ABOUT US
SUPPORTING NATURE ONE LESSON AT A TIME
MOYO Training Foundation is a non profit organization that supports wildlife, biodiversity and communities across the globe by delivering nature positive training programmes. We connect people & nature, so they can become nature positive.
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MOYO means 'heart' in Swahili, and this is how we started this. From the heart, and with heart for nature. We offer high quality training programs in the world’s most beautiful and unique nature areas, and invite everyone to join us in nature and learn about & support the nature positive movement.
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We believe that nature based tourism and travel needs to move towards a regenerative industry that protects wildlife, habitats and communities, supports the rewilding of natural areas, and is mutually beneficial for locals, visitors ánd for nature.
We therefore want our training programs to have a direct impact on nature which is why 10% goes on top of your training fee goes directly towards supporting nature in the areas we operate in, and benefitting new trainees through (partly) funded trainings.
We also believe in social responsibility, and would like our training programmes to be available for everyone. To achieve this, we also fundraise in order to offer our programs at a lower cost to nature guides & enterprises that are committed to operate more nature positive.
OUR COMMUNITY
We are very proud to work with amazing individuals that believe in supporting nature & people through nature positive training.
SIMON COLLIER
AUKJE VAN GERVEN
HAYLEY WHYTE
CO FOUNDER, FACILITATOR & LEAD OPERATIONS
CO FOUNDER & LEAD
TOURISM TRAINING
COMMUNICATIONS & CONTENT OFFICER
Born and raised in South Africa, Simon started his safari career working across a broad sector of the safari and tourism industry in Southern Africa. With experience from guiding through to managing camps, sales and marketing. Simon has spent the last decade supporting the development of the wildlife and tourism sector across ten countries in Europe, with a focus on sustainable business development and training within the nature based tourism sector. In 2023 he co founded MOYO where he leads the Nature Positive Tourism trainings.
Aukje holds degrees in Law and History, but when working in these fields ceased to inspire her, she discovered true adventure travel while cycling from Tanzania to the Netherlands. ​When she finished her biking expedition, Aukje worked in the European nature conservation sector for over ten years, working in nature based tourism, travel and events, and she was in charge of wildlife tourism & training in the European rewilding areas. In 2023 she co founded MOYO, which she now manages. Together with the MOYO Community she develops new nature positive trainings and facilitates these programs in nature.
Hayley is an MSc student in Wildlife & Conservation Management, works in operations & communications at Alladale Wilderness Reserve, ánd is also supporting MOYO with communications and content. She currently lives in Scotland, where she grew up, and is an active supporter of the rewilding movement there. She has travelled extensively in the last few years, participating in eco-tourism and volunteering, from Antarctica to the Amazon, which has further fuelled her sense of responsibility to protect our natural world.
SANDRIJN VAN DER VOORT
UMBERTO ESPOSITO
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER, GUIDE & ENTREPENEUR
MINDFULNESS TRAINER
VALERIO REALE
LOCAL PARTNER & HOSPITALITY EXPERT
Since his childhood Umberto has lived in the historical area of the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise. After graduating, he began his career as a nature guide, combining two great passions in one profession: nature and photography. In 2009 he founded Wildlife Adventures, a small tour operator whose mission is to bring people closer to nature. Umberto is also a vital part of several multi media projects in the Central Apennines.
Sandrijn grew up with an early appreciation for the value of nature and its inhabitants. After working as a healthcare psychologist in mental health care, she realised she preferred to contribute in the field of prevention and she retrained in mindfulness and it's combination with walking. This led to the founding of Soulpower, where she introduces people to the power of nature and helping them discover their inner strength.
Valerio started traveling after his degree in Gastronomic Sciences, and worked in the UK in the food and organic farming industry. He is a great fan of agro ecology and rewilding as a concrete alternative to conventional food and farming practices. From 2020, he is the Enterprise Manager of Rewilding Apennines with the aim to develop a nature-based network of enterprises that can benefit from the rewilding activities in the Central Apennines.
VALERIA ROSELLI
GEORG MESSERER
FERNANDO TEIXEIRA
WILDLIFE TRACKING &
GUIDE TRAINER
NATURE & WILDLIFE GUIDE
LOCAL PARTNER &
COMMUNICATIONS EXPERT
As a qualified Wilderness Trails Guide with extensive guiding experience in Southern Africa and Romania, Georg brings an international flare and passion to the guiding world in Europe. With a love for wilderness turning into a passion for the conservation work around it he has been instrumental in developing activities in the Tarcu Mountains in Romania. He has a special interest in tracking, birding, rewilding and wilderness ecology.
