Want to boost your Tree ID skills this autumn? Do you struggle to know your alders from your elders, your hawthorn from your blackthorn? Join our FREE workshop online and let us help you.
James Kendall, Bushcraft Instructor and author of The Complete Tree ID Course, will be hosting a live webinar workshop where you can learn tips & tricks to identifying a range of native and common tree species here in the UK.
You will learn to look closer at the trees around you in the changing season of autumn. The changes in colour of the leaves, the ripening fruits and even which trees lose their leaves first and last, which can be so helpful when identifying trees from a distance.
We’re offering this workshop online to anyone and everyone who is interested in finding out more about the trees around them.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
* Native & common tree identification
* Using leaf colour, fruits, nuts, seeds and other autumn signs
* Which trees change colour first and last
* Get Tree ID cheat sheets to download
* Discover 3 key hacks to help identify any tree
* Book recommendations
* Join in our Q&A Session
* A BIG discount on our comprehensive online training; Complete Tree ID Course
The workshop will last 1hr and will be hosted via Zoom.
HOW TO BOOK
It’s FREE to join this workshop. So, all you need to do in advance is register for your free place in advance. Once registered you will be sent the link to the Zoom meeting via email.
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in outdoor education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
James previously manage the largest community woodland in Wales, 300 acres of mixed conifers and broadleaves and in 2017 James received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through theInstitute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. He is also a member of the IOL Bushcraft Professional Practise Group. The group aims to promote best practice in the growing industry of bushcraft activity providers.
Become a Tree Expert
During this workshop you will also learn about our much more extensive online course; The Complete Tree ID Course. Go from clueless to confident on your journey to becoming a tree expert, featuring up to 45 species of native & common trees, all taught by James Kendall.
You will learn key principles of tree identification, which are easy to remember and can be applied to any tree you encounter. You will have videos, photo galleries and tree ID cheat sheets at your fingertips.
This course will take you through every native tree species in the UK in all 4 seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn. You will learn not only how to identify trees by their leaves but also by their bark, buds, seeds & more.
We will be offering all attendees of this free workshop a special discount offer to sign up to the full course. So, if you want to know more, don’t forget to register for your place.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Reading the Landscape
Nature Connection
Tree & Plant identification
Understanding Habitats
Book now
This workshop is totally FREE and is open to anyone. Simply follow the link to register for the workshop on Zoom and you will be sent the link so you can join the meeting.
Kickstart your foraging & walk the wild food trail.
Ready to explore the wonderful world of wild edibles but worried that you might poison yourself on the first go? We’re here to help! Our introduction to the best of autumn wild food and foraging is now open for registration. You’ll gain confidence in using wild foods in your life.
Join us on a journey to discover the best foraged plants, fungi, fruits and more of Britain & Ireland in the season of Autumn. You’ll learn what to look for, where to look, and how to cook with wild food. Perfect for anyone interested in sustainable living, healthier eating, or just looking to expand their culinary horizons! Don’t miss out on this chance to start your wild food adventure. Book your place today!
All around us wild plants and trees are groaning with the weight of berries, nuts and fruits, just waiting to be picked. Not only that, but tasty mushrooms are springing up out of the forest floor all around us. This makes autumn one of the best times of year to get into foraging. In this workshop you will learn about common edible plants you can find in September, October and November.
Our online foraging workshops started in the first lockdown and have continued to be a hit ever since, as people want to learn how to make tasty meals from the wild plants around them. These events are filling up quickly, so grab your place whilst you can Everyone has loved these workshops so far and they’ve been really popular.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
Seasonal Wild Food Plant Identification
Foraging Do’s & Don’ts
Mouthwatering Mushrooms, that are easy to identify
Autumn Recipe Ideas
Get access to foraging videos, photo galleries & more
Giveaway: Win a place on ‘Your Wild Food Year’ full online course worth £197!
Poisonous Lookalikes You Need To Know
Q&A Session: put your questions to us
The workshop will last 1hr 30mins and will be hosted via Zoom.
