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.
The Living School Story
It started with a strange and vivid dream in 2019...
I had just heard the shocking and saddening news about families being water - cannoned during a peaceful Extinction rebellion climate protest in Europe. To soothe my sore heart I watched a nature documentary about forests. I learned that California redwood trees are part of an incredible interconnected system between the land and the Pacific ocean; including the kelp beds, home to the sea otters I studied for my PhD. The trees collect nutrients, shedding some of them into the groundwater; the enriched water flows to the coast where it nourishes the kelp beds. I went to sleep full of wonder of how nature interconnects and cooperates, each part contributing something that supports other parts to survive and thrive.
That night I dreamed of an entire learning journey where we humans apprenticed ourselves to the living world again. We came to understand our place in the web of life; how we can participate appropriately and positively again; how we can address the challenges of modern times in tangible and practical ways; how we can create a thriving world and liveable future for all. This journey was called The Living School.
Strangely, in the dream it was also clear that this would take several years to come to fruition. Then the Covid pandemic started and many things ground to a halt. With the extra time for reflection the pandemic afforded, I slowly incubated the Living School; getting clearer on my potential contributions to it, deepening my learning, talking to others and slowly developing the pieces.
Now it's time to start and I am inviting others to co-create with me. The Living School is alive, so it needs to connect, cooperate, experiment and evolve, just like all living beings and systems. This is just the beginning...
CONTACT ME
For any questions, or to express interest in an upcoming course or in joining our Living School community, drop me a message using the contact form.
CHAT WITH ME
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