I am a naturally curious person and I love learning and sharing knowledge and discoveries…so I suppose it’s to be expected that I trained to become a teacher – as a natural creative and problem solver it’s also fairly obvious why I chose Design Technology as my subject…I love it!! Being in the teaching profession for 20years as Head of department for 10 of those, I had the opportunity to teach all age groups and various subjects in state, private and special education settings as well as, more recently, freelance. 

My personal love of nature and being outdoors led me to investigate bushcraft and primitive skills which infused my teaching via projects and school trips and eventually, I trained as a Level 3 Forest School Leader 8 years ago. This new understanding and knowledge I had, led me to develop a whole school program called ‘Adventure School’, based on Forest School, Bushcraft, and wild camping, it was a roaring success! However, an unexpected realisation occurred to me, that not only are our children seriously lacking in time outside – especially amongst trees – but us adults are too! We are also often lacking in opportunities to just ‘play’, to be creative and to STOP being so ‘grown up’ (uptight) and allow ourselves to flow and breathe! This was confirmed by the number of parents and fellow teachers over the years, who expressed a desire to do what their children were doing, a longing for a simpler time, an innocence, a freedom, a letting go….

So my mission is to do something to redress this imbalance, to offer opportunities for all ages to get outside and get their hands dirty – like we did when we were kids!! Opportunities to put aside the pressure and the expectations upon on us and just be…

Spending time in nature and spending time immersed in creative activities are 2 very powerful ways to ‘detox’ from our stressful modern lives – a way to press the ‘release valve’ and recalibrate. My workshops are designed with this in mind but also with a view to encouraging Life-long-learning – a proven way to keep our brains fit and even encourage neurogenesis (the creation of new brain cells). 

  Having studied Shinrin Yoku – aka Forest bathing – and being someone who values the health benefits provided to us in creation…my intention is to try to encourage and imbue some of these precious things into our lives…simply because we need them! So join me for an experience that will leave you feeling refreshed and satisfied…better still, commission your own bespoke event with a group of friends or family and create lasting memories together.