Starting a Bioregion: Guide to Establishing Local Economic Hubs

Building Regenerative Economies Rooted in Place

"I am because we are" — Ubuntu

Introduction

A bioregion isn't just a geographic area—it's a living economic community defined by natural boundaries, shared resources, and interconnected relationships. In the UBEC Protocol, bioregions serve as the foundational organizing structure for regenerative economics.

This guide will help you establish a new bioregion where none exists, creating a local economic hub grounded in Ubuntu principles.

Why Bioregions?

Economics Works Best When Rooted in Place

Traditional economic systems ignore natural boundaries. Money flows globally while communities struggle locally. Resources are extracted from one place to benefit another.

Bioregional economics recognizes that:

🌊 Resources are place-specific — Water, soil, climate, and biodiversity vary by location

🏘️ Communities depend on local ecosystems — Economic health reflects environmental health

🤝 Relationships create resilience — Strong local networks weather global disruptions

📚 Knowledge is embedded in place — Traditional wisdom about land stewardship matters

What Makes a Bioregion?

A bioregion is defined by natural characteristics:

• Watersheds — Where does rainwater flow from and to?
• Ecosystems — What plants and animals characterize the area?
• Climate patterns — What are typical weather and growing conditions?
• Topography — What landforms define the region?
• Cultural patterns — Where do communities naturally trade and connect?

Prerequisites: Before You Begin

✅ Essential Requirements

Before starting a bioregion, ensure you have:

🤔 Questions to Answer First

1. Does a bioregion already exist in your area?
2. What natural boundaries define your region?
3. Who are the key stakeholders you need to involve?
4. What economic needs would a bioregion address?
5. What existing networks can you build upon?
6. Do you have sufficient community interest?

Phase 1: Gather Your Core Team

Finding Your Founding Members

Look for people who are:

🌱 Already doing the work — Farmers, community organizers, environmental advocates

🤝 Connected — Know many people in the region

💡 Committed — Willing to invest significant time

🌍 Diverse — Different backgrounds, skills, perspectives

🔥 Ubuntu-aligned — Believe in mutual benefit and regeneration

Core Team Composition

Aim to include representation from:

First Core Team Meeting

Agenda: 1. Introductions and motivations (why are you here?) 2. Shared understanding of Ubuntu and UBEC 3. Initial discussion of regional boundaries 4. Commitment check (who's in for the journey?) 5. Next steps and responsibilities

Phase 2: Map Your Bioregion

Step 1: Define Natural Boundaries

Work with your core team to identify:

🌊 Watershed Boundaries

• What river basin are you in?
• Where does rainwater flow?
• What are upstream and downstream connections?

🌲 Ecological Zones

• What ecoregion classification applies?
• What are dominant ecosystems (forest, prairie, wetland)?
• What indicator species define your area?

☀️ Climate Patterns

• What are typical temperature and precipitation ranges?
• What growing zones apply?
• What climate challenges do you face?

🏔️ Topography

• What landforms define your region?
• How does elevation vary?
• What are key water features?

Step 2: Use UBEC Mapping Tools

The UBEC Bioregional Mapping Service helps you:

Access at: mapservice.ubec.network

• 🗺️ Interactive boundary drawing — Draw and refine your boundaries
• 💧 Watershed layers — Overlay hydrological data
• 🌿 Ecoregion data — Reference ecological classifications
• 👥 Population data — Understand demographic context
• 📍 Export boundaries — Save for your application

Step 3: Document Your Boundaries

Create a boundary document including:

1. Map with clearly marked boundaries
2. Natural boundary justification — Why these boundaries make sense
3. Key features — Rivers, mountains, ecosystems that define the region
4. Neighboring regions — What's adjacent?
5. Population estimate — How many people live here?

