Nature Space Design & Consultancy
Creating natural spaces for play, learning, wellbeing and connection
Nature Base provides consultancy, co-design and project support for organisations looking to create or develop Forest School sites, outdoor learning environments, natural play spaces and community green playful spaces.
My work brings together over 16 years of experience working directly with children and families, alongside specialist knowledge in Forest School, outdoor wellbeing, therapeutic practice, inclusive play and community engagement.
Rather than starting with equipment, I start with the people who will use the space.
How will children move through it?
Where will they gather, climb, balance, create and explore?
What helps a child feel safe enough to stay and play?
How can nature, planting, sensory experiences and open-ended materials become part of the design?
And how can the space work for a wide range of children, families and communities?
The aim is to create spaces that feel natural, welcoming and purposeful — environments that support play, connection, confidence, regulation, imagination and a sense of belonging.
What I can support you with
Nature Base can provide support at different stages of a project, from an initial site visit and ideas session through to ongoing consultancy and project management.
This can include:
Site visits and initial ideas
Forest School and outdoor learning site development
Natural play and nature-based play spaces
Coordinate a multidisciplinary team of practitioners, specialists and stakeholders
Community green spaces and housing developments
Play-on-the-way and small-scale play interventions
Sensory and wellbeing spaces
SEND and neurodiversity-aware design considerations
Reviewing how children and families may use a space in practice
Child, family and community consultation
Co-design workshops
Developing concepts and design briefs
Reviewing proposed plans from a play and practitioner perspective
Natural materials, loose parts and play feature ideas
Planting, biodiversity and opportunities for connection with nature
Supporting the development of risk assessments and benefit–risk assessments
Liaising with suppliers, contractors and other professionals
Supporting collaboration between organisations, designers, contractors, practitioners and communities
Project coordination and project management through the development process
My role can sit alongside architects, landscape designers, engineers, contractors, playground specialists and organisational teams, bringing an additional child-development, play, inclusion and practitioner perspective into the process.
From first ideas to delivery
Some organisations need a fresh pair of eyes and practical recommendations. Others need support to develop a whole concept and carry it through.
Nature Base can be involved in whichever part of the journey is most useful.
Site Review & Ideas
A site visit exploring how an existing or proposed space could better support outdoor learning, play, nature connection or wellbeing.
This may include discussion around:
layout and flow
natural features
movement and physical challenge
sensory opportunities
quiet and retreat spaces
accessibility
planting and biodiversity
materials and loose parts
opportunities for water, sand, mud and open-ended play
how the space is likely to work in everyday use
A written summary and recommendations can be provided following the visit.
Concept & Co-Design
For organisations wanting to create a new space or rethink an existing one.
This can include:
consultation with children, families, staff or community members
co-design workshops
developing themes and ideas
translating consultation into practical design priorities
supporting the development of a design brief
reviewing early concepts and proposed layouts
helping retain the needs and voices of users throughout the design process
Project Consultancy & Management
For larger projects, Nature Base can provide ongoing consultancy and project coordination as a project moves from ideas into delivery.
This may include:
attending meetings
reviewing plans
liaising with contractors and suppliers
supporting material and feature choices
helping maintain the original vision
bringing consultation findings back into decision-making
supporting practical problem-solving as the project develops
coordinating between stakeholders where needed
The aim is to help ensure the finished space continues to reflect how it was intended to be used — not simply how it looks on a plan.
A child-centred approach to design
One of the most valuable parts of my work is being able to bring what I see through direct practice into the design process.
Working regularly with children and families means observing how people actually use outdoor environments.
You begin to notice:
where children naturally gather
what they repeatedly return to
what they climb, balance on or move between
where imaginative play develops
where adults naturally sit and stay
which spaces feel overwhelming
what helps children regulate
what creates barriers
what enables children with different sensory, communication and physical needs to take part
That lived experience can add something very different to a project.
Good natural play does not always require a traditional playground.
Sometimes it is a water source, a fallen tree, boulders, planting, a willow structure, logs to balance along, a quiet place to retreat or a series of playful features encountered along a route.
The aim is to create environments that invite children to explore, imagine, move, take appropriate risks, connect with nature and make the space their own.
Nature spaces can be big or small
Not every project needs to become a full playground.
A meaningful nature-based intervention might be:
a water pump or water channel
a sand area
logs or boulders for balancing
a fallen tree
sensory planting
a mud kitchen
willow structures
a gathering circle
a quiet sensory space
a natural trail through an estate or green space
small play features incorporated along a walkway
open-ended materials that encourage children to create their own play
This can be particularly useful for schools, housing developments, community spaces, churches and organisations that have limited room but want to make better use of the outdoor environment they already have.
Recent project: Coronation Park Nature Area
Nature Base led the working-group and co-design process for the new Nature Area at Coronation Park, Jersey.
The project involved working alongside Government teams, engineers, practitioners and specialist partners, while continually bringing the voices and ideas gathered through consultation with children and young people back into the developing design.
The space incorporates natural and open-ended play opportunities including sand, logs, boulders, sensory planting, gathering spaces, climbing and balancing opportunities and nature-based features in a public park setting.
A key part of the process was ensuring that the project remained connected to the way children actually play and use space — including opportunities for movement, imagination, sensory exploration, appropriate risk and quieter moments of retreat.
Explore the Coronation Park Nature Area project https://www.naturebase.je/projects-co-design
Consultancy & project support
Every project is different, so support can be tailored to the size, stage and complexity of the development.
Initial consultation / site visit
From £60 per hour
Ideal for organisations wanting initial ideas, advice or a professional perspective on an existing or proposed space.
Site review & written recommendations
Quoted according to the size of the site and the level of detail required.
This can include a site visit followed by a written summary of ideas, priorities and suggested next steps.
Co-design & consultation
Bespoke quotation depending on the project requirements.
This may include work with children, families, staff or community members, with findings translated into practical design recommendations.
Ongoing project consultancy / project management
Available at an hourly, half-day, full-day or project rate depending on the scope of work.
For larger projects, I can provide a clear proposal outlining anticipated stages, deliverables and costs before work begins.
Risk, safety and professional responsibility
Nature Base provides recommendations from an outdoor learning, play, wellbeing and practitioner perspective and can support the development of risk assessments, benefit–risk assessments and practical approaches to managing risk within outdoor and natural play environments.
Where appropriate, Nature Base can also liaise with suppliers, contractors, designers and other professionals to help ensure the intended use and original vision of a space are carried through into delivery.
Final responsibility for construction specifications, statutory compliance, formal health and safety requirements and approval of risk assessments remains with the client and the appropriately qualified professionals appointed to the project.
For public play spaces, independent inspection by a suitably qualified playground inspector is recommended as part of the development and sign-off process.
Who I work with
Nature Base can support:
schools and nurseries
housing providers
community organisations
charities
churches
government and public-sector teams
developers
landscape and design teams
organisations managing green or outdoor spaces
Whether the starting point is a woodland, school grounds, housing estate, church grounds, community green space or simply an underused corner with potential, the process can begin with a conversation and a walk around the site.
Let’s talk about your space
If you are exploring how to create a more natural, playful, inclusive or therapeutic outdoor environment, I would be happy to discuss what might be possible.
Contact Nature Base to arrange an initial conversation or site visit sophie@naturebase.je
