Why Facts Don't Change Minds

Designing Tomorrow: Creative Strategies for Social Impact

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27d ago 32:29

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In this episode, we're joined by Drew Dumsch, President and CEO of the Ecology School at River Bend Farm in Maine. Drew co-founded the organization 26 years ago with a premise that felt radical then and feels essential now: that ecological literacy — learning to read the landscape the way you learn to read a book — is foundational to creating engaged, compassionate citizens capable of understanding complex systems.

This conversation challenges the assumption that more information will save us. Instead, it offers a different path: one grounded in systems thinking, regenerative principles, and the radical act of kindness in a moment defined by casual cruelty.

Key Topics Discussed

Why traditional environmental education fails to create lasting change
The disconnect between climate knowledge and climate action
Systems thinking vs. factual learning: what creates ecological literacy
How regenerative principles extend beyond agriculture to learning and leadership
Building bipartisan consensus in an era of toxic polarization
The relationship between hope, understanding, and agency
Meeting people where they are vs. demanding perfection
Why collaboration (not competition) is the only path forward
The role of compassion in climate action
What it means to reimagine the future now, not later

Notable Quotes

"Being told facts is not the purpose of education. Facts are part of becoming a well-rounded human being and an engaged citizen, but I think a huge gap is that as a society, we lack the ability to understand systems." — Drew Dumsch

"You could create sustainability through fascism and cruelty. It may be sustainable, but is that a vibrant community you want to live in?" — Drew Dumsch

"Showing up to work every day is my act of rebellion." — Drew Dumsch

"Hope is based on both understanding of what can be and then agency to be a part of that." — Drew Dumsch

"People want the simple solution. That's boring. I think the level of diversity in solutions is exciting and creative." — Drew Dumsch

Resources

The Ecology School at River Bend Farm
Website: theecologyschool.org
LinkedIn: The Ecology School
Instagram: @ecologyschool

Mentioned in the Episode:

The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education by Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge
Maine Outdoor School for All network
Living Building Challenge

P.S. — Feeling a disconnect between your mission and your brand? Cosmic helps social impact leaders build trust through story-rich brands, compelling campaigns, and values-aligned strategy. Let's talk about how to elevate your impact: https://designbycosmic.com/

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