Workshops 2020

David Spraggs

Educator, Tairāwhiti Gisborne, NZ

Workshop Title: Inclinations of children in nature

When children engage in education we often see them repeat certain patterns. They look to make sure they have the basic necessities and then they move into forms of play.
I think these necessities are the perfect trigger points for how we immerse children into nature and play within our communities and spaces.
Even the most urban of spaces can be re thought to allow children to ground and connect.

Personal Bios: Married with four children and over 38 years experience as a trained Early Childhood teacher, David’s passion is provoking teachers to do more and be more when it comes to our children. Doing more sometimes means “doing less”.
He is very focused on sustainable practice and has had a number of opportunities to play in the woods in Europe.
David grew up with a father who believed that you teach your children skills and allow them the opportunity to utilise them. This comes through in his teaching.
David founded his company “Early Childhood Science Experiences and Consultancy” over 25 years ago after seeing a need in ECE in New Zealand surrounding high quality professional development and sourcing equipment that could be used in ECE for science education.
gisbornekindergartens.org.nz

Megan McBride and Robyn McCool

Hawkes Bay, NZ – Cape to City Project – Predator Free Hawke’s Bay/Department of Conservation

Workshop title: Ideal Learning Ecosystems – Building Pathways to Nature Connection

Joined by Ruud Kleinpaste, Christchurch, NZ

The natural world outdoors literally provides “common ground” for all. Outdoor learning in, about, for and from the environment values the experiences learners bring to their learning, across all cultural backgrounds and all levels of ability. It connects people with their birthright, their heritage, their responsibilities and their privilege as custodians of planet Earth. The natural world provides authentic, exciting contexts for learning across the whole curriculum, with well-documented benefits for health, wellbeing, happiness and engagement.

Welcome to practical, hands-on learning, disguised as fun!! An activity-based session, exploring some authentic ways of integrating Nature across the curriculum, from Early Childhood to Secondary-level Education. Together, we will explore some of the many different pathways to connecting with Nature and determine why this is so vital for today’s learners. By ‘living’ our connections and allowing ourselves to notice our place within the natural world, we nurture ourselves and free our ability to nurture learners.

Personal Bios: Robyn and Megan have the best job in the world! The wonderful diversity of our role as Cape to City/Predator-Free Hawke’s Bay (PFHB) education coordinators with the Department of Conservation takes us from providing hands-on programmes and support for ECE, Primary, Kura Kaupapa Māori and Secondary teachers and students, to facilitating cross-sector, hands-on, Teacher Professional Development Workshops outdoors. At Tertiary Education level, we enjoy inspiring the next generation of ECE and Primary teachers at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) Hawke’s Bay, facilitating outdoor-based components for a number of papers in the Bachelor of Teaching Primary, and Bachelor of Teaching Early Childhood courses. Along with our like-minded partners, we’re transforming the way teachers teach in Hawke’s Bay – weaving the environment as a context for learning throughout the curriculum. Building on our backgrounds in Primary Education, we are life-long learners, constantly delighting in the ako cycle of learning and teaching.

Ruud thinks he has the best job in the world! Imagine being a Nature Nerd and hanging out with Robyn and Megan for days on end. They are the real teachers!
pfhb.nz

Waikarere Gregory, Anna Tripp and Wiremu Sarich

Kataia, NZ

Workshop title: Te whare rēhia

Kia kawea tātou e te rēhia – Let us be taken by joy and entertainment! This interactive space will explore the traditional Maori worldview of leisure – the enjoyment of games, pastimes, storytelling, music and performance. Utilising their own skills, creativity and found resources participants in groups will be invited to collectively build ‘te whare rēhia’ – a house of entertainment. Guided by Wiremu, Waikarere and Anna, this workshop will share insights, ideas and understanding for how teachers and educators can work in natural spaces with tamariki to develop their own whare rēhia.

Personal Bios:
Wiremu Sarich is a practitioner of traditional Maori games with years of experience delivering programmes in schools and communities, to promote healthy activity, throughout Aotearoa and beyond.

Anna Tripp is a registered early childhood kaiako at Te Rito Te Whare Reo in Kaitaia, Far North. In the past 4 years, Anna has worked with her tamariki to explore and incorporate local histories, korero, traditions and pastimes associated with their rich landscape. Maara kai, maramataka Māori, rongoā Māori and romiromi are key influences that inform and guide her practice as a kaiako. Anna enjoys sharing her experiences of the natural world with tamariki through observation, sensory exploration and understanding and valuing our relationship to te taiao.