Event details
Date: Tues 26 Sept, 2023
Time: 7.30pm – 9pm
Venue: Zoom Meeting
Cost: £7
Your Tutors: James & Lea Kendall
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in outdoor education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
James previously manage the largest community woodland in Wales, 300 acres of mixed conifers and broadleaves and in 2017 James received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through theInstitute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. He is also a member of the IOL Bushcraft Professional Practise Group. The group aims to promote best practice in the growing industry of bushcraft activity providers.
Lea is a qualified Counsellor and Mindfulness in a Woodland Setting practitioner. She is a firm believer in the power of nature to be therapeutic for everyone. Lea is an active forager, passionate about how we can use common plants for both food and medicine. She enjoys making her own tinctures and medicinal remedies for treating common ailments.
Become a Wild Food Expert
During this workshop you will also learn about our much more extensive online course; Your Wild Food Year. Go from clueless to confident on your journey to enjoying foraged plants, fungi, fruits and more with this detailed guide to identifying and cooking with the best wild edibles of Great Britain & Ireland.
In this course you can discover the joy of finding, harvesting and cooking with wild food with the very best each month has to offer. You will learn what to look for, where to look, and what to do with it in the kitchen.
You will have videos, photo galleries, recipes and more at your fingertips, all taught by experienced foragers. Discover over 70 wild foods!
Crucially, you’ll also learn when to look. As each month we bring you the edible fungi, flowers, fruits and foliage which are in season from January to December.
We will be offering all attendees of this workshop a HUGE 50% discount offer to sign up to the full course. So, if you want to know more, don’t forget to register for your place.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Hedgerow Foraging
Nature Connection
Tree & Plant identification
Hedgerow Medicine
Book now
This workshop cost just £7 per household, so cram as many of you around the screen as you can. Once you have a ticket, we will send you an email a couple of days before the event with the Zoom joining details.
Want to boost your Tree ID skills this summer? Do you struggle to know your alders from your elders, your hawthorn from your blackthorn? Join our FREE workshop online and let us help you.
James Kendall, Bushcraft Instructor and author of The Complete Tree ID Course, will be hosting a live webinar workshop where you can learn tips & tricks to identifying a range of native and common tree species here in the UK.
We’re offering this workshop online to anyone and everyone who is interested in finding out more about the trees around them.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
* Native & common tree identification
* Using leaves, fruits, flowers, bark and other summer signs
* Get Tree ID cheat sheets to download
* Discover 3 key hacks to help identify any tree
* Book recommendations
* Join in our Q&A Session
The workshop will last 1hr and will be hosted via Zoom.
HOW TO BOOK
It’s FREE to join this workshop. So, all you need to do in advance is register for your free place in advance. Once registered you will be sent the link to the Zoom meeting via email.
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in outdoor education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
James previously manage the largest community woodland in Wales, 300 acres of mixed conifers and broadleaves and in 2017 James received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through theInstitute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. He is also a member of the IOL Bushcraft Professional Practise Group. The group aims to promote best practice in the growing industry of bushcraft activity providers.
Become a Tree Expert
During this workshop you will also learn about our much more extensive online course; The Complete Tree ID Course. Go from clueless to confident on your journey to becoming a tree expert, featuring up to 42 species of native & common trees, all taught by James Kendall.
You will learn key principles of tree identification, which are easy to remember and can be applied to any tree you encounter. You will have videos, photo galleries and tree ID cheat sheets at your fingertips.
This course will take you through every native tree species in the UK in all 4 seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn. You will learn not only how to identify trees by their leaves but also by their bark, buds, seeds & more.
We will be offering all attendees of this free workshop a special discount offer to sign up to the full course. So, if you want to know more, don’t forget to register for your place.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Reading the Landscape
Nature Connection
Tree & Plant identification
Understanding Habitats
Book now
This workshop is totally FREE and is open to anyone. Simply follow the link to register for the workshop on Zoom and you will be sent the link so you can join the meeting.
Kickstart your foraging & walk the wild food trail.
