Meet the team: Julie

1 min read

Oct 08 2025

Our next spotlight for Meet the Team is shining on Julie, our Senior Nature Connection Facilitator. Julie has been at Belmont for over two years, helping thousands of people reconnect with the natural world through her compassion and guidance. Interested in organic farming, nature writing and an excellent baker, let’s learn more about Julie.

Can you tell us a bit about your background? How did your journey to Belmont begin?

I didn’t start off doing outdoor learning or outdoor work, I managed my husband’s photographic studio for a long time. My own children didn’t enjoy school particularly, and I was looking for ways for children to engage with the outdoors that wasn’t formal learning. I trained in therapeutic horticulture, as well as forest school and early years training, which led me to understand the benefits of being outdoors. Prior to this I worked at a city farm for ten years doing an outdoor learning programme. There was a lot of cooking with the children, and finding out where food came from made me really interested in farming. The area surrounding the farm became really built up and I wanted children to have more freedom, which led me to Belmont.

What inspired you to join the Belmont team?

I wanted to continue to allow children to have a connection with nature. I think it’s important, especially for our future if everybody is involved. A big passion of mine is how the outdoors can help peoples’ wellbeing, alongside what I can personally do to make some sort of difference. Belmont is a special place; it gives opportunities that a lot of people don’t have in their lives. The fact that it’s happening so near to a city is vital for accessibility that wouldn’t be there otherwise.

Tell us about your Role and what excites you most about it?

I’m the Senior Nature Connection Facilitator and I think I have the best job because I get to take children and adults outdoors. The joy you see on people faces when they’re really engaged is just inspiring. I contact and invite schools, families, and organisations to Watercress Farm. What’s especially nice at Belmont is that we’ve rewilded the experience; we allow people to connect in the way they want, the experience informed by whatever level works for them. I think the biggest pleasure is seeing how joyful children become by the smallest things that as adults we tend to overlook.

The excitement that comes from seeing a spider’s web, or a grasshopper, or children who have never seen cows before; it’s a real privilege. We have a whole spectrum of children that visit, for quite a few they live without any outdoor space in their lives.

When you’re not at work, where would we find you?

In the woods. I’ve got a small bit of woodland off-grid, which is where I spend most of my time.

What inspires you? Do you have a favourite book or music that resonates with you?

I read a huge number of books about nature. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a fantastic book, and she’s recently brought out one called The Service Berry, which is about the service economy, I found it thought provoking. I really like a podcast called ‘The Great Simplification’ because it discusses all the different ways that we could deal with the challenges that we’re facing.

Do you have a favourite spot on the estate?

I don’t spend a huge amount of time at the main Estate. Down at Watercress Farm, I do a sit spot at the back of the woods. You often get to see the deer and wildlife that you don’t get when you’re surrounded by a large number of noisy children.

What’s something you’d love to accomplish in the future?

I’m quite old so I feel like I’ve accomplished lots of the things I’ve set myself. I really would like to go and live somewhere wild for a year. Could be in this country, or Scotland or Wales, but I would like to live remotely.