Building Capacity for a Regenerative Culture
Come explore a nature-based framework
that can help any kind of group to thrive:
families, workplaces, communities of practice, gatherings, short-term events, or long-term projects.
We’ll introduce key elements, tools, and practices
of the Connection 1st™ (formerly 8 Shields) framework
that are building blocks for a regenerative community.
This is about the bedding of a community,
the soil from which it will grow...
What nutrients are needed
to create a rich & nurturing environment
that will encourage the budding community to flourish,
allowing it to emerge in a vibrant & healthy, abundant way!
Whatever your mission & values, this is the (common) base,
a cultural framework for a thriving community!
Learn to navigate with the 8 Shields compass,
explore the key elements, tools & practices
that form the roots to grow a regenerative culture!
In cooperation with GAIA Education ❤️
What can you expect?
-
Easy ways to attune to yourself, others, and nature.
-
How to begin building resilience in yourself and your groups.
-
Support stepping into transformational and shared leadership.
-
Deepening your awareness of connection to the living world and natural cycles.
-
Practices and skills to anchor and embody this knowledge.
-
Cultural elements and practical tools to incorporate into your daily life.
Course starts October 20th, 2025
Live weekly sessions • Online experiential format • Global community forum
Whether you’re part of a long-term community, an organization, or a circle of changemakers, Connective Roots offers a practical, powerful path to grow a more connected culture.
“I expected to learn practical exercises
I could pass on,
instead I got a whole map of transformation”
Adrian Harris, “Art of Mentoring” UK
Wat is 8Shields?
8 Shields, now Connection 1st,
was a training organisation founded around Jon Young.
As a teenager, Jon was mentored from an indigenous heritage, with a strong emphasis on connection with nature. He has also visited indigenous peoples where the social fabric is still intact, such as the San Bushmen of the Kalahari. On his journey, he explored elements that are important for a healthy culture.
Combining indigenous skills with modern ecology,
he developed core routines that build the essential connection with nature, which has been proven to create happier, more creative people and communities.
It awakens something in us
that is as old as the earth itself...
that is our own...that you come home to!