Ready to explore the wonderful world of wild edibles? Our FREE introduction to wild food and foraging is now open for registration.
Join us on a journey to discover the best foraged plants, fungi, fruits and more of Britain & Ireland in the season of Spring. You’ll learn what to look for, where to look, and how to cook with wild food. Perfect for anyone interested in sustainable living, foraging, or just looking to expand their culinary horizons! Don’t miss out on this chance to start your wild food adventure. Register today!
All around us wild plants are bursting with life for spring and with that comes the beginning of one of the best times of the year for foraging. In this workshop you will learn about common edible plants you can find in March. April and May.
Our online foraging workshops started in the first lockdown and have continued to be a hit ever since, as people want to learn how to make tasty meals from the wild plants around them.
These events are filling up quickly, so grab your place whilst you can Everyone has loved these workshops so far and they’ve been really popular.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
Seasonal Wild Food Plant Identification
Foraging Do’s & Don’ts
Tasty Ways To Use Wild Garlic
Spring Recipe Ideas
Get access to foraging videos, photo galleries & more
Giveaway: Win a place on ‘Your Wild Food Year’ full online course worth £197!
Poisonous Lookalikes You Need To Know
Q&A Session: put your questions to us
The workshop will last 1hr and will be hosted via Zoom.
HOW TO BOOK
It’s FREE to join this workshop. So, all you need to do in advance is register for your free place in advance. Once registered you will be sent the link to the Zoom meeting via email.
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in outdoor education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
James previously manage the largest community woodland in Wales, 300 acres of mixed conifers and broadleaves and in 2017 James received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through theInstitute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. He is also a member of the IOL Bushcraft Professional Practise Group. The group aims to promote best practice in the growing industry of bushcraft activity providers.
Lea is a qualified Counsellor and Mindfulness in a Woodland Setting practitioner. She is a firm believer in the power of nature to be therapeutic for everyone. Lea is an active forager, passionate about how we can use common plants for both food and medicine. She enjoys making her own tinctures and medicinal remedies for treating common ailments.
Become a Wild Food Expert
During this workshop you will also learn about our much more extensive online course; Your Wild Food Year.Go from clueless to confident on your journey to enjoying foraged plants, fungi, fruits and more with this detailed guide to identifying and cooking with the best wild edibles of Great Britain & Ireland.
In this course you can discover the joy of finding, harvesting and cooking with wild food with the very best each month has to offer. You will learn what to look for, where to look, and what to do with it in the kitchen.
You will have videos, photo galleries, recipes and more at your fingertips, all taught by experienced foragers. Discover over 70 wild foods!
Crucially, you’ll also learn when to look. As each month we bring you the edible fungi, flowers, fruits and foliage which are in season from January to December.
We will be offering all attendees of this free workshop a special discount offer to sign up to the full course. So, if you want to know more, don’t forget to register for your place.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Hedgerow Foraging
Nature Connection
Tree & Plant identification
Hedgerow Medicine
Book now
This workshop is totally FREE and is open to anyone. Simply follow the link to register for the workshop on Zoom and you will be sent the link so you can join the meeting.
Want to boost your Tree ID skills in winter? Do you struggle to know your alders from your elders, your hawthorn from your blackthorn? Join our FREE workshop online and let us help you.
James Kendall, Bushcraft Instructor and author of The Complete Tree ID Course, will be hosting a live webinar workshop where you can learn tips & tricks to identifying a range of tree species here in the UK in the season of winter, when the trees don’t have their leaves on to help us recognise them.
We’re offering this workshop online to anyone and everyone who is interested in finding out more about the trees around them.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
* Recognising native & common tree species
* Using buds, bark, leaf litter & other winter signs
* Get Tree ID cheat sheets to download
* Discover 3 key hacks to help identify any tree
* Book recommendations
* Winter Tree Quiz
* Join in our Q&A Session
The workshop will last 1hr and will be hosted via Zoom.
HOW TO BOOK
It’s FREE to join this workshop. So, all you need to do in advance is register for your free place in advance. Once registered you will be sent the link to the Zoom meeting via email.
