Our council
This role is held by Tom Startin, natural medicine practitioner, pilgrim and kitchen alchemist. Tom creates expressions directly from the land using wild plants, fruits and herbs. Through seasonal observations and guardianship these expressions circle into hosting experiences, land poem offerings and the wider holding pedagogy of ILha.
Land & nourishment collaborator
Elaine, has spent the last few years embracing the traditional songs and music of the region, learning to play the Adufe drum alongside its songs associated with harvest and celebration. She is a storyteller and poet and brings her life's learning, humour, and wild spirit to help this magical project thrive. Elaine will become part of the team creating moments with elders in the village alongside pathways for local children to hear the call of the Forest. She has a saying: “I IS Land and land is us". Something our ancestors knew the importance of and something to return to, as humanity moves further and further away from who we are.
Elaine Mclaughlin,
Katrinaka is a natural connector with a joy of bringing people together. Since moving to the valley she has made a practice of weaving old and new locals together. Fusing relationships with the village elders and discovering a wide range of new ecological projects in the area. Katarina will be part of the team that weaves local audiences together alongside developing journeys and encounters for groups through the forest. She knows that being in nature is when the magic happens again and again. She grew up with her grandparents in a small village in Slovakia, surrounded by beautiful mountains, forming a deep love for land, forests and animals.
Katarina Sidova
Filipa is a documentary filmmaker and senior video editor working across documentary and audiovisual storytelling. Her films and edits are guided by observation, intimacy and detail. Filipa has joined us to share moments on ILha with her camera. With nearly two decades of international experience, she founded Estrada 345 in 2019. Her work is deeply informed by art, nature and the ways we create meaning and belonging.