Seeking Wild Sights

Jeni Bell is a writer based in Wiltshire and draws her inspiration from nature, landscape, and the stories and folklore that weave through them. Her work has been published in a variety of online and print publications, as well as featured on local radio. In 2022, Jeni won the Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers with her piece ‘Prayer to Sea’.

Wildfish

Nick leads the WildFish team. He feels strongly that evidence is key to influencing Governments and the regulatory bodies responsible for protecting wild fish. Nick’s obsession with water and fishing began when he was nine. He has been passionate about wild fish populations ever since. Nowadays, though, it is almost enough simply to know the fish are there.

Lawyers for Nature

Brontie Ansell is one of the founding directors of Lawyers for Nature, a not for profit dedicated to protecting the natural world. She is also a senior lecturer at the University of Essex and manages the Climate Casework Unit at Essex. She practices creative Earth law and was recently responsible for the conceptual and legal work of appointing Nature to the board of directors of Faith in Nature. She now sits on their board as the voice and vote of Nature alongside a committee of experts.

Soil Association

Helen is an organic livestock and arable farmer in Wiltshire. She is also Chief Executive of the Soil Association and has served on the Curry Commission into the Future of Farming. She remains first and foremost a farmer and was awarded the OBE in 1998 for services to farming.

The Case for Nature

Siddarth Shrikanth holds a BA in Biological Sciences from Oxford, an MBA from Stanford and an MPA from Harvard. He previously worked in corporate sustainability for McKinsey and has written for the Financial Times and Canary. He now lives in London and works in climate and nature investing.

We Have The Power

Julia Davies is an angel investor, lawyer, philanthropist and environmental campaigner dedicating her time, skills and resources to tackling the climate and environmental crises and inter-connected social issues. Julia works under the mantra We Have The POWER (Protect Our World – Educate Restore). Julia’s mission is to catalyse practical action by investing in start-up companies offering sustainable products and services and providing philanthropic loan finance to accelerate regeneration, including to conservation groups acquiring land for nature restoration.

BrueCREW

Ewan Jones is Co-Founder of Community River Charity BrueCREW, working to restore the natural balance the river Brue as a haven for wildlife. Ewan grew up by, and in, the Somerset River Cam, a tributary of the Yeo, then the Parrett. He has been Chair of Bruton Town Council and Mayor of Bruton since 2019; and is also a Trustee of the Forest of Selwood Charity, reviving nature which the historic landscape that Stourhead sits.

Author A Good Appetite

Jenny Chandler is a teacher, food writer, speaker, consultant and blogger, passionate about inspiring others to source, prepare and eat great food. She teaches at Leith’s, Divertimenti and Borough Market. Her books include Pulse, Cool Kids Cook, Green Kids Cook and A Good Appetite.

The Last Drop

Groundswell Agriculture

Paul Cherry farms 1,000 hectares with his brother in North Hertfordshire.

He is passionate about soil health and in 2011 they moved the arable operation to a completely no-till system ad have since gone away from using any insecticides. The farm grows a range of cereals and legumes using a strictly regenerative farming technique- Minimal soil disturbance, use of cover crops whenever possible and integrating livestock into the arable rotation.

Paul and his family host and run the Groundswell Conference, which in it’s 7th year has become the flagship event for regenerative agriculture attracting speakers and delegates from across the globe.

Bambuu Brush

Tommie is a passionate, enthusiastic founder of purpose driven, global business Bambuu Brush who work with some of the world’s most influential companies to inspire positive change through sustainable products, educational workshops and impact projects. Since launching Bambuu Brush Tommie and partner Rebecca have sold over 3,000,000 bamboo toothbrushes, stopping over 60,000kg of plastic entering commercial circulation. His recently published TED Talk discusses creating a circular waste-free world.

PYTCH

Jordan is a seasoned events & media professional, with a newfound passion for sustainable business. In 2020, he helped reimagine events and media company PYTCH as a sustainability-focused organisation and benefit corporation. As well as still being operations manager at PYTCH, he is now on a mission to help other small businesses overcome their own sustainability challenges.

Teals

Co-Founder of TEALS working with the team to take guests deep into Somerset, representing some amazing local producers and makers on plates and shelves, all the while promoting business as a force for good.

Cult Jar

In 2019, after living in London & working in the restaurant world for 25+ years, Peter moved to Somerset & set-up Worminster Farm & Cultjar. The farm specialises in growing vegetables, fruits & herbs for Cultjar, a preserved food brand. The two businesses work together to create delicious food with a responsible approach to protecting our environment, minimising food miles, wastage and packaging.

Seilich

Naturalmat

Mark Tremlett started Naturalmat 24 years ago from a shed on his family boatyard, with a vision to make better mattresses for the marine industry. Along with co-founder Peter Tindall, he quickly realised that the breathability of natural fibres made them far better suited to the damp, moist environment of a boat than the typical slabs of polyurethane, and far more comfortable to boot.

