LUKE FUNNELL

DIRECTOR & FOUNDER OF PROJECT REWILD.

Luke has worked as an outdoor instructor and facilitator for over 15 years, leading transformative woodland projects for children, teenagers, and adults. He is qualified as an Advanced Level Bushcraft and Survival Instructor, Health and Social Care Worker, Teacher, and Forest School Leader. He has over 25 years of experience as a youth worker in schools, residential homes, and the community, all within his hometown of Hastings.

Over the past 10 years, Luke has trained extensively in deep ecology, nature connection, and nature philosophy. Much of his training and mentorship are from the lineage of Tom Brown Jr., founder of the Tracker School. This school teaches people from around the world how to connect with the Earth through survival skills, tracking, and traditional medicine. He has also studied and trained in ethnobotany and woodland management.

Luke’s teaching approach is closely aligned with the ‘Coyote’ method of nature connection, mentorship and storytelling. However, his methods also reflect a rich amalgamation of skills and experience gained through decades of working directly with young people in a variety of settings.

“Project Rewild has been a lifetime in the making. From my early experiences and love of nature, I grew up in Hollington (Hastings). I would play for hours in the woods. We had no money, so we just played outside, and I am so grateful for that.

As an adult, I have worked for years with some of the most vulnerable young people in my community. I quickly realised that the most profound changes happened when working with people in nature. I care deeply about my hometown and its people.

I created Project Rewild to give everyone these experiences in nature. It has to be accessible to everyone—not just those who can afford it or already have access to these spaces.

My personal journey in connecting with the land has been nothing short of life-changing. My training and experience have helped to ground my overwhelming passion and desire to help others feel and connect with their own true wild nature. For me, there is nothing more pressing, nothing more important, than remembering that we are part of nature and not separate from it. Our very survival as a species depends on it.”