About Kurt
Kurt has been fascinated by nature, and especially the forest, since he was a little boy. At eight, he set off alone with his grandparents' dogs through the Kempen forests in Belgium, and at 19, he moved to the Netherlands to study tropical forestry. During his studies, he lived as a shepherd in the Pyrenees and worked on reforestation projects in Ecuador.
After many wanderings and experience in the jungle of offices, Kurt has been pursuing his passion and love for years: the forest. Staying there, embracing it, listening, and living. In 2021, he sold his house in Velp to fulfill his dreams and transitioned completely to a life from the "van," living everywhere but always in or around the forest.
Even before he'd set foot in Sweden, he knew he had to go there. One day, he and Ronja (his daughter) boarded a bus, traveling through Germany, Denmark, and finally to the bridge to Sweden. A song came to mind (which he didn't even like), and that was "Coming Home" by Dotan, played at the top of the bridge. It stuck with him, and from then on, the search for a place in Sweden began.
That spot now exists, on a mountain in Värmland, in the middle of nowhere. A place without human sound, without light pollution, but with moose, wolves, and bears. And a mountain of exciting challenges! Most courses and workshops will be held there, as well as at various locations in the Netherlands and Belgium.
After several year-long training programs, including Faith in Nature and the bushcraft year-long program, a year of supporting the camp during those programs, and an expedition to Sweden without any modern tools like a knife and only homemade items like deerskin clothing, it was time for the instructor training program. Another year and a half immersed in bushcraft and primitive skills, and especially, how to teach these to others.
Kurt talks passionately about everything that comes with living with nature and he has endless patience to take you into that wonderful world.
In his endless wanderings through the woods (and offices), Kurt has not only become acquainted with the scientific world but also developed a spiritual connection with the forest. Besides facts and substantiation, you can also count on a genuine connection with the nature around you and the messages it holds for you.