Kerry Walker
Kerry is a passionate, Forest School Leader, Forest Therapy Practitioner and an Art Therapist based in the South-West of Ireland. Her appreciation for nature and art has brought her on creative journey’s around the world. She is the founder of The Nature Hub, a platform to offer Forest School and Forest Therapy practices to children and adults. She has been involved in Forest School for the past 5 years, running forest after school groups, toddler groups, family groups and helps coordinate and facilitate for the Galway Forest School Leadership trainings. She also runs forest bathing sessions in Killarney National Park and is currently running a Forest Therapy pilot program to support people dealing with stress and anxiety. She has training in Eco-Psychology, Challenging Behaviour in the Outdoors, Therapeutic Play skills and is certified in Therapeutic skills for children in the outdoors.
|
Lucy O Hagan
Lucy is the founder of ‘Wild Awake’, an organisation which seeks to rekindle cultural and environmental resilience through the relearning of ancestral skills in nature. In 2015, she founded the ‘Phoenix Forest School’ in Dublin’s Phoenix Park which works with schools, youth groups and after-school groups. She is particularly excited about Rewilding people and place, as well as facilitating initiatory experiences for youth in nature through the ’True Nature’ programme.
|
Nichola Salmon
A Kilkenny native, Nichola is the Education Officer at Castlecomer Discovery Park. She manages the outdoor education programme there. A geographer, her interests lie in environmental education, nature connection and STE(A)M learning. Following her studies at Maynooth University, she was involved in research on climate change and tourism and spent six years teaching at undergraduate level. It was during this time she affirmed her passion for helping others to learn and explore connections with the natural environment.She began her Forest School training in 2016 and has a particular interest in how the woodland environment can impact positively on mental health and wellbeing. In 2020, she began training as a Primary School teacher. In her free time, Nichola enjoys spending time ‘micro-exploring’ woodlands, playing tennis, hiking and occasionally pushes out of her comfort zone with scuba diving!
|