A very special nature connection
One of my favourite times each month – the opportunity to guide a few families through a local woodland in the Chilterns. Blessed with wonderful sunshine, it was a lovely May afternoon to be exploring Penn Woods. Managed by the Woodland Trust, it is one of the largest ancient woodlands in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) totalling over 435 acres! Continue reading “Family walk through Penn Wood”
It was a beautiful day for a walk in the woods, bright, sunny and warm with a little dappled shade here and there. All the trees had foliage, after the cold winter months looking at the buds, it was lovely to see the leaves sprouting from the buds and flowers forming.
In April we looked closely at the wild garlic (ransoms), learning how to identify this tasty plant. This month everyone was looking forward to seeing the wild garlic in flower – and they weren’t disappointed, there were lots of flowers. Some leaves and flowers were gathered to make pesto and to add zome zing to salads. Continue reading “May’s guided woodland walk”
A few of the regular attending families had asked if they could bring their mothers along for the walk – what a lovely idea and it meant we had three generations enjoying a walk together! There is something quite special about taking families out for a walk in the woods. With our own children now young men, it’s lovely to see other peoples children enjoy the simple things in life and be inquisitive about nature. Continue reading “Mothers day – family friendly guided woodland walk”
Natural history is an integral part of Bushcraft. In fact without an appreciation and understanding of flora and fauna, would really be missing out in a big way. Bushcraft covers a wide range of topics, I like to think that these fall broadly into the three areas of teaching; outdoor living skills, natural history and woodland crafts. These areas all overlap!
To be successful in living outdoors you need to understand at least some natural history, for instance which plants provide good tinder. Studying trees and plants help you appreciate the environment you are in and perhaps understand a little of it’s history. Similarly, when carving a spoon or fashioning a pot knowing which tree the wood came from or the properties of the bark you are using is fundamental to the object you create. Continue reading “Field studies fold-outs”
It’s always nice to take people out for a walk in the woods, it’s something I really enjoy and look forward to doing each month. I particularly like introducing them to the trees; helping them to recognise the different specifies. Continue reading “Autumn walk in the woods”