Blog

"Anyone who believes in indefinite growth in anything physical, on a physically finite planet, is either mad or an economist" - Kenneth Boulding (Quaker economist)

Unfortunately, this is not a view which is shared by the majority of our academic institutions or politicians! Economic theory, as taught in British universities, assumes that infinite growth is indeed possible. And although Britain uses approx 66% more resources than is sustainable (according to The Global Footprint Network), almost all our politicians talk about how to get the economy growing again (which inevitably means using more resources): the emphasis is on increasing efficiency, the language that of scarcity, and anything approaching spiritual values is considered irrelevant.

Here's an interview with Sue Thomas, author and facilitator of Othona's 'NOT a Digital Detox: (How to feel better without logging off)' weekend in May. An opportunity to reflect and rebalance our tech rich (tech challenged?) 21sy century lives!

More nature not less technology key to handling digital overload

Reprinted from Bournmouth Daily Echo 4 April 2018

Human beings need more nature, not less technology.

That's the basis of a new, digital wellbeing retreat at a Dorset retreat later this spring.

Dr Sue Thomas, who was Professor of New Media at De... Read More

On January 4th we undertook some major scrub clearance on the SNCI. Big thanks go out to Nick Gray from the Dorset Wildlife Trust and his team of 21 who turned up to spend the day cutting and burning bramble, hawthorn, blackthorn, dogwood and gorse. Over the years, the scrub has encroached onto the species rich grassland areas smothering the grassland and its associated wildflowers. By clearing the area of scrub, we are hoping that over time the grasses and wildflowers will recolonise these areas and bring them back to their former glories. It will also be interesting to see what, if anything, has survived in the seed bank. Watch this space!!

The following images show the extent of the scrub bashing and the sheer amount of scrub removed on the day. Again, many thanks!

... Read More

I have just finished re-reading Quiet by Susan Cain. I am so re-enthused about it that I thought I would mention it in our blog.

The subtitle of Quiet is ‘The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’. The author explores our cultural perception of ‘introvert’ qualities. She challenges the (largely) negative connotations associated with having introvert versus extrovert characteristics.

As her thoroughly referenced research reveals, studies show that a third to a half of the population are introverts. That’s a lot of people! However, as Ms Cain writes (quoting the psychologist Carl Jung),... Read More