What would change in your organisation if nature had a voice and a vote?
If you believe nature belongs in governance conversations, the question now is how we do this with integrity, wisdom and genuine commitment to change.
"Sustainability was a vital step. And yet the living world is still diminishing under our watch. The voice of nature movement is exciting because it might just make the regeneration of life possible."
What is your role in that shift?
Experience this unforgettable journey privately or with your team.
Just three years ago, the first companies in the world gave nature a legal voice in their boardrooms and trusts. This movement is gaining momentum rapidly and what is emerging is that there are many ways to bring nature’s voice into organisations, both legally and symbolically. In just a short time, a remarkable body of practice and learning has grown up around us.
If you feel called to be part of this early movement, where real change is possible, and nature’s voice is just beginning to be heard, we have created a rich, multi-layered experience to help you find your own voice and pathway for your organisation. It is uniquely Australian in its roots, yet open to the world in its reach.
Through peer learning and experienced voices from across Australia and globally, you will explore what next steps are possible for your own context. And if you are simply drawn to this without yet knowing why trust that. You are welcome.
"We are not managing nature. We are learning to belong to it — and to govern from that place."
What is Nature-inclusive Governance?
Nature-inclusive Governance invites us to rethink the assumptions that shape our decisions and our institutional structures, and to place the health of the living world at the centre of organisational purpose, decision-making, responsibility and accountability.
This is a paradigm shift away from managing the environment, toward understanding our deep interdependence and kinship with nature. It moves us beyond sustainability, where the mission was to minimise harm, into something more regenerative: organisations that do not just protect the living world, but belong to it.
When nature is recognised as a legitimate voice in the room, organisations are invited into a deeper relationship with place, time and responsibility. Nature-inclusive Governance is not a framework to implement it is a way of seeing that changes everything.
Our Speakers have been selected for the Many Ways of Knowing
No single discipline holds the whole story of what it means to govern with nature.
That conviction shaped how we assembled the voices in this program. We did not go looking for experts in a single field. We went looking for people who carry different knowledge. Those who have inherited ancient relationships with living Country, those who have spent decades working inside the legal and institutional structures that shape how organisations make decisions, and those who have built businesses that prove ecological kinship and commercial success are not in contradiction, and those who are pioneering new frameworks at the frontiers of law, governance, and regenerative practice.
Each speaker has been chosen because they illuminate a different dimension of the same question: what does it actually mean to let the living world have a voice?
Our Symbol
Our symbol is the grass tree, which has lived for centuries in Australia through fire and renewal.
The grass tree (Xanthorrhoea) is one of Australia’s most ancient and resilient plants, thriving across diverse ecosystems and regenerating in relationship with fire. Known to ecologists as a ‘deep time species’, individual plants can live for centuries some up to 600 years. Their enduring presence through drought, fire and regeneration makes them a living reminder of the long story of this land.
As a symbol for governance, the grass tree anchors us in patience, continuity and responsibility to past and future generations.
Something is stirring in boardrooms, businesses and communities across Australia and around the world. Those already pioneering Nature-inclusive Governance, and those just beginning to sense that something deeper is possible, are finding each other. This fellowship is where that conversation takes root.
The fellowship is a learning space where governance conversations are explored with integrity and wisdom.
The Grass Tree Fellowship Program
This is not another online course. It is a six-month co-learning journey a shared experience where Indigenous knowledge holders, organisational leaders, Nature proxies and regenerative practitioners come together to grow knowledge within a guided structure.
We recognise that different interpretations of Nature-inclusive Governance will emerge, and we believe that holding this diversity inclusively is vital. The fellowship creates the space to learn from ancient wisdom, immersive experience and new models — building trust and uncovering what this work means here in Australia, so that governance can be transformed to strengthen the conditions for life to flourish.
Four layers of learning
The fellowship has been designed to provide a rich blend of learning modes, so that knowledge is not just absorbed, but felt, tested and carried forward.
1.
Nature Immersion Weekend · Arakwal Country, Byron Shire
2.
