Celebrate the Winter Solstice with us in the woods. Adults or families with children of all ages are welcome to join us at our sheltered fire circle hidden in the beautiful woodland of Park in the Past for an early evening session of solstice celebration around the campfire. We will start with a lantern-lit walk along the trail, across the river and into the woods where our crackling campfire will give us a warm and welcome light at the darkest time of the year. Our previous events have been amazing, and this year promises to be a very special and magical event with music, food and good company.
Be sure to wrap up well with appropriate clothing as old Jack Frost will be out and about.
“We can look back on our journey since Summer Solstice, to acknowledge what we have completed in this cycle, what we have experienced and what wisdom we have gained. It is also a moment to look forward, to name the new seeds and intentions we wish to take into the next cycle.” Glennie Kindred
Lea and James will be your guides as we gather under our huge parachute canopy and share the warmth of the midwinter fire.
We are hosting this session on 2 consecutive nights so if this date fills up, check out our event on the 21st Dec.
Lantern walk down the trails to the fire circle
Hot spiced apple cider (non-alcoholic)
Festive fireside storytelling
Wishing Tree
Gentle games for the kids; night-line, glow worm trail & more
Roasted chestnuts
Sing-along with seasonal songs; James will bring his mandolin
Light a candle of your own and make a wish for the coming year
Event details
Date: Dec 22, 2023
Time: 4:30 am – 6:30 pm
Venue: Park in the Past
Cost: Adult £14, Child £11, Under 2’s Free
Want a sneak preview of this event? Watch this short video of a previous Woodland Winter Solstice gathering we hosted.
Your Guides: James & Lea Kendall
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers his 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.”
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.
Skills you will learn
Over the course of the evening you will experience a range of activities, including…
Nature Connection
Campfire Treats
Family Bushcraft
Ancestral Skills
Campfire
Stargazing
Tree & Plant identification
Wellbeing in Nature
Book now
Adults tickets £14 each, Child tickets £11 each. Under two’s come for FREE. Children of all ages are welcome. You can read our Event Terms & Conditions here.
Give yourself the gift of quality time in nature as you join us around the midwinter campfire, for a celebration of the Winter Solstice. You will be guided through a range of activities aimed at deepening your nature connection whilst we mark this special moment in the calendar year together.
Experiencing nature with all our senses is a powerful doorway to practising mindfulness which is proven to improve your health & well-being. Practising bushcraft brings us closer to our ancestors and a very old way of understanding the natural world around us. It also fosters a stronger connection to nature. Fire has a hypnotic quality which can really aid getting into a mindful head space. Lighting fires at the darkest time of the year is also an ancient custom and symbolises creating our positive intentions for the new year.
“Winter Solstice, like Summer Solstice, is a moment of pause between two cycles, a moment of transition that can be held and savoured, a doorway, an opening, a place on the edge, when we can stop our busy lives and take a moment to experience this edge between these two great cycles of the year.” Glennie Kindred
Lea and James will guide you through a range of seasonal activities aimed at giving you real techniques which you can use to foster a deeper nature connection in your own time.
You will join us around the campfire amoungst the beautiful woodland of Park in the Past in North East Wales for a relaxing session of learning and celebrating in amongst the trees.
Enjoy a winter warmer; hot spiced apple cider (non-alcoholic) from our campfire
Awaken your ‘five animal senses’
Use traditional tools; knife, axe and froe
Identify native tree species in winter
Craft your own wild weaving to take home
Unwind with a tree meditation
Roast chestnuts on an open fire
Use traditional firelighting tools; flint & steel
Build your own Midwinter campfire; bring light to the dark
Set your intentions for the new year ahead
Make herbal teas from wild plants
Discover what your Celtic Birth Tree is and what it says about you
Event details
Date: Dec 22, 2023
Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Venue: Park in the Past
Cost: £35
Your Tutors: James & Lea Kendall
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers his 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.”
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.
