Home – English | The Nature Connection

Let your thoughts wander with the wind in your hair.
Feel the silence within you among the sounds of the forest.
Savour the surprises of nature.
Get inspiration, insight and confidence through the world around you.

Welcome to the City Outdoors! Discover around you a world full of richness and connection that can make you profoundly happy. You and I are part of this earth, a complex and beautiful system in which everything is connected. It is time to restore our relationship with it and experience what it is like to live in balance. Not from fear, but from trusting life itself.

I will take you on an adventure, from ancient crafts and the power of plants, to profound nature experiences. Join me to explore nature’s hidden wisdom and remind yourself what it’s like to truly live – in connection with ourselves, each other and everything around us.

Connecting to nature is easier than you think!

go foraging

Discover the abundance of plants around you – particularly here in the city. Get to know which plants are edible and how to harvest them respectfully.
Sense the connection with the seasons and the wisdom of your ancestors….

join craftworkshops

Immerse yourself in traditional crafts!
Learn the art of leatherworking and botanical dyeing….
Discover the power of plants… by making your own herbal remedies and colouring fabrics with natural pigments.

connect to nature

Experience the regenerating power of nature: unwind during forest bathing, find your balance during a walking meditation or get inspired by making nature mandalas.

Experience silence and connection with the earth during a silence walk.

come together

Take nature to your company or your friends: Explore the possibilities of programmes that bring your team closer to nature, such as forest bathing for CEOs, foraging and cooking together, or activities that combine team spirit, creativity and sustainability …

“Nature doesn’t judge. It is and lets you be.”

Anke Wijnja has been enjoying nature all her life. Starting with roaming the garden and forest as a child. Later wandering through mountains, forests and city parks as a landscape designer, bushcrafter, hiker and forager. A burnout in her 30s reminded her of the power of being outdoors and the importance of truly connecting with all the other life around us. Now she bundles her love, knowledge and experiences in workshops from The Nature Connection.

Anke is an Industrial Design Engineer (TUDelft), Bushcrafter, member of the Wild Pickers Guild, certified Nature Coach (Innersteps/MindfulRun), certified Mindfulness Trainer (member VMBN) and in training to become a Herbalist in the ancient Dutch tradition.

"Very good training! Learned a lot and not only about specific plants but also how to look and recognise plants. I also really enjoyed the direct picking, (primitive) cooking and tasting with each other, each time a little expedition into the wild. Anke knows a lot, but also shares honestly when she doesn't know and is open to learning from your own experience. And instead of immediately telling you the answer to your question, she asks counter-questions to make you think for yourself. In other words, highly recommended!"

Anke is an expert in what you can find in your own environment. Very enjoyable how she transfers her knowledge - inspiring, cheerful and practical.

The foraging expeditions led by Anke are inspiring, challenging, discovering and relaxing. Anke narrates from passion, lifelong experience and informality. You automatically participate actively in the picking (harvesting) of edible plant parts to then prepare real dishes and taste and enjoy them together. Foraging is knowledge that everyone should rediscover, knowledge of our ancestors, knowledge that broadens and enriches your view of what nature normally offers us.

"Anke is a very pleasant coach. Calm, smart, friendly and assuming that all solutions and knowledge were already within me and she acted accordingly, in confidence. With the right questions and comments, she managed to bring this to the surface. I always think that being a coach is a bit of a vocation, and that is absolutely right with her."

What a great afternoons in nature! Lots seen, learnt and done, lovely! And all those recipes! Recommended to everyone... Keep up the good work!!!

Upcoming courses & workshops

(English spoken/bilangual courses in bold)

March
Sunday 16th – Wildpluk expeditie vroeg voorjaar– NL
Thursday 20th – Forest Bathing at night –NL/ENG
Friday 28th – Craftworkshop leer basics & small bag – NL/ENG

April
Wednesday 9th – Craftworkshop Barefoot shoe making – NL/ENG
Friday 11th – start Wildpluk jaarrond training – NL
Monday 21th – NatuurBurenFeest op De Ceuvel

May
Friday 9th – Silent walk Waterleidingduinen – NL/ENG
Wednesday 14th – Craftworkshop leather basics & small bagmaking – NL/ENG
Sunday 25th – wildpluk expeditie thee & limonade special – NL
Thursday 28th – Craftworkshop botanial inkmaking – NL//ENG
Friday 30th – Craftworkshop Barefoot shoe making – NL/ENG

Juni
Friday 6th – herbal power workshop – salve & tincture from the park – NL/ENG
Friday 13th – Craftworkshop Botanical Inkmaking – NL/ENG
Sunday 22nd – wildpluk expeditie zomereditie – NL
Saturday 28th – Ceuvel Birthdayparty – NL/ENG

Juli
Friday 4th – Silent Walk waterleidingduinen – NL/ENG
Sunday 6th – wildpluk expeditie zomereditie – NL
Friday 11th – Plant Power workshop – herbal medicine form the park – NL/ENG
15 t/m 18th of July: SUMMER CRAFT WEEK – NL/ENG

Summer break till August 24th (new dates in autumn will follow)

The Nature Connection

The Nature Connection takes you into Nature with craftworkshops, foraging, mindfulness and coaching. Based at De Ceuvel in Amsterdam Noord.

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For the occasional inspiration and tips (because honestly, it doesn’t publish regularly). However, you will be the first to know about new workshops & Trainings 😉