We are all experiencing a period of rapid change and huge disruption. On the back of drought and climate extremes, market and policy changes, it is a testing time for all rural people, businesses and communities. It impacts on us personally, our families, businesses, communities and our landscapes.

Resilience is the capacity to cope with change and continue to develop in a desired direction. It does not mean “bouncing back” or ploughing through and doing what we have always done. Applying resilience in practice requires an understanding of how resilience changes over time, what is causing that change and where and how to understand and intervene to influence its future direction.

A free, four part webinar series on resilience thinking with resilience leader, Paul Ryan, will be held in September and October. Participants will build on and develop their understanding and skills of how to manage resilience, how to work to make their own lives and communities more resilient to cope with the challenges that the world throws up.

Paul Ryan is passionate about rural people and places. He is the founding Director of the Australian Resilience Centre, an organisation that builds the capacity of regional communities and agencies facing uncertain futures. He does this through training, facilitation, mentoring, research and developing and supporting a national community of practitioners.

Paul has worked on issues as diverse as poverty and humanitarian relief, climate adaptation planning, disaster preparedness and recovery, sustainable agriculture, water and irrigation futures, community development, biodiversity, domestic violence, gender, cultural and youth issues.

Paul has worked internationally in Africa and South East Asia to apply resilience concepts in developing nations. He has previously worked for the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the Resilience Alliance, CSIRO and regional and state agencies. Paul grew up on a farm in northern Victoria where his family has been farming continuously for nearly 160 years.

The Future Proof Your Business webinar series is being hosted by Central West and Central Tablelands Local Land Services, together with Central West and Central Tablelands Landcare NSW, and will commence on Thursday, 17 September, with follow up sessions held fortnightly.

17 September, 12:00-12:45pm. What is resilience and why does it matter? Framing resilience, language and definitions, and discussing why building resilience matters in a farming business.

1 October, 12:00-12:45pm. Key resilience concepts – Systems, change and identity. The links between people and place. Learn about the ‘stress curve’ and how it can affect you.

15 October, 12:00pm-12:45pm. Understanding resilience in your system. Using the Iceberg model to understand system change, and talking through cycles of change.

29 October, 12:00pm-12:45pm. Designing resilient futures. Discussing resilience design principles, and implementing them.

To register visit: www.lls.nsw.gov.au/regions/central-west/events/cw-events/resilience-webinar-series or Google ‘Future Proof Your Business Local Land Services’ and follow the link.

This project is supported by Local Land Services, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program and NSW Landcare program.