Skills you will learn
Over the course of the programme you will learn a range of skills, including…
Nature Connection
Hedgerow Medicine
Mindfulness
Greenwood crafts
Firelighting Skills
Ancestral Skills
Tree & Plant identification
Meditation techniques
Book now
This session costs £35 per person and is open to adult learners aged 16 years and over. You can read our Event Terms & Conditions here.
Celebrate the Winter Solstice with us in the woods. Adults or families with children of all ages are welcome to join us at our sheltered fire circle hidden in the beautiful woodland of Park in the Past for an early evening session of solstice celebration around the campfire. We will start with a lantern-lit walk along the trail, across the river and into the woods where our crackling campfire will give us a warm and welcome light at the darkest time of the year. Our previous events have been amazing, and this year promises to be a very special and magical event with music, food and good company.
Be sure to wrap up well with appropriate clothing as old Jack Frost will be out and about.
“We can look back on our journey since Summer Solstice, to acknowledge what we have completed in this cycle, what we have experienced and what wisdom we have gained. It is also a moment to look forward, to name the new seeds and intentions we wish to take into the next cycle.” Glennie Kindred
Lea and James will be your guides as we gather under our huge parachute canopy and share the warmth of the midwinter fire.
We are hosting this session on 2 consecutive nights so if this date fills up, check out our event on the 22nd Dec.
Lantern walk down the trails to the fire circle
Hot spiced apple cider (non-alcoholic)
Festive fireside storytelling
Wishing Tree
Gentle games for the kids; night-line, glow worm trail & more
Roasted chestnuts
Sing-along with seasonal songs; James will bring his mandolin
Light a candle of your own and make a wish for the coming year
Event details
Date: Dec 21, 2023
Time: 4:30 am – 6:30 pm
Venue: Park in the Past
Cost: Adult £14, Child £11, Under 2’s Free
Want a sneak preview of this event? Watch this short video of a previous Woodland Winter Solstice gathering we hosted.
Your Guides: James & Lea Kendall
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers his 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.”
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.
Skills you will learn
Over the course of the evening you will experience a range of activities, including…
Nature Connection
Campfire Treats
Family Bushcraft
Ancestral Skills
Campfire
Stargazing
Tree & Plant identification
Wellbeing in Nature
Book now
Adults tickets £14 each, Child tickets £11 each. Under two’s come for FREE. Children of all ages are welcome. You can read our Event Terms & Conditions here.
Give your family the gift of quality time in nature this Christmas and add a bit of wild to your festive season. Join our festive celebration surrounded by the beautiful woodland of Park in the Past.
Families with children of all ages are welcome to join us at our Forest School circle where we will be stoking the campfire to bring light to the darkest time of the year.
James and Lea will guide you and your children through a range of festive craft activities that will get you all in the festive mood for Christmas. This is going to be a very special and magical event with music, food and good company.
You will return home with a Christmas wreath you have made along with hand-crafted decorations for your tree.
“My son and I attended a lovely winter solstice event on 21st December. It was a truly magical night and we loved the vibe. We will be back again. Loving that my birth tree is Oak by the way!” Nicole Netzband-Piggot
Enjoy a winter warmer; hot spiced apple juice from our campfire
Take a guided foraging walk for natural craft materials
Make a Christmas woodland wreath to take home
Taste roasted chestnuts, campfire popcorn and other hot snacks
Sing along to the mandolin with Christmas Carols around the campfire
Craft willow stars & other rustic decorations to hang in your Christmas tree
Listen to the tale of how the Robin got his red breast
Scoff a campfire-warmed mince pie – yum!
Event details
Date: Sat 9th Dec 2023
Time: 10am – 12:30pm
Venue: Park in the Past
Cost: £35 per family
Your Guides: James & Lea Kendall
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers his 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.”
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.
Skills you will learn
Over the course of the session you will enjoy a range of activities, including…
Nature Connection
Campfire snacks
Bushcraft for families
Campfire Cooking
Book now
This session costs £35 per family (to a maximum of 2 adults and 3 children per family). Additional children (over 2 years of age) are charged £5 separately. Additional children aged under 2 are free.
The BIG news we’ve been sitting on for the past few months can finally be announced! Woodland Classroom are moving, to a new venue. It’s a home which is somewhere quite unlike anywhere else.
