our People
Founded in 2020 by Cormac and Josh, our family's grown a little since then. Here's a little about the team that bring the magic
First up, the three witches who stir the cauldron of Wild magic that is The Living Project. The three of us love getting wild with you, and as well as taking care of business, continue to facilitate many of our wild adventures
Emily graves
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR,
YOGA & MINDFULNESS TEACHER, nature facilitator
Emily grew up by the sea and The South Downs in West Sussex, and she's still never happier than when she's in the sea, (or very close to it), or in the hills. Cross country running and horse-riding played a big part in her life growing up, and family holidays were always camping (even now), so she was lucky to be in the elements a lot.
After training to be a yoga teacher in 2016, Emily moved back to be by the sea and in the hills. Since then her appreciation for nature has deepened, as has her understanding of the huge healing and life affirming benefits being in nature can bring us.
Emily feels there's so much we can learn from simply being in nature, and moving at nature’s pace a little more. Especially in a world which in Emily's view demands so much of our attention (and speed) through a 2D lens. Emily loves exploring the joy and sense of connection that nature can bring us through The Living Project, and sharing her belief that nature is the most simple way to bring us home to ourselves, each other and the beauty of this world.
Emily currently lives and travels around the wild & wonderful UK in her vintage camper van; facilitating wild adventures, wild swimming, hiking, writing, surfing, teaching yoga and walking her dog Buster.
josh bulpin
MANAGING DIRECTOR, COACH, MOUNTAIN LEADEr,
PUBLIC SPEAKER
Working with fellow humans, exploring ourselves and the world we're a part of runs in Josh's blood. After 10 years in the expedition industry, including heading up the global leadership and training approach for World Challenge Expeditions, Josh teamed up with Cormac to create The Living Project in 2020.
Josh passionately believes that adventures in wild places are about conscious engagement with the nuances of each person's journey, and loves his fellow director's mutual commitment to facilitating meaningful experience's for others.
As a result our adventures are all about taking the time to notice, to think, to explore and to revel in connection with ourselves, other humans and the environment. This is living according to Josh! Well that and great food (shared obviously).
Josh acknowledges his wild adventures haven't always been pretty, but he says, they have been worthwhile, and he firmly believes that time in the wild is magic for our holistic health and wellbeing - our own, other people's and the natural world of which we are a part.
Josh loves to cook for people (and often does on our adventures). He lives between Australia and the UK, exploring his love of the wild in these different lands.
CORMAC DAVEY
DIRECTOR OF ADVENTURES, COACH, mountain leader,
wizard
Cormac is committed to connecting people to support each other with the simple intention to be healthy and live well. He believes to live well requires an honest engagement with the world we experience through our senses as well as our inner spirit. Our physical & mental wellbeing is interconnected with our sense of wonder and need to explore beyond the received wisdom of our sometimes toxic culture. A space to come together to explore these worlds is essential.
He has trained as a Kundalini yoga teacher, life coach and expedition leader and specialises in facilitating slow group journeys in the wild where adventure and nature connection allows individuals to ask questions, find answers and commit to healing. The only expectation is that each unique individual is solely responsible for their own contribution and outcomes.
His current interests and passions concern the unique issues around being human, a man and how to awaken our teacher within so we can commit to the journey of becoming the man we want to be, that our loved ones deserve and that is needed to contribute to better health and wellbeing for our planet.
Cormac currently lives in Singapore with his wife Carrie, who's from Toronto, Canada.
WE're BUILDING A CULTURE guided by our values
OUR remarkable LEADERS
MATT
mountain LEADER
MENTAL HEALTH FACILITATOR AND
SUP GUide
Hey, I'm matt
I love the great outdoors, in fact I've come to realise that I actually need the great outdoors in my life and I'm completely passionate about combining access to nature and wild places, with mental health awareness, connection and wellbeing.
I've been a qualified teacher for 17 years now, having worked in almost every sector of education; and I've seen first-hand, the direct benefits of nature and outdoor spaces when working with young people.
My love of sharing knowledge and connecting with people led me to my dream role as an overseas expedition leader, during which time I've been fortunate to work with some amazing young people and adults, in beautiful countries such as Malaysia and Tanzania.
My own personal journey with the outdoors led me to pursue my licence to deliver Mental Health First Aid training, as an accredited instructor with MHFA England. More recently, I have become an Adventure Guide with the Water Skills Academy (WSA), combining my expedition leadership experience with a new, exciting form of travel and the chance to see places from a whole new perspective.
