Spiral Dynamics / which mix of colors are you today?

The idea of writing about the different reactions from friends and contacts to my Löwen River Rewilding initiative has been brewing for a few weeks. Things accelerated with our announcement on LinkedIn and Facebook and the many marks of support that it triggered. It was like an accelerated experiment of human psychology on a small scale. 

As you picked up from these first few lines, this blog will be less visual and more holistic. Am I turning ‘Yellow’? Things all fell into place when I was tipped off about Spiral Dynamics (thank you, Anja). A concept originally developed by psychologist Clare Graves, a contemporary to Abraham Maslow, it was further refined by Don Edward Beck as a dynamic model to explain human development. The framework applies colors to map both the values of mankind and of each individual human being. It helps us understand the motivations of each person, community, organization or even country depending on where we are on our journey. 

In my mind, next to being colorful and dynamic, Spiral Dynamics benefit from combining short-term vs. long term orientation, individual/male vs. collective/female governance as well as the fact that everyone (individual, organization, country) is a mosaic of those colors which their life journeys either accentuate or dilute. 

What does it say about Löwen River Rewilding? 

First, our network of supporters being primarily made up of Westerners hones in on Orange (Strategic Enterprise) and Green (Humanistic Egalitarian). The Global South revolves more around the Beige (Survival Instinct) and Purple (Tribe & Family), even Red (Power Politics) - in certain unfortunate cases (think authoritarian regimes). 

Then, Löwen River Rewilding like any early-stage venture needs to combine short vs. long-term decisions and a prioritization of resources i.e. operate under financial constraints. 

Finally, by design, the quality of our decisions will only be evaluated in hindsight after a time lapse of several years or even decades, so we need to have our own NorthStar.

To illustrate the higher levels of the Spiral Dynamics framework, one has to imagine that certain conversations regarding Löwen River Rewilding suggest creating our own microclimate if we plant enough trees (a very Yellow integrative approach). How can we model the terrain and simulate if a certain humidity and vegetation coverage will stop erosion and this vicious circle called Desertification. 

Whilst it may seem far-fetched, several examples in the Sahel, Mexico, Spain or APAC (China, Australia) are convincing. Give it enough capital (we talk about a large restoration of the veld) and 20+ years, the results will come. How is it different from commercial farming except that the end result is evaluated in biodiversity and vegetation coverage?

Green people find it easiest to subscribe to the Löwen River Rewilding cause. The project ticks their boxes of ‘giving back’, ecology and a collective vision of being the custodians of a unique place that calls for common responsibilities and efforts. Spiral Dynamics being a mosaic of colors (we are an evolving mix of several tones), conversations with an undertone of Orange also buy into the ecology and value of LRR. Their main consideration is however: what is the business model? How can we generate revenue?

As a shortcut for many people less familiar with nature reserves and conservation, (current) revenue drivers are either ecotourism or hunting. Ecotourism is a real option if the location and its uniqueness are right. Hence, the large number of accommodations and lodges everywhere across Africa close to or in protected areas (whether private or public) with abundant wildlife. 

Or hunting (source of c. $500M p.a. in South Africa) which is an emotional topic, with an equation of benefits and drawbacks. Trophy hunting helps local communities earn a living and puts a price value on an animal, contributing to its protection. This doesn’t apply at Löwen River Rewilding, although we dream of a time when we will need to control the animal count because it creates problems for our ecosystem. 

At a different scale, the presence of c. 22’000 elephants in Kruger National Park (ZA) - although the park can sustainably only accommodate 8’000-9’000 - has created debates for many years, ever since the culling (animal control) was stopped in the 1970’s at the request of animal protection groups. The meat was traditionally handed over to the local communities. The fact that elephants are at the top of the food chain, to the tune of 250kg of fodder and 150l per animal per day, and without predators has had indirect negative consequences. 

Going down towards ‘Purple’ brings considerations around the definition of Rewilding. A friend leans on the idea that sometimes not doing anything and letting nature run its course is best. Conservation version of the ‘invisible hand’ from Adam Smith. There is definitely merit in preserving large areas for conservation, if the natural ecosystem strives. However, in most cases, consequences from exploitation (overgrazing), pollution or climate change call for intervention. Löwen River Rewilding’s goal is to kickstart a positive dynamic guided by research and technology that will eventually lead to a sustainable ecosystem. Nature never stands still so the key is to turn a negative dynamic (desertification, loss of biodiversity) into a positive one. Restoring vegetation, creating shade and undergrowth, slowing down rain to infiltrate the soil are the first ideas that we seek to implement. 

Even more practically, having a place so remote that electricity, water and a GSM signal still need to be installed throws us back to times that we have either never experienced or have long forgotten. At the farm, Matheus and his wife depend on wood to cook, stay warm and have light. A gas bottle is used to power the chest freezer which is the only way to store food. Should the gas run out, food goes bad quickly. And it takes an 80km trip (and a car) to restock on rations. 

Similarly, we tap into underground tables to provide water. Lack of sun (for solar panels), a stolen pump (which is not uncommon despite the remoteness) or a leaky tank throw a few challenges that call for immediate remediation. Beige ‘survival instinct’ kicks in. Everything else becomes secondary. The inability to reach Matheus last week for several days caused strong concerns: are they fine? still on the farm? out of reach because of a mobile provider policy change in prepaid SIMcard subscription? The latter turned out to be the case and was resolved with a trip to the nearby town.   

Considerations ranging from physiological needs (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) to achieving a long-term sustainable ecosystem come with the job, and guide me in how I need to present the initiative to supporters and friends. A common ‘challenge’ for any entrepreneur who must convey the purpose of their endeavor to stakeholders. A learning than many founders take time to master: what makes a successful demo.

Whilst I develop those new skills, I am (re)turning Green and remember a classic in French culture: Candide from Voltaire or finding happiness in hard work and a focus on gardening. At the same time, Matheus and Mama have grown big fans of our kitchen garden, they appreciate how nice zucchinis and butternuts can taste, so we will expand that side of the farm. 

Life, especially at Löwen River Rewilding, is a mosaic of colors 🏳️‍🌈