Just north of Wrexham lies an ambitious project like no other, Park In The Past. It’s a place where not only can you explore woodlands or try your hand at water-sports, but you could also stumble across a full-size Roman fortress! As we said, this place is special.
Set in the ancient Welsh landscape, the park comprises 120 acres of outstanding natural beauty offering woodlands, wetlands, meadows, footpaths a magnificent 35-acre lake and the gorgeous River Alyn winding through it. To find out more about the venue, visit their website here.
The aim of Park In The Past is to create a totally unique visitor attraction. There is the country park itself which local people are encouraged to explore and enjoy the nature trails. Then there is the historic aspect where the project seeks to recreate an ancient landscape, winding the clock back to the Roman invasion of Britain. This is where the Roman Fort Build comes in. Visitors can walk amongst the construction site of a full-size timber and earthwork fort recreated using traditional techniques wherever possible. It’s pretty impressive!
Above: It’s not uncommon to see a Roman soldier wandering the pathways. Visitors can explore the fort build and seek out the ‘neolithic’ stone chamber.
Our blend of bushcraft, woodland skills and outdoor education marries well with what the team on site are trying to achieve here, complimenting what is already on offer.
Phil Hirst, one of the Park Directors told us; “All of the team at Park in the Past are really delighted to welcome James and Lea Kendall from Woodland Classroom to our heritage and conservation attraction in January 2023. Our new partnership will extend the range and quality of inspiring experiences for visitors. James and Lea’s unique approach to engaging with Mother Nature and forgotten country crafts will greatly enhance our ability to improve the mental health and wellbeing of our communities. We can’t wait to get started!”
James Kendall, Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom shared his enthusiasm; “We are extremely excited to be working with Park in the Past and can’t wait to be able to offer our courses and events at this fantastic venue. We will be bringing our established programme of bushcraft, wild food foraging, forest school and nature-based wellbeing to this site as well as a whole host of new courses for people who want to develop their outdoor skills or deepen their connection with nature.”
If you want to check out our upcoming courses and events, you can do that right here.
“Park in the Past brings so many new opportunities for us with a huge space offering woodland, meadows and scrubland, not to mention the lake which could enable us to offer bushcraft combined with canoeing in the future – two things that go so well together. Where else can you be exploring woodland one minute and then stumble over a Roman fort? The ongoing experimental archaeology projects here are great opportunities to link in our traditional woodland skills and greenwood crafts also. We are also looking forward to lending our experience of sustainable woodland management and working toward improving biodiversity on site as part of our ongoing activities.”
Above: The site features a 35 acre which hosts a range of water sports. There is also opportunity for pond dipping and river studies with our groups.
Park in The Past is managed by a Community Interest Company which has been set up to restore and manage the former Fagl Lane Quarry. The project aims to establish a balance between the sustainable management of habitats reserved exclusively for wildlife, and the sensitive utilisation of the site for commercial, educational and interpretative purposes. Park In The Past aims to create a balanced mixture of safe wildlife havens as well as areas for people to safely enjoy the site.
Park In The Past is easily accessible from the A55 North Wales Expressway. Chester City Centre is only 20 minutes drive away. Central Wrexham is just 15 mins drive away. The site is also within walking distance of Hope railway station.
The venue has lots of exciting plans for the future including the construction of a Celtic village and farm, a state-of-the-art visitor centre and a growing educational programme for schools focusing on ancient British history. As time goes on this venue is going to get better and better.
Above: The park is haven for wildlife and the woodlands are being managed with a view to improving biodiversity for the future.
Some people have asked us what this all means for Woodland Classroom offering courses and hosting groups at both Erddig and Chirk Castle. We’ve had a strong relationship with the National Trust, having hosted our courses at these venues since 2016 and we will continue to offer Felin Puleston Outdoor Centre at Erddig as a venue for outdoor education. In addition, a number of our bushcraft and foraging courses will still be hosted at Chirk Castle as it is a site which offers a completely different set of flora and fungi to Park In The Past. This way we can demonstrate the diversity that different sites can offer to the bushcrafter or forager. However, Park In The Past will become our principle home going forward.