Waikarere Gregory
Ko Tinana te waka
Ko Tumoana te tangata
Ko Taumatamahoe te maunga
Ko Tangonge te wai
Ko Te Rarawa te iwi me te marae
Ko Ngati-Te-Ao te hapu
Ko Waikarere Gregory toku ingoa
I was born and raised in Pukepoto, on my ancestral lands, close to our marae in the Far North, where the stories of my father and my people placed me on the whenua and in the world around me. After years away, I find myself living back on my Nannie’s whenua, a mama of two tamariki on a journey of exploration and getting to know my whanaunga who we share this ao/world with and developing a relationship with them.

Celia Hogan

Christchurch, NZ – Little Kiwis Nature Play

Workshop title: Workshop title: Knots, Shelters and Knives – Building Confidence with Practical Skills for Nature Educators (workshop numbers limited)

When working in nature education, having some practical skills in your kete can be a real confidence builder and empower you to try new things with your tamariki. In this workshop we will teach and practice a variety of common knots used in nature-based programmes, and apply those to shelter building, swings and other common nature-based uses. We will also learn how to whittle, consider the risks and benefits and learn how to teach children to use a knife safely.

Personal Bio: Celia Hogan is passionate about getting children outdoors and into Nature. She is a strong advocate for nature play, nature connection, risky play, building resilience, and improving mental health and well-being through nature. Celia originally studied outdoor recreation and adult education. For the past 20 years she has worked for a variety of outdoor education and personal development organisations. Celia works hard to change the face of education in New Zealand. She has led a petition to enable full time nature-based kindergartens to start in New Zealand and her personal goal is to see every child spending at least 3 hours outside every day in New Zealand. To make this happen she runs professional development training, workshops and conferences for teachers to boost their confidence and help them to make it happen. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and has survived a variety of crisis’ both professionally and personally to give some real depth to her conversations .Celia is a natural and welcoming speaker and manages to juggle speaking engagements, running her Bush Kindy sessions for pre-schoolers and their whanau and taking her own kids on mini adventures in nature.
www.littlekiwisnatureplay.com

Donna McPherson

Timaru, NZ

Workshop title: One Person Can Make a Difference – It’s the Little Things

One person can make a difference. This is an interactive workshop where attendees will get the opportunity to ‘pause’ and think about how the simple things all around can connect/reconnect us with the uniqueness of Aotearoa. The workshop will include composing a waiata ‘in the moment’, ki roto, ki waho breathing technique and to connect with the ‘in this space’ nature opportunities.

Personal Bio: Ko Donna McPherson toku ikoa, no Timaru South Canterbury ahau. My way of being is closely connecting to this whenua, moana, awa and mauka. I take every opportunity to connect/ reconnect people with nature within my role as an ECE kaiako, provider of a free nature playgroup Haere Mai Ki Waho, (now run as a pop up) being a active explorer and provider of Trees Look After Us Nature Education public fb page – sharing nature information.

Ruud Kleinpaste

Christchurch, NZ – The “Bugman”

Workshop title: A Different World – A Night Walk with Ruud

Friday Evening 8:30pm

What can you see in the dark? Who else is attracted to the light? Join us for a night walk in nature and expand your senses. Let’s meet the creatures that are perfectly adapted to this world. Everything is connected … even on the darkest night!

Maia Hetaraka

Whangarei, NZ – The University of Auckland

Workshop title: Mātauranga Māori in Education – Te Kauae Tuku Iho (Inheriting the Sacred Jawbone)

This workshop will discuss some of the findings from my research that may be useful for teachers who are passionate about enabling education success through mātauranga Māori. My recently completed Doctoral thesis is entitled: Te Kauae Tuku Iho; Inheriting the Sacred Jawbone: Re-imagining Māori cultural competence in education by engaging the wisdom of indigenous knowledge keepers. My work investigates the notion and context of Māori cultural competence in English-medium education. I am interested in critically examining socio-political, historical, and current realities that impact on enabling education success for Māori, as Māori. My work challenges assumptions of Māori cultural competence by engaging the wisdom of highly esteemed knowledge holders, kaumātua, in order to re-imagine the transformative potential of education.

