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EDEN FESTIVAL OF ACTION with Greenpop
Greenpop EDEN FESTIVAL OF ACTION 2022
Hosted by the Wild Spirit Backpackers’ Lodge on the Garden Route, along South Africa’s verdant east coast, the seven-day Greenpop Eden Festival of Action (2–9 October 2022) strives to restore the region’s once glorious landscapes, which have become degraded through relentless human activity and devastating fires. Tightly interwoven with this agenda is the opportunity for people from all walks of life to connect with nature, each other, and the self through the immensely cathartic activities of giving back to the environment through planting trees, clearing alien vegetation, engaging in workshops, creating collaborative environmental art, and generally learning how to become better environmental stewards for the planet.
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UNDENIABLE IMPACT ON NATURE AND PEOPLE
In just three editions spread out over four years, the Greenpop Eden Festival of Action (2018, 2019 and 2021) has planted over 10 300 trees and cleared 8 600 m2 of alien vegetation, not to mention the eight collaborative environmental murals that were painted and 790 eco-bricks filled. In fact, you need only glance at some of the before-and-after images of the areas restored by this seven-day sustainability experience to appreciate its incredible impact on both
the integrity of the natural places it visits and the lives of its attendees. To play a small part in breathing new, healthy life into a previously degraded area and to take home with you lifelong lessons on living more sustainability is how global change begins.
SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOPS AND FIELD TRIPS
Outside the satisfaction of getting your hands dirty – knowing that each planted seedling represents the untold potential for entire ecosystems of creatures to flourish – the festival promises a full line-up of workshops and talks from sustainability experts like ecosystem restoration expert Alex Kruger, whose workshop ‘Permaculture Principles’ is all about learning from the forest to live our lives, grow food and harvest resources in a way that mimics nature. Matt Zylstra from NatureFix will be speaking about cultivating well-being through nature and practices to transform your green space into a place of wellness.
And Nature’s Valley Trust will be hosting a field trip to Nature’s Valley lagoon, where attendees will participate in a group analysis of the micro-plastic pellet pollution that plagues virtually every continent’s shoreline. The outcome of this investigation will have very real ramifications for national policies on single-use plastics and consumer responsibility laws.
TIME TO UNWIND AND PLAY
As soul-restoring as all of this important work is, there’s plenty of time for play at the fourth edition of the Greenpop Eden Festival of Action. In the evening, festivalgoers are invited to relax, dance and connect through campfire sessions, storytelling and music from some of South Africa’s bestloved musicians.
This rich, week-long bouquet of activities, entertainment, and three plant-based meals per day with snacks is all included in the ticket price of R4 500 for South African residents and $320 for non-South Africans. (Also included is a campsite to pitch your tent and full transport during the event, as needed.)
AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE WITH A LASTING IMPACT
Ultimately, the Greenpop Eden Festival of Action is about creating community around the common goal of restoring the once rich and verdant landscapes of the Garden Route; and finding life-changing connections and perhaps even lifelong friendships in that community. So, step out of your anxiety and into a place of action where you can accomplish incredible things for yourself, the next generation of humanity, and our planet.
