National Trust Wildcamp Experience Weekend

This weekend we hosted the National Trust’s Wildcamp Experience Weekend at Hatfield forest.

This isn’t a full-on as we let the participants experiment with their families or family pairs to see what it’s like to sleep in the Forest.

Of course, we are there for safety purposes and make sure no one gets damaged – well not seriously damaged anyway.

We do run a couple of session, in fact we run more than we should be cause we’re like that; So the lucky participants were taught knife-safety (a good start!) carving techniques (and most has a go at carving their first ever spoon) fire lighting, tracking and a plant walk. Not only that, Friday evening saw everyone witness some spectacular badger activity getting to within a few meters of a badger cub and some bat detecting.

The finale came when most opted to have a row on the lake after a busy few minutes foraging at Hatfield’s busy (and noisy!) cafe.

It was a brilliant weekend made better by the glorious weather. Many thanks to the participants and of course, the Woodlife Trails Team: Rob, Luke, Rich, Nigel, Trooper, Beccy, Hannah. 

National Trust Wildcamp Experience Weekend

This weekend we hosted the National Trust’s Wildcamp Experience Weekend at Hatfield forest.

This isn’t a full-on as we let the participants experiment with their families or family pairs to see what it’s like to sleep in the Forest.

Of course, we are there for safety purposes and make sure no one gets damaged – well not seriously damaged anyway.

We do run a couple of session, in fact we run more than we should be cause we’re like that; So the lucky participants were taught knife-safety (a good start!) carving techniques (and most has a go at carving their first ever spoon) fire lighting, tracking and a plant walk. Not only that, Friday evening saw everyone witness some spectacular badger activity getting to within a few meters of a badger cub and some bat detecting.

The finale came when most opted to have a row on the lake after a busy few minutes foraging at Hatfield’s busy (and noisy!) cafe.

It was a brilliant weekend made better by the glorious weather. Many thanks to the participants and of course, the Woodlife Trails Team: Rob, Luke, Rich, Nigel, Trooper, Beccy, Hannah. 

Bushcraft Show–Elvaston

Glorious sunshine! At last! It couldn't have been more perfect for the show. Partly because of this we were incredibly busy especially on the Saturday.

Thanks to everyone who came to see our stall and Table of Death. Also thanks to all the traders. It was great catching up with everyone too numerous to mention – but particularly our neighbours Woodsmoke, Dave Mark and Helen Shark, Dave Watson and Ben Orford.

As usual we ran tracking sessions and, new for this year, we were demonstrating our Countryside courses with our new stars, Poppy the Polecat ferret, Harry the Hawk and Mr Spock the owl. All of whom went down a storm.

I was on stage for a talk about Tracking in the British Woodland that drew a bit of a crowd and received some great feedback.

Thanks to everyone who assisted on the stand – Richard, Beccy and Luke. Also a big well done to Jason, who organised the stand and us as part of his instructors module. I think Jason appreciated it’s not that easy running a show and getting us lot organised as you can see form the photo above!

Bushcraft Show–Elvaston

Glorious sunshine! At last! It couldn't have been more perfect for the show. Partly because of this we were incredibly busy especially on the Saturday.

Thanks to everyone who came to see our stall and Table of Death. Also thanks to all the traders. It was great catching up with everyone too numerous to mention – but particularly our neighbours Woodsmoke, Dave Mark and Helen Shark, Dave Watson and Ben Orford.

As usual we ran tracking sessions and, new for this year, we were demonstrating our Countryside courses with our new stars, Poppy the Polecat ferret, Harry the Hawk and Mr Spock the owl. All of whom went down a storm.

I was on stage for a talk about Tracking in the British Woodland that drew a bit of a crowd and received some great feedback.

Thanks to everyone who assisted on the stand – Richard, Beccy and Luke. Also a big well done to Jason, who organised the stand and us as part of his instructors module. I think Jason appreciated it’s not that easy running a show and getting us lot organised as you can see form the photo above!

Jason has been involved with Woodlife Trails since 2011 and has been an avid bushcrafter and survivalist since childhood.

Based in the North West, Jason is an IT Professional by day but loves nothing better than getting into the forest for a wild camp and campfire.

Jason is a dab hand with woodland crafts, greenwood carving and leather-craft.

He is developing his tracking skills and hopes to join Woodlife Trails for their Big Game Expedition in South Africa 2014

Jason is passionate about the Natural History and British Woodland and encouraging others make the most of it.

Jason has been involved with Woodlife Trails since 2011 and has been an avid bushcrafter and survivalist since childhood.

Based in the North West, Jason is an IT Professional by day but loves nothing better than getting into the forest for a wild camp and campfire.

Jason is a dab hand with woodland crafts, greenwood carving and leather-craft.

He is developing his tracking skills and hopes to join Woodlife Trails for their Big Game Expedition in South Africa 2014

Jason is passionate about the Natural History and British Woodland and encouraging others make the most of it.

Trooper or Troops the best part of 10+yrs working in the Theatre, Television and Concert industry as a rigger, flyman and stage technician before moving to Devon in 2000 to run his own Motorcycle repair business. Sadly after the demise of this business in 2008 Troops moved back to Essex where he began working with young people in the care of local authorities which he finds an exceptionally rewarding job and continues to do to this day.

Troops has always had an interest, love and awe in all things Outdoorsy and Survival and often spending days out on survival/ wild camping weekends, animal and bird watching with friends and family members and teaching himself basic Bushcraft skills.

A fortuitous chance meeting in a multi-story car-park in 2008 lead to Troops meeting Pablo, and consequently being founding members of ESSEX OUTBACKS Bushcraft group through the WOODLIFE forum network. This opened up a whole new world of Tracking and related field craft.from which Troops has never looked back.

Now after 4 years plus of hard graft and learning from both PABLO & JP as well as working up from course helper to assistant and then mentor enrolling on the Diploma programme Troops has worked towards becoming a trainee instructor.

Troops also volunteers at least one day a month with the Wilderness Foundation where he passes on Bushcraft knowledge and skills as their Bushcraft Mentor.

As well as his love of Bushcraft Troops is a qualified Residential worker and mechanical engineer. He loves walking holidays in the Lake District and is heavily involved In his other life passion; Motorcycles. He is accompanied almost everywhere by his faithful companion and Essex Outbacks mascot Scout.

He loves reading and cooking and has been lucky enough to experience such things as winter dog sledding in Finland, walking with Wolves, as well as swimming with Dolphins and Manatee in Florida. His Bushcraft ambitions are to go on a month long Canoe safari around Canada in an open canoe and Track Wolves in either Europe or North America.