Personal Bio: Ko Huruiki te maunga; Ko Mokau te awa; Ko Whakaruru te marae; Ko Te Uri ō Hikihiki te Hapū; Ko Ngati Wai te Iwi. Ko Te Ūpoko o Tahu Matā te maunga; Ko Wairewa te roto; Ko Mako te marae; Ko Ngāti Irakehu te hapū; Ko Ngai Tahu te iwi. I am the mum of three daughters, Justice-Te Amorangi (21), Aorangi (15), Pounamu-Maurea (8). I have a background in primary school teaching, and am currently a lecturer at the University of Auckland, Faculty of Education and Social Work, Tai Tokerau.

Bodhi Whitaker and Kat Tucker

Great Barrier Island Aotea, Aoteroa NZ – Breathe School

Workshop Title: Mindful Breathing for Anxiety and Stress

Learn how to introduce Mindful Breathing to your kids/students, with Breathe School Founders from Australia, Kat & Bodhi. Uncover the simple yet powerful effects of one simple technique and get practical on how to integrate this into your school day. It’s time to strip all the complexities of Mental health and well-being and return to the basics, like breathing well. We’ve seen teenagers turn their life around with this, from suicidal to thriving. Young kids discover they ‘can’ calm themselves down (self-regulate), and teachers actually get a good nights sleep, with regular practice of Mindful Breathing. This is an experiential workshop with abundance of gold to take home with you.

Personal Bio: Known as a “breath of fresh air”. These two young leaders love to connect and empower each and every time they teach. What started as just an idea and a crowd-funding campaign, Breathe School, founded in 2015, now sees Kat & Bodhi helping the current state of schools and mental health of the nation. Kat and Bodhi have a certain openness that has seen them seamlessly in Catholic, Christian, private and public schools right across Australia and New Zealand. They are true inspiration for many people by the simple way they live their dreams and follow their passion. Beyond breathing, these two love surfing, partner acrobatics, music, dance and exploring the globe.
breatheschool.com

Kathy Broadhead

Bay of Plenty, NZ – Nature Library NZ

Workshop title: Connecting Tamariki and Teachers with Nature Every Day!

Join me to experience how easy it is to get your tamariki outside, connecting and learning in nature every day! In this hands-on workshop, I will share the special Nature Everyday resource I have developed – a resource designed to help teachers use nature as a tool to support tamariki’s learning and development. We’ll use the Nature Everyday seasonal card set and head outside for some fun, fascinating nature experiences that kids (and you) will love and learn from. Each experience is linked to key curriculum areas and competencies, and promotes curiosity, creativity, and a sense of calm and connection for kids and teachers alike. Using the Nature Everyday resource, tamariki learn through discovery, connecting with and experiencing the natural world. They explore, ask and answer questions, engage their senses, are creative and playful. Through experience, they develop their connection with nature and their understanding of the natural world and living things. I can’t wait to work with you to get more kids connecting with, learning in and loving nature!

Personal Bio: Kia ora, I’m Kathy Broadhead – environmental educator, founder of Nature Library NZ and nature lover. Nature has been a constant source of calm, creativity and learning in my life. I’ve personally experienced the phenomenal healing power and absolute joy of being in nature, time and time again. And as such, I love sharing the magic of nature with kids of all ages (that’s you too, adults!) and seeing the many, many benefits that come out of those experiences. I am a qualified and experienced environmental educator with over 20 years working in a variety of education roles in NZ and abroad. I am a trained teacher and hold a Master’s Degree in Education, a Diploma of Teaching and a Bachelor’s Degree in Science. But, in my experience, nature is the best teacher of them all! I am passionate about collaborative learning between child, educator and nature. My programmes combine intentional experiences, child-led learning and free nature play to support the development of the whole child. I love supporting tamariki (and teachers) to connect with, learn in and love nature, every day! I’ve also been lucky enough to have loads of amazing adventures in nature throughout New Zealand and around the world – adventures that include rescuing penguins, diving with great white sharks and protecting loggerhead sea turtle eggs. I cherish the amazing everyday adventures in nature too!
naturelibrary.co.nz

Tia Healey-Jellick

Kerikeri, NZ – Native Healing Herbals

Workshop title: Using Nature for Wellness, Balance and Stability – Kawakawa Balm Making

Tia will take participants on an interactive journey from identification through to preparation and creating balms. She will delve into many aspects of nature and how to bring the experience to your children in a way that opens up and actively engages and inspires them to use nature in many ways for wellness and healing.