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in outdoor education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
James previously manage the largest community woodland in Wales, 300 acres of mixed conifers and broadleaves and in 2017 James received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through theInstitute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. He is also a member of the IOL Bushcraft Professional Practise Group. The group aims to promote best practice in the growing industry of bushcraft activity providers.
Become a Tree Expert
During this workshop you will also learn about our much more extensive online course; The Complete Tree ID Course. Go from clueless to confident on your journey to becoming a tree expert, featuring up to 35 species of native & common trees, all taught by James Kendall.
You will learn key principles of tree identification, which are easy to remember and can be applied to any tree you encounter. You will have videos, photo galleries and tree ID cheat sheets at your fingertips.
This course will take you through every native tree species in the UK in all 4 seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn. You will learn not only how to identify trees by their leaves but also by their bark, buds, seeds & more.
We will be offering all attendees of this free workshop a special discount offer to sign up to the full course. So, if you want to know more, don’t forget to register for your place.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Reading the Landscape
Nature Connection
Tree & Plant identification
Understanding Habitats
Book now
This workshop is totally FREE and is open to anyone. Simply follow the link to register for the workshop on Zoom and you will be sent the link so you can join the meeting.
Uncover the Amazing World of Medicinal Mushrooms & Their Power To Heal
Join one of the world-leading authorities on this fascinating subject as we rediscover ancient knowledge about how medicinal mushrooms can be used to improve our health, boost our immune system and feed our bodies microflora.
This is a subject that is fast growing and our guest tutor Christopher Hobbs is at the forefront of this movement. He is the author of Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide which has been described as; “Nothing less than a masterpiece. The authoritative resource on medicinal mushrooms for anyone seeking to enhance physical and mental health.”
Medicinal mushrooms can boost immunity, fight cancer, improve memory, stop infection and expand your consciousness. Anyone can learn to forage them and use them at home for a host of health benefits. The good news, they are growing in the woods all around us.
You will learn how to identify medicinal mushrooms growing wild, how to harvest them and how you can use them at home.
The workshop is aimed at anyone who wants to find natural solutions to improving their own health and wellbeing as well as those already interested in wild food foraging.
A ticket costs just £11 per household. These events are selling out quickly, so grab your place whilst you can 🙂 Everyone has loved these workshops so far and they’ve been really popular.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
* How Mushrooms Can Boost Your Health
* Identifying Medicinal Mushrooms in the Wild
* Top Mushrooms in Depth
* Cooking with Medicinal Mushrooms
* Special Guest Tutor: Christopher Hobbs, author of Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide
* Q&A Session: put your questions to Dr. Hobbs
The workshop will last 1hr 30 mins and will be hosted via Zoom.
If you cannot make the workshop on the night, we can send you a recording of it afterwards.
Our online foraging workshops started in the first lockdown and have continued to be a hit ever since, as people want to learn how to make tasty meals from the wild plants around them. Each month we host online workshops with a whole host of nature-based subjects including foraging, tree lore, woodcraft skills and wild medicine.
HOW TO BOOK – VERY IMPORTANT!
The cost is £11 per household. So, feel free to cram as many family members around the screen as you can 🙂
Once you have your ticket, we will follow up with an email on the day of for you to register for the Zoom meeting, following which you will receive the Zoom meeting link and entry password. So, look out for that.
Please note, tickets are non-refundable.
Event details
Date: Nov 22, 2022
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Venue: Zoom Meeting
Cost: £11
Your Tutor: Dr. Christopher Hobbs
We are excited to be welcoming a leading authority on this fascinating subject to lead this special workshop for you. Dr. Christopher Hobbs is a fourth-generation, internationally renowned herbalist, licensed acupuncturist, author, clinician, botanist, mycologist, and research scientist with over 35 years of experience with herbal medicine.
He is the author of Medicinal Mushrooms: The Essential Guide, and has written over 20 books on herbal medicine.
