Story of
The Wild Lifers
Who we are, what matters to us, where we came from & where we are going.
A Little Bit About Who I am.
I’m Sam, founder of The Wild Lifers.
If you’d like to skip ahead to the labels (qualification, land of origin, etc), then scroll down. For those of you who appreciate a good story, this one starts with little Sammy, the ‘nature-girl’ who “spent way too much time outside.” I now know there is no such thing, but it took a good few decades to get back to the good life of just embracing my nature-girl nickname, and now I get to work with kiddos, and raise money for awesome non-profits by inviting other grownups to play outside with me. It’s great. I’m proudly AuADHD and have created all my offerings with fellow neurodivergent minds in mind.
I work part-time as Communications Director for Exposed Wildlife Conservancy, dedicate my downtime to supporting local environmental projects in Upper Mission, and when I’m not knee deep in mud, I spend time with my wonderful partner and his amazing 9-year-old animal-loving kiddo. Life is good.
Background.
I’m an immigrant. I moved to Canada as an invasive species accidentally in 2020 when I got stuck due to covid. I grew up in the English countryside of Norfolk and spent most of my childhood trying to find four-leaf clovers and making dens in trees. I then migrated to the office where I sat on a chair for 18 years trying to pretend I was fine with it. I made a successful career for myself as a director in brand, strategy and design before crossing the pond and using those skills to work with conservation non-profits and small businesses. I retrained over the years as a nature-based therapy guide and as a Forest School Leader (Level 3 FSA - Therapeutic). I have worked in elementary schools and still volunteer my time offering nature education and outdoor art projects.
The Serious Stuff.
Relevant Qualifications & Education
I hold a Level 3 Forest School Practitioner qualification from the UK and I’m registered with the Forest School Association. I am also certified in Therapeutic skills for outdoor leaders, specializing in working with neurodivergent and SEN kiddos.
I’m a certified Forest & Nature Therapy Guide with the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy. My special interests are ADHD and Autism, so much so that I offer a workshop on being neurodivergent for parents and caregivers called “Kaleidoscope”. If you’re interested in hosting a workshop, please feel free to get in touch!
I’ve studied the 4 Seasons of Indigenous Learning with a view to educating myself further on the importance of Indigenous practices and knowledge.
I studied with the Civic Ecology Lab at Cornell University in Nature Education, and I’ve studied with The Therapeutic Forest at the University of Manchester, specializing in outdoor therapeutic care for children with special educational needs.
I have a Wilderness First Aid certificate (2022) and a Red Cross Pediatric First Aid Certificate (2023).