Episode 116: Zofia Page, Hamish Evans & Dan Burgess | The Power of Pilgrimage | We Are Avon

This episode was a live panel recording from the We Are Avon community gathering in May. If you're a regular listener, you'll know about place-based initiative and bioregional project, We Are Avon, based in the Avon Valley in the West of England, where I live. A movement working to regenerate the landscapes, rivers, and communities of the Avon catchment.This conversation is an exploration around the power of pilgrimage, the ancient practice of walking land and rivers as a way to connect us back to self, each other, and the landscapes we're part of.I hosted special guest, Zofia Page, Executive director and Co-founder of Friends of the River Medway, an innovative non-profit restoring the river while reconnecting people to it as a living presence.Her work weaves together ecological action; the Rights of Nature movement; and a renewed, enchanted relationship with the more-than-human world.Over six years, she has brought the Medway from background to foreground through conservation, citizen science, advocacy, art, storytelling, and ceremony. Her vision found its fullest expression in the River Medway Pilgrimage, a pioneering source-to-sea journey that led to two councils acknowledging the Rights of the River Medway.Alongside Zofia was Hamish Evans, Regenerative Farmer of Middle Ground Growers, River Pilgrim, prefigurative activist, and co-director of We Are Avon.This was a beautiful conversation with two extraordinary young change-makers who carry incredible vision, wisdom, humility and dedication to our home planet.In a time where mainstream reality is falling apart rapidly, perhaps these ancient practices of walking the land, moving through landscapes together in community might offer us different perspectives, deeper connections, and other ways of seeing this moment and the future that we're being invited into co-creating.The We Are Avon pilgrimage is this solstice weekend 20-21st June.The Medway pilgrimage is 18th to the 27th of July.Everyone is welcome to walk as much or as little as you like, links below, there are river movements rising like springs all over the UK.Find one near you and find out what's yours to do.LINKSWe Are Avon pilgrimageRiver Medway Pilgrimage Get full access to Becoming Crew at becomingcrew.substack.com/subscribe