Christopher has a doctorate from UC Berkeley in phylogenetics, evolutionary biology and phytochemistry. He is also a founding member of the American Herbalists Guild.
James and Lea from Woodland Classroom will also be on hand to host proceedings and field your questions throughout the workshop.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Nature Connection
Hedgerow Medicine
Ancestral Skills
Hedgerow Foraging
Book now
This workshop costs just £11 per household and is open to anyone. Children are welcome to attend with their families, though please note the content will be taught at an adult level. You can read our Event Terms & Conditions here.
Want to boost your Tree ID skills this summer? Do you struggle to know your alders from your elders, your hawthorn from your blackthorn? Join our FREE workshop online and let us help you.
James Kendall, Bushcraft Instructor and author of The Complete Tree ID Course, will be hosting a live webinar workshop where you can learn tips & tricks to identifying a range of native and common tree species here in the UK.
We’re offering this workshop online to anyone and everyone who is interested in finding out more about the trees around them.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
* Native & common tree identification
* Using leaves, fruits, flowers, bark and other summer signs
* Get Tree ID cheat sheets to download
* Discover 3 key hacks to help identify any tree
* Book recommendations
* Join in our Q&A Session
The workshop will last 1hr and will be hosted via Zoom.
HOW TO BOOK
It’s FREE to join this workshop. So, all you need to do in advance is register for your free place in advance. Once registered you will be sent the link to the Zoom meeting via email.
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in outdoor education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
James previously manage the largest community woodland in Wales, 300 acres of mixed conifers and broadleaves and in 2017 James received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through theInstitute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. He is also a member of the IOL Bushcraft Professional Practise Group. The group aims to promote best practice in the growing industry of bushcraft activity providers.
Become a Tree Expert
During this workshop you will also learn about our much more extensive online course; The Complete Tree ID Course. Go from clueless to confident on your journey to becoming a tree expert, featuring up to 35 species of native & common trees, all taught by James Kendall.
You will learn key principles of tree identification, which are easy to remember and can be applied to any tree you encounter. You will have videos, photo galleries and tree ID cheat sheets at your fingertips.
This course will take you through every native tree species in the UK in all 4 seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn. You will learn not only how to identify trees by their leaves but also by their bark, buds, seeds & more.
We will be offering all attendees of this free workshop a special discount offer to sign up to the full course. So, if you want to know more, don’t forget to register for your place.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Reading the Landscape
Nature Connection
Tree & Plant identification
Understanding Habitats
Book now
This workshop is totally FREE and is open to anyone. Simply follow the link to register for the workshop on Zoom and you will be sent the link so you can join the meeting.
Confused by conifers? Perplexed by pines? Struggling with spruce? In this workshop you will go from clueless to confident in being able to identify between our native and common non-native conifers.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by a sea of green forestry trees, one tree can look the same as another. But if you learn to look closer you will discover easy to spot signs with which you can tell species apart. Join James Kendall, creator of The Complete Tree ID Course, as he takes you through his tips, tricks, rhymes and hints for telling commonly seen conifers from each other.
Our online workshops started in the first lockdown and have continued to be a hit ever since, as people want to learn more about the natural world around them. Each month we host online workshops with a whole host of nature-based subjects including foraging, tree lore, woodcraft skills and wild medicine.
A ticket costs just £7 per household. These events are selling quickly, so grab your place whilst you can 🙂 Everyone has loved these workshops so far and they’ve been really popular.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
* Understand easy differences between pine, spruce, fir & more
* Get to know Britain’s three native conifers
* Gain confidence in identifying non-native conifers of forestry
* Discover conifers that break the rules
* Dive into foraging & wild food uses for conifers
* Unlock traditional and modern uses of conifers
* Workshop Giveaway: WIN a Guide to Woodland Trees, Flowers & Fungi
* Join in our Q&A Session
The workshop will last 1hr and will be hosted via Zoom. Once you book into the workshop then you will receive an email from Zoom with details of how to access the workshop a couple of days before the event.
