About The Eco Retreat

Our mission is to cultivate a thriving, nature-connected community by empowering individuals to develop holistic leadership skills through nature-based wellbeing practices. We aim to foster a deep connection with the natural world, nurturing resilience, mindfulness, and purpose-driven leadership that inspires positive change for both individuals and the environment.

Marion and Richard, the founders of The Eco Retreat, spent their childhoods in farming communities, immersed in the awe and wonder of nature. Richard grew up in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, while Marion spent her early years east of Launceston in regional Tasmania. Both have a deep love and respect for nature and share concerns about the current trajectory of our culture. Their work with The Eco Retreat is driven by the urgent need for climate action, wellbeing and leadership, as they seek to make sense of what it means to be alive at this pivotal moment in history.

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Marion has been working in wellbeing and leadership, counselling, and teaching mindfulness for over 20 years across community, educational, and organisational settings. She is deeply grateful for the guidance of wise elders and mentors throughout her journey and has received education and training in the art and science of counseling, coaching, ecotherapy, and mindfulness.

Richard, Marion's husband, is a leading technologist at a SaaS climate technology company, helping the international built environment transition towards 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.

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In June 2022, the World Health Organization launched a policy brief urging countries to integrate mental health support into their climate change initiatives. Around the world, people are increasingly concerned about the existential threats we face. Despite the urgency of these complex crises, many individuals are either in denial, overwhelmed with grief and anxiety, or actively working to adapt our systems and communities for change. Society is experiencing a growing mental health epidemic among young people.  At The Eco Retreat we understand deeply that human mental health and wellbeing is not an individual pathology separate from the context of culture and environment but rather an interconnected web of social and nature dynamics.

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More than ever before in the history of our planet people are engaging in creative, regenerative nature and social projects, making a positive impact and sowing the seeds for a new regenerative and socially conscious culture to emerge. It is vital that we connect locally with our communities and support one another in building relationships with both the land and each other as we navigate the unprecedented challenges of climate change ahead.

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At our home in Glen Iris, we are rewilding our backyard, growing food, volunteering on public land rewilding projects, and contributing to community climate action, all while raising four teenagers. We are working towards our shared vision of establishing a wilderness retreat in regional Victoria dedicated to land care, protection, and helping our family and community adapt to an off-grid lifestyle. We split our time between the city and coastal Victoria.

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“Ecological ideas won’t save us, what we need is ecological identity, ecological self” ~ Arne Naess

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Image: Marion and RIchard on the Surfcoast in Victoria.