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This profile has not been updated since Feb 6, 2021.
You are here: Home / Users / Paddy Hocking

Paddy HockingOutdoor Education Teacher and Leadership Mentor

Photo of Paddy Hocking

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 8 years, I have co-facilitated 6 day Deep Ecology wilderness expeditions 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. During the 2020 Covid 19 Lockdown, I facilitated two seperate 3 week immersions into Deep Ecology at our school Base Camp. Both of these were amazingly grounding and nourishing experiences.

My other core subject is woodwork, which provides an awesome opportunity to tune students into strengthening and harnessing their inner willpower. They 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.

In 2013, 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 created and delivered two seperate 3 week (2 hour per day) immersions within a school base camp. These were both amazing experiences and really deepened student connection with one another and our school environment.

This inspiring process has led to further projects including workshops with Universities and community groups.

How I see the Work serving the Great Turning

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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Background & Training

Background & training in the Work That Reconnects

  • What is Nature? (1 semester during BA Outdoor Education) (2002, 44 days)
    Location: La Trobe University, Bendigo
    Facilitated by: Dr Peter Martin, Almut Beringer
    This was a semester long subject centred around Deep Ecology and Human - Nature relationships. It took place in the third year of BA Outdoor Education.
  • Deep Ecology (2013, 1 days)
    Location: Perth, Australia
    Facilitated by: Andrew Haskel
  • Ongoing self directed PD and collaboration with Deep Ecology facilitators 2013 - 2020 (7, 1 days)
    Location: Western Australia
    Facilitated by: Andrew Haskel, Diane Clemencau, Richard Swan
    Every year we run the deep ecology camp, we hold a number of dreaming sessions beforehand. We use the same structure every year, but switch and try out new sessions depending on who is facilitating and the temperament of the class.
  • Deep Ecology WA facilitator gathering (2020, 1 days)
    Location: Swanbourne, WA
    Facilitated by: NA
    This gathering was to connect WTR facilitators in WA and to discuss options on becoming a more formalised hub, with the ability to offer more workshops to a wider audience around WA.
  • Online WTR webainers (tech support and facilitation) (2020, 1 days)
    Location: World Wide :)
    Facilitated by: Constance, Mutima, Frieda & Silvia
    These were both very inspirational and proof WTR works from a remote location.

Other relevant training

  • Outdoor Education PD -Many different professional developments over the past 10 years with varying levels of cross over, mostly focused on facilitation methods. (10, 44 days)
    Location: All over Australia
    Facilitated by: Many
  • Outdoors WA Trails Conference (2014, 1 days)
    Location: Perth, Australia
    Facilitated by: Paddy Hocking, Chris Bondini
    Chris and I ran a workshop based on the Class 11 Deep Ecology wilderness expedition for members of the WA Outdoor Education industry.
  • Steiner School Professional Development. Many topics based on Waldorf Education have large crossover with Deep Ecology philosophies and practices (10, 44 days)
    Location: Perth, Australia
    Facilitated by: Many

Other relevant skills & experiences

I have been teaching High School and Primary School aged students at Perth Waldorf School 2010-2020. Subjects have included Outdoor Education, Ecology, Geography, Woodwork, Permaculture, Games and Sport.

I have also worked with a range of Adult centred organisations with a focus on therapeutic Outdoor Education. These include: CanTeen, who work with people aged 14-25 with a Cancer experience in their life. Outdoors Inc, who work with people with mental illness, where light Outdoor Adventures are used to enhance motivation, confidence and self esteem.

I have personal interests in many spiritual practices and live a life centred around the outdoors and connection to Nature.

Experience facilitating WTR events & workshops

Work That Reconnects workshops I have facilitated

  • Class 11 Deep Ecology Wilderness Expedition 2013 - 2019 (7, 6 days)
    Location: South Western Australia (Walpole & Blackwood River)
    Facilitated by: Richard Swan, Diane Clemenceau, Andrew Haskel
    The camp is for 17 year old students. Participant numbers between 14 - 36 students and teachers .
  • Class 11 Deep Ecology school based lessons (preparation and debrief camp) (7, 10 days)
    Location: Perth Waldorf School
    Facilitated by: NA
    Classes run for 2 hours every day for 2 weeks (10 days). Content is centred around introducing Deep Ecology, linking ideas into camps from previous years. Debriefing and transferring experiences post camp into student home/school lives.
  • Outdoors WA Trails Conference 2014 - Deep Ecology Walpole Expedition (2014, 1 days)
    Location: Perth, Australia
    Facilitated by: Chris Bondini
    This was a presentation to Outdoor Education professionals about the Class 11 Deep Ecology Expedition. The presentation followed the 4 stages and included student art work, reflections and our personal insights into how Deep Ecology compliments the Outdoor Education experience.

Video of me facilitating

Experience facilitating other events & workshops

As listed above.

I have also run a number of PD workshops for our school staff centred around light nature connection/team building (hug a tree, human camera, mindful walking etc) and creating ephemeral mandalas.

I often include mindfulness exercises and sensory based meditations in my day to day teaching of woodwork with primary school students.

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User Info

WTR Facilitator since 2013
Languages served: English
Location: Paddy Hocking, Perth, Australia
Age: 41
Contact info
  • Email: [email protected]

The Work That Reconnects Network is a fiscally sponsored project of Inquiring Systems Inc., a tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) nonprofit corporation. EIN 94-2524840. All donations are tax-deductible.

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