Personal Bio: My name is Tia Healey-Jellick I grew up in the Kaitaia area, in the Far North of New Zealand, surrounded by native bush. The forest was my solace, my friend and my healer and I have always been passionate about Aotearoa and her native plants. What started as a passion and a hobby making herbal balms soon turned into a unique business called Native Healing Herbals. As well as making native healing balms and creams I also run workshops to adults and school groups – on how to make balms, using nature to heal and bring wellness and balance. This is an empowering workshop with demonstrations and interactive exercises.
nativehealingherbals.co.nz

Dee Pigneguy

Auckland, NZ – Author, Educator

Workshop title: A World of Mystery Awaits You

Observing nature was once important for human survival and it may well be again. Plant-based discovery tables can provide an opportunity for observation, thought, and action. A place to discover the mystery of the world while enriching outdoor experience. Hands-on with plant-based material to help you design activities in your centre and set up your own discovery tables using nature as your guide.

Personal Bio: Dee is an established author and workshop presenter and is presently the Garden To Table garden teacher at Silverdale School. Read her well researched books Gardening For Planet Earth, Exploring Nature’s Pattern Magic, Nature’s Techno Tricks and Grow Me Well and you will find a series designed especially to engage children and adults with nature. Dee has been establishing gardens in schools and kindergartens and presenting workshops to help educators strengthen their connections to nature while exploring the links between nature and brain development. Her creative ideas can be used in any environment.
www.feedmeright.co.nz

Omine Ivatt

Auckland, NZ – Craft Lab

Workshop title: “Jungle Bling” Gifts from the Ngahere

This workshop will provide teachers with the skills to craft their own treasures from natural resources that are all around us. We will be using a variety of materials such as cabbage tree leaves, flax and nikau palm fronds to make some amazing resources for around the home or in the class.

Personal Bio: Omine Ivatt is the Bear Grylls of New Zealand outdoor education. He offers outdoor learning for schools and community groups through his business CraftLab NZ. He has created programmes such as Re Wild your Child, Crafting to Connect, Less is More Urban Adventures & authored a book about getting kids outdoors, grubby and connecting families back to nature and to each other. This year Omine has just developed New Zealand’s very first A to Z adventure guide App called “Wild Child” all about engaging kids, families & schools in the great outdoors of Aotearoa through awesome crafting initiatives where kids get to earn virtual badges for each letter completed. Omine’s mission is to make the outdoors a place where anything can happen, anything can be made, and life-long adventures can & should be had on a regular basis.

Ruud Kleinpaste

Christchurch, NZ – The “Bugman”

Workshop title: Nature-Time Teaching – The Operating Manual of Planet Earth

Whether you’re a gardener, a teacher, or simply a Nature Nerd, it has become quite obvious we – humans – have dangerously crossed quite a few Planetary Boundaries and we have been on a path of disconnect with Nature. (Just think “digital devices”, TwitBook and Virtual Friends as well as a relentless economic thinking that demands growth-at-all-cost!) It is time to re-connect. So, let’s have a chat about this and go for a walk to explore the lessons Mother Nature can teach us to live on our planet with grace, elegance and understanding. Let’s see if we can become a “welcome species” again and … learn from Nature.

Personal Bio: Born in Indonesia, raised and educated in the Netherlands and migrated to New Zealand in 1978 with an MSc (Hons) in silvicuture, animal ecology and conservation from Wageningen University. Entomology was always an important hobby that later became part of his media persona: The Bugman. He mucked around on radio for more than 30 years and TV (Maggie’s Garden Show, What Now? to Buggin’ with Ruud on Animal Planet and Discovery Channel) and wrote stories for many different magazines, thus becoming the Marketing Manager for Bugs…
Environmental Education is now an increasingly important facet of his activities: “If we are serious about our Operating Space (the Planet) then we need to ensure that the younger generation are trained to become Science and Nature-literate”. Ruud is championing biodiversity, biosecurity and environmental education projects from Fiordland to Hawkes Bay (Cape to City) and Bay of Islands, engaging whole communities in citizen science.
Try stopping him!

Celia Hogan

Christchurch, NZ – Little Kiwis Nature Play

Workshop title: Risky Play is the Way

If children are left to play, they will naturally seek out experiences where they can challenge themselves. There are 6 key elements to Ellen Sandseter’s Risky Play Theory and in this workshop we will explore each of the 6 elements, consider how our own environment caters for these different elements, think about how children will naturally engage and extend themselves and identify what we can do in our own environment to bring in or allow for more risky play. We will use the wild woods to understand these elements and bring in a practical element to the workshop.

