Sam

Director and Founder of My Little Explorers

I am just a big kid at heart who is very passionate about outdoor learning! Growing up in the Dorset countryside, memories of my childhood were out in the fields with my siblings, letting our imaginations run wild as we made bridges across ditches, built dens and look out towers in the trees. We were out all day, Mum would ring the cow bell when dinner was ready! It wasn't until I had children of my own that I really appreciated how lucky we were and so I set out to create a place where kids can be kids, love nature and learn at their own pace.

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I have been working in Early Years since 2001 and qualified as a Forest School Practitioner in 2012  this combined  knowledge has built the foundation and passion for our settings. With our move to Broadlands Estate it has enabled my husband and I to live on site where I run the nursery. We have two grown up children that come and go, chickens, guinea pigs and three working cocker spaniels Kayla, Simba and Tikka who enjoy visiting the children at Farley Mount.

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• Favourite campfire recipe - Pumpkin soup and ash cakes

• Favourite woodland animal - Owl or hedgehog (I can never find either!)

• Favourite woodland activity - Lying under the trees and watching the clouds float by!

• Scariest things - Computers and admin!

• Favourite quote - “The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination” – Albert Einstein

• Hobbies -  Being outside with the dogs, walking along coastlines, wild swimming & cruising!

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Paediatric & Forest School First Aid Trained

Erin

Manager

Erin loves exploring the UK countryside with her family, camping and visiting historical places. When she is not out and about, you can find her in the garden crafting, building, archery, growing vegetables and foraging. She likes to keep busy but also enjoy slowing down and savouring the moments (especially in the hammock).

Erin studied Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at university and visited places such as Sweden and Denmark to see how they carryout conservation and education. In 2016 she was an education trainee at the wildlife trust and this set me on the FS path and passion for working with children in nature. She has been Level 3 FS trained since summer 2021 and currently working towards her Level 3 Childcare (NCFE).

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• Favourite campfire food: hedgerow crumble wrapped in hazel leaves

• Favourite woodland animal: badger

• Favourite woodland activity: Creating tree spirits with mud/clay and scavenging the woodland floor for items to bring them to life

• Scariest thing: being stuck indoors

• Quote: “When one tugs at a single thing in nature, they find it attached to the rest of the world" - John Muir.

• Hobby: Archery

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Paediatric & Forest School First Aid Trained

Karen

Deputy Manager

Coming Soon

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Paediatric First Aid Trained

Michelle

Early Years Practitioner and Forest School Leader

Michelle loves everything about nature and if she isn’t bouncing around in our woods she might be seen out hiking with her family, bird watching or just chilling by the sea.

Michelle studied Environment Science at University has a level 3 Playwork and Forest School qualification, she is a member of the FSA and has an outdoor paediatric first aid training certificate. Michelle now works part time with us following the birth of her daughter in 2020 and her son in 2022 who are both already Mini Explorers!

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• Favourite Campfire recipe - An onion hollowed out, filled with stuffing and baked in the ashes! Yum!

• Favourite Woodland Animal - The woodlouse - cousin of the crab

• Favourite Woodland Activities - Exploring and looking for minibeasts and climbing trees

• Scariest Things - You can’t scare me… I’m not afraid of the big bad wolf!

• Favourite Quote - Play is the highest form of research - Einstein

• Hobby - Exploring the great outdoors

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Paediatric & Forest School First Aid Trained

Nell

Forest School Assistant 

Nell is at her happiest outside adventuring, and she really loves crafting and cooking! She used to work in food education and made the leap into all-things forest school last year, having seen what a difference the whole forest school ethos has made to my children. Nell holds a Level 2 Forest School qualification and is currently working towards her Level 3.

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• Favourite Campfire recipe - Extra chocolatey hot chocolate

• Favourite Woodland Animal - Owl

• Favourite Woodland Activities - Making fairy houses & gardens

• Scariest Things - Heights

• Favourite Quote - “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive that is Youer than You” Dr Seuss

• Hobby - Cooking and embroidery

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Paediatric & Forest School First Aid Trained

Charlotte

Early Years Practitioner

Coming Soon

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Paediatric First Aid Trained

Amelia

Office and Digital Administrator (Farley Mount Admissions)

Since a young age, Amelia has been an admirer and supporter of MLE. Starting from the age of 11, she spent most of her school holidays at activity camps, and her weekends included helping with birthday parties. She feels privileged to have experienced firsthand how the forest school ethos has shaped her perspective on the world around her. For over a decade, she has enjoyed the endless opportunities that the dynamic natural environment gifts us.

After graduating with a first-class management degree in 2022, she tried her hand at a corporate role. However, she soon realised that her roots led her back home. As a result, she decided to join the family business and work alongside her mum, Sam, and her sister, Nesha, on the administrative and business side of MLE.

• Favourite Campfire recipe - Campfire Chocolate Orange Cake

• Favourite Woodland Animal - Foxes are pretty cool... when they're not going through your bins!

• Favourite Woodland Activities - Whittling and campfire cooking

• Scariest Things - Getting lost at sea

• Favourite Quote - " A smile is a curve that sets everything straight " 

• Hobby - Paddleboarding and cooking

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Paediatric First Aid Trained 

Nesha

Office Manager (Farley Mount Accounts)

Nesha is a fun-loving and caring person who loves the outdoors, animals and exploring. Having worked in corporate for most of her life she felt she needed a change after becoming a mum. Being Sam’s stepdaughter Nesha has been blessed to see the amazing impact the Forest School ethos has on children and is a firm believer that children should have the freedom to explore and learn in their own unique ways to become their own individual selves.

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In 2018 Nesha moved from the Netherlands to the UK with her son Noah, who loves spending his half terms at the nursery playing with the children. With her background in business consulting and her administrative and accounting skills, Nesha has been a valuable addition to the business. 

• ⁠Favourite Campfire Recipe – Dutch oven pizza

• Favourite Woodland animal - Deer

• Favourite Woodland Activity – Campfire cooking 

• Scariest things – Snakes!

• Favourite quote - "For every minute you are angry, you lose 60 seconds of happiness" – Ralph Waldo Emerson

• Hobby – Journaling, listening to audio books and exploring.

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Paediatric First Aid Trained