ABOUT US
SUPPORTING NATURE ONE LESSON AT A TIME
MOYO Training Foundation is a newly founded non profit organization that supports wildlife and biodiversity across the globe by delivering nature positive training programmes.
We connect people & nature, so they can become nature positive.
MOYO means 'heart' in Swahili, and this is how we started this. From the heart, and with heart for nature.
We believe in social responsibility, so want our training programmes to be available for everyone. We also want our training programs to have a direct impact on nature which is why 10% of your training fee goes towards supporting nature in the areas we operate in, and benefits new trainees through (partly) funded trainings.
We offer high quality training programs in the world’s most beautiful and unique nature areas, and fundraise in order to keep our training fees affordable for everyone that wants to operate more nature positive.
OUR FOUNDERS
SIMON COLLIER
CO FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF TRAINING
AUKJE VAN GERVEN
CO FOUNDER & DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Born and raised in South Africa, Simon started his safari career over twenty years ago working across a broad sector of the safari and tourism industry in Southern Africa. With experience from guiding through to managing camps, sales and marketing and managing large group business units.
Currently living in The Netherlands, Simon has spent the last seven years supporting the development of the wildlife and tourism sector across ten countries in Europe, with a focus on sustainable business development and training within the nature-based tourism sector.
After launching the European Safari Company in 2016, Simon launched Nature Tourism Development - a consultancy designed to support the nature tourism industry with specific focus on community engagement, nature protection, training and sustainability.
Simon co-created the Rewilding Training Tourism program in 2020 which focused on actionable learnings in tourism, hospitality and guiding in conjunction with rewilding natural areas across Europe.
Simon’s passion for nature and people has lead him to this point with the forming of this new Foundation.
Growing up, Aukje enjoyed nature mostly from horseback, which instilled a love for wandering in wild spaces. She holds degrees in Law and History, but when working in these fields ceased to inspire her, she discovered true adventure travel while cycling from Tanzania to the Netherlands.
When she finished her biking expedition, Aukje entered the workforce again as the Director of the Respect the Mountains Foundation, bringing the message of ecotourism and live events to the European Sustainable Mountain Tourism market.
In 2018 Aukje started working for Rewilding Europe. She managed the in-house travel company (the European Safari Company) and was in charge of Wildlife Tourism development & training in the different rewilding areas.
She co-created the rewilding tourism training program with Simon Collier in 2020, which trained over 200 participants & tourism professionals, and ran for three years.
The nature positive impact this program had on participants, partners, and herself, has motivated her to pour her heart and soul in yet another challenge: starting MOYO Training Foundation.
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OUR PARTNERS
We are very proud to partner with other organisations, non profits and businesses that believe in supporting nature & people through nature positive training.
Association EWES is a training institute for Wilderness Guiding and Outdoor Leadership based in Spain. For over 15 years, EWES has organized international courses around the world, certified by the WGA.
The Rewilding Academy is the only global NGO dedicated to capacity development in rewilding and restoring ecosystems. At the heart of our vision is a commitment to support local and landscape scale restoration programmes across the world.
Linking Tourism and Conservation (LT&C) is a nature conservation NGO and international membership network founded in 2014 by experienced conservation, tourism, and business professionals.
TrainingAid is an international tourism training company specialized in sustainable tourism, providing practical and accessible professional development opportunities for industry professionals.
Planeterra is an impact-driven nonprofit organization using tourism to uplift communities. The focus is on connecting communities to the benefits of tourism by developing and supporting community-owned enterprises while promoting more responsible travel.
Rewilding Apennines's team operates in the Central Apennines in Italy to create safe wildlife corridors and promote the local economy. Our idea of tourism is the result of solid coexistence practices in place and a sense of care between one an other.
Wildlife Adventures is a nature based Tour Operator. Since 2009 Wildlife Adventures offers nature experiences that support wildlife conservation and at the same time creates economic opportunities for the local communities.
The Interpretive Guides Association is a Canadian based not for profit organization that specialists in Interpretation as well as guide safety training certification. Since 1999, the IGA has worked toward providing guides and guiding businesses with these skills.
Cabiner is a network of hiking trails and cabins in the most beautiful places in Dutch nature. Cabiner wants to connect people and nature in a way that they both can thrive.
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The mission of hide&b is to restore biodiversity in the countryside and contribute to the transition towards regenerative agriculture. With their sustainable eco-cabins they provide a supportive revenue model for farmers and land owners in transition.
Founded in 1977 as a Sports Center, Voshaar Outdoor & Education has become the leading European training centre in the field of Outdoorsports, Nature and Wilderness
Collective Rewild Sicily was born from a specific need: to make Sicily a greener, wilder, and a more conscious place. We work on small projects that are meant to be practical, easily repeatable and regenerate small local communities and their love for the land they live in.
