Artecology CoCreate community workshop in progress. Photo: Groundwork North East & Cumbria

An Opportunity for Study and Research Collaboration:

How Crafting Wildlife Habitats Impacts Human Thinking/Resilience

The Challenge:

In the context of human natural selection, Professor Ajit Varki’s (CARTA) work on “reality denial” proposes that in order for our species to have acquired its uniquely human perspective on the world, the brains of our ancestors evolved to deny reality when advantageous to do so. His research could help to explain why (even with access to robust science) society struggles to act urgently on the twin existential crises of climate change and biodiversity loss.

Our Proposal:

At Artecology, we’re attempting to bridge the cognitive gap creatively. Through hands-on craft workshops, we invite communities to create clay habitats that directly support wildlife via Nature-Inclusive Design (NID) principles. The community made artefacts are then used to create bioreceptive assemblages in real-world eco-engineering projects.

Why This Matters:

Inspired partly by neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor’s excellent work on left/right brain hemisphere “whole brain” thinking, and how hands-on experiences can form new neural pathways which allow us to change the way we think and feel, we want to explore if Artecology CoCreate workshops can generate answers:

1. Active Extended Theory of Mind (eTOM) – If participants mentally and physically model non-human needs, can they imagine surviving and thriving from another species’ perspective?

2. Denial Bypass – Does tangible hands-on making disrupt our instinct to avoid existential threats?

3. Extended Empathy in Action – Can crafting homes for specific species deepens care beyond abstract concern?

Research Opportunity:

We offer:

- 12 years of ecological data (proven habitat restoration via Vertipools).

- Observed participant behaviour changes (anecdotal evidence).

- Real-world settings to study cognition-conservation links.

Key Questions:

- Can micro-habitat creation enhance eTOM toward non-humans?

- Does hands-on engagement counteract environmental denial better than fact-based education?

- How durable are these cognitive shifts?

Why Partner With Us?

This is a study about nature conservation and better understanding human responses to the polycrisis.

We want to explore how craft-based interventions might foster resilient thinking and doing for future demands facing society.

References & Inspiration:

Ajit Varki & Danny Brower - Denial, Self Delusion, False Beliefs And The Origins Of The Human Mind. https://carta.anthropogeny.org/users/ajit-varki

CARTA - Centre for Academic Training and Reseach in Anthropogeny.

Jill Bolte Taylor - Whole Brain Living. My Stroke of Insight.