Phase 3: Gather Your Community

Community Listening Sessions

Before formalizing anything, listen deeply:

📢 Host open conversations about local economic challenges

👂 Listen to what people care about most

🔍 Identify shared concerns and aspirations

⭐ Find natural leaders already doing this work

🤝 Build relationships before building structures

How to Run a Listening Session

Format: 90 minutes, 10-30 people

Structure: 1. Welcome and context (10 min) — Explain what you're exploring 2. Small group discussion (30 min) — "What are the biggest economic challenges in our region?" 3. Share back (20 min) — Groups report key themes 4. Introduction to UBEC (15 min) — Brief overview of the approach 5. Interest gauge (10 min) — Who wants to learn more? 6. Next steps (5 min) — How to stay connected

Key questions to ask: - What works well in our local economy? - What's broken or missing? - What resources leave our region that shouldn't? - What do we have to offer each other? - What would a thriving local economy look like?

Building Founding Participation

Aim to identify:

• 10-20 founding participants minimum
• Representation across beneficiary types:
• 🌾 Farmers (at least 3-5)
• 🏘️ Communities (at least 2-3 organizations)
• 🔄 Activators (at least 2-3 connectors)
• 🎓 Living Labs (if available in your region)

Phase 4: Design Your Bioregion Structure

Governance Framework

Decide how decisions will be made:

Decision Methods

• Consent — No one has a reasoned objection
• Consensus — Everyone agrees
• Voting — Majority or supermajority decides
• Delegation — Working groups make decisions in their domain

Key Questions

• How much agreement is needed for different decisions?
• What working groups are needed?
• Who coordinates, and how are they chosen?
• How will disagreements be handled?
• How can governance evolve over time?

Economic Priorities

Identify your initial focus:

Questions to address: - What are the most pressing economic needs? - Where are opportunities for local production? - What money leaks out of the region that could stay? - What existing local economy can be strengthened? - What regenerative practices should be prioritized?

Monitoring Systems

Plan for tracking progress:

• What data will you collect?
• Who will manage data systems?
• How will data inform decisions?
• What privacy protections are needed?
• How will you measure regenerative impact?

Phase 5: Apply for Bioregion Recognition

Application Requirements

Submit to UBEC Protocol:

Review Process

The UBEC network will:

1. ✅ Review application for completeness
2. ✅ Verify boundary appropriateness
3. ✅ Check for overlap with existing bioregions
4. ✅ Assess founding team capacity
5. ✅ Provide feedback or request modifications
6. ✅ Grant provisional recognition

Provisional Period

New bioregions enter a 12-month provisional period:

Phase 6: Launch Your Bioregion

Launch Activities

🎉 Public Announcement

• Community event to celebrate launch
• Media outreach to spread the word
• Social media presence established

📚 Onboarding Sessions

• Help members create wallets
• Explain token mechanics
• Demonstrate platform features
• Answer questions

💱 First Transactions

• Facilitate initial exchanges
• Demonstrate the system works
• Build confidence through experience

🙏 Celebration

• Honor the founding moment
• Recognize core team contributions
• Set intentions for the journey ahead

First Year Priorities

Bioregion Health Metrics

How Bioregions Are Evaluated

UBEC tracks bioregion health across five dimensions:

1. 🌈 Participation Diversity

• Range of participant types
• Geographic distribution
• Demographic representation
• Holonic level distribution

2. 💰 Economic Vitality

• Transaction volume and velocity
• Token circulation patterns
• Local multiplier effect
• Import/export balance

3. 🌱 Environmental Impact

• Monitoring data coverage
• Regenerative practice adoption
• Ecological indicator trends
• Carbon sequestration estimates

4. 🏛️ Governance Health

• Decision-making participation
• Conflict resolution effectiveness
• Leadership rotation
• Policy implementation success

5. 🔗 Network Connectivity

• Inter-bioregional relationships
• Knowledge sharing activities
• Collaborative projects
• External partnerships

Common Challenges and Solutions

Challenge: Not Enough Interest

Solution: - Start smaller—even 5-10 committed people can begin - Focus on specific problems people care about - Show, don't tell—demonstrate value through action - Partner with existing organizations

Challenge: Boundary Disputes

Solution: - Prioritize natural boundaries over political ones - Accept that boundaries can evolve - Create overlap zones for shared areas - Focus on collaboration, not territorial competition

Challenge: Technical Barriers

Solution: - Provide hands-on onboarding support - Create simple guides and videos - Identify tech-comfortable members to help others - Use existing tools people already know

