Meet the team
Forest School Learning Initiative team members bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to every course.
Christina Dee
Chris is the Managing Director of FSLI. She trained as a Forest School Leader in 2000 during her time at Evesham Further Education College. Chris' experience is wide-ranging, having run Forest School Sessions with children aged 2 years to 18 years and with children who have learning difficulties.
Chris is one of FSLI's lead tutors and has extensive experience working in and developing urban Forest Schools - especially in London where she has worked to develop Forest Schools in some of the city's most deprived boroughs.
Chris is absolutely passionate about Forest school because of the amazing impact she sees it have on children and young people, as well as adults with learning disabilities. Chris developed the Forest School Leader training in China, Australia and Malaysia where we train regularly.
Chris has spoken at Child Care Conferences all over the world
Chris has two sons and enjoys riding, horse racing and walking.
Robbie Dee
Robbie is co-director of FSLI and is passionate about inspiring others through outdoor learning. A First-Class Honours graduate in Sports Coaching and Physical Education, he completed his Forest School Level 3 training in 2016. As one of our lead trainers, his passion is spreading the love for the outdoors. Robbie also, delivers a variety of Forest School sessions while also overseeing our website management and social media.
Beyond his work at FSLI, Robbie is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys taking part in a wide range of activities in his spare time.
Michelle Hughes
Michelle is one of FSLI's Secretary's who is based in our office in Gloucestershire, England. She is a bubbly character, always smiling, and will most commonly be the person at the end of the phone when you ring the office.
Outside of FSLI, Michelle loves spending time with her son and keeping up with his hobbies. She also loves reading, cooking, and biking (when the weathers nice!).
Katie Harper
Katie is one of our tutors and is based in the beautiful Cotswolds.
She has a real love of the outdoors and enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for nature and outdoor learning with others. Katie loves discovering more about the natural world and is always keen to learn something new.
In her spare time, Katie enjoys going on long walks with her children and dog, camping, exploring new places, and spending as much time as possible outdoors in nature.
Umbareen Daniels
Umbareen is one of our newest members starting in January 202, providing sessions to children aged Reception to Year 6 based in local inner-city schools on their own site. Umbareen in also one of our lead Tutors in the delivery of Forest School Training for students.
Umbareen trained with FSLI in 2009, back when she was a reception teacher and took her own class to the woodland for forest school sessions. She was a Primary School Teach for 30 years previously, majority of the time spent in a large South London Primary School. She then worked with the Ernest Cook Trust Charity for 5 years taking children from a variety of backgrounds to beautiful woodlands.
She is passionate about learning in the outdoors and learning through fun to make sure it is meaningful and lasting.
When Umbareen is not outdoors, she loves to cook, to garden (growing things to eat!) and take her black labrador, Monty, out for walks.
Nicky Nicholson
Nicky has only been with FSLI for a short while but she is a huge part in helping everything to run smoothly along with Michelle in the office. Nicky is our photocopying queen, having everything is check ready for the Trainings!
Her backgroung is working in the pharmaceutical sector, mostly at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, making specialist medicines for very poorly babies and children.
Nicky loves to find new and exciting walks around the cotswolds that she can take her dog and 6 year old son on. Nicky loves to play the piano, garden, and always has a lovely smile on her face!
office@fsli.co.uk
Jo Hinson
Jo has worked alongside us for many years and is a passionate advocate for Forest School and the difference it can make to children’s lives. She is committed to creating more opportunities for children to experience, explore and learn in the outdoors.
Jo is based at Parkside Community Primary School in Canterbury, one of our Forest School training venues, where she supports and assists with the training we deliver. Her experience, enthusiasm and genuine belief in the Forest School ethos make her a valued part of our training team.
Jo lives in Whitstable and, when she’s not supporting Forest School, loves making the most of life by the coast – especially sea swimming and spending time outdoors.
Jess Davey
Jess is our Lead Trainer at Cotton End Forest School in Bedfordshire. She originally completed her own Forest School training with FSLI and has since become an important part of our training team, now leading the practical side of our courses at Cotton End.
Jess brings a wealth of Forest School knowledge and experience to her training and loves supporting others as they develop their confidence, practical skills and understanding of the Forest School approach.
When she’s not busy in the woods, Jess loves spending time outdoors and exploring new places. She’s particularly fond of long walks and paddleboarding, making the most of any opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature.
With her experience, enthusiasm and love of the outdoors, Jess is a fantastic person to have leading our practical training in Bedfordshire!
Alex Hall-Gray
Alex is our Lead Trainer in Singapore and is based at Dulwich College Singapore. He brings a real passion for the outdoors to the FSLI team and loves discovering new, interesting and creative things that can be done with nature.
When he’s not delivering training or exploring the outdoors, Alex loves a good adventure! He’s a keen climber and runner and also enjoys heading out on his motorbike whenever he gets the chance.
Alex’s enthusiasm for nature, adventure and learning is infectious, and he loves sharing new ideas and experiences with others. Whether he’s climbing, running, exploring on two wheels or finding new ways to connect with the natural world, Alex is always up for discovering something new!
Sarah Lewis
Sarah Lewis is one of our fantastic trainers in Singapore, working alongside Alex to deliver FSLI’s Forest School training in the region. Sarah also runs her own Forest School company, Forest Folk, in Singapore, bringing a wealth of hands-on experience, knowledge and enthusiasm to our training team.
Sarah has a real passion for nature, outdoor learning and the Forest School ethos. She loves developing new bushcraft skills and finding creative ways to use her knowledge of the natural world to create meaningful and engaging learning experiences for children.
She is always keen to learn something new and explore how she can bring those skills and ideas into her work, giving children the freedom and opportunity to be curious, independent and develop their own connection with the natural world.
Sarah’s enthusiasm for Forest School and her commitment to creating rich outdoor learning experiences make her a wonderful part of our Singapore training team!
Nefeli + Manolis (Crete FSL L.3 Training)
Nefeli and Manolis are our wonderful FSLI partners in Crete, where they run KariatZoules Forest School in a truly stunning natural setting.
Having originally completed their own Forest School training with FSLI, they have gone on to fully embrace and embed the Forest School ethos within their work, providing regular opportunities for groups of children to explore, learn, take risks and build a meaningful connection with the natural world.
Each year, Nefeli and Manolis welcome us back to Crete to deliver our Forest School training in Greece, hosting the course within their incredible training area and working alongside us to support and co-train the next generation of Forest School leaders.
Their passion for Forest School, knowledge of their environment and commitment to creating authentic outdoor learning experiences make them an invaluable part of the FSLI family. And with such a beautiful setting to learn in, our annual training in Crete is always something very special!
Kind words...
I cannot recommend FSLI training high enough. Having just attended the Australian Level 3 course, I can confirm that the course, content and trainers are exceptional. Every day was relevant, practical, supportive and engaging from start to finish. I cannot think of any skill or aspect that was missed. Even after 20yrs in environmental education I walked away with so much new knowledge and skill, and best of all - empowered to deliver a Forest School program that is safe, meaningful, sustainable and exciting. Worth every cent and second!
Katie Jacobson (via Facebook)