The Principles of Bush Regeneration for Rainforests - and Also the Practice of Life

In the world of land regeneration, Australia is famous for permaculture, as coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren, but the practice of bush regeneration began to emerge around the same time. Both rooted in the 1970s counterculture, they outlined radically innovative practices of ecological repair in response to widespread damage to the environment. Whilst many people around the world have heard of permaculture, very few outside of Australia have heard of bush regeneration.

Developed by the Bradley sisters in Sydney, Australia, in the 1960s and 70s, bush regeneration began as a gentle but radical approach: work with nature, not against it. It started with the sisters taking their dogs for a walk to the local bush (Australian lingo for 'forest' or 'woods'), and whilst they were there, they started removing invasive weeds to take pressure off the rainforest remnants that can be commonly found there. Through trial and error they gained insights, developed a practice, gave presentations, wrote a book (Bringing Back the Bush: The Bradley Method of Bush Regeneration) and started a movement.

Having worked in both permaculture and bush regeneration, we feel that bush regeneration could easily be as famous and effective if only people knew about it. 

Did you know this about Australian rainforests?

• Australian rainforest ecology is hundreds of millions of years old. 
• Rainforest areas have shrunk alarmingly in the last 200+ years.
• The world over, most landscapes are characterized by shrinking areas of native vegetation and increasingly dominated by a mix of opportunistic invasive weeds.
• Bush regeneration is perhaps the only systemic approach to regenerative native forest (that we know of). 

Bush regeneration is a very active scene in Australia with many people dedicating themselves to the often challenging craft of forest regeneration. There are at least two developments that have occurred over the years in regards to modern interpretations of bush regeneration. First, any outbreak of a new threatening invasive weed will ideally be treated quickly to stop it spreading, treating it like a big threat to life. Second, that treatment most likely includes an herbicide application. 

Here's why bush regeneration is so radical and effective—rather than clearing whole areas of vegetation and starting over through large-scale planting, the Bradley Method works with what already exists, beginning in the healthiest patches of native vegetation and then working outward. This approach focuses on removing invasive species carefully, always returning to maintain progress before expanding outwards. It was, and still is, a quiet revolution. It's a practice rooted in patience, care, and observation—working with existing ecological situations, using accessible, low impact methods, but with high levels of ecological awareness. 

These bush regeneration principles could just as easily apply to our inner landscapes as they do to our environmental ones. What if we applied the same approach to our self-care, projects, or even our relationships?

Start with What’s Thriving

Bush regeneration teaches us to identify strongholds—patches of healthy growth that can become centres of renewal.

What might bush regeneration look like in our own lives?

• A daily ritual that keeps us grounded (like a morning walk, yoga, or journaling)
• A creative project that brings joy
• A friendship that feels nourishing

Rather than overhauling everything, we can work from what’s already good. Nurture those parts. Then, like native plants seeding new growth, let that energy ripple outward.

Prioritize and Maintain

One of the core principles of the Bradley Method is: don’t take on more than you can maintain. What often begins as a good project with good intentions fizzles out due to loss of energy, priority, and resources. We often rush to clear all the "weeds" in our lives—habits, clutter, stressors—but regeneration asks us to move intentionally.

Whether you're decluttering your home, starting a new project, or recovering your well-being, this regenerative rhythm can guide you:

• Choose a manageable area to restore
• Circle back often
• Let it stabilize before expanding
• Resist the urge to take on everything at once

Make Space for the Rainforest to Return

In the bush (forest/woods), when we remove weeds carefully, the native species often come back on their own. There’s no need to replant everything—nature remembers with seeds, birds and groves of rainforest expanding when they are allowed to. 

In our personal or creative lives, the same is true. When we tip the balance away from distractions, put less energy into harmful patterns, or make space in our schedules, what's inherent within us—our joy, creativity, calm—often returns without force. 

Regeneration doesn’t require reinvention. It requires trust, space, and care. 

A Regenerative Life

In a culture obsessed with growth and productivity, bush regeneration offers something radical: careful expansion, grounded in maintenance and respect for what’s already thriving.

This regenerative approach applies just as much to personal rhythms as to big-picture projects. Before expanding outward, we can ask: Is this sustainable? Am I maintaining what I’ve already begun?

Here are 4 ways you might apply bush regeneration thinking to your own life:

1. Self-care: Don’t abandon your yoga practice or journaling. Keep circling back to it. Add gently from there.
2. Creative projects: Start with the piece that has the most life. Finish or nurture it before jumping to the next idea.
3. Home environment: Clear one corner. Return to it. Maintain it. Let that sense of calm spread.
4. Teamwork or community: Strengthen what’s working in your collaboration. Let it become the seed for wider culture change.

At the start of this year 2025—we themed it The Year of Adaptation—we invited all of us to proactively design the year and be as conscious as possible about the need for adaptability, so we can live our best lives in what are often difficult times. As we move into the second half of the year, hopefully we have an opportunity for a mid-year check-in—to reflect on how our lives are going, especially in relation to any intentions we set early in the year. The bush regeneration technique is an approach that can be so valuable—to regenerate from the inside out. Start where it's strong. Stay close to it. Let it spread.

Take a few quiet minutes to notice what’s thriving in your life. What needs tending before you expand? If this resonates, consider sharing this reminder with someone: regeneration begins—and is sustained—through small, steady steps with consistency, determination and a clear goal in mind.

In closing, if you can garden/farm/conserve wildlife in Australia, you can probably do it anywhere. It's a very tough place!