The Team
Mark leads the project. He has spent nearly 30 years working with trees, usually surveying them and exploring why they grow and function as they do. He worked for three local authorities and taught at an FE college before becoming a free land tree
surveyor. During much of this time, he has also been involved with education. He loves to engage with the next generation, whether in front of class, in a nature walk or exploring a woodland.
He loves to make the complex easier to understand. He loves to write about trees. Mark has delivered numerous sessions, from pre-school-aged children and primary school aged groups to older children with SEN. He has supported teachers and parents in delivering resources.
Mark has written or co-written all of the resources within the Oscar range.
Paul began his working life as a filing clerk in the civil service. By the coffee break on the second day, he was exploring his escape. He found himself working in the production department of a local newspaper, helping to assemble the layout of the pages. His creative side was developing, and soon he was leading in this role, and also writing content. He was sent globe-trotting, visiting visitor attractions at home and over seas and writing up his exploits.
Aware that demand for a physical newspaper was declining, he decided to launch his own services and started Media and You in 2018. He was soon in demand designing the pages of magazines, booklets, business literature and books, typically for chefs. In 2021, Mark and Paul began to work together on the development of Oscar the Oak and his friends, forming Oscar’s Tree Academy.
On an otherwise unremarkable wet Sunday afternoon in November 2020, Sophie, then aged seven, was asked to draw a picture of a tree. She drew a character, and called him Oscar the Oak. Presenting the crayon drawing, she reflected that he needed some friends. During the coming weeks, she created and drew 50 of them.
Each is individual, some male others female, and each based on a different tree commonly found in the UK. These form the basis for Oscar’s Tree Academy.
Luke has worked for more that 25 years in education, including in the classroom and as part of a senior management team leading a group of Academy schools. He joined the team in 2021, providing a teacher’s perspective. He has developed a panel of teachers, both current and recently retired, to peer review the resources,
providing feedback. He has also guided on suitability of materials. Luke recognised how different the resources are to much of what is currently available, and how they can be used flexibility to help teachers in a wide range of situations.
To make learning about trees and nature engaging, accessible, and curriculum-aligned for children and educators across Early Years, KS1 & KS2 — both indoors and outdoors.
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You can contact us at enquiries@treeconsultants.org.uk