Challenge: Maintaining Momentum

Solution: - Establish regular meeting rhythms - Celebrate small wins publicly - Rotate responsibilities to prevent burnout - Keep connecting activities to Ubuntu values

Challenge: Dominant Voices

Solution: - Use facilitation techniques that ensure all speak - Explicitly invite quieter voices - Rotate facilitation roles - Create multiple channels for input

Inter-Bioregional Connections

Collaborating Beyond Your Bioregion

While rooted in place, bioregions benefit from wider networks:

🔄 Resource diversity — Trade what you have surplus for what you lack

📚 Knowledge exchange — Learn from others' successes and failures

🤝 Mutual support — Help each other through challenges

📢 Collective voice — Advocate together for policy changes

Forms of Collaboration

• Trading partnerships — Exchange goods between bioregions
• Knowledge networks — Share governance innovations
• Joint projects — Regional infrastructure, watershed conservation
• Advocacy coalitions — Push for supportive policies

Regional Assemblies

Periodically, bioregions gather for:

• 📖 Learning exchanges — Share practices and insights
• 🏛️ Protocol governance — Participate in system-wide decisions
• 🎉 Celebration — Honor achievements and build culture
• 🗺️ Strategic planning — Coordinate larger-scale efforts

Resources and Support

Getting Help

UBEC Protocol Support

• Technical documentation: bioregional.ubec.network/docs
• Platform support: help@ubec.network
• Community forum: community.ubec.network

Learning Resources

• Case studies: Successful bioregion stories
• Video tutorials: Platform walkthroughs
• Live trainings: Regular webinars and workshops
• Mentorship: Connection with experienced Activators

Advisory Services

• Bioregion design: Help with mapping and boundaries
• Economic modeling: Support for token flows
• Governance facilitation: Assistance with decision-making
• Monitoring setup: Guidance on data collection

Recommended Reading

Bioregionalism

• Dwellers in the Land by Kirkpatrick Sale
• The Bioregional Economy by Molly Scott Cato
• Reinhabiting a Separate Country by Peter Berg

Regenerative Economics

• Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein
• Doughnut Economics by Kate Raworth

Commons Governance

• Governing the Commons by Elinor Ostrom
• Free, Fair, and Alive by David Bollier

Quick Start Checklist

Phase 1: Core Team ✓

• [ ] Identify 3-5 committed founding members
• [ ] Hold first core team meeting
• [ ] Establish communication channels
• [ ] Assign initial responsibilities

Phase 2: Mapping ✓

• [ ] Identify watershed boundaries
• [ ] Document ecological characteristics
• [ ] Use UBEC mapping tools
• [ ] Create boundary document

Phase 3: Community ✓

• [ ] Host 2-3 listening sessions
• [ ] Identify 10-20 founding participants
• [ ] Ensure diverse representation
• [ ] Build relationship foundation

Phase 4: Design ✓

• [ ] Define governance structure
• [ ] Identify economic priorities
• [ ] Plan monitoring approach
• [ ] Document agreements

Phase 5: Apply ✓

• [ ] Compile application materials
• [ ] Submit for review
• [ ] Respond to feedback
• [ ] Receive provisional recognition

Phase 6: Launch ✓

• [ ] Host launch event
• [ ] Onboard founding participants
• [ ] Facilitate first transactions
• [ ] Celebrate!

Closing Reflection

Starting a bioregion is an act of faith in the future. It's a commitment to:

🌿 Rooting economics in place rather than abstract markets

🤝 Rebuilding relationships between people and land

🔄 Regenerating ecosystems through economic choices

💪 Reclaiming local power over collective wellbeing

The bioregional economy isn't just a different way of organizing trade—it's a different way of being in the world. One that recognizes our fundamental interdependence with each other and the living systems that sustain us.

As you step into this work, remember: you are part of a global movement of people choosing to think and act differently about economy, ecology, and community.

Welcome to the work. The land is waiting.

Attribution

This document was developed with the assistance of Claude and Anthropic PBC. The UBEC Protocol Suite uses the services of Claude and Anthropic PBC to inform decisions and recommendations.

UBEC DAO Protocol | Ubuntu Bioregional Economic Commons
Building regenerative economies rooted in place and relationship

Version 1.0 | December 2025