Rowan M (she/her)
Rowan is the oldest member of the team who previously worked in midwifery, health and social care and social farming. She has a lifelong affinity with the natural world and a deep desire to live in a respectful relationship with it. She is now a director of Heartwood, her roles include managerial duties, leading the NHS partnership, workshop lead, and animal and farm care. |
Mim (she/her)
Mim is an ecologist and farmer who first came to work at High Leas when she was 22. She is one of the directors of Heartwood. She has a keen interest in the ecological roles of people in landscapes and leads the work on Land Management at the farm. She also stewards the sheep and cattle and tends the market garden. |
Mary (she/her)
Mary is one of the directors at Heartwood with a background in healthcare. Alongside Rowan, she is involved in developing therapeutic work at the farm. She is an Art Psychotherapist with a special interest in Outdoor Therapy. Mary can be found supporting groups in the forest camp, nurturing their connection to self in the more-than-human world. She loves working with natural materials, and the rhythms/stories of the seasons. You can find out more by looking at her Environmental Arts Therapy groups. She is also able to undertake individual therapy work. Email her personally to enquire on [email protected] |
Karina (she/her)
As a basket weaver and heritage crafts person, Karina has joined the team to share her passion of crafting with natural materials with our visitors. Find her on the farm tending to her flax, or down in the woods crafting around the campfire. Join her at one of our monthly Crafts in the Woods workshops. |
Antony (He/him)
Born and raised in Derbyshire, Antony has been walking the highways and byways of his home county since he was a boy. Always a keen naturalist and birder Antony worked for the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust (where he still volunteers) before starting out as a wildlife guide and beginning Natural Derbyshire Tours (www.naturalderbyshiretours.uk). Antony has been involved at Heartwood since 2022 and is our regular guide for nature based walks on the farm. He is also heading up and co-ordinating much of the wildlife surveying at High Leas. |
Sarah (she/her)
Sarah is a musician, creative therapist and BACP accredited counsellor who runs ‘The Garden’ an outdoor therapy centre near Derby. At Heartwood she has co-facilitated young people’s residentials for the Climate Psychology Alliance and craft, landwork and song workshops as part of the Access Folk research project. At other times she can be found storytelling, writing and singing local history and nature-based songs in response to what is going on at the farm. She loves to sing and play instruments in response to the world. https://sarahhinds.wordpress.com/ |
Rowan H (They/them)
Ro is a land worker, facilitator and therapist. They joined the Heartwood team in 2023 as a facilitator for the Brigstow project - a partnership between Heartwood, local practitioners, and the University of Bristol, to experiment with relearning interdependence with the land. Since then they’ve been working alongside adults and young people at Heartwood in various ways. They are passionate about connecting people to place, and nurturing inter-dependence and reciprocity between human and non-human. |
Sophie (she/her)
Sophie is a local artist who has a small studio space at the farm. She volunteers as part of the management team for Heartwood. Her background includes an Environmental Science BSc, six years working in horticulture, and now she works full time as an artist creating botanical cyanotypes www.blueandgoldbotanics.co.uk. |
The Youth Leadership Group
The Heartwood Youth Leadership Group (YLG) are a group of 18 young people aged between twelve and nineteen who come to the farm for residential visits every season. The YLG together with Action for Conservation and the Heartwood team are creating a vision for the future direction of land based restoration at High Leas Farm. |
Sam and Claire
Claire, Sam, and their two children own High Leas Farm, but farm in partnership with Claire’s parents at Gowbarrow Hall Farm near Ullswater in the Lake District. In 2019 they embarked on a joint venture with Wilderculture CIC to radically regenerate Gowbarrow Hall Farm, and now manage herds of Beef Shorthorn Cattle, Kune Kune Pigs and Fell Ponies. |
Elvy
Elvy was born at the High Leas and has returned here for her senior years. She’s not a fan of new people so you’re unlikely to meet her on your visit. If you do bump into her, she’s very friendly when you get to know her but a bit loud at first. |
Finn
Finn grew up at the farm and works primarily with Mim. He is very friendly and enjoys welcoming guests as well as his daily trip around the livestock to check that all is well. |
The Sheep
The Littlemoor Flock are mainly a mix of Shetland and Icelandic sheep. They are led by their matriarch, Clay, around the fields grazing on the wide array of plants available. They grow long and soft fleeces that are used on craft courses at Heartwood. |
The Cows
The Littlemoor Herd are a group of Shetland cattle led by their matriarch, Blossom. They roam the farm seeking out the best places to browse. They are keystone grazers, helping to keep the grasslands and woodlands in balance and promote biodiversity. |
The Horses
Bernie and Magpie are friendly and charismatic traditional cobs. In addition to being part of our grazing team, they enjoy meeting people and contribute regularly to the therapeutic work on the farm. |
