On 4 and 5 February 2017 DOWN to EARTH organised its first BACK to NATURE weekend. Ten children and their parents were invited to spend a weekend in the forest near Zeist, discovering the importance of the connection between people and nature in a playful way.

During this weekend Native Americans Duane and Van accompanied us. Having first made an appearance in the film, they now joined us in the Netherlands to contribute to BACK to NATURE by teaching us some of the wisdoms of their culture. They taught the children to drum in their way, combining old songs of their community with contemporary tunes like ‘Spongebob Squarepants’.

BACK to NATURE offered the possibility to step out of the whirlwind of modern society and discover the values of the Keepers of the Earth in a practical and fun way. Participants experienced it as an entertaining and exciting weekend with a focus on the connection with nature and each other. The concept of ‘one parent, one child’ created space for a deeper attention for the child, which sometimes gets lost in daily routines and worries. For many the weekend felt like ‘a gift to yourself’.

We will organise more BACK to NATURE weekends. Please keep an eye on our website and Facebook page to stay updated.