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Subtle Agroecologies
INFORMATION FROM AND ABOUT ECOSYSTEMS
Case Study 4: Bees in the Bush
Francesca Mason Boring teaches a range of Systemic Constellations forms including NCs. When a
NC reveals information which could have public beneft, she obtains the group’s agreement to waive
confdentiality so that the learning can be disseminated. Hence, she could report on a NC she facilitated in a coastal community (Mason Boring and Sloan, 2013: 13–14). The NC included a rep for a
bee, and Mason Boring became nervous that there was no fower for the bee. The bee’s rep told her
that he did not need a fower because ‘I am very strong when I stand by this bush’. The bush being
represented grew in the local area.
Mason Boring shared that she did not understand why the bee did not need a fower, only to
discover that someone in the group was a biologist with a specialty in botany. He was astounded by
what had happened and was able to explain it. The bush in question had an extremely high protein
content. Come spring time, as the bees came to life in that cold region, they could quickly fnd the
most effcient food source through that bush. In Mason Boring’s opinion, the NC demonstrated that
the bees needed that specifc bush. Unfortunately, the bush was considered unattractive and was
becoming very rare.
This case study indicates that NCs have the potential to show what other-than-humans need in order
to thrive, as well as the inter-relationships between parts of an ecosystem. The botanist’s knowledge
provided verifcation that the relationship described was accurate. Since pollinators, such as bees,
are crucial to food production, such information could be invaluable for farmers.
Case Study 5: Exploring Benefcial Growing Conditions
In Greece, a grove of olive trees were getting old and their owner was considering adding animal
manure and/or planting leguminous vetches to enrich the soil and hopefully strengthen the trees.
She was about to start a NC to check which of these would best support the olives, when one of her
employees mentioned that wild asparagus could be another option.
A rep for the olive trees (OT) was positioned and immediately said: ‘I feel the roots but something is missing’. A rep for manure (M) was brought in, which made OT feel easier. OT had no
response to a rep for the vetches (V), but when a rep for wild asparagus (WA) was brought in, she
said: ‘I feel better… I feel energy’. Combining WA with M, OT reported ‘even better, more energy’,
however on adding V as well, OT said: ‘it’s OK but it doesn’t make any difference’. She preferred
to be without V, while V reported feeling good but ‘I don’t feel any attachment to the olive’. OT
consistently felt energy when WA was present. The NC indicated that the olive trees’ preference was
to have wild asparagus planted, as well as livestock manure added.
Afterwards, the employee shared that farmers used to plant olives together with wild asparagus,
which she believed was because, in nature, the asparagus was found under olive trees. Neither the
owner nor the person representing the olive trees had known this beforehand.
The olive tree rep feeling ‘energy’ in the presence of wild asparagus could imply a synergistic
relationship between the two species, in which each supports the other. At the very least, the NC
indicated a compatibility between olive trees and wild asparagus. A few years after this, the author
learned of an EU-funded multi-stakeholder project which included development research and promotion of the mixed cropping of wild asparagus in olive orchards. Both species require the same
growing conditions and it was found that growing asparagus under the olive trees did not reduce
Subtle Agroecologies
INFORMATION FROM AND ABOUT ECOSYSTEMS
Case Study 4: Bees in the Bush
Francesca Mason Boring teaches a range of Systemic Constellations forms including NCs. When a
NC reveals information which could have public beneft, she obtains the group’s agreement to waive
confdentiality so that the learning can be disseminated. Hence, she could report on a NC she facilitated in a coastal community (Mason Boring and Sloan, 2013: 13–14). The NC included a rep for a
bee, and Mason Boring became nervous that there was no fower for the bee. The bee’s rep told her
that he did not need a fower because ‘I am very strong when I stand by this bush’. The bush being
represented grew in the local area.
Mason Boring shared that she did not understand why the bee did not need a fower, only to
discover that someone in the group was a biologist with a specialty in botany. He was astounded by
what had happened and was able to explain it. The bush in question had an extremely high protein
content. Come spring time, as the bees came to life in that cold region, they could quickly fnd the
most effcient food source through that bush. In Mason Boring’s opinion, the NC demonstrated that
the bees needed that specifc bush. Unfortunately, the bush was considered unattractive and was
becoming very rare.
This case study indicates that NCs have the potential to show what other-than-humans need in order
to thrive, as well as the inter-relationships between parts of an ecosystem. The botanist’s knowledge
provided verifcation that the relationship described was accurate. Since pollinators, such as bees,
are crucial to food production, such information could be invaluable for farmers.
Case Study 5: Exploring Benefcial Growing Conditions
In Greece, a grove of olive trees were getting old and their owner was considering adding animal
manure and/or planting leguminous vetches to enrich the soil and hopefully strengthen the trees.
She was about to start a NC to check which of these would best support the olives, when one of her
employees mentioned that wild asparagus could be another option.
A rep for the olive trees (OT) was positioned and immediately said: ‘I feel the roots but something is missing’. A rep for manure (M) was brought in, which made OT feel easier. OT had no
response to a rep for the vetches (V), but when a rep for wild asparagus (WA) was brought in, she
said: ‘I feel better… I feel energy’. Combining WA with M, OT reported ‘even better, more energy’,
however on adding V as well, OT said: ‘it’s OK but it doesn’t make any difference’. She preferred
to be without V, while V reported feeling good but ‘I don’t feel any attachment to the olive’. OT
consistently felt energy when WA was present. The NC indicated that the olive trees’ preference was
to have wild asparagus planted, as well as livestock manure added.
Afterwards, the employee shared that farmers used to plant olives together with wild asparagus,
which she believed was because, in nature, the asparagus was found under olive trees. Neither the
owner nor the person representing the olive trees had known this beforehand.
The olive tree rep feeling ‘energy’ in the presence of wild asparagus could imply a synergistic
relationship between the two species, in which each supports the other. At the very least, the NC
indicated a compatibility between olive trees and wild asparagus. A few years after this, the author
learned of an EU-funded multi-stakeholder project which included development research and promotion of the mixed cropping of wild asparagus in olive orchards. Both species require the same
growing conditions and it was found that growing asparagus under the olive trees did not reduce