Learn about strategic and sustainable solutions!

October 2018

Strategy: Living Systems Leaders

Ocamora Retreat Center , Ocate, New Mexico

Twenty three women, aged 21 to 72 came together for the pilot version of Living Systems Leadership . Under the guidance of awesome facilitators: Toby Herzlich , Rachel Bagby , and Karen Allen , the group met over five days and immersed in and around the natural world, studying the Six Living Systems Leadership Practices . Together the group learned: Skills to connect with nature Nature inspired Living Systems Leadership Practices relevant to work and home life Articulation of knowledge through Dekaaz, concise and spoken out loud poetry Capacity building to inspire others

Attendees of the Living Systems Leadership pilot program, Ocate, NM

Are you interested in attending a program with Joan on Learning From the Natural World? Yes, please let me know the details! Select Not at this time. Sounds interesting though! Select

Integration: Describe Your Relationship?

We can observe and learn from the natural world; and apply those lessons to everyday life -- personally and professionally. Species, including people, interact with each other in different ways. With each interaction, species can benefit positively, be harmed, or remain unaffected. How would you define your primary professional and personal relationships? Here are some examples:  Parasitism: one species benefits; one is harmed Commensalism: one species benefits; one is unaffected Mutualism: both species benefit Coexistence: both species are unaffected Competition: both species are negatively affected.  What can you do to move more of your relationships towards mutualism?

Bees and flowers have a mutualistic relationship . Bees get the nectar they need to make honey by traveling between flowers . The bee brings pollen from one plant to another, resulting in pollination.

The barnacle-whale relationship is generally considered to be obligate commensalism — a type of relationship where one species benefits, and the other isn't affected either way.

Parasitism is a relationship between two different organisms where one of the organisms actually harms the other through the relationship. The organism that is harming the other one is called a parasite . Pictured is a parasitic tick on a dog.

Results: Wood Wide Web

"Trees use a network of soil fungi to communicate their needs and aid neighboring plants"

All trees all over the world, form a symbiotic association with below-ground fungi. In this relationship of mutualism , the fungi siphon off food from the trees, taking some of the carbon-rich sugar that they produce during photosynthesis. The plants, in turn, obtain nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen that the fungi have acquired from the soil, by means of enzymes that the trees do not possess. Want to learn more? Here are links to a few articles: Secrets of the Wood Wide Web Exploring How and Why Trees Talk to Each Other Internet of Fungus

About Plisko Sustainable Solutions

Joan Plisko, PhD, President joan@pliskosolutions.com Marc Plisko, CIH, Vice President marc@pliskosolutions.com The mission of Plisko Sustainable Solutions, LLC is to catalyze positive health, environmental, and social change through improved customer performance, economic savings, and enhanced social awareness.   Contact Us

HOME | OUR WORK | PSS TEAM | NEWSLETTER | CONTACT

STAY CONNECTED ‌