Personal Bio: Celia Hogan is passionate about getting children outdoors and into Nature. She is a strong advocate for nature play, nature connection, risky play, building resilience, and improving mental health and well-being through nature. Celia originally studied outdoor recreation and adult education. For the past 20 years she has worked for a variety of outdoor education and personal development organisations. Celia works hard to change the face of education in New Zealand. She has led a petition to enable full time nature-based kindergartens to start in New Zealand and her personal goal is to see every child spending at least 3 hours outside every day in New Zealand. To make this happen she runs professional development training, workshops and conferences for teachers to boost their confidence and help them to make it happen. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and has survived a variety of crisis’ both professionally and personally to give some real depth to her conversations .Celia is a natural and welcoming speaker and manages to juggle speaking engagements, running her Bush Kindy sessions for pre-schoolers and their whanau, and taking her own kids on mini adventures in nature.
littlekiwisnatureplay.com

Brando Yelavich

Coromandel, NZ – Wildboy Adventures

Workshop title: Emotional Wellness

Spending time in nature can enable you to be the best version of yourself in all aspects of life. In this workshop Brando will use a high energy, fun format to teach a technique that enables an empowering process of positive emotional release for when things get tough. He will share why it’s important to bring nature into the teaching environment and will discuss the benefits this provides to children and educators alike.

Personal Bio: I’m Brando Yelavich. At 26 years old I have started making my mark on the world as an explorer. When I was 19, I became the first person to circumnavigate the coastline of New Zealand on foot. This 600 day, 8700km expedition changed every aspect of my life. Before, I was an ordinary person doing less than ordinary things. I woke up one day after a big night with my mates and it was like a switch had been flicked in my head. I wanted to do extraordinary things in my life. So I did. I have since become a bestselling author, motivational, inspiring speaker and a full time explorer. My expeditions have taken me across the Greenland Icecap, on a 70-day kayak circumnavigation of Vancouver Island, into the Nepalese Himalayas on an aid expedition and a 33 day trip around New Zealand’s most wild island – Stewart Island – and across Australia. My purpose is what makes me stand out. I do what I do to help others see their worth and realise they are capable of amazing things. I want to lower depression rates by being a powerful voice. I am relatable because I’m an ordinary person who’s doing extraordinary things, driven by passion and love, not ego or money. I make my own luck.

Melissa Welch and Wen Xiong

Whanganui, NZ

Workshop title: Storytelling – How to Integrate it into the Curriculum

“It is not magic that takes us to another world – it’s storytelling” Val McDermid
In this workshop you will learn the benefits of using a storytelling ritual to trigger children’s interests, how storytelling encourages oral language, confidence and cooperation, and how storytelling can cover many areas of the curriculum, both in an ECE and School setting, as well as in an Outdoor Learning Environment. We will demonstrate different ways to present fairy tales, folktales and students’ own stories and how you can use storytelling to encourage inquiry and project-based learning. We will also demonstrate stories using different mediums, share our ideas, experiences and resources, and provide you with an opportunity to have a go at storytelling. Children are curious about the world, they have many questions to wonder and ask but the world is not divided by curriculum segments. Let’s use the magic of storytelling to support children in this wild wide world.

Personal Bios: Wen Xiong and Melissa Welch are both trained and experienced teachers who use storytelling in their practice to foster creativity, encourage oral language and integrate curriculum areas. They use a mix of Steiner inspired storytelling, Handkerchief stories, Puppetry, simple Paper Craft stories, Cranky box stories, and Shadow puppets to engage their students in the storytelling process.

Griffin Longley

Western Australia, AU – Nature Play WA

Workshop title: Nature & Health: How Nature Play is Changing Health Care (numbers limited)

The connection between children’s connection to nature and their health outcomes is a growing area of research that has implications for every aspect of the childhood experience, including education and care. In this “walkshop” you will hear about leading practical examples of the ways nature is being incorporated into acute care in hospitals in Scandinavia, the US, and Singapore and be introduced to the research on which it is based.

This nature walkshop will include pauses to hear practical examples of the way nature and health are being brought together around the world, followed by reflection walks in which you will discuss ways those health impacts can related to education and care. And you will join in a discussion about what that means for the way nature experiences are introduced, and validated, in the education and care setting.