Online Learning Sessions
A series of expert-led sessions bringing together international and Australian voices at the frontiers of Nature-inclusive Governance. We explore legal frameworks, global case studies, Indigenous perspectives on relational governance, and practical tools for bringing nature’s voice into decision-making spaces.
All sessions are held online, 6–8pm AEST to ensure this is accessible to participants across Australia, Asia, New Zealand and most parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
3.
Community Connection & Co-Creation
You don’t just learn in the fellowship, you grow with peers. Between learning sessions, facilitated integration sessions create space to pause, reflect and share what is alive for you in the fellowship.
Bring your questions, your field experiences and your honest observations. We go deeper not through new content, but through dialogue, peer insight and collective sense-making.
4.
Your Personal Blueprint
A series of expert-led sessions bringing together international and Australian voices at the frontiers of Nature-inclusive Governance. We explore legal frameworks, global case studies, Indigenous perspectives on relational governance, and practical tools for bringing nature’s voice into decision-making spaces.
All sessions are held online, 6–8pm AEST to ensure this is accessible to participants across Australia, Asia, New Zealand and most parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
FAQ's
Dates and times
The fellowship runs from 23 June to 24 November 2026. All online sessions are held 6–8pm AEST.
Who is this for?
The fellowship is open to anyone ready to explore what changes when the living world shapes how we make decisions. It will be of particular value to:
- Leaders working for boards, businesses, charities and community organisations who are exploring new governance approaches
- Founders and executives wishing to integrate nature into their organisation’s strategy, risk and culture
- Nature proxies, regenerative practitioners and systems thinkers
- Government professionals assuming roles representing nature or nature perspectives
- Anyone contributing to decisions that impact land, community or long-term wellbeing
- Those working with risk strategies who would like to deepen the ecological lens
Based in Australia and warmly open to participants worldwide. If you are unable to attend the immersion weekend in person, you can still participate fully in the fellowship online, as long as you can access sessions at 6–8pm Brisbane time.
How to apply?
Our founding cohort opens 23 June 2026. Places are limited and applications close 15 June.
- Complete the Expression of Interest Form on this page.
- We will respond to your expression of interest within 14 days.
- If you are interested in the supported pricing rate, please indicate this when completing the form.
Completing an Expression of Interest is not a commitment or acceptance it is simply raising your hand to be part of something that matters. Registrations open in two weeks.
Any questions? Email us anytime at contact@ecocentrix.au
We are hosting our founding cohort from 23 June to 24 November 2026. Three pricing tiers are available to ensure this program is accessible across organisation sizes and sectors.
Full details are in the Program Outline. Places are limited and applications close 15 June.
1. Complete the Expression of Interest Form BELOW to register your interest in being part of the Fellowship Program.
2. We will respond to your expression of interest within 14 days.
3. If you are interested in the supported pricing rate, please indicate this when completing the Expression of Interest Form.
4. Any questions? Email us anytime at contact@ecocentrix.au Important Dates
- Applications close 15 June 2026
- Fellowship begins 23 June 2026
- On Country Meet up Weekend, Northern NSW 25/26 July 2026
- Fellowship concludes 24 November 2026
All our online Sessions are held on Tuesdays, 6–8 pm AEST
- 7 July
- 14 July
- 11 August
- 25 August
- 8 September
- 22 September
- 6 October
- 20 October
- 3 November
- 17 November
- 24 November
Costs and how to participate
The Grass Tree Fellowship Program offers a sliding scale to ensure this programme is accessible across organisation sizes and sectors.
- Corporate rate — AU$2,800
- Small business / not-for-profit — AU$1,800
- Supported / subsidised rate — AU$800
Please note: travel and accommodation for the Immersion Weekend in the Byron Shire (25–26 July) are not included in the fellowship fee and will be at participants’ own cost. Full details are provided upon enrolment. For those unable to attend in person, alternative online activities are included in the programme at no extra cost.
