finance, philanthropy, entrepreneurship, community, academia, science, the arts, media, social change and impact, and any other related areas.
What does the lab journey look like?
As part of a steady-moving journey, a core group of around 45 movement builders and network connectors (plus team) will be hosted by individuals and organisations in places where holistic landscape restoration and caring for Country are already taking place. These include hosts in the Swan Coastal Plain, Margaret River area, the Great Southern, the Wheatbelt, the Kimberley, and the Pilbara (optional TBC). In all these places we will not only collectively observe, listen and learn from our hosts, but will also strive to listen to and learn from landscapes themselves, thereby encouraging healthy spirit, land, people and economies, and the restor(y)ing of nature and human beings through implementing further changes, at different levels, in our various areas of work. The lab will therefore be a kind of moving experiment and exhibition—Western Australia as laboratory and studio—where we will explore existing restorative activities, and also implement future work that is waiting for us to do it.
Key elements include:
Year-long journey
Immersive sessions held in different parts of the state, online and in-person sessions in-between, with optional learning journeys and field trips, and a culminating event
Opportunities for applied action learning and practice between sessions
Transformative learning practices and experiences
Cutting-edge systems innovation and regenerative design practices.
The lab we will be a hands-on journey of observing, reflecting, learning and doing over the course of more than a year, embedded in different parts of the state.
ESI Lab is part of a global network of labs catalysed and hosted by Commonland, an international holistic landscape restoration organisation, together with input from many stakeholders working towards regenerative futures in WA. These include WA Commonland partners:
As well as other key ESI Lab partners:
The team hosting the lab have a long history of creating and designing systems change processes and programs in WA, Asia Pacific and globally. With their extensive knowledge and experience in designing transformative learning experiences, they have co-created a unique and context-driven regenerative-design process that has brought together global best practice and the depth of local knowledge systems. Guest faculty include renowned thought leaders and world-class practitioners such as Oral McGuire, Keith Bradby OAM, June Oscar AO, Stuart McAlpine and many others.
Who is involved?
When will it happen?
*The intensive and gathering dates at the base of this image are the main face-to-face commitments throughout the ESI Lab. However, please note that there are other commitments in-between these dates, including online sessions, applied practice, learning journeys, field trips etc. More information about this will follow.
More about the lab
Generating Impact. This lab is focussed on growing skills and capacities for regeneration and ecosystems transformation while putting them into practice. Our time together will be spent generating impact, not just talking or learning about what should be done.
Beyond problem solving. The lab builds capacity in co-creating the future that really matters, allowing us to move beyond reactive problem solving.
Multi-sector and multi-discipline participants. The lab offers the rare opportunity for those creating regenerative change to build authentic relationships with those beyond their own organisational and sectoral boundaries.
Transformative learning experiences through a combination of interactive sessions, immersive experiences and real-world action learning across personal, professional and societal levels.
Join the immersive lab journey by becoming one of the core group of 45 people. This option requires a larger commitment of time and energy. Apply for the lab.
If you are someone who leads or convenes a movement for regenerative futures, healing Country or the transformation of ecosystems, we would love to be able to showcase the great work that you are doing in our mapping and co-sensing. Contact us about this.
Stay connected by joining our mail list.
Layers of lab involvement
A global movement
Our WA lab will be one of several labs happening around the world, including ones in the Netherlands, Africa, Spain, India, and the UK and Ireland. By participating, you will be joining a place-based global movement of holistic landscape restoration and healing Country.
Bring your favourite camping chair and mug. There will be plenty of tea.
Co-investment
For those selected to be one of the 45 lab journey participants your costs have been subsidised by Commonland, with the generous support of their funding partners. In order for the lab to be sustainable and regenerative we ask for an organisational or personal co-investment.
We recognise that for those who will be participating there is already an investment of time, passion and expertise. In order to make the program sustainable for the system as a whole, we recommend a financial co-investment of $7,500 per person (scholarships available—see below).
This covers:
On-Country experiences with global and local thought-leaders as part of a transformative, world-leading systems-lab process
All lab program costs
All in-person workshop materials
Online components
Catering during program days
It does not cover:
Travel to sessions
Some accommodation cost
We do not want finances to be the reason you cannot participate. Please apply for scholarship support if you need it, or feel free to reach out to us to discuss this further. If you are considering applying for a scholarship, please also keep in mind the needs of other individuals from other organisations and sectors where financial support may be more necessary.
Click here to apply for a scholarship.