Our Mission Statement
Back to Our Nature provides an entertaining and mind-broadening experience for kids and their parents to inspire them to explore ways they can be the change the world needs to thrive.
When children learn to better know their authentic selves, when they can see and experience their own creativity and how they are a part of the world, not just on it, when they see the positive impacts of their contributions, they begin to shift how they interact with the world at large, new and innovative ideas are born and our planet benefits.
As their perspective continues to grow in the world, synergy occurs, which results in unpredicted solutions, Climate Change will slow down as we see the advantages of giving back more to the earth than we take.
What if the solutions we’re seeking begin within us?
Back to Our Nature is a journey into connection, creativity, and meaningful contribution.
We’re looking at a simple question: What if creating a better world isn’t just about fixing problems on the outside? What if it also depends on how we’re doing on the inside—how aware we are, how connected we feel, and how we respond to what’s in front of us?
A lot of people have noticed that even good ideas don’t go very far without that kind of inner grounding. So with the Back To Our Nature project, we keep things open and practical, and bring ideas to life in an engaging and creative way. We draw from different traditions, lived experiences, and everyday practices that actually help people feel more steady, more connected, and more able to handle challenges and make a real difference. And we keep coming back to what matters most: finding simple, meaningful ways to bring more of who we are into the world.
A Different Way to Look at it
It’s easy to feel like the problems are all “out there”—in other people, other systems, or other sides. And sometimes that’s true. There are real issues in the world, and some of them are serious.
But many thoughtful people across time have also suggested something else: instead of only focusing on what “they” are doing, we can ask how we might be contributing—or what we might be holding back.
We may not be acting the way others are acting. But are there ways we’re not fully showing up? Are there ways we could bring more clarity, care, or courage into our own lives, our families, or our communities?
And are there talents or abilities we’ve been given that the world could use—maybe not (or maybe) in a dramatic way, but in ways that help round us out as the full persons we were meant to be? Can we develop them and use them at least a little more than we are now?
Changing Course Productions, Inc. Pricing Philosophy
Changing Course Productions, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation, and the work of Back to Our Nature is rooted in service. Its purpose is to encourage imagination, deepen awareness, strengthen human connection, and help children and families glimpse more life-giving ways of being in the world.
We also recognize that meaningful creative and educational work requires time, skill, care, and sustained effort. As the project grows, some guides, materials, and companion offerings may carry a modest price to help support the creative, production, and educational work behind them. Even so, our hope is to keep the project welcoming and accessible.
Thank you for supporting this project by following the episodes, sharing them with others, purchasing guides and companion materials, and contributing as generously as you can.
Explore the Series
Step into the world of Back to Our Nature and discover the story that’s unfolding—while new episodes continue to take shape.
Inside the Story
Hugo, a teenage boy from the year 2054, travels back in time to Fairfield, Iowa in 2024 and shows Amelia, a teenage girl, how things began to change—how people moved beyond blame and isolation, and began working together in ways that created real traction in addressing the climate challenges we’re facing today. They start the Climate Change Adventure Club and share with others how they can be part of the solution. The pilot episode features ideas inspired by futurist Buckminster Fuller and Native American wisdom, along with engaging animation and original songs.
About the director
Meet Tamara Belland, our director and creator of this Series!
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Tamara is a writer, filmmaker, illustrator, fine artist, singer, songwriter, photographer, poet, teacher, improv comedy actor, and comprehensivist.
Professional Qualifications:
Tamara Belland has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design (Illustration) from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, 2007
She received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (Poetry) from the University of Washington in Seattle, 1989
In 2019, Tamara attended a 5-Week Filmmaking Workshop at San Francisco Film School and made a short documentary on Climate Change for Kids.
She has certificates in Screenwriting and Non-Profit Management from University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education.
Tamara also has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 1978.
She is a certified Parent Effectiveness Training instructor and is skilled in Role Playing.. She has attended Non-Violent Communications workshops as well as Internal Family Systems classes taught by Bonnie Weiss of the IFS Institute. For fun, she attended Second City in Chicago’s Improv Program online in 2022.
Tamara would like to do more singing in front of audiences which she finds very rewarding!
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In 2006, I interviewed the environmentalist Lester R. Brown, who at the time was known by some as the guru of the environmental movement. He had just published the book Plan B 2.0 in which he very wisely pointed out to today’s world that “in ignoring nature's deadlines for dealing with … environmental issues we risk the disruption of economic progress” and outlined a comprehensive plan for addressing the predicament we face. I asked him what we as individuals could do to help make a difference. His advice was to write my congressperson, vote, and leave the solutions to industry, corporations, and government. He seemed taken aback at my idea that individuals could or should do something. This didn’t make sense to me because I was aware from my years of research of the futurist Buckminster Fuller that as people work together, synergy is created, which can be much more powerful and effective than change lead by a bureaucracy (or many bureaucracies). Having a burning desire to share these ideas, in 2019 I took a 5-week filmmaking workshop at San Francisco Film School and started this project.
I created this show for our kids. Children enjoy working and playing together. They usually have less “baggage” than adults. Their thinking doesn’t fall into the traditional siloes of political ideology. Back to Our Nature teaches tools that kids can use to create positive change in the world. This show doesn’t focus on the problems surrounding climate change but instead offers a change in perspective. As children grow, I want them to know that they have more options than what our generation(s) believe we had. Our most innovative solutions are waiting to be discovered by curious minds, working together with synergy on their side.
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Some people believe that climate change will bring more economic opportunities for things like growing crops as the world warms, which is probably true. Some believe that the polar ice caps melting will enable more trade as ships can more easily transport goods on a more direct route through the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic. But despite the potential advantages, upsetting the balance of nature carries a high price.
I believe that even with the dangers that lie ahead, climate change can serve as a catalyst for people to awaken to their authentic selves and be able to do something to contribute to solutions to these challenges. Much is at stake as our climate begins to change more and more rapidly, but we have an opportunity to create synergy with one another and move forward in a way fosters community and creates a world better than we had before.
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