“We are for the Earth”

Every nature lover who follows the news has a lot to deal with: nitrogen, climate… the depressing tune! However, there are also optimists among the green people. Who don’t talk about doom and fragility of nature.

For example, I like to think of the inspiring vision of ecologist Wouter Helmer: “I don’t believe in man’s guilt, but in the resilience of nature. ” Based on his vision, thousands of hectares of new nature were created. Often under the smoke of large cities, where recreationists can wander around freely. “His philosophy is: give nature space, try to create a food cycle that is as natural as possible, remove all fences, give people as much access as possible and be surprised by what happens.” (source: Gelderlander)

The results can also be seen on the Walk of Wisdom route in, for example, the Ooijpolder. Formerly barren farmland enclosed by barbed wire has become an oasis, bursting with biodiversity.

Veerhuis

Another cheerful sound can be heard from the Veerhuis voor de Aarde in Varik. When I start talking about the abuses of human beings, I get frowning eyebrows: “We are in favour. We are for the Earth.” Doom and depression won’t get you anywhere, and that’s exactly what they want at the Veerhuis: on the way to a sustainable world. A transition to a different way of living and working that they want to help set in motion at the Veerhuis.

The foreman of the Veerhuis – Henry Mentink – likes to make his vision visible with tangible gestures. From 22 April, for example, he will walk to Paris in 45 days with a wheelbarrow full of earth: a wheelbarrow tour. At the UNESCO headquarters, he nominates the entire Earth as a World Heritage Site: “Irreplaceable, unique and owned by all, of great importance to preserve.”

On the way, he collects earth in his wheelbarrow to reinforce the request.

Support from mayors

Last Friday we organized a trial run for Henry’s wheelbarrow trip to Paris. We wanted to support him and asked a number of mayors on our route to give us a tablespoon of soil from their municipality. They responded enthusiastically:

Man is part of nature

Singer-songwriter, shaman and ‘healthy madman’ Mark Schilders performed a real ‘wheelbarrow song’ during a special departure ceremony. Then the wheelbarrow tour went over the first kilometers of the Walk of Wisdom, through the Ooijpolder. Exactly the area that has been designed according to Wouter Helmer’s vision.

I enjoyed the coming spring and the large orchestra of birds in the green trees. Henry’s smooth gait behind the wheelbarrow showed no sign that he was already in his late sixties. Stairs or mud didn’t bother him, he walked on, helped here and there by one of the participants.

A few times I also pushed the wheelbarrow myself. Brave act, concrete and caring. Wouter and Henry’s optimism is starting to work for me: humans are smart enough to communicate with the other side of the world in a millisecond, so that we can solve all those climate and nature problems. The solutions already exist. Man only has to accept that he is an inseparable part of the ecology of the earth. If we collectively accept that understanding, we will act on it.

We wholeheartedly contribute to the promotion of this insight at the Walk of Wisdom . So thank you to all the mayors and participants of the walk. And thanks to riverhotel Oortjeshekken for the fantastic welcome! The owners Margreet and Hent warmly donated soil for the trip.

Would you also like to give some soil for the wheelbarrow trip to Paris? Have a look here.