One tree is not a forest

26 juni 2026

'One tree is not a forest' 

And one quote is not wisdom. 

I have had the pleasure of organising an Expedition with Alan McSmith for the second year in a row together with Jan Willem Leidekker, with whom I started Drinkplaats Elephanti. 

Last year we followed Alan's theme 'Taking our lead from the wild' and rightly so. Afterwards we asked the twenty participants what they had taken away from that day. We received twenty different answers. Fascinating. 

Jan Willem and I then sat down with the question: what actually happened here? Many trees had been planted but what we truly long for is a forest. What surfaced was this: in essence, everything is already connected. We as 'Human Animals' sometimes lose that connection. But the moment we feel it again, we want to move and walk the walk. The walk and the authenticity of Alan's stories brought us, for a moment, back into connection. With all the beautiful outcomes that followed. 

Wisdom does not belong to one person. The wisdom of the great ecosystem of the earth is connected to the culture of the Bushmen, connected to Alan as a storyteller, connected to his listeners who in turn are connected to their own circle of influence. We all draw from the same source. With each link we share that wisdom. And honestly: with each link we also lose a little. That Alan is a humble man says everything about the depth of what he has gathered in his life. Those who truly know, speak more softly. And once you have seen and felt it, you can no longer deny it. 

All of this led us to choose the theme Naturally Connected for 2026. Connecting with the source. Connecting with yourself and with each other. Truly experiencing  and activating an awareness of what that can mean for you, for your inner circle, and for the world around you. Turning the trees into a forest. 

One quote is not yet wisdom. The 2026 Expedition had something magical about it. The energy in people opened up. Insights arrived. Things were shared with inspiration. And everyone took their own wisdom home with them nourished by someone who lives closer to the source than most of us do. 

In the coming weeks I will be sharing a number of insights from this Expedition. With a little extra care. With gratitude towards Alan, towards the participants, towards Jan Willem and towards myself, I pick up the watering can and start watering the young trees. Optimising the conditions. So that they find their way back into connection with one another. 

One tree may not be a forest but a forest begins with one tree taking root. 

Bjorn de Vries, founder Elephanti-Academy 
www.elephanti-academy.nl 

'The objective of life is to be alive in your ecosystem with your signature presence.'