Highly-skilled and qualified facilitators are here to help children achieve full spectrum human potential.

Meet the Mentors

At Wise Earth Bush School, our mentors blend expertise, heart and hands-on wisdom.
Each brings years of experience in wilderness education, social and practical learning, emotional intelligence, and creative mentoring, guiding children through a journey of curiosity, courage and connection.

We are facilitators of nature-based learning and human development, committed to nurturing the whole child, their confidence, character and sense of belonging.

With integrity and care, we meet every learner where they are, supporting both their inner world and their outer adventures during this formative season of growth.


  • Rafaela is an educator and environmental scientist whose approach has been shaped by her childhood in Eritrea and Sweden, Scandinavian outdoor culture, Scouts, and years of working alongside children and families.

    She co-founded Wise Earth to bring learning into relationship with the real world where academics sit alongside nature, practical skills, movement, creativity and responsibility.

    Qualifications & Training

    • Bachelor of Education

    • Master’s in Environmental Science

    • International Marketing

    • Forest School Leader Training — Levels 1 & 2

    • Waldorf Education Certification

    • Wilderness First Aid

    • Doula & Midwifery Studies

    • Swedish Scouts Silvervargen (Silver Wolf) recipient

    Rafaela believes education should develop more than knowledge, it should grow capable, curious and resilient young people who know how to care for themselves, others and the world around them.


  • Matty is a craftsman, mentor and co-founder of Wise Earth, bringing more than two decades of professional carpentry and construction experience into the Bush School and Skill School programs.

    Raised near Bronte Beach and living in the Northern Rivers since 2014, his approach has been shaped by a life spent building, surfing and learning outdoors.

    At Wise Earth, Matty guides children from idea to finished product, using real tools, materials and challenges to develop practical capability, problem-solving and confidence.

    Experience & Training

    • 20+ years in professional carpentry & residential construction

    • Woodworking, carving & tool safety

    • Shelter building, fire craft & practical bush skills

    • Surf Rescue Certificate (SRC)

    • Bronze Medallion

    • Wilderness First Aid

    • HLTAID012 — Provide First Aid in an Education and Care Setting

    • CPR — refreshed annually

    • Ocean awareness, rip currents & water safety

    • Practical project design & mentorship

    Through craftsmanship, children encounter maths, measurement, physics, design and problem-solving in their natural habitat: something real that needs to be figured out.

    Matty believes children grow in confidence when they are trusted with meaningful work, learning to use their hands, solve problems, persist through mistakes and experience the satisfaction of becoming genuinely capable.


  • Zoe is an experienced children’s program coordinator and mentor with more than a decade working alongside children, families and educator teams.

    Her background spans OSHC leadership, nature-based programming and educational program design, alongside ongoing studies in holistic counselling, somatic practice and communication. At Wise Earth, Zoe brings a beautiful balance of structure and sensitivity, helping create environments where children feel supported, capable and known.

    Experience & Training

    • 10+ years working with school-aged children

    • OSHC Coordination & Team Leadership

    • Nature-Based Program Design

    • School Garden & Outdoor Learning Programs

    • Certificate IV in Holistic Counselling

    • Certificate in Somatic Trauma Therapy

    • Effective Communication Training

    • HLTAID012 — First Aid in an Education & Care Setting

    • Anaphylaxis & Asthma Management

    • Working With Children Check

    Zoe brings calm leadership, relational awareness and genuine care for children, helping hold both the people and the practical pieces that allow a day at Wise Earth to unfold well.


  • Stuie is a youth worker, wildlife activist, arborist and gardener with more than 30 years of involvement in environmental advocacy and the protection of Australia’s native forests and wildlife.

    Originally from Victoria, his experience spans forest conservation, arboriculture, land care, bush skills and working alongside young people. At Wise Earth, he turns that knowledge into adventures that invite children to look closer, ask questions and understand the living systems around them.

    Experience & Training

    • Youth Work

    • 30+ years Environmental & Wildlife Advocacy

    • Arboriculture & Tree Care

    • Gardening & Land Stewardship

    • Bush Survival & Native Food Knowledge

    • Timber, Tools & Practical Craft

    • Circus, Balance & Coordination

    • HLTAID012 — First Aid in an Education & Care Setting

    • Working With Children Check

    Whether investigating a forest, identifying bush foods, building wildlife habitat or bringing out the circus gear, Stuie has a gift for making knowledge come alive.

