ABOUT US - MEET THE GREENBOW TEAM

Patrick Harrison

Due to unforeseen medical reasons, Patrick Harrison - founder of Greenbow, has been unable to train with us since September 2019. He is in recovery and is doing well - working hard to getting back to where he belongs - in the Great Outdoors.

We, his UK partners, Richard Skrein and Maria Sprostranova, continue to support all trainees from 2019 onwards in London and endeavour to pass on that Greenbow magic he so beautifully created.

Maria Sprostranova

Maria’s journey began in a multicultural English-Bulgarian-Swiss-Macedonian family.  Her interest in different cultures and relationships developed very early.  

After graduating with a BA Hons in European Politics and Culture with International Relations in 2001 – she pursued her interest in people and travelling, immersing herself in various cultures around the world. She then embarked on a corporate career in Marketing and International Business Development – and the stresses of the business world became only too familiar.

The turning point for her was in 2008 as Maria embraced parenting, and her reconnection with nature (inspired by her own childhood in Bulgaria) was ignited.  After her son was born, she retrained as a Primary School Teacher and obtained a postgraduate degree in Education with a French specialism.  In her first year of teaching, she also trained as a Forest School Leader.

Since 2010, Maria has worked in education and has extended her expertise and experience to reconnecting all – small and big, with nature! Maria has stood as Council Member of ‘The Wild Network’, backbone to the award winning documentary ‘PROJECT WILD THING’ since 2013 and continues to be involved in an Advisory and Consultancy position with many leading green initiatives locally, nationally and internationally.

In 2014 Maria worked with Patrick Harrison in setting up a Greenbow Forest School Leader Training at Ham Lands (Richmond) where over 200 new Leaders have been trained.  She has extensive experience working with Nurseries, Primary and Secondary schools, Youth Centres and Universities, advising on and delivering Forest School for all ages.

Richard Skrein

Richard can be found in woodlands across Europe and the UK and is an experienced educational professional with an enduring passion for outdoor education. He worked for many years in the classroom as a primary school teacher before swapping four walls for the magic of natural environments. Richard has a profound understanding of the theoretical and pedagogical underpinnings of Forest School, and the ways in which it can complement and work alongside mainstream education.

Along with his role as a trainer at Greenbow, Richard works as a facilitator and consultant with forest schools, charities, schools and community groups - helping develop and deliver programmes that get people of all ages back into the great outdoors.

A born Londoner, Richard has recently returned from a decade living in Catalunya, where he worked hard to spread the Forest School approach in Spain and beyond - both through the Level 3 trainings Greenbow have delivered there to the many programs he set up.

Happiest when in the open air, Richard is also a Beach School practitioner and loves scampering around rock pools and sharing the wonder of coastlines with learners.

Richard is particularly passionate about making Forest School and its many benefits accessible to marginalised and underprivileged communities. He believes deeply in the power of the outdoors to educate, nurture, inspire and heal.