More Re-wild your Grown-up afternoons

This is an fun outdoor experience for kids and their carers to “Go wild!” and learn more things to do outside.

Anouncing new dates for Re-wild your Grown up afternoons to coincide with Conservation Week and School Holidays:

Kapiti Queen Elizabeth Park

  • Sunday 11 September  1-3.30 pm
  • Wednesday 28 September 1-3.30 pm
  • Saturday 8 October 1-3.30 pm
  • Saturday 15 October 1-3.30pm

A chance for  kids to show their grown ups how to play in the outdoors and enjoy nature

This is an fun outdoor experience for kids and their carers to “Go wild!” and learn more things to do outside. We will explore a local wild place, get messy and experience more fully the wonders of nature. A great chance to get off those screens for a bit and reconnect with yourself, your family and your place.  Meet at the US war memorial Mackays Crossing,Queen Elizabeth Park.  We will be walking for about 20 minutes – a challenge but not impossible with push chairs. 

This event can go ahead in most weathers. Suitable for kids up to 14yrs and their guardians.

Wear appropriate warm clothing and footwear, bring water and snacks.

 

Here is what previous participants said:

“Liana was an enchanting leader of both kids and grown-ups. It was an invigorating afternoon, with everyone leaving with smiles and wild sparkles in their eyes”.

Cost $15 per family.  Numbers are limited for each session.

Bookings via liana.stupples@gmail.com

1 day Re-wilds for frazzled humans

 

IS IT FOR ME?

You already know that a simple thing like a walk on the beach can help you see things differently, relax and recharge. Now, more and more research is revealing how time in nature can help improve your mental and physical wellbeing, manage stress, increase focus and bring joy. These fun and gently challenging micro-adventures will give you new techniques and insights into the power of nature connection. You will find how slowing down in nature reveals new things about the world and about yourself. You do not have to be an outdoor person at all, but you may find that something is calling you to put that device down and come and just be for a while.  You will come away refreshed and with a whole new repertoire of ways to “be in the bush”.

WHAT WILL WE DO?

Each day will be different depending on the delights of the area, the weather and the needs of who turns up. You will be gently guided through activities to open up your senses to nature and to reflect on your own nature; including walking, relaxation, tracking, eating and talking together, a mini solo time to yourself and lots of wandering, making, mooching and general mucking about.  A delicious lunch and hot drinks are provided.  Come on one or both.

 

WHO RUNS IT?

Your guide is Liana Stupples.  She will help you feel relaxed and open to new experiences, and stick beside you as you challenge yourself. She is a person who can find the playful side of most things and she commits to bringing an engaging energy as well as sensitive facilitation skills to every event she runs.  She has a deep love and appreciation of the natural world.  Liana runs a smart and safe programme; she has a MSc in Natural Resource Management, has a strength in eco-psychology theory and practice, holds a Diploma in Outdoor Adventure and is current in advanced first aid.

WHERE IS IT AND HOW DO I GET THERE?

Sun 23 October, Kapiti Coast. Meeting Point: Waikanae train station. Start 10.15 am. Finish 5.00 pm

Sun 06 November, Rimutuka Park. Meeting Point: Petone Train Station. Start 10 am Finish 5.00 pm

Drive or take public transport to the meeting point from where we will ride share to the location.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

There are limited places so book now. Contact Re-wild Yourself by phone 021 154 6034 or email liana.stupples@gmail.com with your name, email and phone contact details and any information about your diet, mobility or health needs.  Further details on location and what to bring are provided after you have booked.

Cost:  $50pp.  If you book more than one day: $45pp. Early Bird $40pp before Sept 18th.

WHAT PAST PARTICIPANTS SAID:

“It was the best fun I have had in a long time. It felt like a treat for the body and for the soul. Now I have a whole new repertoire of ways to nourish and be nourished by nature.”

“Liana was an enchanting leader … It was an invigorating afternoon, with everyone leaving with smiles and wild sparkles in their eyes“.

“Some time out, and a chance to lose time, think and explore. Luxury.”