HOW TO BOOK
The cost is £7 per household. So, feel free to cram as many family members around the screen as you can 🙂
Please note, tickets are non-refundable.
Event details
Date: February 10, 2022
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Venue: Zoom Meeting
Cost: £7
Your Tutor: James Kendall
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in outdoor education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
James previously manage the largest community woodland in Wales, 300 acres of mixed conifers and broadleaves and in 2017 James received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through theInstitute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. He is also a member of the IOL Bushcraft Professional Practise Group. The group aims to promote best practice in the growing industry of bushcraft activity providers.
WIN This Tree Identification Guide
When you book onto this workshop you will be entered into a prize draw to win some top swag!
We will be giving away a copy of The Field Studies Council’s Guide to Woodlands; Trees, Flowers & Fungi.
This full colour fold-out guide features 61 species of trees, wild flowers, ferns and fungi of woodland.
A woodland walk is a wonderful way to get outdoors and explore nature. And with the help of this guide, there’s something to see all year round. Beautiful colour illustrations show the key features to look out for. Concise accompanying text on the reverse side covers the height, identification notes and likely habitat of each species.
Identifying woodland trees is easiest in the late spring and summer, using leaves, fruits and seeds. But even without their leaves in their winter, many woodland trees can be recognised from their twigs, buds and bark. A concise guide to identifying deciduous trees in winter is a special extra feature.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Reading the Landscape
Nature Connection
Tree & Plant identification
Understanding Habitats
Book now
This workshop costs just £7 per household and is open to anyone. Children are welcome to attend with their families, though please note the content will be taught at an adult level. You can read our Event Terms & Conditions here.
Want to boost your Tree ID skills in winter? Do you struggle to know your alders from your elders, your hawthorn from your blackthorn? Join our FREE workshop online and let us help you.
James Kendall, Bushcraft Instructor and author of The Complete Tree ID Course, will be hosting a live webinar workshop where you can learn tips & tricks to identifying a range of tree species here in the UK in the season of winter, when the trees don’t have their leaves on to help us recognise them.
We’re offering this workshop online to anyone and everyone who is interested in finding out more about the trees around them.
YOUR WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
* Recognising native & common tree species
* Using buds, bark, leaf litter & other winter signs
* Get Tree ID cheat sheets to download
* Discover 3 key hacks to help identify any tree
* Book recommendations
* Join in our Q&A Session
The workshop will last 1hr and will be hosted via Zoom.
HOW TO BOOK
It’s FREE to join this workshop. So, all you need to do in advance is register for your free place in advance. Once registered you will be sent the link to the Zoom meeting via email.
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in outdoor education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers students toward fostering a deeper connection with nature through understanding the landscape around us; “Bushcraft skills are an effective way to do this as we learn how to make use of natural materials and live lightly with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.”
James previously manage the largest community woodland in Wales, 300 acres of mixed conifers and broadleaves and in 2017 James received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through theInstitute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. He is also a member of the IOL Bushcraft Professional Practise Group. The group aims to promote best practice in the growing industry of bushcraft activity providers.
Become a Tree Expert
During this workshop you will also learn about our much more extensive online course; The Complete Tree ID Course. Go from clueless to confident on your journey to becoming a tree expert, featuring up to 35 species of native & common trees, all taught by James Kendall.
You will learn key principles of tree identification, which are easy to remember and can be applied to any tree you encounter. You will have videos, photo galleries and tree ID cheat sheets at your fingertips.
This course will take you through every native tree species in the UK in all 4 seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn. You will learn not only how to identify trees by their leaves but also by their bark, buds, seeds & more.
We will be offering all attendees of this free workshop a special discount offer to sign up to the full course. So, if you want to know more, don’t forget to register for your place.
Skills you will learn
During this workshop you will learn a range of skills, including…
Reading the Landscape
Nature Connection
Tree & Plant identification
Understanding Habitats
Book now
This workshop is totally FREE and is open to anyone. Simply follow the link to register for the workshop on Zoom and you will be sent the link so you can join the meeting.
