Exploring Natural Connections with Light, Reflection and Shadow

Nicole Halton – Co-founder/director of Inspired EC and educational consultant
Nicole Halton has been a proud member and advocate of the early childhood profession for over 13 years. Nicole is particularly passionate about the provision of quality early childhood services and children having the right to a childhood filled with risk, adventure and fun. 

From 2005 to 2012, Nicole was the director of Woodrising Community Preschool and Child Care Centre, a service that has developed a strong reputation for its commitment to natural play environments and authentic experiences for children. During her leadership the centre was one of the first services to be assessed under the National Quality Standards and achieved the rating of 'Exceeding'.  

In 2007 Nicole and her business partner Natashja Treveton spent countless hours discussing the need for inspiring professional development in their local area and, as a result, founded their educational training and consultancy business, Inspired EC. Their passion and enthusiasm in their beliefs have allowed the company as well as the services they offer to develop and expand and to ‘inspire’ thousands of educators Australia wide.

 

Tash Treveton – Co-founder/managing director of Inspired EC and educational consultant
Natashja Treveton feels strongly about children's rights to a REAL childhood, of imaginative play in open-ended environments. She is particularly passionate about children connecting with nature and she is focused towards those areas. 

Tash began as an untrained casual 14 years ago, studied and gained experience through to being a service director as well as an educational leader of Woodrising Community Preschool & CCC in Newcastle, NSW. This became one of the first centres to gain an ‘Exceeding the National Standards’ level in the current rating system in the area. 

In 2007 Tash and her business partner Nicole Halton spent countless hours discussing the need for inspiring professional development in their local area and, as a result, founded their educational training and consultancy business, Inspired EC. Their passion and enthusiasm in their beliefs have allowed the company as well as the services they offer to develop and expand and to ‘inspire’ thousands of educators Australia wide.

Tash is passionate and enthusiastic about anything related to children’s wellbeing and supporting adults to develop this. She has a particular interest in creating naturalistic playgrounds for children and communities and likes nothing more than getting in there and digging creek beds or creating fairy gardens.
 

Niki Buchan is CEO and owner of Natural Learning Educational Consultancy. She has lived and worked in South Africa, Australia and is now based in Scotland. She works internationally as a conference keynote speaker, nature pedagogue, mentor and author having been invited to work in Australia, UK, USA, Canada, Iceland, Sweden, South Korea, China, Norway, Denmark and South Africa. She has developed a reputation as a strong advocate for children’s right to a high-quality childhood with a deep concern about children’s mental health and trauma.

Niki trusts children as being capable and competent, respects their ability to know what they need for their development including assessing and taking risks. She has a great love for the outdoors and has been working with both adults and young children in very consultative, naturalistic and sensorial environments both indoors and outdoors for more than 40 years. She believes children have a right to regular access to nature and to have their voices heard in matters that affect them.