The Grass Tree Fellowship Program is created by Jannine Barron and co-hosted by Michelle Malone. Our platform is Ecocentrix and is supported by Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA).
contact@ecocentrix.au · ecocentrix.au
Four layers of learning
Jannine Barron
Jannine Barron is a regenerative business mentor, educator and historian working at the intersection of Nature-inclusive Governance, leadership and business across Australia and the UK. Through nature-immersive experiences and mentoring, she helps leaders make better decisions, lead sustainably and grow from the inside out — building the inner capacity for a future-fit organisation.
Over three decades, Jannine has founded and led four businesses grounded in organic and regenerative principles, giving her the business acumen to understand the real pressures leaders face. She has been involved in nature governance since the first organisation in the UK appointed Nature to its board, and as a steward of Voices of Nature UK, she brings lived experience of the earliest models, the lessons learned, and the emerging frameworks.
The creator of Nature’s Boardroom and the Grass Tree Fellowship, Jannine guides leaders and organisations to move from management to kinship — and to become a genuine voice for nature in how they live, lead and do business. A Kincentric Leadership Fellow and Dandelion Fellow, Jannine’s experience has helped shape this work for the Australian context, guided by local ecologies, cultures and Indigenous wisdom.
Dr Michelle Maloney
Dr Michelle Maloney (BA/LLB (Hons), PhD) is an Australian Earth lawyer and advocate for Earth-centred governance. She is the Co-Founder and National Convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA) and Co-Founder and Director of Future Dreaming, an Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisation focused on sharing ecological knowledge across cultures.
For more than 30 years, Michelle’s research, writing, community projects and collaborative work has demonstrated how we can build governance systems, societies and economies that support and regenerate, rather than destroy, our living world. She advises communities, businesses and governments about innovative ecocentric, bioregional and nature-based governance strategies, and is an Adjunct Fellow at UTS and Griffith University, a UN Harmony with Nature Expert, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.
Dr Michelle Maloney (BA/LLB (Hons), PhD) is an Australian Earth lawyer and advocate for Earth-centred governance. She is the Co-Founder and National Convenor of the Australian Earth Laws Alliance (AELA) and Co-Founder and Director of Future Dreaming, an Indigenous and non-Indigenous organisation focused on sharing ecological knowledge across cultures.
For more than 30 years, Michelle’s research, writing, community projects and collaborative work has demonstrated how we can build governance systems, societies and economies that support and regenerate, rather than destroy, our living world. She advises communities, businesses and governments about innovative ecocentric, bioregional and nature-based governance strategies, and is an Adjunct Fellow at UTS and Griffith University, a UN Harmony with Nature Expert, and a member of the Advisory Council of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.
"Nature's voice grows louder when more of us choose to carry it. Please share this with anyone you feel called to invite into this conversation."
Guest Speakers
Char Love
Global Ambassador, Natura; Mother Nature and Future Generations Director, House of Hackney; Co-Founder of B Lab UK, Heliotropy and Volans. Executive-in-Residence at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. One of the world’s foremost voices in bringing nature’s rights into organisational life.
Dr Mary Graham
Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Queensland, and Kombumerri person of the Yugambeh Language Speaking People. Dr Graham brings an essential First Nations philosophical and governance perspective to the fellowship.
Delta Kay
Bundjalung woman of the Arakwal people, cultural educator and custodian of Country. Delta will guide participants through the immersion weekend and joins the opening preparation session from Country.
John Seed
Rainforest activist and co-founder of the Rainforest Information Centre, and a leading international voice in Deep Ecology. John’s work has shaped ecological consciousness for decades.
Dominique Hes
Regenerative practitioner and Voice for Nature advocate with Regen Melbourne, supporting the integration of living systems thinking into city and community leadership.
Michael Howes
Founder of Australia’s Manuka, a family-run beekeeping enterprise with a global market, built by caring for bees, country and community. His business is a living demonstration that ecological kinship and commercial success are not in contradiction.
Additional speakers will be announced in May 2026.