three-day course wild ones (8-12 years)

location: nr Bovey Tracey, Dartmoor, Devon

“To hear my children talk about all that they discovered, to see the life in their eyes as they relive their experience and to notice the depth of feeling is to know that I have given them something as a parent to treasure forever.”  Paul Hornsey-Pennell, parent

Based on a highly successful blend of nature awareness, bushcraft and storytelling, these programmes make the most of a young person’s love of and curiosity for the natural world. The aim is to empower the children with new skills, to deepen their relationship to nature and breed a new confidence to continue to discover it for themselves. Most of all, this programme aims to deliver a hugely enjoyable experience to all.

Bushcraft is the art and science of living from the land. It demands that we open all of our senses to pay the closest attention to the world around us. The activities may include fire by friction, shelter building, woodcraft, plants for food/resources and natural cordage.

Nature awareness is the study of wildlife and the practice of getting really close to it. Using a combination of fieldcraft skills we’ll study tracks and signs, explore sensory awareness activities, and use the dawn and the night to locate and observe wildlife.

Storytelling - traditional tales with a wildlife theme, told to the children around the campfire help to make sense of both the experience of the programme and the natural world around them.

Outcomes - These programmes require the children to respond to a demanding (and enjoyable) sequence of tasks in an unfamiliar setting. The activities can cause breakthrough results in the following areas:

The likely outcomes from participating in such a dynamic interaction with the natural world are an increased enthusiasm, energy and motivation. Most importantly of all, the course is designed to give the children a really exciting and meaningful time together in nature!

Course Leaders:

Sebastian Kelly's profound affinity with the wild began in his childhood home of the Lake District. Formerly an education ranger with Exmoor National Park, he has worked on the staff of the ecological studies centre Schumacher College. Sebastian was founder-director of the eco-performance company Restless Natives, and has worked as a conservation warden, walks guide writer, freelance environmental educator, and theatre-in-education practitioner.

Alex Travers ('Feathers') has always been fascinated by the depth of knowledge of native peoples around the world and has spent many years gathering information and taking it into the purity of wilderness. He has trained for ten years in the skills and philosophy of Tom Brown Jnr's Tracker School. With a degree in the creative arts Alex brings a lot of spontaneity to his teaching and shares his passion for the skills of living with the earth and the simple joys that they bring.

dates: see 'book online' below

more on bushcraft           more on nature awareness