About The Eco Retreat

Founded in 2020, The Eco Retreat (TER) began as a search for a more nature-based way of being. In early 2026, that dream found its home on the Boonah farm. Here, amidst the misty foothills of the Otways, we are cultivating a retreat for land-based living, contemplative and creative practice, organic farming and rewilding.

Meet Marion & Richard

Marion and Richard are the founders of The Eco Retreat project and the stewards of Boonah farm. Their journeys began in regional farming communities. Marion's in remote Tasmania and Richard's in the Adelaide Hills. Lewis (our dog) is also helping out on the land.

Marion has worked as a coach, counsellor and mindfulness teacher (MBSR) for over 20 years and is certified Eco-therapist. She is a graduate of the environmental leader program with Port Phillip Eco Centre. She's a mixed media, studio artist and studying arts therapy. In her facilitation approach and art, Marion weaves together ancient spiritual wisdom from the east and west, including Eco-Dharma, early Celtic folk-lore and soul-centred depth psychology. You can learn more about Marion's work here or attend one of her events.

Richard, Marion's husband, is a leading sustainability technologist and co-founder at a SaaS climate technology company, helping the international built environment transition toward decarbonisation. He is passionate about humanity’s shift to a more sustainable world and advocates for mindfulness and compassion in all aspects of his work and life. Richard is keen to support green investment, as well as focusing on the TER project with organisational know how, landcare, trail making, permaculture, wood crafting and community building.

Our Approach and Vision

There is a growing need for climate resilience and localised systems, village mindedness, human creative expression and wise action. We are grateful to be alive at this pivotal moment in history, to co-create meaningful experiences and ignite projects that connect us and the next generations to real hope. We aim to foster a land-based community by offering support and connection through nature-based retreats, creative workshop, insight meditation and spiritual contemplation to navigate the challenges of our time with resilience and care.

The World Health Organisation has highlighted climate change as the biggest health threat of the modern age, and the accompanying mental health epidemic among young people is a clear signal that existing cultural model and it's system is failing us. During periods of profound cultural or ecological upheaval much like this AI era we now live, retreat locations functioned as vital repositories of deep knowledge, keeping stories, arts, literacy, and spiritual insight alive when the outer world was fracturing. We aim to equip individuals and communities with the skills to foster transformation and deep connection necessary to build an adaptive, life-sustaining culture.

A Shift Towards Reciprocal Relationship

We believe that individual well-being cannot be separated from the health of our soil, rivers, communities or our culture. The earth and our bodies are one living organism and when we embody this reality we can listen more deeply to the signals necessary for adaption and growth. In a time of systemic breakdown, we choose to focus on localised community, support and hope. Our project is an invitation to move away from an ego-centric mindset toward one of reciprocity, organicity and mutuality. We aim to support a diverse, inclusive community by building caring relationships across generations—encouraging people to honour the ancient wisdom of ancestors and ancestral land, while navigating modern climate and cultural challenges with respect to all first nations and the wider web of life.

This shift toward reciprocity is at the heart of the art of slow living—a commitment to re-evaluating our systems and moving toward interconnected, intergenerational and intersectional approaches that honour the diverse web of life. By slowing down and prioritising local food, presence, creativity and community, we cultivate a nature-based spirituality that fosters multi-cultural acceptance and care for both the young and the old, and the non-human world. We see this transformation as vital for navigating the challenges of our time, creating a sanctuary in the Boonah foothills where wisdom and compassion can ignite a sustainable, life-affirming, and inclusive future for the next generation.