Qualified Educator - Brookby

Deirdre is one of our amazing educators who has been with us from the very start. She can be found teaching at our Brookby programme.​

Deirdre is a qualified and registered primary school teacher who also has a Diploma in Outdoor Recreation Leadership. She worked in the outdoor industry for almost 7 years before studying to be a teacher, which she has been for 15 years now.​

The combination of these qualifications and experiences have shown Deirdre the importance of experiential learning. She believes the outdoors and child-led exploration have so much to teach us about the skills we need to live our best lives. Through nature we can learn our strengths, develop our weaknesses, grow through social interactions and strengthen our core values.​

Deirdre has two young children. Since having children of her own she has become even more inspired to see an increase in the opportunities students have to include nature, outdoor and environmental education in their learning journey.

Qualified Educator - Churchill Park

Lisa is one of our passionate educators who can be found at our Churchill Park programme. She is a primary school teacher with almost 20 years of experience, and throughout her career has worked in a number of different teaching roles.

Lisa currently works part time as a specialist STEAM teacher at Stonefields School in Auckland. She believes that STEAM reinforces creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and character development, as these vital skills enable children to solve problems and encourage them to become future innovators. Lisa is also a big believer in hands-on learning, and allowing children the freedom to take risks, build resilience and imagine possibilites.

She has two young children, and since becoming a mum, has realised the importance of providing our tamariki with opportunities to immerse themselves in the wonders of nature as this fosters childrens' intellectual, emotional, social and physical development.

Qualified Educator - Little Shoal Bay

Kelly is an experienced teacher, who plays a vital role in 3 of our programmes and brings an incredible passion for teaching. She thrives on those authentic moments of discovery and self-growth, feeling privileged to be part of such amazing learning experiences each week.

Outside of Nature’s Den, Kelly works as a relief teacher in a variety of public and private schools, kindergartens, and ECE centres.

With over 20 years of teaching experience in Early Childhood Education, including leadership and management roles for the past 7 years, Kelly believes children learn best through play and hands-on, real-world experiences.

In her spare time, you can find Kelly walking her dog, hitting the gym, or on the softball field. She’s always excited for the adventures that each week at Nature’s Den brings!