About Us
Who we are
Nature's Velvet inspires you to reconnect with nature through beautifully designed micro terrariums and engaging terrarium-building workshops.
Our mission is to enhance your wellbeing and help shape healthier cities by making nature accessible and sustainable. Explore easy ways to integrate the tranquility of nature into your daily life, wherever you are.
Every terrarium provides a piece of the natural world that enriches your surroundings and elevates your spirit.
Meet the owner, Dave
Why Nature's Velvet?
An Australian Environmental Studies, high school camp to Carnarvon Gorge, Carnarvon National Park, Queensland in 1996 deeply rooted the love of nature and the beauty of our environment.
Dave found awe and inspiration in The Moss Gardens walk and the fascination with the environment grew from there.
Fast forward to early 2023. During difficult life circumstances Dave found himself burned out from work, stressed and often tense - life just felt life so difficult.
If you've ever felt overwhelmed by juggling a myriad of priorities, you're not alone.
"I considered myself one of the lucky ones - I greatly enjoyed my work, even though I was working myself to burnout driven by perfectionism and societal expectations. Then, ther major life challenges peaked and it became too much - something had to change.
I know there's many others out there who feel the same. If a sense of peace and calm sounds like a dream, know why we want to help you tap into this everyday, whenever you want.
If you've worked for many years in an office environment like I have, you'll know the feeling of carrying the weight of sometimes fansical KPI's, and how subtly soul numbing this can be.
"I had taken a getaway to the Southern Gold Coast area to try to reset my mind and soul. Not acheiving this particularly well, one day I was agitated by recent news. I was nearby a large grassy area surrounded by Eucalypt trees and a variety of gorgeous native vegetation. I decided to centre my mind and body by grounding myself with the earth.
I kicked off my thongs and proceeded to drag the soles of my feet along the long soft grass with each foot step, like I was ice skating, so I could remain in constant contact.
Shortly into my walk I discovered a large moss patch. My eyes focused in as I glided towards the moss. I kneeled down beside it and began to gently run both hands over it, like I was gently smoothing the wrinkles out of a flat layed heirloom quilt.
Emotion poured out of me, the tears streamed from my eyes blurring my vision as I continued to caress one of Mother Nature's amazing gifts. I ran my hands over the moss for another full 10 minutes. I had come back to my presence, I realised I was no longer agitated, stressed or tense. I had no thoughts of the recent upsetting news, in fact, my mind was clear and felt peaceful accompanied by a great sense of joy and happiness.
In this moment it occured to me the moss felt as soft as the highest quality velvet I had ever touched.
Later that day I was sharing the experience with close friends and describing the moss as 'Nature's Velvet'. The desire to want to share the experience I had with others had begun.
If you had asked me that day what had drawn me so magentically to the moss, I couldn't tell you.
I hadn't realised until then just how disconnected with nature I had become. The messsage could not have been more clear. The benefits of grounding myself with contact with the earth and being surrounded by nature, calmed me to my core.
The modern world has many of us disconnected from nature. Many of us are unaware how affected we are by this as a result. Life often just seems far too busy to take the time to appreciate the natural beauty around us.
Whether you love your work or not, I want to bring a touch of peace to your workplace or home. I want to offer you a breath of relaxation with a micro terrarium. Small enough to sit right on your desk or kitchen bench. A handful of nature that will give you so much more than it asks of you.
"I find peace and a calming, almost meditative effect from being surrounded by nature, even more so when my hands, bare feet or a part of body are in contact with the earth."
Whether you love your work or not, I want to bring a touch of peace to your workplace or home. I want to offer you a breath of relaxation with a micro terrarium. Small enough to sit right on your desk or kitchen bench. A handful of nature that will give you so much more than it asks of you.
Since that day in early 2023, through reflection, I realised it was the connection and love that was ernvironment
If can help one person who has felt like I did, to have a taste of the experience I did that day when I connected with the earth, I would feel proud and privileged.