I'm worried there's too much of me,' says a birch: inside the interspecies council giving nature a voice

"The interspecies council is a decision-making methodology that expands who has voice and representation in governance beyond humans alone, allowing for a more inclusive approach to environmental issues."

"Facilitators and ecologists identify multispecies stakeholders, then assign and brief human representatives, chosen randomly or based on expertise, to ensure diverse perspectives are included in the discussions."

"This practice is part of a growing international movement establishing nature rights and governance power, with 13 councils in the UK recognizing river rights since 2023."

Interspecies councils, inspired by the Council of All Beings, allow humans to represent non-human species in governance discussions. These councils identify multispecies stakeholders and assign human representatives to address specific issues. Outputs include decisions or manifestos, followed by impact evaluations. This practice is part of a growing movement advocating for nature rights and governance, with initiatives like recognizing river rights in the UK and exploring biodiversity governance around the North Sea. Nature-centric governance techniques are increasingly being adopted by various organizations.

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