Willem Montagne was born in the Netherlands and grew up and was educated in England. He has a degree in Geography and trained and worked as a teacher. Willem has worked as Dartmoor National Park Education Officer for 26 years and is now retired. He has an excellent working knowledge of Dartmoor, Devon and beyond. His interests range across all aspects of the landscape including Geology, Geomorphology, Natural History, Archaeology, Environmental Education and the cultural heritage, including folklore and the arts. As an experienced guide he has a passion for exploration and adventure and aims to design and provide walks that entertain, challenge and intrigue participants. He has extensive experience of working with young people and adults and enjoys adapting and providing for very different kinds of audiences. He likes working with all age ranges, from pre-school groups to postgraduate university students and beyond. He has also specialized in groups, with or including, people with learning, behavioral and mental health difficulties.
Willem has travelled widely and is very open to working with groups from different cultural back grounds. Although he works mainly in English he is able to communicate well with people with a limited understanding of English and speaks fluent Dutch. Willem’s experience of planning, organizing and leading bespoke walks and educational events is second to none and he would like to use this knowledge to benefit those that wish to understand and enjoy Dartmoor in keeping with the National Park “ethos” and its aims. Guided walks and other events can be designed to include physical challenges, formal field studies, environmental games and arts activities.