• Read about a Systems Thinking Approach and look at the Being a System Thinker chart below.

• Reflect on these questions, and how a systems thinking approach applies to your garden and landscape:

  • What have you done or do now to promote sustainable gardening practices? 
  • In your garden and landscape, how will you embrace a more Systems Thinking approach?

• In this forum, answer these questions and discuss any other thoughts you have on systems thinking.

Participate in this forum by engaging in discussion by the due date:

Start a new thread with a Discussion Topic and respond to those who reply to your post(s). Reply to at least 2 classmate's initial posts.

Systems Thinking Approach

The systems thinking approach aims to understand the complexity of the world in terms of relationships, connectedness, and context. By observing relationships and the impacts of changes on those relationships, can we recognize and analyze the interconnections within the whole versus among its isolated parts.

We start to develop a comprehensive picture that shows that different parts of a system are so interconnected that if we alter one part of a system it will change other parts. This allows us to ask the important questions that will help us better understand the system. What happens to the soil as plants reach maturity, and eventually die? What happens to the plants and animals as soil health and water quality change?

Practice systems thinking and discover how elements in your garden are linked to other elements and systems: What needs does it fulfill? Is it necessary? What will happen to it in the future? Could it be redesigned to have a smaller environmental footprint?

Being a System Thinker

Have you completed everything on the "To Do" List?