About me
Ecologist, Nature Guide & Trainer, Regeneration Facilitator
The CV part: My PhD and MSc are in ecology, marine mammal conservation, ecotourism and sustainability. Almost 20 years after my doctoral work on responsible interactions with sea otters, the outcomes are still being used by tour operators in Monterey Bay, California - which I'm quite pleased about.
Since then I've coordinated an award winning accreditation scheme for dolphin watching tours in Scotland; consulted on international multi-stakeholder wildlife ecotourism projects; run my own eco-holiday business, developed and led interpretive training courses for nature guides, and become a practitioner and leader in deep nature connection practices and nature-based community building.
As co-lead for the Transition towns movement, over the last 5 years I have worked part time in community led climate resilience and place-based regeneration, exploring theories and practices of positive eco-social change, applying story-based impact evaluation methods for community-led actions, and supporting a global network of trainers.
As an accredited Gaia Education sustainability trainer and trainer of trainers, and a Sociocracy facilitator, I have developed skills in participatory co-design and decision making. As an accredited Biomimicry Educator and living systems based researcher, I'm exploring and sharing how we can all learn from nature to create innovative solutions to local and societal challenges.
More and more, I'm learning how to live my life as an ecological citizen - a positively contributing participant in the web of life - to live in alignment with the principles of living systems, to tend and regenerate the land and its biodiversity and to support thriving human communities. I'm fortunate enough to live in an eco-cohousing neighbourhood which is a great place to learn, share and develop these approaches. I'm often found pottering in the veg gardens, playing in or on the sea, and wandering the woods and lanes with my camera.
The golden thread that weaves these varied aspects of my life and work together is a deep love of the living world. I believe that humanity can (once again) become a welcome and helpful species on planet Earth. I hold a vision of a near future where we design with and as a part of nature - finding ways to create mutual benefit, use technologies in life affirming ways, uplift justice and centre kindness and cooperation.
I love supporting outdoor and nature-based leaders and organisations to develop wonder-full and transformative nature experiences, which help their participants and visitors become ecological citizens. I also offer training, resources and co-production processes to support place-based groups to reconnect and design in alignment with living systems - creating thriving local communities for people and the rest of nature.
If any of this sounds interesting, let's have a call and explore what might be possible.
CONTACT ME
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CHAT WITH ME
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