Mother The Mountain: The Art of Living with Nature
As young women, sisters Anastasia and Julia Vanderbyl began a compelling journey of restoration deep in the Australian rainforest. A beautifully crafted narrative woven with personal stories, Mother the Mountain is both a memoir of their experiences and a meditation on the extraordinary resilience of nature.
In this rich collection of reflections, art, photography, and poetry, you will find yourself enchanted with the wonders of the natural world. Drawing on their life as regenerative farmers, artists, gardeners, and caretakers of both animals and the land, the sisters share secrets of how to deepen your connection with the earth, celebrate creativity, and return to a mindful way of life. A powerful tribute to hope and healing, this book invites you to discover the art of living with nature.
Available at your favourite bookseller, or purchase here!
Buy now at your favourite bookseller!
On shelves November 2023
“A wise, moving, deep-rooted, and sunwards-reaching book. Julia and Anastasia speak together with a calm clarity, and are honest about the hardships as well as the wonders of living where they do. This book will inspire readers to imagine different, better ways of being in the world.”
— Robert Macfarlane, author of Underland and The Old Ways
“ This is a remarkable book. Soulful yet matter-of-fact, Anastasia and Julia Vanderbyl delicately share their lived experience of awe at the nature and nurture of planet earth.
Our world is there to be loved. 'Mother the Mountain' beguiles with an insistent call to the reader to be inspired by the endless beneficence of nature, so that together we might yet 'rise from the broken earth' to secure the future flourishing of our shared home.
Ranging from the high romanticism of the mountains, to the humble cuteness of golden ducklings, this tender hymn of words and pictures offers gentle solace for our complex times. ”
- David Ritter, CEO of Greenpeace Australia Pacific
"A beautiful book celebrating the beauty of nature, the importance of protecting it, of family, grief, love, hope, community, art, and poetry. I so enjoyed this."
-Kon Karapanagiotidis, CEO and founder of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
About the authors
Sisters Anastasia and Julia Vanderbyl are the artists and farmers behind Mother the Mountain, an environmental platform that has amassed a devoted fan base of over 2 million followers. Through film, art, and photography, they document their journey of restoring the rainforest, caring for animals, and living with nature, inspiring their audience to celebrate and protect the beauty of the natural world. Anastasia is a fashion designer who works with regenerative practices to create ethereal pieces, and Julia is an internationally exhibited painter whose work examines the interplay of human and environment. They both live and grow on Bundjalung Country on the East Coast of Australia, where they care for a regenerative farm previously stewarded by their parents and grandparents.