Revive, Reconnect, Reforest
By Victoria Annich, Greenpop Communications Intern
It has not even been two weeks since the Greenpop Reforest Fest ended and we already feel like grabbing our tents and shovels and heading back to the magical place that is the Platbos Forest! Both festival weekends were filled with great music, loads of activities, massive tree planting action and the experience to (re)connect with people and nature.
Photo credit: http://millefoto.com/
On both weekends we offered a variety of activities to relax, have fun and simply enjoy the experience. While some were finding their inner balance at Family Yoga with Just B or trying out their acrobatic skills at AcroYoga, others were busy jamming on the drums or attending the creative workshops - there was something there for everyone!
But the fun didn't end there - all kinds of performances awaited the Festival-goers at night. After enjoying a bite at our vegan- and vegetarian- friendly food court they were invited to spend the evening listening to the lilting folk rhythms of Jeremy Loops, the afro-pop and blues of Warongx and some indie-folk-electro music from Majozi. The ones who weren't too tired from planting the whole day were dancing all night long to the tunes of Ernestine Deane, Crimson House Collaboration, Touchwood, Paige Mac, Seyda and Jews for Techno. Those who rather preferred a calm and quiet end to the day could be found cuddling up around the bonfire with a cup of tea, listening to the crackling fire and the sounds of the forest.
The Reforest Fest offered a possibility to grow and exchange thoughts as everyone was welcomed to sit in on talks on conservation and sustainable living and to attend eco-workshops where they could enhance their knowledge about eco bricking, recycling and much more.
A special event we were all really happy to celebrate at the Friends Weekend was Earth Hour. The event is held worldwide annually encouraging everyone to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. So for one hour we all had the chance to fully unplug and (re)connect with nature while watching the breathtaking fireshow of The Psychedelic Theatre accompanied by the eerie music of Wild Lettuce.
At the Family Weekend of course our little guests shouldn't miss out on anything. So there were lots of fun activities waiting for them. Besides guided forest walks with The Platbos Forest and Eco Atlas they could join talent shows, treasure hunts or spend the day playing games and hula hooping. Others enjoyed a puppet show with Krazy Koala Entertainment or tried out their creative skills at some arts and crafts with Cloud School and Chic Mamas.
At night the ones who were brave enough were invited to take part in a haunting storytelling session under the canopy of the Milkwood Tree.
Certainly it wouldn't be a Greenpop Reforest Fest without some massive tree planting action. So we spent two days digging holes and planting seedlings.
By planting a total of 8,001 trees we got a big step closer to growing Platbos Forest Reserve back to its original abundance. In the words of our TREE-E-O Misha Teasdale, “The Greenpop Reforest Fest is one of the purest examples of our mission in action. We want to help people (re)connect with our planet and each other, and year on year we watch community grow and interact and celebrate together in the Platbos Forest.”
Thanks to all of the over 850 Treevolutionaries that took part in the event and got their hands dirty with us to make this possible!
And last, but certainly not least, we would like to say a HUGE thank you to all of our sponsors! This year's Greenpop Reforest Fests wouldn't have been possible without you:
RedBull Amaphiko, Houdt, Fry's Family Foods, Reliance Compost, Platbos Forest, BOS Ice Tea, Gansbaai Tourism, Poleyard, Acacia Africa, Sir Fruit, Montagu Dried Fruit & Nuts, The Sunflower Fund, Hemporium, Better Earth, Plastics SA, Gardena, Levi's, Makhulu, Woodstock Gin, Chic Mamas, Yuppiechef, CRUSH, Greenpeace Africa, Sunshine Cinema, BioCape Wine, Striped Horse, Pure Cafe, Birkenhead Brewery, Flying Fish