Are you confused by conifers and flummoxed by firs? In this article you’re going to get to know the native conifer trees of Britain & Ireland and learn the top five key features you need to look for so that you can easily recognise them in the countryside and tell them apart from the many non-native conifers you may find.
Conifers are not rare in this country, you can find them everywhere. As a general rule, they are also evergreen (though there is an exception, the Larch) so they hang on to their foliage right through our winter. With the majority of our native trees being broadleaves, losing their leaves in autumn, this makes a conifer easy to spot from a mile off.
But are you looking at one of our native conifer trees or is it one of the many non-native species which have been introduced to this country?
Before we get into this topic, you might be interested in my FREE Tree ID Course online, it’s called Kickstart Your Tree ID Skills and it includes videos, downloads, photo galleries and quizzes on trees in all four seasons of the year. If this sounds good to you then you can enrol for free right here.
What is a Conifer?
Conifers are a very old group of trees that includes firs, cedars, cypresses, junipers, kauri, larches, pines, hemlocks, redwoods, spruces and yews. As a rule, conifers bare cones, though some don’t look much like cones as we think of them. The other key feature they share is they have very small leaves in the form of needles or scales.
With the exception of some Scots Pine in Scotland and a few Yew woodlands, you will not comes across a natural forest of conifer trees in the UK and Ireland. They are most likely planted non-native species, usually for timber production or as a shelter-belt woodland.
When we picture a conifer, we usually have a Christmas tree in mind, which is typically a Spruce. But there’s more to conifers than simply this conical cone-baring form. Especially when it comes to our own natives.
Above: Conifers can come in a variety of weird and wonderful forms.
How Many Native Conifers Do We Have in the UK & Ireland?
Well the good news here is that we have only three native conifers. By native, we mean a species which have been naturally present on these isles since the last Ice Age and before we became disconnected from the continent. Our three native conifers are Scots Pine, Juniper and Yew.
Take a trip around the globe and you could be dealing with up to 800 conifer species. So, we’re quite lucky in the UK & Ireland that we only have three to tackle.
It’s not just the trees featured in this article that you could well see on your country walk though. There are several species and families of conifer trees that are very commonly planted here, either for forestry or in country estates and parks for their sheer beauty. You’d be forgiven for thinking that Larch, Spruce, Firs and Hemlock could be part of the natural make of our landscape but they are all guests from exotic lands.
So, let’s get to know our three natives and pick out the key identifying features you need to look for.
Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
There are several pines which has been introduced to this country including the Corsican Pine (Pinus nigra var. maritima) and Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contora ssp. latifolia) to name a couple, but we have only one native and the clue is in the name, Scots Pine. However, don’t be fooled, this tree isn’t found only in Scotland, you could see it anywhere. In its natural range though it does favour uplands and poor soils. The oldest Scots Pine in the UK can be found in Scotland in the Caledonian Forest.
Left: Needles are in pairs, joined at their base. Middle: A ripe cone, still closed. Right: A mature cone having dropped its seeds.
Before we get into the specific details of Scots Pine, it’s worth mentioning a feature that is unique to pines. If you follow a single pine needle back to its base, where it joins the twig, you will discover it is joined to one or more other needles. Pine needles come in twos, threes or fives. This is important because conifers like spruce have needles which are attached singly to the twig.
I was told this handy little rhyme by Dave Watson of Woodland Survival Crafts to help me remember this rule; “If it’s a pair, it’s a pine, but not all pines are pairs.” By using this rhyme we can eliminate other families of conifers and know that we are looking at a pine. So, that leads to the question, how do we know it’s a Scots Pine?
To identify the Scots Pine there’s a few key features to look for:
Needles come in pairs, joined at their base to the twig. Needles are approx 5 to 7.5cm in length. This is important as a commonly planted non-native, the Corsican Pine, also has needles in pairs, but they are significantly longer. Corsican Pine needles can grow to 15cm long.
Needles often have a twist to them.
