Juliet is one of Scotland's leading education consultants in the field of outdoor learning. She is passionate about enabling schools and early years settings to provide quality learning and play outside. Have a look at her Projects and Partnerships page to see the breadth and diversity of her work over the past few years.

Need a Keynote Speaker?

In addition to all the support, training and advice, Juliet is available for keynote speeches and conference work and has presented at many local and national events during the past few years. Forthcoming and previous presentations include:

• Stimulating Spaces, Durham EY Conference, May 2012 Theme: Stimulating Play in Outdoor Spaces
• Oxfordshire Head Teacher Conference, Stratford-upon-Avon, March 2012 (Booked through ITL) Activity: Question Time - Panel of Experts
• Good Practice Gathering in Outdoor Learning, Mid Lothan, March 2012 Activity: Panel of Experts Q&A Session
• Turriff Schools Outdoor Learning Conference, Fyvie School, Aberdeenshire, February 2012 Theme: Outdoor Learning
• Out and About Learning Conference, South Lanarkshire, September 2011 Theme: Encouraging others to get out and about
• Aberdeen Play Forum, Aberdeen, June 2011 Theme: Leave No Child Inside - The Importance of Outdoor Free Play
• BAECE Edinburgh, March 2011 Theme: International Inspiration for Nature Play
• Kingswells, Dyce & Bucksburn ASG Cluster, Aberdeen City February 2011 Theme: Inspiring Outdoor Play
• Growing Greener Futures Conference, Holy Trinity Rosehill School, Stockton-on-Tees, October 2010 Theme: Beyond the Box - Creative Learning Outdoors
• Plein Air Opening Exhibition, Aberdeen, August 2010. Theme: Trees and Education
• North East Forest Education Initiative Woods for Learning Training Event, March 2010. Theme: Woods for Learning - The Benefits and the Challenges
• Nature Play Conference, Edinburgh FEI, March 2010. Theme: Nature Play
• Sharing Good Practice for Educators, Scottish Natural Heritage, November 2009. Theme: Curriculum for Excellence - Outdoor Exemplification
• John Muir Award Annual Gathering, October 2009. Theme: Education 2050 - Learning in a Low Carbon Future
• Sharing Good Practice for ITE, Scottish Natural Heritage, October 2009. Theme: Leave No Child Inside - Why Outdoor Learning Matters and What We Can Do About It.
• Learning and Teaching Scotland Early Years Conference, October 2009. Theme: Active Learning Outdoors in the Early Years

"Juliet's presentation at the inaugural meeting of the Active Outdoor Network was excellent. I'd heard Juliet speak before on Curriculum for Excellence - which although exciting, I hear other speakers turn it into dry lists, levened with moral imperatives. On that occasion, Juliet brought the curriculum alive and showed how outdoor learning could be integral to the whole process. Juliet manages to bring some magic into the environment of learning. I think this is because she taps into the ability of natural environments to create learning opportunities out of exploration and adventure. Such opportunities can be so much more difficult to create indoors." S Wray, Health Improvement Officer, East Lothian Council.

Background Information

Juliet's interest in working with children outdoors began back in 1986 with a gap year during an Environmental Science degree. During this time, she  volunteered in the community and green sectors and worked at an urban environmental education centre in Philadephia, USA.

As a primary school teacher, Juliet continued to do a variety outdoor activities with children on a frequent and regular basis. She took children for weekly visits to the local woods and kickstarted a school grounds development work. In conjunction with local rangers she set up a lunchtime Wildlife Watch Club. In 1995, she had a year-long teaching exchange to an outdoor centre in Ontario, Canada. This was a wonderful year and sowed the seeds of many ideas to come.

From 1998 to 2007, Juliet was a head teacher of three different schools, ranging in size from 6 to 270 pupils. Her international experience continued with  study visits and educational trips to Canada, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Norway and Bulgaria which focused on outdoor, environmental and sustainable development themes.

Since becoming a consultant, Juliet has been able to continue meeting and exchanging ideas with other professionals in the UK and world-wide. This has included:

• 2008 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship to study Technologies Outdoors
• Playing an active role in the Real World Learning Partnership
• Being a member of the Geography Collective which developed Mission Explore website and books
• A featured member of Children and Nature Network Connect
• Joining Independent Thinking Limited (ITL) as an Associate
• Working closely with Cosy, a Derby-based educational resource company who have a commitment to providing open-ended and flexible resources that are great value for money.

In 2011 Juliet became the first Scottish person to become an International Skogsmulle Leader. She is always willing to answer queries about the Swedish equivalent of "Forest School" and to pass on details about whom to contact in Sweden for more information.

Juliet continues to teach one day per week to ensure she keeps her feet on the ground, her mind fresh and her hands dirty. She undertakes ordinary class cover work but chooses to take the children outside to learn. During 2011-12, she is working in P1, P3 and P6 ASN classes.

Feel free to stop by and say 'Hello' on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. Join the outdoor conversation, wherever you are!