Personal Bio: Griffin Longley is the CEO of Nature Play Australia and Nature Play WA, a former columnist, award winning journalist, and a Churchill Fellow. Griffin founded Nature Play WA in partnership with the Department of Sport and Recreation in 2010 and it has now spread to South Australia, Queensland and the ACT and has an international reputation for innovative programs that increase awareness of the benefits of unstructured play outdoors. The organisation’s flagship program, the Passport to an Amazing Childhood, has been turned into a mobile phone app in partnership with Islandwood, America’s leading environmental education centre

Lorraine Sands

Tauranga, NZ – Greerton Early Learning Center Team

Workshop title: Learning in the wild!

This workshop discusses building resilience and resourcefulness, courage and empathy in an adventurous farm forest experience with children, then sharing the learning insights with children and families through learning story narrative assessments that support life-long learning identities.

We have been going on forest farm adventures now for 7 years, where we spend 2 days a week with a group of our oldest children, rain or shine and explore. We love it and we would like to share this love with colleagues. It is very much about slowing down, listening to and caring for each other and the creatures and plants we meet along the way, and thoughtfully engaging with risk and challenge, using the language of learning.

Personal Bio: Greerton Early Learning Centre Team: We are all part of the learning and teaching community at Greerton Early Learning Centre. We have all experienced incredible learning journeys seasoned with inquisitiveness, grit, imagination, perseverance and bravery through our Forest Farm adventures. In a place where time stands still, and the hustle and bustle of life only exists as a distant traffic noise, tinkering with ideas seems to be the right thing to do. Innovation and creativity flourish here, flexibility of thinking and growth mindset push beyond any conceivable boundary. Isn’t this the most amazing dream we could possibly have for our children and for ourselves? We believe so….
greertonearlylearningcentre.com

Dani Lebo

Whanganui, NZ – The ECO School

Workshop title: Making Fire

Participants will work through the benefits and risks of using fire with nature play groups as young as preschool aged. We will try our hand at making a fire nest, using flint to start a coal, and using a bow drill to start a coal. We will model safe fire set ups and safe fire practices with children.

Personal Bio: Ko Appalachia te maunga. Ko Passaic te awa. Ko Atlantic te moana. Kei te noho au ki Whanganui. Ka tiaki te maunga Ruapehu ki āku tamariki. Ka whangai te wai o te awa tupua o Whanganui ki a rātou. No reira ngā mihi nui ki ngā tangata whenua o te kainga – te Atihaunui a Pāpārangi. Dani Lebo lives on a small mixed-use permaculture farm in Whanganui with her family and an assortment of animals. They run The ECO School – providing accessible sustainability education through permaculture courses, community workshops, and nature play programs. Dani has a background in outdoor education, adventure therapy, and is a trained teacher. She is currently the forest educator at Whanganui Intermediate School.
www.TheECOschool.net

Genevieve Simperingham

Whangarei, NZ – Peaceful Parent Institute

Workshop title: Interpret and Support Growth and Resiliency Through Play

Learn to identify or facilitate play that helps children overcome shyness, aggression, fears, separation anxieties and other specific stumbling blocks. You’ll gain insights into non directive child-centred play, symbolic play, nonsense play, fighting play (including sticks, “swords” and “guns”), separation games, power-reversal games, activities with body contact and cooperative games and activities. We’ll talk about how and why all these benefits are magnified when children play in natural environments. Positive play experiences are a whole body and being experience which stimulates hormones like oxytocin that reduces stress and promotes growth and resiliency, while enhancing brain development. Playing for children is a rich world of communication, learning, growing and exploring. Certain play releases physical, mental and emotional tensions.

Personal Bio: Genevieve Simperingham runs the Peaceful Parent Institute which offers seminars and eCourses for parents and educators, professional development for teachers, as well as one-on-one counselling and coaching. Genevieve, being one of 9 siblings, grew up on a beautiful 180 acre farm in rural Ireland. Despite living in a very dysfunctional family, she found peace, excitement and healing in the natural world, and this has hugely influenced her work. Genevieve has facilitated hundreds of workshops and residential retreats over the last 26 years, a big focus of the retreats has been immersion in nature, mindfulness, eating wholesome plant based food and generally regaining balance. Genevieve has a Diploma in Psychosynthesis Counselling, and is a Certified Aware Parenting instructor. She’s a feature writer for The Natural Parent Magazine (NZ and Oz) and has a busy following of 92,000 on her Facebook page and blog.
www.peacefulparent.com