Introducing the New Biocentric Mentorship Program

Leadership in Environmental Activism

Overlooking Thacker Pass from the Double-H mountains. Photo by the author.

As you may have heard, I’m currently being sued by a mining company, which means there are some limitations on the actions I can take on my own. This makes it a great time to launch a project I’ve been planning for a while now: the Biocentric Mentorship Program.

I have over 20 years of experience in grassroots community organizing and direct action. During that time, I’ve organized lots of trainings, events, and classes. I love sharing knowledge and skills, but I’ve often found these trainings lacking in two key areas: they’re too short, and the trainees include people with a wide range of commitment levels. That makes it difficult to dive deep.

The Biocentric Mentorship is different. It’s a 12-month program and is limited to a small group of committed but inexperienced activists. Over the course of a year, we will meet regularly to discuss organizing projects, define strategy and set goals, work on specific real-world learning assignments (no busywork), and reflect on experiences to solidify learning.

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For those who are new here, I’m Max Wilbert, co-founder of Protect Thacker Pass and co-author of ‘Bright Green Lies: How the Environmental Movement Lost Its Way and What We Can Do About It.’ This is Biocentric, a newsletter focused on sustainability, greenwashing, and building a resistance movement to defend the planet.

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The environment for this training will be Socratic, horizontal, and collaborative — and it is completely customized to you. There is no set curriculum. Instead, we’ll draw on prior trainings I’ve conducted on a wide range of topics, such as leadership, grand strategy, direct action tactics, community organizing, greenwashing, biocentrism, communication, fundraising, negotiation, and so on — and collaboratively create the curriculum, based on what you already know and what you need next. If I don’t know the answers, we’ll find them together.

Cost and Scholarships

Many activists, including myself, are poor. That’s why I’m offering this training on a sliding scale, with a suggested contribution of $200 per month.

I recognize that’s not affordable to many people even in wealthy countries, but there are two reasons why I am charging money. First, in my experience, people value what they pay for. There is an increase in commitment that money brings. Second, I need to pay my rent and buy food, and already do a lot of free volunteering. So, this will help enable me to survive and continue to do activism and offer similar services in the future.

Thanks to the support of paid subscribers to this newsletter, I’m able to offer subsidized or free spots in this program to those who need them. If you’d like to support this program, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription, purchasing a copy of my book, or making a donation. I hope to share periodic updates from on the progress of this training program on this newsletter in the future.

How to Apply

I’m opening this program today. If you’re interested in joining this cohort, I have a few basic requirements.

First, you should have a biocentric worldview. If you don’t know what that means, read the “what is biocentrism” section on this page. The short version is: if you think the answer to our ecological crisis is degrowth, moving away from industrial civilization, and taking action to dismantle destructive industries and institutions, you’re probably a good fit. If you think technological innovation will save us, this isn’t the program for you.

Second, you should be actively engaged in or ready to commit to a specific issue or campaign. I’m looking for people who are ready to take action as part of the training program. This is not an academic exercise; it’s about gaining real, hands-on experience, and supporting your learning with discussions, collective brainstorming, shared work sessions, and learning materials based on the activities you’re involved in.

Third, you should be very motivated!

If you meet these qualifications, or if you have any questions about the program, please reach out to me via Signal app (@max.280) or email with a voice or text message that includes the following:

• A brief introduction to who you are (personal, social, and professional background)

• Any previous activism experience, what you’re working on now, and your future organizing goals

• Why you want to be part of this program, and why you think you’d be a good fit

The current cohort is full, but if you’d like to join the waiting list for the next cohort, please send in an application at any time.

Feel free to spread the word about this to people you think might be interested. Thank you! And I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to the paid subscribers who make it possible for me to do this and much of the other activism that I am involved in. I live very simply, and your support makes it possible for me to continue organizing and offer services like this.