This conversation with Karin from naturspirit is part of a series of interviews with women who, like me, feel particularly connected to nature. I will talk to different women and find out more about them and their approach to nature.

These are exactly the stories I will pass on to you here so that you too can discover the most diverse insights and approaches to nature.

The craftswoman
Crafts, Recipes, Nature
Spirituality and sustainability

Tell us something about yourself

I'm Karin and my married surname is Mikota - a bit exotic - but not Indian. But the North American Indians are our great inspiration and love. I also first saw basket making among the North American natives. So-called winding baskets, which they make very artfully. They make them for special rituals - such as weddings. After that, however, it took about 20 years until I found a teacher who showed me that it was also common in Austria to make winding baskets. Almost all peoples on this earth make or have made winding baskets and I gradually acquired this knowledge.

But that's not the only activity I do. I also love blogging and worked as a ranger in the underwater kingdom in Schrems for many years.

Today I make a living from making baskets. I get requests for workshops and markets all year round and I can choose where I go and where I work. I also like to look at the different cultures' ways of making baskets, as well as the colors and shapes, and then reinterpret them.

How does it work with the grasses and how are they “pre-treated”?

My entire garage serves as a storage and drying room for the grasses, which are then later processed into the baskets.

However, before I can make them into baskets, they have to be dried properly. There are two reasons for this: firstly, baskets that are wrapped with wet grass can easily start to mold, and secondly, the grass loses volume when it dries, and if the wrapped basket is made while it is wet and only then dries, it becomes loose and can easily lose stability and fall apart.

The wrapped baskets are actually very durable and can live for a good hundred years. There are many examples from the Mühlviertel region that were also used to bake bread. The grass may lose its green color over the years - but it remains durable. The baskets are also completely ecological, so if you no longer need them, you can simply dispose of them in the compost.

I also only use naturally dyed cotton, flax or nettle wool for my yarns, which ensures that the baskets are completely sustainable.

The baskets are made of 100% natural.

You are a real child of nature now - was it always like this?

Yes - I grew up very nature-conscious, I was born and grew up in the Mühlviertel and still live here today. In addition to his job, my father was a mountain guide and ski instructor and I learned to ski when I was 3 years old - I spent most of my childhood outdoors.

I spent a lot of time in the forest and met up with my friends and played there. My grandmother also taught me about herbs.

I have always felt more comfortable outside and even today we live in a 45 m2 tiny house. Our life takes place outside, summer and winter. I am a real Mühlviertel child, the cold has never stopped me from being outside. I like to go snowshoeing to combat the cold. When it gets too warm in the summer, I like to go into the forest because the temperatures are much more pleasant there.

What are your favorite places in nature?

Many years ago I bought the book "Forgotten Witnesses of Prehistory" by Otto Milfait and it describes many places in the Mühlviertel that are supposed to give us strength. I have searched around 2/3 of these places and most of them are in the area around St. Leonhardt.

I grew up in the Perg district and as a small child I went to Unterweiterweißenbach for a holiday and visited the Mühlviertler Alm there for the first time. As a 5-year-old girl, I already knew that I wanted to live here one day and I now live about 5 kilometers away.

I love the forest and the hills and can't do much with the flatlands, I especially like the forests.

Yes, he was my "Indian" teacher many years ago and has been connected to the North American natives for even longer. Many years ago I lived in Steyr for a while. I met my current husband through self-awareness sessions for my life and social counselor training. He is a psychotherapist and supported me. Even then, his practice was completely decorated in an Indian style and he took me to a medicine wheel seminar. We were always in touch after that and he taught me a lot and we have also visited the Indians together a few times.

My husband is an initiated shaman and I accompany and support him in his work. I accompany him with the drum and observe his work. But I am more involved in ritual work. I conduct natural weddings and bestow the blessing of Mother Earth at rituals such as naming ceremonies or funerals.

We also like to pass on our knowledge to other people and that is a great honor for me.

What is your current passion project?

My heart's desire is to visit the North American natives. We have made it our goal to visit them every two years and to support them in kind. Unfortunately, this is limited by the current pandemic and we don't know when we will be able to do this again. The reservations are not allowing visitors into their villages right now. As soon as this is all over, I look forward to being able to go there again and visit them.

Do you also give workshops?

Yes, I give basket wrapping workshops online as well as face-to-face courses. Either in my garden or at various companies such as Sonnentor or Bergkräuter. I also do some workshops, such as with the LFI or Attersee Nature Park, where we go on a grass walk before basket wrapping, where we also collect and identify grasses. Since I have spent a lot of time identifying the different types of grass over the last 8 to 9 years, it is important to me to pass on this knowledge. These are day workshops or can be booked for half days.

If anyone is interested, I would be happy to hear from you.

Thank you very much, dear Karin, for this wonderful interview and for giving me the opportunity to "drop by" and have this conversation about nature and your approach to it.

If you want to know more about Karin and her nature spirit and what else she does, then take a look at her homepage or her Instagram profile .

You can find more interviews about great women and their approach to nature here:

Karin from Naturspirit
Stephanie from Atempause
Susanne from Naturzauberwerke
Tina from the herbalist
Melanie from Mint
Anja from Daisy & Sunshine
Andrea from Fermentista
Andrea from Yoga Cuisine
Marlies von Quendelgrün
Christine from Textpoterie
Doris from Made with Love
Alex from Die Kräutermadame
Bianca from Naturespiritauraspray
Gerda from Green Power