After six deep months in the mountains of Colombia, I have migrated back to my “Homelands” in the Netherlands for a little while.
Living alongside the Arhuaco People, the guardians of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta—known as the Heart of the World—has profoundly shifted how I relate to my ancestral lands.
The Elder Brothers teach that the Sierra acts as a living biological supercomputer and an energetic node for the entire planet. Just as sea turtles, whales, and migratory birds travel across the globe to the Sierra Nevada to drop seeds and receive updated ecological codes, human networks are now being called there to offer our unique skills and gifts.
In nature, every migration is a cycle. At some point, the birds must return to their home bioregions, carrying those renewed codes with them.
This is what is being asked of me right now: to migrate back, to gather new seeds in different contexts, and to weave the bridge between the Heart of the World and the lowlands of Europe. I will continue to migrate between these two worlds, knowing I have a role to play in connecting them.
Coming home feels different this time. I am looking at my place with new eyes, feeling peace, tranquillity, and a deeper sense of bioregional belonging.
I grew up in picturesque Hattem, a small town on the edge of the Veluwe — a landscape defined by lush forests, purple heathlands, and the beautiful, meandering floodplains of the IJssel river.
Now, I want to bring what I have learned from the Elder Brothers back to the river that raised me.
Do you know any inspiring initiatives, farmers, or weavers working to protect, restore, and regenerate the beautiful “Noord Veluwe” and the “IJsselvallei” landscapes?
After doing some initial mapping and research, I’m amazed by the abundance of beautiful initiatives that are already there: Akademie van de Veluwe, Onze IJssel, Drinkbare IJssel, IJsselbiënnale, Masterplan IJsselvallei, IJsselID, Blauw Omgevingsprogramma (BOP), VeluweAlliantie, Ruimte voor de Rivier 2.0, Samenwerken aan Riviernatuur, Rivierverhalen, and much more.
Now I am looking for a quiet place to land in nature for a couple of months each year in the Netherlands. If you know of a small cabin, farmshed, or retreat space where I can ground, write, and integrate, please let me know.
I look forward to reconnecting with many of you in person over the coming weeks. Please tag relevant people, organizations, or projects in the comments below, or send me a direct message!
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