Meet your guide…

If you’re expecting to read a story about where I’ve studied and the places I’ve worked – you may be disappointed (although you can read that on my LinkedIn profile if you wish). What I’m going to tell you here is about me – this is a story about what makes my heart soar and my soul sing.It is an easy question to answer. Nature. It’s incredible. Over the years it has become my place of sanctuary. My happy place.

When I have an issue I need to work through or I’m feeling low – I take myself off to somewhere that I can be ensconced in the natural world. It might be on a beach watching the waves or being in the company of the trees of a forest. It might be standing in the middle of a corn field, sitting in the quiet of a bird hide or just watching the clouds pass by my window. This time allows me to switch off from the human world, allow quiet to come so I can listen. Sometimes I’m listening for the truth to surface from within. Sometimes I’m asking Mother Nature to help me. Either way – I know, with time, the answers I seek will come, my fears will be soothed and my focus and drive renewed once more. When I think back to some of the most profound moments in my life they are all in some way connected to nature.

In my mid-twenties I went backpacking around South Africa. Whilst visiting the Kruger National Park I saw a wild leopard for the first time – and I cried. It was one of the most beautiful creatures I’d ever seen. It’s the adrenaline rush of being in a small boat out on the ocean looking for whales – and then noticing a shadow moving gracefully under the surface ready to breach. Witnessing hatchling sea turtle make their first journey across the sand and taste the salty water of the Pacific ocean. Walking along Playa Uvita in Costa Rica and seeing five scarlet macaws fly overhead – and only managing to get an appalling blurry photo as tears streamed down my face at the sight of them. Seeing an electric blue flash of a kingfisher as they dart across the river close to where I live and feeling a sense of connection to my Dad (who is no longer with us) as it was his favourite bird. Being out in nature helps ground me. Any sense of ego is lost as I am reminded of my place in this web of interbeings with the more than human world. If it can help me – perhaps it can help you too?

I started Eco Monkey in 2020 for a number of reasons. Primarily it was to help reconnect people with the natural world. The naturalist and broadcaster (and one of the most inspirational people I’ve ever met), Simon King OBE, once described it to me as once people know the natural world they will come to love it. When they love it they will want to take care of it. Eco Monkey is all about helping you make that connection with nature. As a nature therapy guide I’m here to open doors for you to the natural world, to help bring you into the here and now and be present. I’ll invite you to open your heart and all of your senses (more than just the five you’re probably thinking of) to embrace the atmosphere and environment.

As an eco coach – I’m here to help you focus on the bigger picture. To look at what you want and where you want to be – and how that works with your own ecology. I bring in elements of neuro linguistic programming and the law of attraction to help set you on the path to becoming the best version of yourself. Everything you need is already within you – I’ll work with you to unlock the potential. It’s then down to you to do the hard work.

Why the Eco Monkey? The eco part comes from bringing awareness of your own environment and ecology. As for the monkey – there are two reasons. The first is the desire to help you manage your monkey mind. The second is that when I was a baby I was given a cuddly monkey called George (Curious George to be precise) who not only remains a faithful companion for me today but also sparked a life long love of monkeys.So that’s a flavour of me and my story. If you’re still intrigued to know more about me - I invite you to head over to my blog where I’ll be sharing my musings and journaling about my nature experiences. You’re also invited to get in touch via my website or social media.