Today this Devonian brand remains true to its roots, hand making their beds, mattresses and bedding from entirely natural materials for the retail, trade and hotel markets.

Harris Bugg Studios

Hugo Bugg is the co-founder, with Charlotte Harris, of award-winning landscape design practice Harris Bugg Studio. Together they have just won the coveted Best in Show award at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show for their design for Horatio’s Garden. Called “pioneering design talents of their generation” by the RHS, the gardens they make are known to be soulful, thoughtful and environmentally responsible. Hugo is the youngest-ever recipient of a gold medal at Chelsea Flower Show, which he won in 2014 for his Royal Bank of Canada Waterscape Garden.

Gardening in a changing world

Darryl Moore is an award-winning garden and landscape designer and writer. He is author of Gardening in a Changing World: Plants People and the Climate Crisis (Pimpernel Press). He is Director and co-founder of the innovative urban landscape organisation Cityscapes. He is co-curator of thehub.earth. He sits on the Society of Garden Designers Council, and is a fellow of the RSA. His most recent award was for the St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022, showcasing sustainability and ecology in public places.

Nicola Chester was one of the early pioneers of women writing about nature, and is the longest-running female columnist for the RSPB Magazine. She is also a columnist for Countryfile Magazine and a Guardian Country Diarist. She has been an activist for nature all her life. She has written an Award Winning memoir, On Gallows Down, Place, Protest and Belonging.

Haddon Copse Farm

Tom Mettyear came to farming in a rather circuitous route acting, plant medicine and training and education for a leading natural health company. For nearly 20 years he has been farming. He now farms 42 acres of Soil Association certified organic land in Dorset. He raises poultry for meat, pigs, sheep and castle, alongside two aces of orchards.

Aimee is a Lightworker, Mother, Birthkeeper and Yoga Teacher based in Dorset. Founder of Gather and Glow she works primarily with women in a cyclical nature, holding space and honouring the seasons. Aimee curates Womens' Circles, workshops, private sessions and retreats using her love of folklore, wildflowers and ritual.

Denise is a qualified Qigong teacher who is fortunate to have Stourhead on her door step. She has been passionate about the discipline since her first experience many years ago and loves to share Qigong wherever she travels. Qigong has far reaching benefits for our physical and mental health and Denise is keen to share this knowledge.

Neil and Matt are founders of The Movement Project.

Neil has a lifetime of experience as a coach, is a L2 MovNat certified trainer, tennis coach and accidental ultra marathon runner.

Matt Bagwell is a breathwork instructor and leadership coach. He also leads a specialist Neuro & Physical Diversity tennis programme aiming to break down barriers to sport and create valuable connections for those who need it most.

Jenny is a qualified Yoga Alliance teacher and co-founder of wellness concept Balance + Glo. Based on the beautiful Isle of Wight, her practice is inspired by the nature and elements that surround her.

Jenny creates an atmosphere that nourishes the body, mind, heart and soul of all those who practise with her.

Ross is the founder of Hanora Health, that produces award winning kombucha and water kefir. He is also a functional/performance breathwork practitioner and loves educating people about the power of our breath. "It is one of the only components of the autonomic nervous system that we can take conscious control of, to aid us in dealing with stress, anxiety and performance".

Viktoriya is a spiritual & PSYCHEDELIC BREATH® coach.

Her guidance fosters humans to quiet the mind and open the heart, by taking them onto a non-ordinary experience, closer to their truest Self. She holds private mentoring sessions and curated breathwork in-person rituals, events, and bespoke online journeys upon request.

I am a yoga enthusiast and teacher. Yoga is not just about your physical practice. It's about all the other things we can do to enhance our wellbeing - mental and physical. I hold regular yoga and sound healing sessions in my shop, Yoga Stuff, in Salisbury city centre.

Milly Burton has been practising yoga and meditation since she went to India and studied Tibetan Buddhism aged 18. She trained with Integral Yoga and Special Yoga Centre in 2017 and has been teaching Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga and meditation in London ever since.

Kirstie Garrett has been a certified aromatherapist and wellbeing therapist for 25 years helping Olympic athletes, Hollywood stars, workaholics and stressed out individuals to find balance. She’s the founder of ebo, an eco selfcare and wellbeing brand as well as The Vitality Retreat which offers wellbeing retreats in Dorset and overseas.

Naianna Robertsson is a neuroscience researcher and a meditation and mindfulness teacher. As a researcher and wellbeing instructor, she is driven by the conviction that each of us has the potential to rewire the brain to unlock its unlimited potential and intensify focus, manage stress and anxiety, improve resilience, self-awareness and emotional intelligence.