What is LocalNodes?
LocalNodes is a platform for bioregional organizing -- a digital commons where people who care about their watersheds, their communities, and the living systems that sustain them can connect, coordinate, and create together. We believe that the most meaningful change happens at the scale of the bioregion: the natural territory defined by watersheds, soil types, plant communities, and the cultural relationships that have grown from living in place over generations.
Why Bioregionalism?
Bioregionalism is the practice of living as if your place matters. It means understanding the watershed you drink from, the soil that grows your food, the species you share your home with, and the human communities that steward these relationships. In a time of ecological crisis and social fragmentation, bioregionalism offers a path toward resilience rooted in the particular -- not abstract global solutions, but concrete local practices that connect to a larger web of cosmolocal coordination.
How This Platform Works
LocalNodes is organized around groups that reflect the working structure of our bioregional network. You will find groups for watershed stewardship, community land trusts, regenerative economics, governance councils, and more. Within each group, members share knowledge through topics, coordinate through events, and stay connected through posts. The platform is powered by Open Social and enhanced with AI features that help surface relevant knowledge across the network -- so the wisdom shared in one watershed can benefit stewards in another.
Getting Started
We encourage you to fill out your profile with your interests and expertise, join groups that align with your work, and introduce yourself to the community. Browse the topics to see what conversations are happening, check the events calendar for upcoming gatherings, and do not hesitate to post questions or share what you are learning. Every contribution strengthens the knowledge commons we are building together.
Our Principles
LocalNodes is guided by the principles of polycentric governance, data sovereignty, and commons stewardship. We believe that the people closest to the land should have the most voice in decisions about it. We believe that community-generated knowledge belongs to the community. And we believe that technology should serve life, not extract from it. Welcome to the network. Welcome home to your bioregion.
Absolutely, Willow. The mutual aid networks we build must be grounded in right relationship with indigenous communities. Solidarity Cascadia has been working with Coast Salish organizations on a land-back initiative, and I would love to connect you with that work through this platform.