www.deepecology.net

practices for awakening and resilience in a changing world

"Ecological ideas won't save us, what we need is ecological identity, ecological self" – Arne Naess

Welcome. This website is intended as a repository for information and inspiration relating to the Deep Ecology movement, its underlying philosophy, history, and practices. Deep Ecology seeks to address the planetary polycrisis through healing the perceived rift between self and nature. Deep Ecology …

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Philosophy

"Ecosophy is an “identification so deep that one’s own self is no longer adequately delimited by the personal ego or the organism” -Arne Naess

The term Deep Ecology was coined in 1973 by Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess in his 1973 article entitled “The Shallow and the Deep, Long-range Ecology Movement, a summary”. Among other inspirations, Naess’ outlook was deeply influenced by Baruch Spinoza’s vision of the the …

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Science

"Gaia is a very simple idea: that the Earth works as a single, complex, self-regulating system." — James Lovelock

In addition to it’s philosophical, engaged, and therapeutic aspects, Deep Ecology has also become increasingly convergent with science. Beginning with developments in ecology and evolution that point to a more holistic understanding of living systems, physics, cosmology and psychology have …

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Poetry

"This is the first, wildest and wisest thing I know, that the soul exists, and that it is built entirely out of attentiveness" - Mary Oliver

Art opens pathways to ecological consciousness that analytical thought alone cannot reach. Through poetry, visual arts, music, and ritual, we access embodied knowing - the felt sense of our belonging to Earth’s community. Artists working within Deep Ecology don’t merely represent nature …

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Praxis

""Real change will only happen when we fall in love with the Earth."- Thich Nhat Hanh

Deep Ecology recognizes that ecological crisis is fundamentally a crisis of perception and relationship. The world’s spiritual traditions offer profound resources for reconnecting with the sacred dimensions of Earth and life. From Buddhism’s teaching of interdependence to indigenous …

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News

"I live my life in widening circles / that reach out across the world" - Rainer Maria Rilke

This part of our site is under construction. Watch this space for information relating to online and in person Deep Ecology Workshops happening near you. Newsletter Signup for news and special offers! You can unsubscribe anytime. For more details, review our Privacy Policy. DE News Subscribe …

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Resources

"Intrinsic value is independent of usefulness to humans." – Arne Naess

Here you will find resources like quotes, books, essays, links, and videos. All categories Loading... ← Back to Home

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Network

“Life did not take over the globe by combat, but by networking” -Lynn Margulis

Welcome to the Deep Ecology.org.au Australia and New Zealand Network portal. This part of the site is under development, as we enter the next phase of growth of our Deep Ecology Network. Are you looking for a Deep Ecology workshop happening near you? Are you a Deep Ecology facilitator who would like …

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Welcome. This website is intended as a repository for information and inspiration relating to the Deep Ecology movement, its underlying philosophy, history, and practices. Deep Ecology seeks to address the planetary polycrisis through healing the perceived rift between self and nature. Deep Ecology bridges philosophy, psychology science, art, and spirituality, and implies both an inner work and outer engagement.

When developing his “ecosophy” at Tvergastein, his isolated retreat above the treeline in the mountains of Norway, Arne Naess recognised that beyond some basic principles, his ideas had an aspect which was unique to that place and time - his “Ecosophy-T”. Acknowledging the richness and diversity of the Deep Ecology movement, we do not seek to codify or rigidly define it here.

Instead, our aim here is to provide profiles, essays, quotes, practices and other resources to ground our exploration in the work of those who have gone before us, and to support anyone to discover their “Deep Ecology-X” - the Deep Ecology that makes sense in their unique more-than-human community and place. Never has there been a time when this work is more important. Through intellectual understanding, creative expression and contemplative practice, and weaving together cosmology, evolution, ecology, and consciousness itself - we can ask; “what is my Deep Ecology?”. Your answer could change the world…

News

Books

Essays and articles

What is Deep Ecology?

What is Deep Ecology?

Through deep experience, deep questioning and deep commitment emerges deep ecology By Stephan …

Quotes

Profile: Brian Swimme

Profile: Brian Swimme

Brian Swimme is a mathematical cosmologist and cultural historian who examines the implications of …

Profile: Gregory Bateson

Profile: Gregory Bateson

Gregory Bateson (1904-1980) was an anthropologist, biologist, and cyberneticist whose …

Profile: Arne Naess

Profile: Arne Naess

Arne Naess was a Norwegian philosopher who coined the term “deep ecology” in 1973, …

Profile: Elisabet Sahtouris

Profile: Elisabet Sahtouris

Elisabet Sahtouris is an American and Greek evolution biologist, futurist, and author whose work …

Profile: James Lovelock

Profile: James Lovelock

James Ephraim Lovelock (1919-2022) was an independent scientist who formulated the Gaia hypothesis …

Profile: Joanna Macy

Profile: Joanna Macy

Joanna Macy (1929-2025) was a scholar of Buddhism, general systems theory, and deep ecology. Born …

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the Earth, all first nations people, who have stewarded country in deep connection and continuity for millennia. It is our aspiration that together we can walk toward a reconciliation, not only between human communities, but between humans and the “more than-human” community of which we are an intrinsic part.