Ange

Ange feels much gratitude that, as an educator, her classroom is outdoors and in nature. She believes it's the absolute best place to work and the place where children truly thrive. Ange loves the mindset, joys and challenges that come with being an educator and is always seeking out ways to diversify what she teaches.

Ange is a certified permaculture teacher, a trained Montessori elementary teacher and a forest educator. She has taken six permaculture courses including a year long Permaculture Educator Program. She is fluent in English and German and teaches and organises camps in both languages.

From 2016 to 2020, Ange worked as the School Garden Coordinator at a Montessori school in Portland, Oregon, where she created four educational gardens. This included a 150m2 edible permaculture garden, for which she wrote an accompanying curriculum. Ange taught children aged 3 to 12 the importance of knowing where your food comes from and connected them to the wonders of the natural world.

Wanting to move away from the bureaucracy of the school system and following an immersive forest education training, Ange created Earth Keepers Camps. After a spending much of her life travelling (54 countries to date!), Ange now lives in a 400 year old farm house in Austria with her dog, Mila. She is deeply drawn to exploring self-autonomy and community resilience.

Founder, Facilitator & Educator

Caitlin

Co-Creator of ABC Online Course

Cait grew up along the coast in South Africa before living, working and travelling across Asia, Europe and the USA. In her travels she was exposed to many examples of community resilience through small-scale food production - communities coming together to grow food where it was needed most: locally.

Upon returning to South Africa, her curiosity and love of nature led her to complete a Natural Building course in 2017 followed by an intensive Permaculture Design Course in 2018. In the following years, Caitlin spent time volunteering with various organisations helping to implement community gardens and small natural building projects in impoverished communities and schools. These experiences ignited a spark which has just kept growing!

Now living in Australia, Cait spent the last year pursuing her passion by travelling the country with her partner, volunteering on organic farms and learning more about native plants, wildlife and how she relates to her surroundings. She continues to be fascinated by permaculture and is currently undergoing an in-depth Permaculture Design Certificate and Educator Training course.

Cait’s dream is to share the gift of permaculture with young people and those impacted by mental health challenges, so that they may lead thriving, ethical and regenerative lives whilst contributing to the well-being of the planet and all of her inhabitants. Nature walks are Cait’s favourite way to unwind so if you happen to see her hugging a tree, please go say hi!

Julia

Co-Organiser & Host, Germany Camp

Julia lives at Schloss Blumenthal in Aichach, Germany where we hold one of our yearly Earth Keepers Camps. She is one of the founding members of the Schloss Blumenthal community. Julia is an interior designer and performance artist.

Julia is the creator of Elfenfestival at Schloss Blumenthal - a three day immersive festival where children have the chance to connect with nature in a truly whimsical way - with the elves in the forest and with the power of the four elements.

In 2021, Julia and Ange met during a Permaculture Design Course taught by Warren Brush at Schloss Blumenthal. They had an instant connection and together launched Earth Keepers first overnight, week-long camp. The Earth Keepers Camp in Germany happens annually in the summer.

Our Namesake

Keepers of The Earth

Our name is inspired by the beautiful book Keepers of the Earth by Joseph Bruchac and Michael J. Caduto. We have received many inspiring and moving teachings from this book - both in activity and story form- and we feel blessed to pass these on to the children in our camps.

Nature give us energy, inspiration and vast possibilities; we must keep the force of this energy around us; keep the song of inspiration alive and keep the possibilities available to all. Let us keep what we cherish close.

An appreciate and admiration for nature is what will ensure it's well-being and longevity. We must keep it alive, for it keeps us alive.

We are Earth stewards, Earth lovers, Earth advocates and Earth carers.

We are Earth Keepers.

"The Earth is home for all of its creatures. It is our habitat, the place where people, plants and animals live and meet our survival needs. As stewards of the Earth, people have the responsibility to care for the well-being of the living and non-living things found here.
Every action we take affects our habitat and those with whom we share it. This is the basis of ecology, the study of the interactions between living things and their environments. In the past we have sometimes succeeded, and sometimes failed, to be good stewards. Giving thanks and taking care of the Earth are two ways we can help to sustain life - to keep the Earth well for the children to come."

Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories & Environmental Activities
by Joseph Bruchac and Michael J. Caduto