Look out for more announcements over the coming months for our new course programme, venue launch event and the development of our new Bushcraft Basecamp and Forest School activity areas at Park In The Past. Our sincerest thanks go out to Paul and the rest of the Park In the Past team for letting us come and play in their sandbox.
If you are interested in bringing your school class, group or family along to a session with us at Park In The Past for a session with us then do get in touch.
We’re excited for the future and can’t wait to share this new venue with you all.
Give yourself the gift of quality time in nature as you join us around the midwinter campfire, for a celebration of the Winter Solstice. You will be guided through a range of activities aimed at deepening your nature connection whilst we mark this special moment in the calendar year together.
Experiencing nature with all our senses is a powerful doorway to practising mindfulness which is proven to improve your health & well-being. Practising bushcraft brings us closer to our ancestors and a very old way of understanding the natural world around us. It also fosters a stronger connection to nature. Fire has a hypnotic quality which can really aid getting into a mindful head space. Lighting fires at the darkest time of the year is also an ancient custom and symbolises creating our positive intentions for the new year.
“Winter Solstice, like Summer Solstice, is a moment of pause between two cycles, a moment of transition that can be held and savoured, a doorway, an opening, a place on the edge, when we can stop our busy lives and take a moment to experience this edge between these two great cycles of the year.” Glennie Kindred
James and Kay will guide you through a range of seasonal activities aimed at giving you real techniques which you can use to foster a deeper nature connection in your own time.
You will join us around the campfire amoungst the beautiful ancient woodland of the National Trust’s Erddig estate in North East Wales for a relaxing session of learning and celebrating in amongst the trees.
Enjoy a winter warmer; hot spiced apple cider (non-alcoholic) from our campfire
Awaken your ‘five animal senses’
Use traditional tools; knife, axe and froe
Identify native tree species in winter
Craft your own wild weaving to take home
Unwind with a tree meditation
Roast chestnuts on an open fire
Build your own Midwinter campfire; bring light to the dark
Set your intentions for the new year ahead
Make herbal teas from wild plants
Discover what your Celtic Birth Tree is and what it says about you
Event details
Date: Dec 21, 2022
Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Venue: Erddig
Cost: £30
Your Tutor: James Kendall
James is the Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers his 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.”
Your Tutor: Kay Ribbons-Steen
Kay has worked for a number of years in eco-therapy having trained as a Mindfulness in a Woodland Setting practitioner. Kay studied a work based diploma in Environmental Conservation with Flintshire Countryside & Coast Service. She is also an Ambassador for the National Autistic Society, and an autism awareness speaker.
She is also a qualified Forest School Leader and Social Forester.
“I am passionate about reconnecting people with nature for our own holistic wellbeing whilst conserving our unique and irreplaceable environment.”
Skills you will learn
Over the course of the programme you will learn a range of skills, including…
Nature Connection
Hedgerow Medicine
Mindfulness
Greenwood crafts
Firelighting Skills
Ancestral Skills
Tree & Plant identification
Meditation techniques
Book now
This session costs £30 per person and is open to adult learners aged 16 years and over. You can read our Event Terms & Conditions here.
Give your family the gift of quality time in nature this Christmas and add a bit of wild to your festive season. Join our celebration of midwinter surrounded by the ancient woodland of the National Trust’s Erddig estate.
Families with children of all ages are welcome to join us at our Forest School circle where we will be stoking the campfire to bring light to the darkest time of the year.
James and Kay will guide you and your children through a range of seasonal activities that will get you all in the festive mood for Christmas. This is going to be a very special and magical event with music, food and good company.
