Nature as a Catalyst: Unlocking Innovation (Fulbright Workshop)

15th October 1:15pm-3.30pm, Outdoor Learning Zone, behind the John Lennon Art & Design Building, LJMU (Entrance is off Orthes Street), Liverpool, L3 5RD (location here). Lunch will be provided.

In this practical workshop, you will:

• Work in and with nature (outdoors) as powerful space for new ideas about how to embrace nature in educational organisations
• Play with nature-based metaphors to expand your critical reflection and feminist approaches to researcher/academic/educator development
• Stop, reflect, and consider practical opportunities to turn your fresh ideas into joint publications and projects
• Build connections for education for sustainable development across LJMU and beyond.

Nature as a Catalyst: Unlocking Organisational Innovation (Fulbright Workshop)

Experience the power of nature to inspire, challenge, and prompt fresh thinking about change and innovation in our educational institutions. This unique and exciting workshop is set in nature to observe how it can spark innovative thinking about volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity (VUCA) in educational organisations - and how we can respond.

We observe and explore nature-based metaphors like roots, shoots, decay, soil, seeds, weeds - and lots more - which help us nurture how we enabled others, and ourselves, grow within VUCA contexts.

This workshop is a special opportunity to apply the latest thinking and practice from our Fulbright Specialist in human and organisation development. Our aim is to enrich our practice with the rich soils of collaborative, nature-based learning and set new shoots and roots for new peer-reviewed articles and externally funded grants.

Our Fulbright Specialist opportunity has been made possible through support by Liverpool Business School in partnership with the Fulbright Commission.

Eligibility

This event is for educationalists, trainers, instructional designers who are interested in exploring the power of nature for innovating education, teaching, learning and assessment.

The event is particularly relevant for staff and postgraduate research students interested in the field of Education for Sustainable Development research and academic practice.

Indicative schedule

1:15pm - Arrival, registration, and arrival tea and lunch around the fire pit

1:30pm - Welcome and introduction with lunch around the fire pit - Dr Avril Rowley

1:50pm - Fresh roots and shoots of organisation development - Professor Laura Bierema, Fulbright Specialist

2:00pm - Gathering and recording metaphors from the outdoors, guided by the question: what can nature tell us about how we can help organisations embrace volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and/or ambiguity? - Dr Avril Rowley, Dr Angie Daly, and Dr Casey Beaumont

2:30pm - Talking circle to share and document our joint insights - Dr Angie Daly

3:00pm - Harvesting practical, next-step ideas for possible jointly-written (1) short peer-reviewed articles* (e.g. for ) and (2) external grants** (e.g. ) - Professor Tony Wall

3:20pm - Closing reflections and next steps for our own roots and shoots - Professor Laura Bierema, Fulbright Specialist

3:30pm - Close

• is our Fulbright Commission Specialist visiting from the University of Georgia in the US. Professor Bierema was a President of the Academy of Human Resource Development, and has won multiple awards for her research and leadership, including for her work in organisation and women’s development in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous settings.
• is an international champion for UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), a call to build transformative competencies through innovative approaches to global and collaborative learning. Angie's focus on global learning draws from her extensive research and practice in education and social policy in the UK, Ireland, Tanzania, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and The Gambia, and has engaged The World Bank, the British Council, The Institute of Physics, and the international NGO, Practical Action.
• is a pioneer of The Natural Curriculum Hub to promote nature-based learning strategies, and led the development of a special LJMU Forest School in collaboration with The Mersey Forest and The Conservation Volunteers. She champions the impact of Forest School education (in collaboration with The Mersey Forest and Natural England), the ‘Natural’ Curriculum, and embedding interventions to enhance student wellbeing.
• is a passionate advocate and champion of innovative pedaogical approaches for inclusion, diversity and inclusion, including through LJMU's PGCert in Higher Education in Teaching and Learning. She recently completed the “Support for Innovative Methodology, Approaches and Tools for Teaching through the Medium of English in order to improve Educational Yield, Sustainability and Internationalization [SMARTI]” project, co-funded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
• is co-founder of LiRICS and integrates research practices across business, arts, education, and health. He recently completed a 4-year performance arts-based study embracing VUCA. He is ranked #1 in Google Scholar for 'management development' and 'management learning' (non-retired), and is lead editor of the open access Sustainability Teaching for Impact (2025).

* "Notes and Comments" are concise commentaries from those interested in sustainability science. The maximum word count is 2500 words, excluding References.

** Through our membership of the European School of Sustainability Science Research, with our colleagues at .

Prework

There is no prework.

Please bring

Bring material or technology that will help you record your ideas.

Refillable, recycled water bottles are welcome!

Lunch and refreshments will be provided, please tell us about your dietary and access requirements.

Please wear weather-appropriate attire (we will have space whatever the weather, and indoor space as a contingency!).

Location

Outdoor Learning Zone, John Lennon Art & Design Building, LJMU, Entrance off Orthes Street, Liverpool.

You can walk to the venue from Lime Street Station (14 mins) or Liverpool Central (14 mins).

Entry is through Orthes Street, and the Google Maps location is here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/d3y1qYoYZRrAgHBH8. Details of the venue are here.

Parking

We recomend the use of sustainable forms of transport where possible. Should you choose to drive, there is no parking at the venue, but there are many paid car parking options within walking distance (e.g. on Mount Pleasant and on Brownlow Hill). Please visit ncp.co.uk, yourparkingspace.co.uk, justpark.com, or liverpool.gov.uk to explore your options.

Travel

The closest train stations are: Liverpool Lime Street (connections nationally) and Liverpool Central (local connections). Contact nationalrail.co.uk on 08457484950.

Hotels

Examples of local hotels include: Hope Street Hotel (7 mins walk), Citidenes Liverpool City Centre (16 mins), The Liner Hotel (12 mins), Radisson RED Liverpool (16 mins), Doubletree by Hilton Liverpool (23 mins), Heeton Concept Hotel (26 mins), Leonardo Hotel Liverpool (33 mins).

Wifi

Wifi will not be available during the workshop.

Event organisers and supporters

This event is brought to you by: (LBS) - LBS is an engaged and inclusive business school at the heart of the Liverpool City Region with social, environmental, and economic impact beyond borders. LBS is committed to the advancement of gender equality and co-founded and its inclusive transitions network to promote diversity, inclusion, and equality as a driver for sustainable development.

- The Fulbright Specialist Programme enables UK universities to host a leading US academic or professional to deepen global perspectives, work on issues that require a rapid response, and build sustained relationships.

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