Pat Fleming portrait photograph

Pat Fleming is a deep ecology facilitator who co-authored Thinking Like a Mountain (1988) with John Seed, Joanna Macy, and Arne Naess. She has conducted experiential deep ecology workshops for over forty years.

Born in England to a Northern Irish family, Fleming holds British-Australian nationality and currently resides in northern Lutruwita (Tasmania). Her background includes mental health counseling, conservation botany, organic farming, and environmental education. She holds an MA in Psychology from Edinburgh University and an MSc in Botanical Conservation from Plymouth University.

Fleming studied Zen Buddhism with Robert Aitken Roshi, co-founder of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Her facilitation work integrates contemplative practice with ecological awareness. She co-created the Council of All Beings ritual practice with Seed, Macy, and Naess in the 1980s, developing methods for participants to speak from the perspectives of other species and ecosystems.

For seven years Fleming taught deep ecology at Schumacher College in Devon through the year-long ‘Call of the Wild’ program. She has also worked with the Eden Project in Cornwall and facilitates Work That Reconnects workshops internationally. Her work combines botanical knowledge, Buddhist practice, and ritual development.

Key Concepts

Essential Works

  1. “Thinking Like a Mountain: Towards a Council of All Beings” (New Society Publishers, 1988) - ISBN 978-0-86571-133-7 - With John Seed, Joanna Macy, and Arne Naess
  2. “A Wild Love for the World: Joanna Macy and the Work of Our Time” (New World Library, 2020) - ISBN 978-1-60868-684-8 - Contributor

Quotes from Pat Fleming

Further Reading

Key Books

Related Resources