Reflective Analysis: Community Development and Bioregionalism

This assignment is a reflective response analyzing community development, focusing on resilience, bioregionalism, and the sense of place. The response begins by defining resilience in a community context, discussing factors such as self-organization, social engagement, and the ability to manage natural resources. It then explores bioregionalism, emphasizing the importance of knowing the land, preserving natural order, and fostering sustainable practices. The analysis includes a discussion of the West Coast Bioregion (Perth, Australia), highlighting its unique characteristics, such as national parks, diverse species, and the practice of decentralization. The assignment concludes by examining the sense of place within the West Coast Bioregion, emphasizing how communities, businesses, and organizations contribute to its endemic identity and the importance of ecological, cultural, and economic realms in fostering a sense of belonging. The paper references several academic sources to support its arguments and analysis.

Running head: REFLECTIVE RESPONSE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Reflective Response on Community Development
Name of the student
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1REFLECTIVE RESPONSE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Answer 1)
According to me, one would be able to determine if a region or a community is
resilient is by checking whether the system is self-organising. In the event of a system being
able to work on its own it would be able to sustain itself in the ever evolving environment.
Social engagement is an important factor that can help in determining whether a community
will be resilient1. I think that a region being able to cope with the external stress along with
stress can help it in surviving the scourges of environmental change. I have understood that
being able to manage the natural resources can help a region in being sustainable. I have
gathered the knowledge that components of a system interact makes a system to undergo
cycles that tightens, loosen and then breaks apart the connection between the components
(Hopkins, 2009). I think that capacity of the systems for absorbing disturbances will undergo
change along with the potential of the people that can help a region or a community for
surviving in the environment.
The features that an individual can look out for is whether a system is operating
within the open field. The policies along with the management interventions can help in
determining whether a community will be resilient in due course of time. I have learnt that
back loop can act as an important factor that can be instrumental in revitalizing a system. An
indicator of resilience will be the factor of scale and it has been found that the self-organizing
system can can operate over various scales of space along with time. According to me,
synchronization acts as an important factor that can pave the path for a region or a
community in being resilient. I have understood that diversity, openness, modularity along
with redundancy can act as important characteristics of the systems that have high level in
relation to general resilience (Walker and Salt, 2012). I think that everything should be
locked and highly efficient that can help in making a community resilient.
1

2REFLECTIVE RESPONSE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Answer 2)
An important dimension of bioregionalism revolves around knowing the land. On the
basis of the land, resource inventory can be developed that can greatly aid the process of
bioregionalism. According to me, cities are built on natural foundations and due
consideration should be taken to preserve the natural order of a place. I think that learning
details pertaining to trade along with resource-dependency can act as a crucial factor that can
facilitate the process of bioregionalism. I have understood that bioregionalism can be
preserved with the help of such initiatives like rooftop garden, recycling along with solar
energy. Another important dimension of bioregionalism is learning value of that of herbal
medicines that can help in the preservation of the natural culture prevailing in a region (Sale,
2000). The impersonal market forces should be eliminated that can help in paving the path for
bio-regionalism. There should be ethical sense of responsibility towards nature that is an
important element in relation to bio-regionalism. The people living in a community should be
able to identify with the land that can help in staging the stage for bio-regionalism. The
building of the aspect of real neighbourhood can help in facilitating the aspect of bio-
regionalism within a given place. Land trusts can be formed and restoration ecology can be
practiced in the regions that gives importance on the element of bioregionalism. The
formation of the alternative economic structure can help in reforming bio-regionalism in
relation to a particular place. The natural resources used should be sustainable that acts as a
crucial dimension pertaining to bio-regionalism.
I live in West Coast Bioregion (Perth) in Australia and bio-regionalism can be found
with the help of the national parks along with the nature reserves. National parks along with
nature reserves make great amount of contribution in this area. There are diverse kinds of
species in this region of Australia (Thayer, 2003). The dunes in this area help in supporting
the vegetation communities. This area has estuaries that is characterized by swamp oak,

3REFLECTIVE RESPONSE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
common reed along with saltmarsh. The community boundaries can be said to be dynamic
owing to the geomorphic process. The West Coast bioregion has marine nature reserves along
with marine parks like Hurien Bay Marine Park along with Marmion Marine Park. I have
understood that West Coast Bio region lays stress on the elements of self-sufficiency, co-
operation and stability that helps it in retaining its bio-regional status. Decentralization is
practised in this region that helps in preserving the natural resources of this region.
Answer 3)
West Coast Bioregion has various aspects that makes me feel that it has an endemic
sense of the place. The meaning of the term ‘endemic’ is belonging exclusively to that of a
particular place. The communities, business and the community organisations are all infused
within the West Coast Bio Region that helps in making it an exclusive region. Arab Bank
Australia helps in supporting communities by building partnership with that of the
community groups. Marine Benthic habitats are protected along the West Coast from the
physical impact of that of commercial fishing. Research is undertaken in this area that helps
in assessing the impact on the fisheries and it helps in the determination of the right kind of
management response. The art galleries help in preserving the native culture of Australia that
helps the region in expressing an endemic sense of the place. Harvest trail and markets helps
the farmers in West Coast bioregion so that they can continue to work with vigour for the
land (Cross, 2001). It helps in the promotion of healthy diet and in spreading word regarding
abundance of that of food that is produced locally.
Sense of Place refers to the attachment that an individual feels in relation to a
particular place. The sense of the place can be created in relation to a particular region with
the help of ecological, cultural and the economic realms. The West Coast bioregion has
various kinds of bird species. There are green spaces within the West Coast bio region that

4REFLECTIVE RESPONSE ON COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
helps in the hosting of scientific along with the leisure activities (Albrecht, 2010). Vegetation
within the West coast bioregion has undergone evolution that helps it in surviving in that of
the nutrient-limited soils. Improvements have been made to the soil so that they can
accommodate various diverse species within that of the West Coast bio region.

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References
Albrecht, G. (2010). Solastalgia and the creation of new ways of living. Nature and culture:
Rebuilding lost connections, 217-234.
Cross, J. E. (2001, November). What is sense of place?. Colorado State University. Libraries.
Hopkins, R. (2009). Resilience thinking. Resurgence, 257(1), 2-15.
Sale, K. (2000). Dwellers in the land: The bioregional vision. University of Georgia Press.
Thayer, R. L. (2003). LifePlace: Bioregional thought and practice. Univ of California Press.
Walker, B., & Salt, D. (2012). Preparing for practice: the essence of resilience thinking.
In Resilience Practice (pp. 1-25). Island Press, Washington, DC.