OUR NATURE'S DEN TEAM

ALEX SHERIE
Founder & Forest School Director
Alex is the founder of Nature's Den, a qualified Early Childhood Educator with over 12 years of experience working in the education sector.
Alex has always believed that some of the most important learning doesn’t happen inside four walls. It happens outside - climbing trees, building huts, lighting fires, exploring creeks, and learning how to navigate the world with confidence.
After seeing how many children were missing out on these experiences, Alex created Nature’s Den with one simple goal: to reconnect children with nature and help them grow into confident, resilient, well-grounded humans.
Alex now leads the development of Nature’s Den programmes, partnerships with schools and early childhood centres.
His vision is to see more children across New Zealand grow up with the confidence, resilience, and lifelong connection to nature that experiences like Nature’s Den provide.

DANI SHERIE
Founder & Accounts Manager
Alex’s wife Dani is the admin guru at Nature's Den. She assists Alex with the admin side of the business, while also working part-time in a managerial role and full-time parenting their two young daughters.
Dani has a 4-year Bachelor of Management Studies majoring in Marketing under her belt. She has worked in a variety of administrative and marketing roles over the past 10 years, which has helped to expand her knowledge on how to run a successful business. She also has experience with children, having worked on-and-off as a babysitter and nanny in her younger years.
Dani believes strongly in the importance of nature-based learning and developing strong individual relationships.

KAREN BOWDEN
Holiday Programme Coordinator

ROCHELLE STEWART
Qualified Educator

PALOMA PIERSON
Educator

CLAIRE CHAPLIN
Reliever

KATIE GODBER
Programme Leader

TRISH MACANOVIC
Programme Leader

TREF TURNER
Programme Leader

LUKAS WINKLER
Programme Leader

LILY ALLEN
Assistant

RUBY BARKER
Assistant

LUCY BERMAN
Assistant

HAYLEY BOYCE
Assistant

ALEX CAPENER
Assistant

JAY DICK
Assistant

MACY HAINS
Assistant

EMILY KEENE
Assistant

SIENNA LIDSTONE
Assistant

HAYDEN LONG-SMITH
Assistant

RIVERS LOVERIDGE
Assistant

TASH MCKEARNEY
Assistant

GRACE MUELLER
Assistant

ISAAC MUELLER
Assistant

MACY NELSON
Assistant

HANA O'CONNELL
Assistant

ELLA SHAW
Assistant

ALICE STRUDWICK
Assistant

EZRA WALKER
Assistant

FOSTER FRASER
Junior Mentor

GEORGIE GASCOIGNE
Junior Mentor

DAN HARRISON
Junior Mentor

LUCA KENNY
Junior Mentor

FINN O'SULLIVAN
Junior Mentor

TOBIAS TURNER
Junior Mentor

MIA IRONS
Volunteer (On Placement)
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