Ten Reasons to Re-wild Yourself

People ask me “So what is re-wilding and why would you do it to yourself?”

To help answer that question I have put together an infographic with 10 reasons to Re-wild Yourself and some fantastic quotes.  As a start re-wilding is just spending more time aware and part of nature.  There are some great references on the web documenting all the benefits for our health and wellbeing this can bring (e.g. compiled by the BBC and The Centre for Confidence and Wellbeing).  And there is more.  Re-wilding can bring about profound changes in you and in the culture around you.  The more you tune into the patterns of nature the more you will discover about yourself and find new approaches and paths for your life.  Your Re-wild journey will be unique for you but there are techniques and activities that can help you on the way and guides that can support you.

Rewilding is not going back in time to cave “man” days nor cutting yourself off from society; it is tapping into a great source of joy and inspiration, hard lessons and comfort and so much more.  It is about living fully today and being part of making a saner world that means more of us can flourish.

You can download the full infographic here: re-wild 10 reasons

If you want to explore what re-wilding could mean for you get in touch with me, Liana.

 

Liana

Re-wild your Grown Up

In July 2016 I piloted a new family outing experience called Re-wild your Grown-Up.  I was so chuffed to read this write up about the work:

“On a cold rainy day a brave crew of kids rugged up their grown-ups and bought them along to Queen Elizabeth park to teach them how to be wild again. Under the guidance of Liana Stupples kids showed their grown-ups how to play in the outdoors and enjoy nature. Both kids and adults enjoyed reconnecting with their senses, moving quietly along bush paths and creating nests to have some time alone in nature.
Liana was an enchanting leader of both kids and grown-ups. It was an invigorating afternoon, with everyone leaving with smiles and wild sparkles in their eyes”.

Thanks to all the organisers and participants including Kapiti Coast District Council’s Number 8 Wire Week.

Contact me if you would like me to run a Re-wild your Grown-up session near you.

Youth and Loving Nature

?
Fossicking Find on Kapiti island Grandma Crayfish Shell

I spend a lot of time taking young people out into nature, mostly the local kids and scouts.  It could be a full weekend camp or just a night picnic in a local forest.  I do this because I really believe that helping kids know in their bodies the pleasure of being outside will be something that can be with them for the rest of their lives.  Oh and because its an excuse for me to get out too!

Kids and Teens need unstructured, off-line “play” for healthy mental and physical development.  More and more research is emerging about this;  as explained for example, in The Washington Post‘s recent article “Ten ways to help kids fall in love with being outside”.

Here are a three winners from me for all ages:

  • Any version of a hide and seek game – we have an ever morphing game called Mouse and  Karearea which involves being super stealthy and quiet and then intense moments of action, using all the senses and diving head first into bushes.  It always ends with “can we play again?”
  • A mini night solo – sitting on a track spaced about 10 m apart in silence and with your torch off just listening and looking and feeling then sharing about the experience after.  It always grounds and brings more cohesion to a group of kids.
  • Unstructured fossicking – encouraging young people wherever we are to look out for interesting nature things and to celebrate and ask questions about what we find; a dead jellyfish, poo!, a crayfish shell. This encourages curiosity and learning and builds confidence and wonder.

Right, off to organise a midwinter swim….

 

Liana

 

?

Nothing beats mucking about in the river!

Nature Sounds on Song Camp

It was a real priveledge to work with Carol Shortis on her Women's song camp in January.  We spent a weekend at Waiohanga lodge in wonderful company singing, eating great food, swimming in the river and doing a weed walk.  I helped run an evening singing session amongst the trees and ran a few non singing challenges as well; group juggling and tightrope walking no less!

 

outdoor adventures and nature connection on song campDSC06450

 

The highlight for me was leading a sounds of nature session where we first tuned into listening to each other to solve a knotty rope problem and then a relaxing and focussing experience in listening to nature and then walking through nature together in silence.  We all noticed so much more and when we broke our silence and talked together afterwards about our experience, many said how moving that was for them.

Thanks Carol and Juli for including me.