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This profile has not been updated since Feb 21, 2020.
You are here: Home / Users / Nicholas Wilkinson

Nicholas Wilkinson

Nicholas first attended a Work that Reconnects workshop with Joanna in Monkton Wyld in Dorset in 2004 but began co-facilitating workshops in 2019 after talking the online Facilitators Development Program. He's especially hopeful about facilitating more Deep Time work.
In the meantime he has mostly been focused on trying to help save an endangered antelope species in Vietnam called the saola. He's acquired a Cambridge PhD (Geography) on top of a Masters in Applied Ecology and Conservation and a biology degree from Oxford but the saola isn't looking very saved for all that.

Why I am called to facilitate the Work

In 2004 I attended a workshop with Joanna in Monkton Wyld, Dorset. I had been looking for a professional career in wildlife conservation and that is more or less the path I followed since. I'm not sure it's worked very well. A recent survey of conservation professionals here: https://www.futureconservation.org/ classifies our views based on how much we are in favour of one or other of the following three things: "people-centred conservation", "science-led ecocentrism" and "conservation through capitalism". The pro-capitalism part isn't the biggest problem as many of us oppose that, the biggest problem is that the only views which don't put humans at the centre are 'science-led'. I hope that gives a quick idea why I'm dissatisfied with professional conservation at the moment.
Ultimately, I feel called to find some connection between the world of professional science-based conservation and the rich world accessible through honouring our emotional responses. That's ultimately why I am called to facilitate, though immediately I need practice in facilitating WTR workshops.

How I see the Work serving the Great Turning

I appreciate the focus on honouring our pain and I appreciate the acceptance of Deep Time as a mythically deep realm which can yield new perspectives.
I see the Work as having the power to counter our habits of 'just doing something' even if that thing doesn't really address the threats that face us and the powers behind them. It seems to me that we live in a society under the sway of an ideology where we're all pushed to activity of any kind because, at least when money changes hands, it's seen as good in its own right. We can easily get caught in activities which distract us from our pain and, provided those activities look like the kind of things someone might pay for, we feel encouraged to continue. So many people who have so much to offer the world are caught up in this nervous displacement activity. I think I'm one of them. So actually looking at our pain is the only way out.
Also I think we are often caught up in certain stories about what is happening and about what can happen that operate on timescales of decades or maybe centuries. Thinking what is possible on longer timescales can get us unstuck, so I'm interested in deep time work.

Background & Training

Background & training in the Work That Reconnects

  • Intensive with Joanna Macy (2005, 5 days)
    Location: Monkton Wyld, Dorset, England
    Facilitated by: Joanna Macy, Chris Johnstone, Alex Wildwood, Maitrisara
  • Personal Power for the Planet - The Work that Reconnects in Dorset (2005, 2 days)
    Location: Monkton Wyld, Dorset, England
    Facilitated by: Chris Johnstone, Alex Wildwood, Maitrisara, Claire Claire
  • Work that Reconnects Weekend (2017, 2 days)
    Location: Newmarket, England
    Facilitated by: Anna McIvor
    I've also attended a few other workshops facilitated by Anna, including in Feb 2014, Oct 2015 and an evening workshop back in 2006
  • The Spiral Journey of the Work that Reconnects - Facilitators Development Program 2019 (2019, 12 days)
    Location: Online
    Facilitated by: Constance Washburn, Molly Brown, Mutima Imani
    Online programme with 12 main sessions through year.
  • The Work that Reconnects, facing the mess we're in and finding active hope (2019, 5 days)
    Location: Holy Isle, Arran, Scotland
    Facilitated by: Larry Butler, Ratnadevi, Kristine Jansen

Other relevant training

  • PhD Geography (topic relevant to wildlife conservation) (2009, 2555 days)
    Location: University of Cambridge
    Facilitated by: NA
  • Masters in Applied Ecology and Conservation (2003, 365 days)
    Location: University of East Anglia
    Facilitated by: NA
  • Degree in Biology (1998, 1093 days)
    Location: University of Oxford
    Facilitated by: NA

Other relevant skills & experiences

Scientist. Storyteller. Occasional poet. Meditator.

Experience facilitating WTR events & workshops

Work That Reconnects workshops I have facilitated

  • Transition Café - Embracing Emotions for True Transition - Seeing with New Eyes (2020, 1 days)
    Location: Cambridge, England
    Facilitated by: Anna McIvor
    This was an evening workshop, part of a series of 4. Cofacilitator for previous 2 had dropped out. Although this focused on one part of the spiral, we honoured all 4
  • Work that reconnects day workshop (2019, 1 days)
    Location: Cambridge, England
    Facilitated by: Anna McIvor

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User Info

WTR Facilitator since 2019
Languages served: English
Location: Cambridge, United Kingdom
Age: 43
Contact info
  • Email: [email protected]

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