Jersey is a naturalist’s nirvana and the perfect place to connect with your roots. Delving into our deceivingly dense woodlands and network of coastal paths is much easier with someone to guide you to a place of inner peace whilst you relax and recharge on your island escape. Enter, Amanda Bond, a self-proclaimed nature lover and the brains behind Wild Edgewalker.
Amanda will support you in your journey to strengthen your connection with nature, yourself and others, all while tucked away in the beautiful landscapes of our island home. The aim of a sensory-session with Amanda is to aid you in the art of stillness – slowing down and truly engaging to rekindle our relationships with Mother Nature as well as a tasty helping of foraging and learning about the local edible and medicinal flaura that can be found in Jersey. She also acts as a guide for hikes and walks, showing you all of the secret, scenic spots on our sunny slice of paradise.
Get the inside scoop on what local Amanda loves about Jersey.
Tell us about yourself...
Meet Amanda.
I worked in hospitality as teenager, including for a private catering & events company in London between 1979-1980. Later on, I trained at Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London.
I’m a certified Nature and Forest Therapy guide, apprentice herbalist and ecopsychologist (meaning someone who explores the relationship between the mind and the natural world in case you were wondering 👀). Having run a clinical practice as a craniosacral therapist and mindfulness-based psychotherapist for 10 years, I later shifted to working outdoors with nature in 2015.
My lifelong love and passion for flowers, trees, plants and herbs, as well as cooking, is the root of my guiding, immersive sensory experiences in nature – to reconnect with nature and ourselves.
Tell us a little bit about what got you into foraging in the first place.
Wanting to know more about my local landscape and environment. I also wanted to forge a new relationship with my island home – an enlightening and fascinating journey for me. Exploring the edible and medicinal plants that are native to Jersey has emerged out of that.
A selection of foraged edible plants.
What are some of your favourite places to get away from it all in Jersey?
I adore the wild landscapes of Jersey. The golden sands of Plémont, Le Pinacle on Jersey’s north-west coast near Grosnez Castle, surfing hot-spot Secrets in St. Ouen’s Bay, L’Etacq at low-tide, Portlet Bay, Le Saie Bay on the north-east coast, next door to Rozel Bay.
Inland, I love the woodlands of Fern Valley, Waterworks Valley in St. Lawrence, and St. Peter’s Valley.
What do you love to do in Jersey with your free time?
Walking is my go-to for leisure, wellbeing and health. With a long-term history of ME/CFS it’s the only form of physical exercise that truly supports and restores me.
Find our top recommendations for walking spots below:
Amanda and company exploring the wilds.
When friends and family are visiting, I always make sure I visit…
If I’m with friends and family there are a few places that are special to me. There’s nothing better than visiting Beauport Beach, Portelet Bay or Plémont Bay with my loved ones. After that we replenish ourselves with a hearty meal at one of the islands friendly restaurants or cafés that serve inspiring, quality dishes with fresh local produce. Some of my favourites are Kismet Cabana, Portelet Bay Café, Sands and El Tico. Two recent restaurant discoveries that stand out for me are Awabi and enotèca.
Amanda's favourite beaches.
Check out Amanda's top eateries.
Would you like to join Amanda’s next session?
Amanda regularly runs sessions for Forest Bathing sessions, a practice of connection and sensory relaxation that originated all the way across the globe in Japan. If you’d like Amanda to guide you in this practice then discover more below.