Since she was a child, Valeria walked along the paths through the forest of the mountains where she was born. Her curiosity led her to explore and get to know the territory. Her love of nature and for the Abruzzo mountain’s became her passion, which then became her profession. She is now a nature guide, environmental interpreter and international mountain leader, and one of the most expert guides in the Italian Apennines.
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Fernando was born close to the Greater Côa Valley region. After becoming a journalist and finishing his law degree, he returned to his origins to work in communication. Since 2019 he is working at Rewilding Portugal, currently as Head of Communication and Enterprise. Despite being a nature communication specialist, currently is also dedicating a bigger part of his role to promote a nature-based economy in the Greater Côa Valley.
BAS DORLANDT
OANA MONDOC
ALINA FLOROI
YOGA TRAINER
Bas has worked as a professional dancer and choreographer for many years, both in The Netherlands and abroad. In 2004, he took his first yoga class and since then, yoga has been an indispensable part of his life. After obtaining his teaching diploma in Los Angeles in 2013, he has been a full-time teacher and has taught in Utrecht, Amsterdam, LA, San Francisco and Warsaw. He started his own yoga school, Home of Yoga, in 2017.
LOCAL PARTNER &
COMMUNITY EXPERT
A campaigner, communicator, and mobilizer, bursting with passion and determination, Oana is driven by the pursuit of justice for the vulnerable and inspiration for the masses—this is her work. From hackathons to design+build workshops, tourism programs, and bringing the WeWilder Campus to life, each initiative began as an idea and took shape through adaptive project management and relentless drive. These efforts continue to support bison rewilding in the South Western Carpathians.
LOCAL PARTNER &
COMMUNITY EXPERT
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Alina Floroi is passionate about finding treasures every day. Curiosity initially led her to journalism, but then exploration led to creating realities or helping other projects in this direction. She joined the WWF Romania initiative in ArmeniÈ™ for several years in increasingly frequent collaborations, which turned into a full-time involvement in the WeWilder team as "a good at everything", important skills to launch and keep the WeWilder Campus alive.
OUR PARTNERS
We are very proud to partner with other organisations, non profits and businesses that believe in supporting nature & people through nature positive training.
Rewilding Apennines's team operates in the Central Apennines in Italy to create safe wildlife corridors and promote the local economy. Our idea of tourism is the result of solid coexistence practices in place and a sense of care between one an other.
Association EWES is a training institute for Wilderness Guiding and Outdoor Leadership based in Spain. For over 15 years, EWES has organized international courses around the world, certified by the WGA.
Linking Tourism and Conservation (LT&C) is a nature conservation NGO and international membership network founded in 2014 by experienced conservation, tourism, and business professionals.
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Rewilding Portugal's mission is to promote nature conservation through rewilding measures in Portugal. The Greater Côa Valley region is an important wildlife corridor for many species in the region such as the black stork and Iberian wolf.
Wildlife Adventures is a nature based Tour Operator. Since 2009 Wildlife Adventures offers nature experiences that support wildlife conservation and at the same time creates economic opportunities for the local communities.
TrainingAid is an international tourism training company specialized in sustainable tourism, providing practical and accessible professional development opportunities for industry professionals.
Cabiner is a network of hiking trails and cabins in the most beautiful places in Dutch nature. Cabiner wants to connect people and nature in a way that they both can thrive.
Planeterra is an impact-driven nonprofit organization using tourism to uplift communities. The focus is on connecting communities to the benefits of tourism by developing and supporting community-owned enterprises while promoting more responsible travel.
The Rewilding Academy is the only global NGO dedicated to capacity development in rewilding and restoring ecosystems. At the heart of our vision is a commitment to support local and landscape scale restoration programmes across the world.
SoulPower organises mindfulness training & Mindful walks in the Netherlands and Italy. Mindfulness is a method to find more peace and balance in your life.
Home of Yoga is a well established yoga school and teaches several styles of yoga and pilates. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced yogi, Home of Yoga welcomes you and makes sure you will feel at home
The Interpretive Guides Association is a Canadian based not for profit organization that specialists in Interpretation as well as guide safety training certification. Since 1999, the IGA has worked toward providing guides and guiding businesses with these skills.
Collective Rewild Sicily was born from a specific need: to make Sicily a greener, wilder, and a more conscious place. We work on small projects that are meant to be practical, easily repeatable and regenerate small local communities and their love for the land they live in.
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The mission of hide&b is to restore biodiversity in the countryside and contribute to the transition towards regenerative agriculture. With their sustainable eco-cabins they provide a supportive revenue model for farmers and land owners in transition.
