Hi, I’m Dani - ecologist, nature connection guide, and the human behind KIKKA.

And yes! I really do have the best office…🌞🌊🐬💦

For over a decade, I worked as a professional ecologist, specialising in coastal ecosystems across the Gold Coast, from terrestrial and freshwater systems to our marine environments. Seagrass communities became my favourite place to learn, observe, and listen. Quiet underwater meadows that tell powerful stories about ecosystem health, if you know how to read the signs.

I hold a degree in Biological Conservation and an Honours degree in Wetland Ecology, and I’ve spent countless hours in the field monitoring ecosystem health. Through practical, science-based monitoring, using bio-indicators like feeding tracks and epiphyte cover, we gain early insights into environmental change and resilience. This work helps protect ecosystems so they can stay healthy, balanced, and thriving into the future.

I spent many years working alongside passionate volunteers through Seagrass Watch Gold Coast and WPSQ, collecting baseline seasonal data for local Gold Coast seagrass habitats. Together, we contributed to robust scientific datasets that fed into the global Seagrass-Watch program, while also building community knowledge and care for our local environment.

Alongside this, I worked as a scientific technician in the education sector, supporting students to build real-world skills and confidence in biology and marine science. Teaching people how to observe nature - not just study it - has always been a thread running through my work.

In 2018, I was honoured to receive the City of Gold Coast Catchment Award for my contribution to coastal monitoring, community education, and volunteer engagement. It was a beautiful acknowledgment of something I already knew in my bones: when people connect with nature, they care, and when they care, change happens.

Over time, my work with ecosystems naturally began to turn inward. I became deeply curious about how nature supports human wellbeing, especially for people who feel too busy, misaligned, or disconnected from themselves & nature.

That curiosity led me to explore and train in complementary practices including nature connection, mindfulness, breathwork, meditation, kids/laughter yoga, yoga nidra, and elemental awareness. What I discovered was simple, powerful, and surprisingly practical:

You don’t need hours.
You don’t need to live near a forest.
And you don’t need to be “good at meditation.”

You just need a few minutes, and the right guidance.

That’s how KIKKA was born.

a living expression of love for nature, people, and the planet.

Through KIKKA, I help people connect more deeply with themselves through nature, so they can feel calmer, clearer, and more present in everyday life.

I offer in-person gatherings and online nature connection sessions that blend ecology, breathwork, gentle awareness practices, and plant music into immersive, easy-to-access experiences.

Listening to as little as five minutes a day, of plant music offers similar benefits to thirty minutes of deep meditation practice, so you can reset your nervous system, in a way that actually fits our busy lifestyle.

And here’s the part people love most:

You don’t have to be in nature to connect with nature.

Research from the University of Derby’s Nature Connection program confirms what many of us intuitively feel, that virtual experiences of nature can offer meaningful wellbeing benefits too. So whether you’re at the beach, in your lounge room, or sitting in your car needing a moment to breathe… you can start exactly where you are.

KIKKA continues to evolve for our growing community of big-hearted, thoughtful humans who are craving a calm state, peace of mind and a deeper sense of connection.

Curious? Then your warmly invited to explore KIKKA’s offerings.

Now go and create your KIKKA day ☀️
Dani xx