Who we are

Clare Smith

Director - project manager - forest school leader (she/her)

Moving to Bridport with my one-year-old, over ten years ago, opened nature up to me in brand new ways. I learned to grow food in my garden and discovered a creative local community doing wonderful things. I have been on my journey connecting with nature ever since.

I like being in the wild - it helps me thrive. What I love about forest school, both the ethos and the practice, is that it brings together my growing love for nature with something I had already been involved with for decades as an international development worker - the wellbeing of people.

I started Thriving Wild as a way of taking forward my forest school practice after qualifying as a leader in 2019. I’m passionate about nature and the forest school ethos and am fascinated by the journey of learning about this amazing process that is both behind me and ahead of me. My motivation is to help create spaces that give people of all stages and walks of life the chance to breathe more freely, feel more themselves, and develop a relationship with nature on their own terms.

I completed my Level 3 Forest School and Beach Teach training through Dorset Forest School. I’m enhanced DBS checked and hold forest school first aid and designated safeguarding lead certificates.

Georgia Woollard

Director - forest school leader - wellbeing lead (she/her)

Nick Phillips

Co-runs Monday home ed older group - forest school leader (in training) (he/him)

I’m Nick Phillips (also known as Mushroom Nick), a mushroom grower, nature educator, workshop facilitator, and founder of Grown Up Mushrooms in Chideock. I have a deep respect for the role fungi play in our ecosystems, particularly their connection to forests and the wider natural world — something I believe we can learn so much from.

I’m passionate about inspiring a new generation of nature lovers and foragers. As part of that journey, I’m currently training to become a forest school leader and have been fortunate to connect with Thriving Wild along the way.

Through hands-on experiences and storytelling, I help both children and adults discover the important roles that flora and fungi play within woodland ecosystems. My foraging and wild food courses also focus on understanding tree and mushroom identification, as well as their place in the woodland lifecycle.

With over 15 years of foraging experience, I’ve been leading courses for the past 6 years and have had the opportunity to work with organisations such as River Cottage, Symondsbury Estate, and the National Trust.

Having grown up in West Dorset, I feel a strong connection to this landscape. I’m passionate about living responsibly on the land and hope to help nurture a new generation that will care for and respect these places for years to come. My approach encourages people to slow down, observe closely, and reflect on how we fit into the wider web of life.

Jo Clarke

Co-runs Thursday home ed younger group (assistant)

Raja Jarrah

Director - session helper (he/him) - climate change schools project lead

I am passionate about the environment, and I have a professional background in climate change. These things matter more and more to children these days and I value being able to help them on their journey of discovery and understanding about protecting nature. I am woodworker and am very practical in nature and can turn my hand to most things.

I work at the Bank of Dreams and Nightmares helping children create stories and am also a keen storyteller and song writer. Working with Thriving Wild helps me bring together all these skills and interests in unexpectedly wonderful ways.

Max Cantrall

Nature lover and volunteer - (he/him)

I am an enthusiastic young nature-lover, at my happiest outside in the wild. I have a good sense of humour, and try to bring a sense of fun to everything I do. I have a very keen general interest in Ecology, my main area of study being Entomology.

I spent 2 years at Kingston Maurward College, and achieved my Level 3 Advanced Extended Diploma in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (Triple Merit).

Prior to joining the team here at Thriving Wild, I was (and still am) a volunteer with the Allington Hillbillies. For about 10 years, I have enjoyed sharing my knowledge and expertise with other young people as a (now very well-established) helper at their Nature Club.

I am really happy to now be part of the diverse, vibrant and energetic Forest School team, so perfectly named Thriving Wild. I have been able to continue to enjoy sharing my knowledge and experience of the outside world with others, and to further develop my skills supporting and engaging with young people in an educational setting.

I have been volunteering here since the autumn, and it has been a thoroughly enriching experience so far. The environment, the activities and the people are all lovely, and I hope to be thriving wildly for some time.

Sarah Churchill

Director (she/her) - whistleblowing lead

I am a Forest School teacher, Pilates teacher and Way of Council facilitator. I have spent the last 10 years working within the field of nature connection, mentoring, eco-therapy and rites of passage, either 1-2-1 or in groups with adults, families and young people of all ages. I have been on the team of several organisations working outdoors, as well as running my own wellness programme for young people at my space in Bridport, where I teach Pilates and hold community circles.

I am currently studying to be a counsellor, with a specific interest in working with young people. I also work as a Mental Health Practitioner at Bridport Community Front Room, supporting adults in mental health crisis and need. I am passionate about building community and connecting people with nature, encouraging others to develop a sense of belonging to place, facilitating a rewilding of ourselves and the natural world in the process.

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