About Muddy Feet Forest School

MUDDY FEET® Inspires, educates, and engages through a connection with nature.

Nature is our story! It’s everyone’s story!

MUDDY FEET® Brings together behaviourial science, educational pedagogy, and therapeutic approaches to provide a range of nature-based consultancy services. Services include public events, training, and nature-based interventions. We have a team of highly trained nature-based experts including facilitators and trainers. We are innovators in providing nature-based solutions to social and environmental issues and work with a range of partners.

MUDDY FEET® believes that connecting with nature helps us have healthier, happier lives, and relationships. Nature connection helps us to appreciate, understand and protect nature. We know that nature connectedness can help promote resilience, good mental and physical well-being, emotional intelligence, team working, social skills, and pro-nature behaviour.

At Muddy Feet, we value nature connection and it runs through everything we do, in fact, it’s based on a growing body of research that we use in our programme development, design, and delivery.

MUDDY FEET® brings innovation to schools, communities, and organisations. Muddy Feet enables the opportunity for a wild time in today’s society that is filled with technology, social media, and screen time.

Muddy Feet is working towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’.

MUDDY FEET® is based in Cherwell on the North Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire borders but we work in a number of different locations across the country, both urban and rural and offer online training.

MUDDY FEET® IS THE VISION OF ITS FOUNDING DIRECTOR, ALEXANDRA WILLIAMS.

Alex established MUDDY FEET® in 2013. A graduate in Environmental and Resource Science, Alex spent a year working with communities in the Philippines on a VSO placement. During this year she worked with rural communities to implement environmental projects, training local people in sustainable techniques to help preserve their local food and natural resources. Alex worked with communities to establish marine protected areas, mangrove reforestation, and establish livelihood projects.

Alex worked in the UK charitable sector for 11 years, in a range of roles, but always working with communities and with a strong emphasis on training and learning. Alex is a qualified and experienced trainer and assessor. Alex has experience in delivering a range of training programmes, including curriculum-based outdoor learning, forest school, neurodiversity, behaviour, nature-based play, Spaces by Design, project management, group work, participatory landscape design, community development, events, consultation techniques, and team building.

Alex is qualified in First Aid At Work, Outdoor First Aid, Level 3 Forest School, Food Safety, A1 Assessor, Level 5 Award in Management and Leadership. Alex has successfully completed the Forest School trainer L4 qualification and her Level 5 Diploma in Education and Training. In 2023 Alex also received her MSc in Behaviour Change with an environment and conservation specialism from Derby University!!

Alex is a recognised professional in outdoor learning by the Institute of Outdoor Learning. Alex is a Learning Through Landscapes accredited professional in outdoor learning and play.

In her training role, Alex designed a participatory learning and action approach to community project management training and designed a range of tools to deliver this training to adults and young people. Alex was the lead author on a modular toolkit to support this training and the toolkit won a SEEDA best practice award.

Alex designed and developed community development minimum standards for Groundwork based on the National Occupational Standards for Community Development Work. Alex coordinated a national programme for Groundwork on the Sustainable Development Goals.

Alex managed a local franchise of the Princes Trust Team programme, a 12-week volunteering and personal development programme for NEET young people from all backgrounds. Alex is experienced in working with young people and those with additional needs.

She has worked with Housing Associations, Charities, Councils, Resident Associations, Youth Groups, Community Development Organisations, and Schools, and is also trained in Participatory Appraisal, Appreciative Inquiry, Facilitation Skills, equal opportunities, dealing with conflict and aggression, Social Enterprise Qualification development, and Community Advocacy.

Alex is a trained outdoor consultant and delivers outdoor therapeutic interventions for EQE outdoors, she has completed a Certificate in Therapeutic Skills for Outdoor Leaders delivered by The Therapeutic Forest. Alex is a trained restorative justice practitioner and Alex is a member of the Forest School Association

Alex is now bringing all this experience of participatory approaches with communities and applying it to nature connection, outdoor learning, outdoor play, and Forest School. Bringing new exciting opportunities to professionals, communities, and their green spaces.

MUDDY FEET ® ASSOCIATES

Muddy Feet works with talented and experienced associate facilitators and trainers.

Hanna started as a regular at our Muddy Tots sessions many years ago and was a natural at Forest School and all that it stands for. She is now a Level 3 Forest School leader. She is passionate about everyone having the chance to have a connection with nature. She has quite the knack at foraging and loves to use her bounty in her syrups, jams and jellies. Her primary mission is to show everyone that toasted apples in cinnamon sugar is the best fireside treat by far!