Training Consultants

Jen has a varied background in Outdoor Education, first as a secondary geography teacher, then Forest School leader at West Kidlington Primary in Oxfordshire and latterly as education manager at Sylva Foundation. Jen worked in close partnership with Sarah and Forest School trainees at Oxfordshire Forest School Service, developing a version of the Sylva woodland management tool, myForest for Education  which sits alongside the specialist woodland management training she provides for Forest School Leaders. 

Jen spearheaded the Bringing Children Closer to Nature research as part of the collaborative Forest Schools For All project. 

As chair of the Forest Education Network, Jen built communication across sectors before handing over the reins, overseeing its transition to Forest Education Network England (FENE). 

Jen has trained trainers at a national level on woodland management, advocating at conferences and forestry events around the country for sustainable forestry to be at the heart of forest education. She wants forests to thrive – for people and for nature.

Bilingual in English and Spanish, Sarah spent over 15 years teaching and teacher-training in British international schools before returning to the UK in 2012 when she discovered Forest School. Sarah started helping out at her local Forest School and since 2017 has worked full time as a qualified Level 3 Forest School Leader for MyForestSchool. Sarah has set up and run long term Forest School programmes in various Oxfordshire schools and now trains with Sarah Lawfull at Where the Fruit Is.

When she’s not out in the woods, she can be found on her bike – happily exchanging the gradients of her native Dartmoor for the sedate Oxfordshire countryside (and village pubs!), hammock-camping or volunteering with her local scout group – i.e. somewhere in the great outdoors!

Mhairi brings a wealth of experience to our team, with many years of leading full time, year long Forest School programmes in early years settings, primary schools, home education groups and family Forest School.  Mhairi has trained and mentored countless others to become Forest School Leaders. Her insights around setting up and running your own business are invaluable to trainees. 

An environmental science degree, primary and environmental education experiences have fuelled her passion for teaching about sustainability, the climate emergency and promoting biodiversity. .  Her experience of raising environmentally conscious teenagers in a consumer culture is hugely valuable too.