Mature bark is a warm brown to orange colour with a craggy character. Also, look for a band of orange on the main trunk about a third to two-thirds up the tree. This is especially visible in clear sunlight.
Pine cones. These are the typical cones used for Christmas decorations that you are probably familiar with. They take two years to mature. Cones are green and conical in their first year on the branch. In their second year they become more rounded and brown-grey in colour.
Mature trees have a habit of spreading and flattening out in their crown, so losing the “Christmas tree” conical shape we think of when picturing a conifer.
Left: Look for an orange band on the trunk some way up the tree. Middle: Bark is craggy and covered in plates. Right: The crown of mature trees flatten out.
Juniper (Juniperus communis)
You might know this tree best from its berries, or rather what’s its berries are used to flavour… gin.
This is by far the least common of our three native conifers. It is mostly a tree of upland areas, but you can find it formally planted in country estate gardens where it can be trimmed to shape. It’s worth noting though that Juniper is probably the most widespread tree species in the world, found from the Arctic to the Mediterranean.
Left: Typically a low-growing and spreading tree. Middle: Ripe berries are blue to black in colour. Right: Needles grow in threes. They are very spiky.
In the UK, Juniper tends to favour chalk and limestone sites.
To identify Juniper you’re looking for the following things:
Typically a low-growing, sprawling shrub of a tree. Though not always.
Needles are small (up to 2cm long), very spiky to touch and they grow in threes.
The mature bark is a reddish-brown colour which has a peeling habit.
Berries. When mature they are dark blue/black. They are small and spherical. When young they are green in colour. You will only find them on the female trees. So, this feature can be a little unreliable.
Crush a berry between you fingers, it will smell of gin. This also works with the twigs & foliage, but be careful, it’s spiky!
The ripe fruit of the female Juniper are generally called berries, but they are actually classed as cones.
There are several cultivated varieties of Juniper which you can pick up in your local garden centre.
Left: Bark is reddish-brown and peeling. Middle: Young berries are blue/green. Right: Juniper can be an upright, single-trunked tree, but this is less common.
Yew (Taxus baccata)
We can lay claim to some of the most spectacular Yew trees in the world, as they are the oldest living organisms in the UK. It’s thought that some are as old as five thousand years! There is hot debate as to which is the oldest living Yew, but the most likely candidates, in my opinion, are in Wales.
Left: Yews are often found in churchayrds. Middle: Needles are soft to touch. Right: Bark is patchy with reds, browns & purples.
You are most likely to find a Yew in your local churchyard, looming over the gravestones. Many of these trees predate the church they are paired with.
To identify the Yew tree you’re looking for a few key things:
Glossy needles are up to 4cm long. They are arranged flat, along green twigs.
The needles are soft to the touch, unlike spikier spruce trees.
The mature bark of Yew is quite beautiful. Look for red-brown bark with a peeling habit that can show patches of oranges, purples and blood red. When wet, patches of the bark can look like they’re bleeding.
The bright pink/red oval berries of the Yew are very different from anything else you’ll find on a conifer. You will only find these on female trees, so don’t rely on this alone.
Mature trees will typically have more than one stem, growing from the base.
Yew trees don’t have cones. This makes them easy to distinguish from pine, spruce and fir.
Left: Pink/red berries are unmistakable. Middle: Needles arranged flat, on green twigs. Right: Bark is peeling and full of character.
Discover More About Trees
It can be so interesting to really look in to the details of our native trees and notice the changes that they undergo throughout the four seasons. That’s just what I’ve created for my FREE introductory online course called Kickstart Your Tree ID Skills. Here you will find a whole host of resources to take you from clueless to confident on your way to really knowing your trees.
When you sign up to this free mini-course you’ll be identifying common trees with video tutorials and photo galleries at your fingertips. Start your journey to becoming a fully fledged Tree Expert today. The course includes Tree ID Cheat Sheets which you can download and take outdoors with you.
“I’ve been frustrated for so long trying to learn my trees myself and haven’t gotten far. This course answered everything and has seriously upped my game.” Dr. Patrick Alexander
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
