A place of
belonging.

Originally from Christchurch, Emily has a background in childcare, psychology and teaching, with a life that has taken her from Canada and Germany to living fully off-grid in Portugal, where she and her husband, Nick, farmed, rebuilt an old ruin into a home and began their family. Along the way, she founded the Untaming Podcast, interviewing experts from around the world about child development and parenting.

Emily is the founder of Ōhinemahuta Nature School, which she and Nick run from their own private property near Onamalutu Domain. She homeschools their three children and is passionate about creating a place where children can spend time outdoors, follow their curiosity and develop a deep connection with nature.

Emily is at Nature School on both Tuesdays and Thursdays and takes care of the day-to-day running of the school, from administration and enquiries to helping make each session happen. Outside of Nature School, family adventures, hiking and evenings around the fire are some of her favourite things.

Kia ora I'm Rachel, a registered teacher, mother of a teen, and a baby, and advocate for protecting the natural world. Over the past two decades, my teaching philosophy and practice have been underpinned by my drive to ensure the younger generations have opportunities to connect with te taiao the natural environment, to learn its importance and to understand we are not separate from it, but a part of it.

I am guided by the whakatauki ko au te whenua ko te whenua ko au, I am the land and the land is me. My passion for the natural world is authentically reflected and enacted within Māori culture, and I am committed to sharing te reo, tikanga, me nga matauranga of our indigenous culture. Over my two decades of teaching I have taught a lot about gardening, ecological restoration of native plants, and how to protect our native fauna and flora.

On a personal level I have honed my own knowledge of rongoā (natural and spiritual medicine) te reo Māori, and methods of emotional intelligence and regulation. Having worked in the state education system I am a big advocate for our nature school programme and the like, as it is not one size fits all, and I believe all tamariki benefit from the opportunities and experiences Nature School has to offer.

Fin grew up in a remote part of the Scottish Highlands, where childhood was spent building huts, lighting fires and messing about in streams - the kind of childhood adventures he still loves today. After moving to Marlborough in his early teens, Fin spent much of his adult life travelling the world as a chef.

He now lives fully off-grid in a yurt near Kekerengu with his young family, where he enjoys gardening amongst his olive trees, caring for his sheep, tackling all kinds of projects and cooking in his pizza oven. Nature School reminds Fin of his own childhood, and he loves that he gets to share those same simple adventures with his two boys. Fin is also a volunteer firefighter, and his six-year-old son joins him at Nature School on Tuesdays.

Aimee wears many hats and brings her energy, curiosity and love of the outdoors to everything she does. Alongside teaching at Nature School, she homeschools her two younger children, volunteers with Rarangi Surf Lifesaving Club and takes the lead on all of our social media.

She founded Skate Marlborough and continues to actively support the local skate park, and is passionate about environmental and social issues and creating safe, empowering spaces for young people. Her involvement with the Green Party and community advocacy has given her a strong interest in governance, strategy and bringing people together.

Aimee loves outdoor adventures, staying active and exploring with her sons. She is a mother of three, with her two younger sons joining her at Nature School on Tuesdays.

Helen is a registered nurse, a mother of two, and a hands-on creative who loves turning ideas into reality. Alongside her husband, she also runs a joinery business, so she’s happiest when she’s making, building, creating and thinking outside the box. She has a particular interest in mindfulness and yoga, and as a mum to neurodiverse children, brings a thoughtful and inclusive perspective to her work with tamariki.

At Nature School, Helen especially loves encouraging children who may be nervous to join in, finding creative and practical ways to help them feel confident and included. She previously ran the edible garden programme at Mayfield School. Her eight-year-old son joins her at Nature School on Thursdays.

Julie has a degree in Conservation Ecology and a wealth of experience working with children and the natural world. She previously worked for DOC with threatened birds and, when her own three children were young, became a passionate Playcentre mum, completing Playcentre training and becoming a facilitator.

Julie loves spending time outdoors, particularly tramping, orienteering and bikepacking, and continues to volunteer with conservation groups including the Marlborough Karearea Falcon Trust and East Coast Protection Group. She is also part of the Wairau Nature Network working group and is passionate about habitat restoration.

At Nature School, Julie loves supporting children to develop a genuine connection with nature, themselves and their own sense of wonder, frequently found helping a curious child identify an insect or aquatic creature with a reference book. Julie joins us on Thursdays.