OUR TEAM

We’re a small team, driven by our passion to get kids outside. We love to share stories and ideas with each other over good coffee. We’re dreamers, who unashamedly romanticise about changing the world.

We love connecting with people at our events and the sound of children at play. We guess you could say, we love what we do, and the organisation we work for.

While you may know us as the fluro-clad, [hopefully] smiling [not too frazzled] staff at events, we also have an important role to play in promoting change beyond the grass roots level. We’re passionate about advocating at a local and state government level for more programs, initiatives, and spaces that assist families and education sites engage in outdoor play. And, we support groundbreaking research that strengthens the nature play movement.

We’re friendly, approachable and love a good chat, so when you see us at an event say, “hi”, tell us what nature play adventures you’ve been up to, or just let us know that you’ve had a great time. We look forward to meeting you.

This is us:

Sarah Sutter

CEO

Since Nature Play SA’s beginnings in 2014 Sarah has been pivotal in the growth of the organisation and nature play movement. She is a qualified teacher, former Commonwealth Games Gold medalist, and mum of two high school-aged children who have a passion for sports and adventure. Sarah’s role is to lead our team and advocate for change across all levels of government, the business community, and with any association or group to ensure nature play is on everyone’s agenda.

“My fondest childhood memory was my time spent with my family at our shack at Black Point on the Yorke Peninsula where our summer holidays were filled with exploring the reef, fishing, snorkelling and just being free. Us kids would disappear into the sandhills and make cubbies for hours.”

Jason Tyndall

General Manager

Jason is an artist and dad of two girls. In 2021, he authored Nature Play SA’s very first book – Where Birds Sing and Wildflowers Dance. His love for nature was inspired by his many years of volunteer work with the Friends of Scott Creek Conservation Park that led him into a career in environmental management. Jason has always enjoyed working with people, which saw him move into environmental education. Joining the nature play movement was a natural progression especially given Nature Play SA’s focus on building deeper connections to nature and Aboriginal culture. His role varies from presenting to children and adults on nature to working alongside rangers, Aboriginal elders and educators to build strong partnerships through creative and innovative projects all aimed at doing one thing – inspiring change. In 2021 Jason was awarded a certificate of commendation for education and engagement as part of the inaugral Pelzer Prize.

“I remember listening to the trees and the waves slowly lap onto the shoreline in the distance – I lived by the sea. Often I would smell the salty sea breeze as it found its way through our windows”

Narrah Zollo

Executive Assistant

Narrah is a qualified educator, garden enthusiast and mum of two adventurous girls who love tending to their produce-rich garden. Narrah has always played an active volunteer role in her school community helping write grants, fundraise and establish playgroups. Narrah provides administrative support to our strategic directions managing correspondence with our board and membership organisations.

“Being an urban kid, one of my fondest memories is tearing around the neighbourhood on my bike with my mate Danny. We were probably around 10 years old, dragging our bikes in and out of storm drains, looking for abandoned buildings and holes in fence lines. We stayed out as long as we could, without adult supervision, making judgement calls and taking calculated risks. The memory of that thrill of the wind whipping across my cheeks, adrenalin pumping, masters of our universe, still brings a smile to my face.” 

Jodee Dellow

Events Manager

Jodee is a nature loving mum to 4 adventurous children who love exploring in the Adelaide Hills. Her children are often found building cubbies, making flying foxes, collecting and identifying native seeds and nuts and planting trees on the family property. As a passionate events manager with over 10 years experience in the industry, Jodee brings her love for events, play based learning and the great outdoors to the Nature Play SA team.  Her hard work and collaborative approach saw Nature Play SA awarded the 2019 state winners in the Australian Event Awards.

“As a child I grew up on the Murray River. My 3 sisters and I spent many hours exploring the backwaters; we would canoe, yabby and fish for hours. One of my fondest memories of being a Murray River child was learning to water ski at an early age, the feeling of being on the water behind the boat made me feel like I was flying through the water. I now love to see the joy and happiness on my children’s faces when we take family trips to the Mighty Murray.“

Abe Moore

Education Manager

Abe joined Nature Play SA in 2022 after a long association with the NPSA education team that included several transformational projects. Abe is a father of two, a public school teacher with over 16 years of experience, and a high-level sports coach. He is a radical advocate of children with extensive experience in progressive pedagogy including ungrading, experiential learning, and place-making projects.

“I grew up in rural Tasmania in the late ’80s when it was still commonplace for children to play from sunup to sundown. I could disappear into the scrub on an adventure for hours, or journey further afield on my pushbike with little more than a packed lunch and instructions to be home before dark.”

Cameron Edwards

Schools Officer

Cameron is a qualified teacher, experienced scout and all-round lover of the outdoors. Although quite new to the education world, his passion is centred in providing children with the tools they need to enjoy their time outside to the best of their abilities and igniting the life-long love for nature that was awakened in him from a young age.

“My childhood was jam-packed full of wonderful outdoor adventures! From the 2007 Scout jamboree to our annual family camping trip to Port Elliot. My father would take us out to “run the rocks” from Commodore Point, along Horseshoe bay and around Lady Bay to Boomer Beach. Anyone who has visited the bay knows what I mean. The risk was there, but it was calculated, and it gave us the determination to tackle whatever life could throw at us. We would spend our nights on the beach armed with trowels and spades and would make the most abstract, complex sandcastles that we could imagine, inspired by a group of professionals we saw one year. One night, we got a bit carried away and ended up digging a communal hang-out dug-out big enough to seat 8 people! These trips have nurtured my passion for the outdoors since I was young, and my love for being outside is just as strong today.”

Jade McCarthy

Outdoor Learning Coordinator

Jade is a mum of three and a qualified teacher with more than 10 years of classroom experience. She is passionate about open-ended play and the benefits of outdoor nature-based play for ALL ages! Jade joined Nature Play SA in 2022 and brings a wealth of knowledge in early years education. Jade is part of our dynamic and passionate education team where she coordinates school bookings, delivers Professional Development, and helps facilitate our popular incursion and excursion programs.

” My most vivid childhood memories are all connected to the outdoors: playing, wondering, and exploring. As a baby, I spent many days in Belair National Park napping in a port-a-cot under the shade of the trees while my parents played tennis. As a child, I spent countless hours immersed in our backyard creating mini habitats for crawly critters and observing tadpoles caught in the pond at the end of our street. Working and playing outdoors, now alongside my own mud-loving, tree-climbing children continues to bring me immense joy.”

Megan Harris

Online Marketing Coordinator

Megan joined Nature Play SA in 2022 and has a passion for delighting people by making things happen. A future special educator, Megan has a unique desire to understand the intricacies of communication and looks forward to enhancing Nature Play’s customer experience through the reach of the shop. Megan looks forward to assisting customers in ways that are genuinely helpful and have a sense of ease.

“I grew up with three siblings in the urban streets of Adelaide. This made for a loving, loud and busy house and our backyard was the place where being a kid came to life. We mastered climbing trees, raised dogs, chickens, and rabbits (and lamented the circle of life); we landscaped, grew and harvested many fruits, played basketball, wall tennis and played in the rain. That backyard was the sanctuary of my childhood.”