Biographies...
Jon Attwood
(01)
Lou Emerson
(02)
Tom Walmsley
(03)
From Jon's early years exploring rivers and hills with his grandfathers Jon has been immersing himself in nature all his life. Many years in local and national nature charities has led him to first going it alone and then the strong desire to create something collectively with others. His experience of crashing out with Lymes disease and rebuilding slowly through acceptance and solo time in nature has given him a meaningful insight to why nature connection is so important.
Co-Founder & Director, Forest School Practitioner and Trainer, keen grower, whittler and way of council enthusiast.
Lou has been driven by her love of nature from a very young age. When young she suffered the trauma of losing her parents. The wildlife and beauty of the west coasts of Scotland, Wales and England where she lived and holidayed became her sanctuary. As an adult she developed a deep desire to share her passion with others also facing life’s challenges. Lou now engages a diversity of people in embodied, nature-oriented practices aiming to empower and nurture them on their paths to health, wellbeing and connection.
Forest Bathing Practitioner, Qigong Teacher, Forest School Leader, Youth Worker, experienced Project Manager, communicator, writer, artist, capoeiresta.
Tom developed a wild spirit growing up in the southern hemisphere and away from cities. He went on to developed a career out of Bristol, initially as an underwater cameraman for TV and NGO campaigns. He then switched to the education sector driven by a desire to bring nature and sustainability into Bristol’s schools, and the National Curriculum as part of The Ministry of Eco Education. Health and ADHD challenges throughout adult life have been managed in part through Deep Ecology philosophy.
Created Avon Schools Eco Network. Helped develop Ministry of Eco Education. Falconry and bush craft with young people. Previous worked as Wilderness expedition leader; Underwater wildlife cameraman; SCUBA and freediving instructor.
(04)
Rachel Manley
David Jeanneret
(05)
Sam Hobson
(06)
Rachel grew up in Devon where beaches and Dartmoor were her playground, sparking a lifelong connection with nature. Early roles included PR for Oxfam then a local Wildlife Trust. Looking to work more directly with land and people she becamed qualified to run Forest School programs and events, developing whole school sites.
Now focussing on collaboration and community building through connection with the land: - 'Whittle and Wander program has been formed to work with asylum seekers through Borderlands, and facilitating 'Full Moon Sleepouts' to invite deeper connection with ourselves and the more-than-human world.
Founder of Wildwood Adventures, Level 3 qualified Forest School practitioner. Cambium-accredited Level 2 Outdoor Learning trainer. Call of the Wild year long leadership course. Tending the Green Fire, deepening nature practice and facilitation. Secretary of Forest School South West since 2019.
David is created to work with young people and the adults around them, using nature and adventurous activities or camp experiences, to deepen their understanding of themselves and their ability to connect and relate in family, school, friendships, solitude and approaching work.
He has been walking alongside young people in and around Bristol for decades - developing a speciality for working with young people facing significant challenges and struggling in school.
BA Hons in Youth and Community Work
Sam believes that he has learnt some of his most important lessons from trees. They have taught him how to be grounded, connected, and firmly rooted in nature. About patience, flexibility and how to be a good listener. This helps him in his work as a nature connection and forest therapy guide and group facilitator. Sam's passion is in bringing people together to create community in nature. Before training in intentional nature connection, Sam brought people closer to nature through his award-winning wildlife photography. Founder of Forest Circle .
Accredited Forest Therapy Guide, Rites of Passage and Circle Facilitator, Way of Council L2, Trainee Psychotherapist, 3 Year Shamanic Training in Indigenous and Ancestral Nature Connection, Wildlife Photographer awarded in WPOY and published in National Geographic.
Rachel Tomlinson (CIC advisor)
(07)
Alan Kellas (CIC advisor)
(08)
Rachel has been facilitating nature & health programmes since 2012 for adults with health needs with Forest of Avon, Westonbirt Arboretum and as a freelancer.
Forest School Level 3, Environmental Conservation NVQ L2, Safeguarding L3
Alan has been an NHS community psychiatrist for people with learning disabilities for a couple of decades. Since semi-retiring he has explored and promoted nature based approaches to mental health care locally and nationally: he helped set up the Nature matters network at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and the SouthWest pilot Green social prescribing project, and is a founder Member of Enable Special Education Multi-academy Trust. He is learning how to be a river guardian and values being a friend of Nature Connection CIC.
He offers consultancy, mentoring, teaching and support to emerging projects and practitioners, drawing on creative arts and the many ways nature knows us.
(06)
(06)
(06)