I live in the Midlands with my wife, two children, Pickle the cat and Ludo the labrador.
EMMA
MOUNTAIN LEADER AND SUP GUide
hey folks
I grew up camping and exploring and was extremely lucky to be encouraged to get into paddle sports at an early age. I loved it and wanted to keep doing it so I made sure the outdoors was part of my future. I studied Adventure Tourism Management at university and then used my skills to travel and take me on Adventures around the world as a raft guide, watersports leader and an international expedition leader.
I'm passionate about encouraging and supporting people to get involved and get out having adventures, no matter how big or small. I love empowering them and watching them grow, achieve and enjoy their wild....whatever that may be. Spending time working with young people particularly has shown me how powerful the outdoors can be.
I love being outside having adventures and embracing whatever mother nature throws at me....you can try and tame her.... but she's got a mind of her own!
Water is particularly special to me and makes me happy....whether I'm on it or in it.
I currently live in mid Wales near to the beautiful Lake Vyrnwy where you'll often find me paddling around on my sup.
ALEX
WILD FOOD FANATIC, MOUNTAIN LEADER, SAILOR
Alex has been working in the world of foraging and bushcraft for 8 years. He manages a plot of woodland on Dartmoor which has been in his family since he was a teenager.
As well as leading on our other adventures we are honoured to collaborate with Alex on our Thrive in the Wild adventures, combining conscious adventure with a focus on seasonal wild food.
You can check out more about this remarkable, immersive journey from the forest to the sea here: THRIVE IN THE WILD
Alex loves nothing more than a long walk, his longest involved covering the length of New Zealand, a total distance of 3000km.
He also enjoys sailing, catching fish, and playing the drums.
BEX
MOUNTAIN LEADER
nature facilitator
WILD WATER GUIDE
hello!
I grew up in Kent, with little inspiration for what I wanted to do in life. At 16, I found that inspiration, when I helped on a residential outdoor pursuits trip to Snowdonia, with an SEN youth club that I volunteered at. Two years later, I moved to North Wales to begin an Outdoor Education apprenticeship, and this is when I really started to explore and learn what the natural environment meant for me.
Working and being in wild landscapes, has given me the opportunity to understand how being outside isn’t just fun or beneficial for us mentally and physically, but it is essential. With a frighteningly quick increase in technological dependence, I feel we must access natural environments to avoid any further detachment from the natural world.
This is why I love providing people with the opportunity to nourish themselves in nature, to open the connection that is so innate to us and to let ourselves enjoy whatever that means to us!
I am 'semi-but not really-settled’ in North Wales and I loooove cooking for people, learning how to look after my garden, stroking our fat rescue cat and losing at chess. I also love a candle. I really believe that we should stay close to anything that makes us feel glad to be alive.
MAXIE
NATURE FACILITATOR
I grew up in the African bush, on the edge of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. It was a feral existence and I felt like we were always on an adventure. My family spent a lot of time in baboon, lion and wild dog research camps learning from animals. At one stage, we raised a pair of cheetah cubs (whose mother had been shot) at our home before rehabilitating them in a nature reserve.
We moved to Wales when I was 11 and set up an eco-tourism project giving guests the experience of living more simply with nature. We built yurts and treehouses out of mud, straw and local wood. I studied History of Art and lived in urban jungles for a while. I loved to travel and began to follow a creative path before I heard the term nature facilitation and booked onto a course the very same day.
It was life-changing. I realised that nature is always there to resource us and show us who we really are.
Since then, I’ve volunteered on so many diverse projects, from a Hunger Games camp with 50 savage teenagers to a spiritual retreat for All That We Are podcast held in beautiful Embercombe.
I understand what a gift I have been given to feel so at home in the wild and I feel that this is my mission - to help others to open up to their innate wildness. It’s always there, waiting for you.
SOPHIE
POET AND
TRAINEE MOUNTAIN LEADER
Sophie is a poet and is currently working towards their Mountain Leader Award.
They love hiking up mountains, surfing, riding their motorbike, wild camping and identifying trees.
Sophie's very passionate about making nature more accessible to people who don't feel confident navigating and exploring the countryside.
They have worked as a full time poet for many years and want to combine their love of nature with their love of writing.
They can be persuaded with vegan treats.
BE TRUe.
LIVE WILD