“My son and I attended a lovely winter solstice event on 21st December. It was a truly magical night and we loved the vibe. We will be back again. Loving that my birth tree is Oak by the way!” Nicole Netzband-Piggot
Enjoy a winter warmer; hot spiced apple juice from our campfire
Take a guided foraging walk for natural craft materials
Make a Christmas woodland wreath to take home
Taste roasted chestnuts, campfire popcorn and other hot snacks
Visit the Wishing Tree; set family intentions for the year ahead
Sing along to the mandolin with Christmas Carols around the campfire
Make a willow star to hang in your Christmas tree
Listen to the tale of how the Robin got his red breast
Discover how our ancestors celebrated the Winter Solstice
Event details
Date: Sat Dec 17 & Sun 18 2022
Time: Two sessions available each day. 10:00 am – 12:30 pm & 1.30pm – 4pm
Venue: Erddig
Cost: £35
Your Leaders: James Kendall & Kay Ribbons-Steen
James is a Forest School Leader and Head Bushcraft Instructor at Woodland Classroom, having worked in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years. James’ approach to teaching steers his 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.”
Kay is a qualified Forest School Leader and Social Forester. She has worked for a number of years in eco-therapy having trained as a Mindfulness in a Woodland Setting practitioner. Kay studied a work based diploma in Environmental Conservation with Flintshire Countryside & Coast Service. She is also an Ambassador for the National Autistic Society, and an autism awareness speaker; “I am passionate about reconnecting people with nature for our own holistic wellbeing whilst conserving our unique and irreplaceable environment.”
Watch a video of a previous event we hosted
Skills you will learn
Over the course of the session you will enjoy a range of skills, including…
Nature Connection
Campfire snacks
Bushcraft for families
Campfire Cooking
Book now
This session costs £35 per family (to a maximum of 2 adults and 3 children per family). Additional children (over 2 years of age) are charged £5 separately.
We are hosting this event on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th Dec. Pick which day suits you.
The event is 2.5 hours long. You can choose from either a morning session (10am – 12.30pm) or afternoon session (1.30pm – 4pm) by selecting the appropriate ticket below. You can read our Event Terms & Conditions here.
Calling all tree lovers. Do you ever get overwhelmed by the amount of tree species out there and can’t tell one from the other? Would you love to expand your tree knowledge further and deepen your connection to the natural world? Well, I’m really excited to finally reveal what I’ve been working on for the past year…
THE COMPLETE TREE ID COURSE: An exclusive online course to take you from Tree Beginner to Tree Expert. All led by James Kendall from Woodland Classroom.
I’ve released a sneak preview of the full online course which you can watch here…
As I said, I’ve been filming videos for this course for over two years now, visiting trees in all four seasons, and taking hundreds of photographs. With coronavirus having cancelled or postponed all our outdoor activity work I now have the time to put the whole thing together for you.
I’d love to have your feedback, comments and constructive criticism on the video, as it will really help me highlight what works well and what could be improved for you. Simply drop me an email at hey@woodlandclassroom.com
Here’s what I hope to include in the full online course:
Approx 50 species of trees, both native and common to Britain and Ireland.
Videos of each tree species in winter, spring, summer and autumn – so you can see how the tree changes throughout the year and what to look out for.
Downloadable identification guide ‘cheat sheets’ which you can take out into the woods with you.
Hundreds of photographs, both on location and in-studio, which highlight the distinctive features in each tree.
Regular live webinars/chats with course students so you can get direct contact with me and other learners to help you on your progression from tree novice to expert.
An exclusive facebook group with all students so you can share questions, pictures and experiences.
You will get a certification of completion.
Excuse the pun but… I’ll help you see the wood for the trees 😉
There will be lots more information coming soon but if you’re interested in being one of the first to know when more details are released, drop us an email at hey@woodlandclassroom.com and I’ll sign you up to our Tree I.D. Course Mailing List.
MORE ABOUT YOUR TUTOR
I thought I’d include some more information myself and my professional background so those of you interested in knowing more about your Tree I.D Tutor…
I am the Head Bushcraft Instructor and Forest School Leader at Woodland Classroom. I have been working in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years now. I received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through the Institute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of teaching experience and practical study. Before setting up Woodland Classroom Ltd I was the Project Manager for Long Wood Community Woodland, the largest community-owned woodland in Wales, overseeing the management of 300 acres of broadleaf and conifer forest. I am also a former Director of Llais y Goedwig, the voice of community woodlands in Wales.
