Wilderness Immersion Course

Twice a year we run our flagship Wilderness Immersion Course. We call this course “The Gate”. No matter what your experience and skill level, we bring you back and guide you through it to enable you to have a deeper understanding and deeper connection with the environment, the quarry and, fundamentally, allows you to explore your own skills, fears and senses in a primeval way.

We had some great and willing participants and their observations and enthusiasm was quite extraordinary. Badgers, foxes, deer and rodents were seen at very close quarters. Despite a downpour as soon as the participants were “immersed” in the forest, only one returned (a good decision in the circumstances). The others were rewarded by a series of close-encounters they will probably never forget.

We were all fortunate enough to witness the start of the Fallow deer rut by hearing some bellowing. Our trail cam captured the exact moment when a Fallow buck started calling to his harem.

As usual we had some excellent assistants who threw themselves into everything from stocking up wood for the fire to actually delivering parts of a session.

As usual the backdrop of Hatfield Forest produced a mobile classroom full of feeding signs, scat and various species for observation and discussion. It is not difficult to relax, slow-down and become one with nature in an environment such as this.

 

The next course will start in two-weeks. It’s the Woodland Tracker that will expand on the tracking skills that the Immersion course started. If you would like to come on the course, please book online here… http://www.woodlife.co.uk/2009/03/17/fbt/

Thanks for the visit.

Wilderness Immersion Course

Twice a year we run our flagship Wilderness Immersion Course. We call this course “The Gate”. No matter what your experience and skill level, we bring you back and guide you through it to enable you to have a deeper understanding and deeper connection with the environment, the quarry and, fundamentally, allows you to explore your own skills, fears and senses in a primeval way.

We had some great and willing participants and their observations and enthusiasm was quite extraordinary. Badgers, foxes, deer and rodents were seen at very close quarters. Despite a downpour as soon as the participants were “immersed” in the forest, only one returned (a good decision in the circumstances). The others were rewarded by a series of close-encounters they will probably never forget.

We were all fortunate enough to witness the start of the Fallow deer rut by hearing some bellowing. Our trail cam captured the exact moment when a Fallow buck started calling to his harem.

As usual we had some excellent assistants who threw themselves into everything from stocking up wood for the fire to actually delivering parts of a session.

As usual the backdrop of Hatfield Forest produced a mobile classroom full of feeding signs, scat and various species for observation and discussion. It is not difficult to relax, slow-down and become one with nature in an environment such as this.

 

The next course will start in two-weeks. It’s the Woodland Tracker that will expand on the tracking skills that the Immersion course started. If you would like to come on the course, please book online here… http://www.woodlife.co.uk/2009/03/17/fbt/

Thanks for the visit.

Back to the Woods

Having had a couple of weeks break, it was nice to get back into the woods. The weather was nice and sunny and there was a real, if not weak, warmth to it. It was certainly warm enough to attract a couple of late flying insects such as this Comma butterfly and a Common darter dragonfly.

My excursion found me in Poor Park woods. I was surprised to see most of the blackberries now gone already, but there were one or two patches left. The damp but mild early autumn brought with it a smell, which is unique to this time of year.

All was quiet. It is a calm before the storm - as very soon, the first frosts will descend and there will be a late scramble to  collect fallen fruit and nuts. Of course, there will also be an atmosphere of electricity through the woods when the Fallow deer rut commences and the Tawny owls start calling out defending their territories.

For now, the trees still mostly had a full layer of green leaves with only a few of the maples starting to turn to a beautiful red.

Next weekend we have our popular Immersion course in Hatfield forest which I’m really looking forward to. This is a great course and participants always come away with a new outlook on nature and a basic toolbox of tracking skills. It will be great to our crew again and of course meet new people and introduce them to the Forest.

Until then… thanks for the visit.

Back to the Woods

Having had a couple of weeks break, it was nice to get back into the woods. The weather was nice and sunny and there was a real, if not weak, warmth to it. It was certainly warm enough to attract a couple of late flying insects such as this Comma butterfly and a Common darter dragonfly.

My excursion found me in Poor Park woods. I was surprised to see most of the blackberries now gone already, but there were one or two patches left. The damp but mild early autumn brought with it a smell, which is unique to this time of year.

All was quiet. It is a calm before the storm - as very soon, the first frosts will descend and there will be a late scramble to  collect fallen fruit and nuts. Of course, there will also be an atmosphere of electricity through the woods when the Fallow deer rut commences and the Tawny owls start calling out defending their territories.

For now, the trees still mostly had a full layer of green leaves with only a few of the maples starting to turn to a beautiful red.

Next weekend we have our popular Immersion course in Hatfield forest which I’m really looking forward to. This is a great course and participants always come away with a new outlook on nature and a basic toolbox of tracking skills. It will be great to our crew again and of course meet new people and introduce them to the Forest.

Until then… thanks for the visit.