The Nature Effect is a catalyst for personal, professional and community transformation. We offer continuing professional
development and coaching to people and organisations in education and social change. We also offer retreats, weekend
workshops and on-going groups for people wanting to learn, grow, flourish, reflect and reconnect. We collaborate with
communities, schools and various peer groups.
Our ‘golden thread’ is explicit inspiration from the natural world – through nature metaphor, embodied
learning, time spent in the wilds, use of natural materials and creation of outdoor spaces and events.
We have a rich pool of associates skilled in these areas of work who are always cooking up new ideas, and we like to connect
them with like-minded colleagues, practical resources and methodological tools for effective working. We welcome contact
from potential new associates. We are largely based in Oxford City but our Associates work nationally and internationally.
Find out more about our work here
Latest News & Events
Florence Park Children's Centre Update
Florence Park Children's Centre's future remains in balance. Several friends and associates of the Nature Effect who live locally to Florence Park have been working with others on a vision for the transformation of the former Children's Centre in the park into a community owned place. As The Nature Effect we particularly keen to ensure that the indoors connects with the outdoors and the wider community. We hope the County Council will approve proposals, now being led by Aspire Charity to enable the Centre to develop an even stronger identity for the children and families who live around the park. We want this to be comewhere where children develop early positive memories of place and get experience and identify with the beauty of the trees, plants, birds, flowers sky earth streams of their neighbourhood - as well as getting to know their neighbours of course! The process of engaging with the City Council (who own the building) and the County Council (who own the lease) has not been straight-forward. A decision should be made at County Council cabinet on 19th September 2017. You can read the latest news, leaflets and call to action and how you might get involved here Florence Park Children's Centre latest.
Action Learning Set Oxfordshire Women Leaders in Education, Arts and Sustainability
Annie recently facilitated a session at the wonderful She is Sustainable event with the City Council at the ECI Oxford University last month. She also works with groups of Headteachers and Social Entrepreneurs. Inspired by the transformational potential of this way of working, she is delighted to be working with Emmy of Ark T centre to offer a set for Oxford Women Leaders in Education, Arts and Sustainability.
For more info about the taster session on June 5th and booking details see here
A Sense of Place Being, Becoming and Belonging in the Early Years
We are really pleased to let you know about our latest publication. A Sense of Place - companionable adventures outdoors. It is the product of a project sponsored by the Oxfordshire Parenting Forum (OPF) and explores how a range of grandparents feel about their role and taking their children out in nature. You can get a free copy of the publication by going to this link: http://eepurl.com/KYdWn.
We are continuing to offer seminars and share the film made with Zoe Broughton about a project on the same theme of connecting with
children with Nature with a range of audiences. Much of it based on a project with practitioners and parents from Blackbird Leys Children's Centre last year. The framework and models of this work are being developed with colleagues nationally and internationally. The next seminar will be through Early Education on May 17th. A book is due to be published by Bloomsbury in 2018.
