My life purpose is to engage and strengthen the willpower of individuals through their connection to Nature and a variety of other experiential based learnings.
Deep Ecology was introduced to me through my Outdoor Education studies at La Trobe University in Bendigo (Australia) in 2002. It has been a huge part of my life and sculpting my world views and chosen work area ever since.
During the past 7 years, I have co-facilitated a 6 day Deep Ecology wilderness expedition within the ancient forests of south Western Australia. I also coordinate our high school Outdoor Education program which includes other camps centred around sustainable leadership, permaculture and human-nature relationships. A number of these camps overlap in content and experience with my previous school based classes Geography, Ecology and Gardening. My other core subject is woodwork, which provides another awesome opportunity to tune students into strengthening and harnessing their inner willpower. They also make many beautiful and functional projects, mostly from recycled timbers.
Why I am called to facilitate the Work
20 years ago I was called to study Outdoor Education at University when I was 18 because of my love of Nature and finding a way to work within the outdoors.
10 years ago I was called to teach at a Steiner school so I could share my gift of story telling, adventure and facilitation with a community centred around Head, Heart and Hands, who value Nature and development of the Human Soul.
7 years ago, I co-facilitated my first 6 day Deep Ecology wilderness expedition. This was a profound experience for everyone involved and had a huge impact on my life and how I have since delivered many other camps and conduct my school based teachings.
We have continued to run 1-2 Deep Ecology camps each year since, with groups of 14-34 students (17 years old) and their teachers. Every year has been amazing!
Due to Covid 19, our 2020 expeditions were canceled. Working with a group of other dedicated Deep Ecology facilitators, I have created and delivered a 3 week, 2 hour per day immersion within a school based camp site. This has been an amazing experience and really deepened student connection with one another and our school environment.
This inspiring process has led to further projects including online courses and weekend workshops with a variety of organisations.
How I see the Work serving the Great Turning
I see that in our current global situation, there are many people carrying immense levels of grief and stress. I think that many people do not have the forum in which they can express how they are really feeling, rather than "yeah, I'm okay", when really many would actually fall into a heap and cry if they gave themselves permission.
I see that many people are completely unsure of the future and perhaps don't have clarity on the steps they can take to create a vision or even more importantly, how to make their vision a reality.
My experience is the Work That Reconnects framework allows for a deep connection to be formed by participants, with themselves, others and Nature.
My feeling is that many people of all ages and from all different backgrounds could gain a lot in our current time if they were able to work through the 4 stages: To share their gratitude for their personal circumstances, to pour out their grief for the state of the world; the covid situation, climate change, war, famine, deforestation etc. AND then to be given the ability to come back up from the depths, toward the sun and be able to see their situation in a new way, acknowledging both the dark and the light, the miseries and the possibilities...this is what sets this work apart. Then to channel their inspiration into action by taking actual steps toward their goals.
That is a snippet of what excites me.
Audiences I work with
School students aged 10 - 18
Adults, youth groups, university students, not for profit organisations.
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