Chris Williams and Selma Khan knew they had found a perfect spot for a wedding when they were married on the banks of the River Derwent in an idyllic water meadow.

That memorable day in their home village of Huttons Ambo, near Malton, inspired them to create something they could share with others. They are called Gaia Tribe eco-camps and attract hundreds of people eager to leave a nine-to-five existence behind and embrace a slower pace of life.

"The idea came out of organising our own wedding as we did a lot of research, looking for a canvas marquee and the right location. Our wedding was East meets West and it was the first time many of our friends and family had met each other," says Selma, 48, whose father is from Pakistan. "We did the catering ourselves and some people camped out in tents and yurts. It was a wonderful atmosphere."

Chris, 52, adds, "We have always enjoyed parties and bringing people together
and we both love camping so we thought how can we make a living out of doing what
we like?"

The couple lived in a sustainable community in Northern Italy in the 1990s and the next step for them is to make the camps a more permanent fixture by creating a longer-term low-impact settlement. "What we would really like is to buy, rent or lease some land and make it available to the local community," says Chris. "We would like to take the camp further by maybe offering a full season. It could be a fully-serviced tented eco-conference centre.

"We are looking for a sympathetic landowner who might be interested in collaborating with us in such an ecological project."

Selma and Chris are "permaculture" design graduates. Chris explains, "Permaculture is a design process for living ecologically. It is about sustainable agriculture and culture."

Once through the ribbon-bedecked archway that is the camp's entrance, guests can immerse themselves in a new experience of sustainable living, wildcraft activities, music and creativity throughout the event that last five days.

"The camps are about bringing people back to being connected with the land and nature," says Chris.

"Life is so fast these days with computers, television and mobile phones. Hopefully this is life unplugged, giving people a chance to slow down and think about their lives and learn new skills."

One of the main themes of this year's camp is wildcraft, led by Fiona Johnson who trained with a survival school called Trackways. Fiona will instruct in shelter building, making fire by friction, water purification and food including wild, edible and medicinal plants. There will also be opportunities for making things like cordage from nettles and brambles, and wooden spoons and bowls using hot coals.

Creativity forms an important part of the camps with singing, drumming and dance involving Zimbabwean Simba Mugadza, founder member of Simba Arts, and his fellow drummers and dancers.

On a practical front, Julien Cole will be offering a green woodworking space and Stuart Lees will run workshops on green electricity.

Selma, a mother of four, adds, "There will be a children's area with lots of arts and crafts. We also want to make sure that there are things to do for the teenagers. I am amazed at how little is on offer for teenagers in rural towns and villages."

The next Gaia Tribe Wildcraft and Creativity Camp is from May 23 – May 28. Information: www.thegaiatribe.co.uk or tel 01653 693690.