    He brings Wise Earth a rare combination of ecological knowledge, practical capability, playfulness and genuine care for young people and the living world.

  • Liv is an early childhood educator and outdoor mentor who works across nature-based children’s programs throughout the Northern Rivers and into Queensland.

    Currently studying acupuncture, she brings a growing understanding of movement, wellbeing, the body and the natural world. Her approach is playful and grounded, helping children build confidence in their bodies and connection to the environments around them.

    Experience & Training

    • Early Childhood Education

    • Acupuncture Studies — Current

    • Therapeutic Nature Play Training

    • Nature Connection Training — Kombumerri Country, Gold Coast

    • Outdoor & Nature-Based Children’s Programs

    • Movement, Play & Body Awareness

    • HLTAID012 — First Aid in an Education & Care Setting

    • Working With Children Check

    Liv brings movement, play and nature connection together, helping children grow in body awareness, confidence and wellbeing outdoors.


  • Liv is a forestry graduate, craftswoman and avid outdoorswoman who brings together an understanding of forests with a remarkable ability to make things by hand.

    A hiker and trekker at heart, Liv is most at home outdoors. At Wise Earth, she helps children slow down, notice the details of the landscapes around them and turn natural materials, ideas and practical skills into something of their own.

    Experience & Training

    • Degree in Forestry

    • Craft, Making & Creative Practice

    • Forest Ecology & Land Knowledge

    • Hiking, Trekking & Outdoor Experience

    • HLTAID012 — First Aid in an Education & Care Setting

    • Working With Children Check

    Liv brings a beautiful combination of ecological knowledge, creativity and practical skill, helping children discover that careful observation and capable hands can take an idea a very long way.


  • Amber is an early childhood educator whose work with children has taken her from coast to coast across Australia.

    Her approach is gentle, responsive and deeply relationship-led. Amber takes the time to build trust and rapport, supporting younger children to find their feet, grow in confidence and explore the world around them at their own pace.

    Experience & Training

    • Early Childhood Education

    • Extensive experience working with children across Australia

    • Relationship & Rapport-Based Practice

    • Play-Based & Child-Led Learning

    • HLTAID012 — First Aid in an Education & Care Setting

    • Working With Children Check

    Amber brings a calm presence, gentle encouragement and genuine respect for early childhood, creating the kind of safety from which confidence, curiosity and independence can grow.


  • Elliot is a teacher and traditional bushcraft and wilderness survival specialist who joins Wise Earth for selected School Holiday programs.

    With teaching experience in remote areas of Australia, Elliot brings real-world knowledge of Australian environments, traditional bushcraft, navigation and wilderness preparedness. He teaches children to think clearly, work with what is available and understand the priorities that matter when things don't go to plan outdoors.

    A framework Elliot uses is PLAN:

    • Protection — shelter, clothing and protection from the elements

    • Location — understanding when staying put is the safest choice

    • Acquisition — sourcing safe water and basic sustenance

    • Navigation — using natural indicators and basic tools to establish direction

    Experience & Training

    • Teacher with experience in remote Australian communities

    • Traditional Bushcraft & Survival Skills

    • Wilderness Safety & Emergency Preparedness

    • Navigation & Natural Wayfinding

    • Advanced First Aid Training

    • Working With Children Check

    Elliot helps turn wilderness skills into something deeper than “survival” and rather teaching children to stay calm, assess what matters, make sound decisions and become increasingly capable in the Australian outdoors.

Wise Earth → Administration & Online Support

The Administration Team at Wise Earth is dedicated to creating and sustaining seamless experiences for our families and community.


  • Maya is one of the friendly hands behind Wise Earth, helping families navigate everything from first enquiries and enrolments to bookings, accounts and the practical details of joining us. With a background in Family Services and a Master’s degree in Counselling, she brings experience, warmth and a steady hand to family communication, especially when something needs a little more care.

    Maya can help with

    • Enrolments & bookings

    • Trials & program enquiries

    • Accounts & invoices

    • Hunti support

    • Term & holiday program details

    • Family support & communication

    Maya helps keep the practical pieces moving so our mentors can stay present with the children, and Raffy and Matty can make space for the conversations with families that genuinely need their attention.