Our Wildlings crew are highly experienced & passionate about all things play!
Nature play, risky play, adventurous play, and especially a child's right to play.
NICKI FARRELL | Co-Founder & Director of Forest School
Bachelor of Education - English & HPE
(Middle and Secondary School)
Diploma in Outdoor Recreation
Cert 4 in Environmental Tourism
Cert 4 in Training and Assessing
Level 3 Forest School Leader
First Aid in an Education Setting, CPR, Anaphylaxis, Asthma
Current Blue Card
Nicki is available as a guest speaker and to run workshops and consultations Australia wide.
Raised on a farm in remote South Australia, Nicki's favourite childhood memories are of family camping trips, climbing trees, hiding amongst wool bales and rock-hopping over rock pools.
Accidentally stumbling across the respectful/attachment parenting philosophy shortly after having her first child, enabled Nicki to begin to trust her child's innate curiosity and insatiable appetite to learn through play, which in turn led the family down the rabbit hole of alternative education options.
Nicki's passions and expertise lie in outdoor recreation, educating educators, creating community connections, ecological literacy, environmental protection and stewardship, and ensuring diversity and alternatives in our education systems to better prepare our children for an uncertain future.
VICCI OLIVER | Co-Founder & Director of Beach School
Bachelor of Science (Marine Biology and Ecotourism)
Graduate Diploma of Education
(Middle and Secondary School)Level 3 Forest School Leader
Intro to Forest School
First Aid in an Education Setting, CPR, Anaphylaxis and Asthma
Current Blue Card
Vicci is available as a guest speaker and to run workshops and consultations Australia wide.
The ocean has always been home for Vicci. Living in South East Queensland has been the perfect backdrop for a life of adventure chasing dolphins and whales on a mission to spread a love for the natural world.
After spending a few years teaching in traditional schools, Vicci's world was soon opened to alternative models of learning, particularly the Forest School philosophy, after the birth of her first daughter. The philosophy embodied many of Vicci's own lifestyle values and seemed to be the perfect blend of world-schooling and wild-schooling.
Vicci's passions and expertise lie in marine education, respectful communication, child empowerment and educational freedom of choice.
SUNSHINE COAST TEAM
ALYCIA KILPATRICK | Sunshine Coast Manager
Certificate 4 in Outdoor Education
Wilderness First Aid & CPR
Current Blue Card
Alycia is available to run Bush Kindy incursions across the Sunshine Coast.
After first stepping into the Wildlings forest in 2020, Alycia felt an immediate and lasting connection to the community. Her path with young people has spanned the globe, leading experiential travel programs focused on cultural immersion and community service, with projects ranging from social initiatives to wildlife rehabilitation to reforestation. Through those experiences, she came to believe that the most meaningful growth happens when we step out of the classroom and into the wild.
LINDSEY KEKWICK | Sunshine Coast Manager (on Maternity Leave)
Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Management and Protection
Intro to Bush Kindy, Beach Kindy and Forest Schooling Certificate
First Aid in an Education Setting, CPR, Anaphylaxis and Asthma
Current Blue Card
A California native raised in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Lindsey graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Environmental Management and Protection. She has led environmental education initiatives across California, New Zealand, and Australia, and found her true calling at Wildlings, where she fosters stewardship and connection between children and the natural world. A lifelong learner, nature advocate, and devoted cat person — spiders firmly excluded.
BRISBANE TEAM
EVA HANNA | Brisbane Manager
First Aid (incl. CPR)
Current Blue Card
Cert 3 in Diploma in Outdoor Leadership
Eva is available to run Bush Kindy incursions across the Brisbane region.
Eva has spent years working with children across childcare, camping expeditions, and outdoor play groups, with every role deepening her belief that children thrive when free to explore, take risks, and follow their own curiosity. Her creativity and natural warmth mean kids gravitate toward her, often ending up in spontaneous bouts of skipping, singing, and play. To Eva, guiding children back to the magic of the natural world isn't just a job. It's her purpose.
SARA TURNBULL | Brisbane Manager (on Maternity Leave)
Cert 4 in Outdoor Recreation
Forest School Leader
First Aid in an Education Setting (incl. CPR, Anaphylaxis & Asthma)
Current Blue Card
Sara is the backbone of Wildlings Brisbane, working across both administration and on-the-ground programs as Assistant Manager. Families love her for her patience, kindness, and empathetic way with children, and she brings that same warmth to every term and holiday program she runs. Currently studying Outdoor Recreation, Sara is always bringing fresh knowledge to the team. When she's not in the field, you'll find her exploring a new nature spot on weekends with her beloved dogs in tow.