Directors and Advisory Board
Grace is co-founder, Director of Education and Equine Facilitator at Patch of Diamonds. She has over 20 years experience in horse communication and riding founded in principles of natural horsemanship. Mentors include Lindsey Partridge, Muriel Wilson, Klaus Ferdinand Hempfling, Heidi Potter, Sally Swift, Monty Roberts and Buck Brannaman.
Certified as a C.H.A. riding instructor and VT elementary and high school educator, Grace has 20 years of teaching experience, with a background in theater arts, energy healing, dance and music. Grace also worked with The Humane Society in rural Tennessee in animal rescue, community outreach and developing programs in schools on compassionate treatment of animalVedic astrologers.Flying Stars Feng ShuiThe Emin Way
As a practicing Vedic astrologer, Flying Stars Feng Shui advisor, and member of The Emin Way, Grace draws upon a wealth of ancient wisdom & evolution inspired mindsets and dedications.
As an adoptive mom through the foster care system, Grace is trauma-informed and seeks to generate remedy into the world for happy healthy family life.
Glen is co-founder of Patch of Diamonds. He is a nature lover, with a passion for dance, theater and meditation. His first training in these areas was in Hatha Yoga and Transcendental Meditation. He went on to teach Kundalini Yoga and has trained in a variety of transformational modalities, including sound work with Vickie Dodd, Rebirthing, The Well-Being Sciences and Landmark Education.
Joshua currently runs a computer software company with a main office in Vermont which provides many opportunities to deepen practices of mindfulness, balance, well-being and leadership. He continues to explore the art of 'being vacant' and dwelling in the unknown through theater and movement work.
Maria first discovered the Patch of Diamonds after moving to Vermont in 2016 with her teenage son, who very much wanted to learn about horses. The experiences that took place are part of an ongoing research into the relationship between nature, in all forms, and the human, which Maria has been pondering for some time and looking to find practical ways to teach about the wonder of this relationship, available to all humans, everywhere.
Maria has been a teacher of homeschoolers for more than 25 years in various forms, such as homeschooling her own two children, teaching inside the homeschooler’s community, through after school programs, in home programs, cooking, crafts and nature-based explorations. She also taught in public schools about the comparisons and the ways and means of “olden” times and now.
With much experience in a variety of places, Maria’s research and discovery continues about human life and the theater we each play out in that life, whilst living in and upon this earthly planet. In reflection Maria says, “The Patch of Diamonds is a unique opportunity to search and find where one fits inside the bigger picture, whether through the horses, the resident pets, the land, or the other humans who frequent this amazing place on the planet.”
Lisa Marcus has always been drawn to mentoring and encouraging young people to follow their dreams and seek happiness. As far back as the 1970’s in her teens, Lisa was part of the Head Start program in her hometown of Long Beach, New York. Lisa joined the international organization “Feminenza” in the late 1990’s and has continued her commitment to mentoring young woman around the world.
Lisa followed a path in fashion as a career but has always devoted much of her personal time to the healing arts. As a member of “The Well Being Sciences” and the “The Weiss Method USA” Lisa believes that each life has the opportunity to create the best life possible and live as they were meant to be.
As a lover of animals, Lisa is very pleased to be part of the Patch of Diamonds Advisory Board.
Freni Chinoy loves the idea of young human lives being given the chance to grow and develop into whoever they can best be, and become.
She has worked for over thirty years in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom as a child and adolescent psychotherapist, offering therapeutic input to children, adolescents and their parents and families; as well as support and counsel to professionals (e.g., teachers, social workers) who work with young people.
Now retired from the NHS, she continues to be involved in offering encouragement and counsel to people so that they could get back to their ‘line of life’ and thrive as human beings.
She supports the Patch of Diamonds’ vision and work with equines and humans (younger and older) and is honoured to be part of the Advisory Board.
ANGELA GARNER
Angela Garner is an Animal Bereavement Specialist living in Devon, UK. She is a published author on the subject, www.petlosspress.com and has lectured and taught vet professionals and animal welfare organizations on all aspects of the grief journey in pet loss.
Angela is also a specialist for a UK charity, Environmental Animal Sanctuary and Education, www.ease-animals.org.uk where she initially set up and ran a national pet bereavement support programme, and a school project on ‘Being Kind to Animals’. She was awarded a Fellowship by the Society of Bereavement Practitioners in recognition of her work. She worked for 11 years in a support role for an international equine organization, and is now enjoying a new role as Quality Time Volunteer which involves grooming and spending time with the sanctuary's donkeys.
Angela is delighted to be on the Board of Advisors as she upholds the sacred connection between humans and animals which shines through Patch of Diamonds, and wants to support in any way she can.
Pamela lives on a farm in Tennessee where she has been running forest and nature camps for children since 2012. She also works with The Boys and Girls Club offering nature programs. Pamela loves to engage children in the natural worlds arena with song, games and deep nature connection.