My approach to teaching has always been with an emphasis on steering my 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 about using natural materials and how we can live with the land, whilst also connecting with our own ancient past by seeing the land through the eyes of our ancestors.
I have always had an affinity with woods, being at home amongst the trees, and I’ve made it my mission to study under some of the UK leaders in bushcraft, greenwood crafts and sustainable woodland management including; Dave Watson (Woodland Survival Crafts), Ben Law (woodsman, author, and eco-builder) Patrick Whitefield (permaculture teacher and author) and Mike Abbott (author and greenwood craftsman).
When you’re out walking, have you ever wondered, “which tree is that?”
Once the leaves have fallen from the trees, many people can be stumped when asked what they’re seeing in the woods. But if we can understand the clues trees give us we can unlock their identity and so much more. On this one-day course, we’ll show you how to identify trees in winter by looking at buds, bark, the shape of the tree and other clues. We’ll also look at the different uses that trees have, their place in the ecosystem and dive into a bit of woodland folklore. You will also take away your very own FREE Tree Leaf Identification Swatch Book, which is perfect for continuing your learning and practicing tree ID after the course is done.
Join James, who will be your tutor for the day. He has worked for many years in and around trees from managing the largest community woodland in Wales to hosting his own program of bushcraft and woodland skills courses at National Trust venues.
The Chirk Castle estate is a fantastic site to learn about trees because there is such a wide range of species here which make up a range of varied habitats including broadleaf woodland, scrubby grasslands, and ancient hedgerows.
The course is suitable for anyone aged 16 or over. Tickets cost £35 per person.
Please bring a packed lunch on the day but hot drinks and biscuits will be provided. Please also bring suitable clothing and footwear for the outdoors as we’ll be exploring the estate parkland.
Leaf ID Swatch Guide Included!
Everyone attending this course also gets a FREE Leaf ID Swatch Book to use throughout the day and take away with you. Produced by the Woodland Trust, this pocket-sized and lightweight little guide features leaves, twigs, and buds from 32 common UK trees and shrubs which are cleverly presented and grouped according to similarities in leaf shape, in a format that also makes it ideal for bringing the natural world closer to everyone. On the reverse of each page, the tree or shrub is briefly described. There are also interesting facts and information about where that species tend to grow.
About the Tutor
James Kendall is Bushcraft Instructor and Forest School Leader. He has been working in environmental education & conservation for over 10 years now. He received the Bushcraft Competency Certificate awarded through the Institute for Outdoor Learning after 2 years of real experience and practical study. He was also the Project Manager for Long Wood Community Woodland, the largest community-owned woodland in Wales, overseeing the management of 300 acres (120ha) of broadleaf and conifer forest. He is a former Director of Llais y Goedwig, the voice of community woodlands in Wales.
James has always had an affinity with woodland habitats, being at home amongst the trees, and he has made it his mission to study under some of the UK leaders in bushcraft, greenwood crafts and sustainable woodland management including; Dave Watson (Woodland Survival Crafts), Ben Law (woodsman, author, and eco-builder) Patrick Whitefield (permaculture teacher and author) and Mike Abbott (author and greenwood craftsman).
Booking
Get in touch if you’d like to know more email us. Advance booking is essential. Tickets are available just below on this page.
We were recently interviewed and filmed by the BBC for the popular documentary series ‘The Why Factor.’ The programme asks the question’ “Why does nature calm anxiety?” The crew came to the ancient woods at the National Trust’s Chirk Castle estate in North Wales where Lea and James, of Woodland Classroom, run their Mindfulness & Bushcraft sessions, engaging all ages in nature connection. Here they experienced a Nature Therapy session, lead by Lea, a qualified Counsellor and Mindfulness in the Woods Practitioner. Next up, the crew got stuck into some practical bushcraft skills to bring to life their inner cave-people. We had a lot of fun during the recording.
Watch the short video on the BBC News websiteRIGHT HERE or via the link below.
Lea described her experience, “It felt great to be a part of the programme. There’s so much research coming out about the power of nature to heal us, with professionals and projects from all over the world reconnecting their clients with the wild places, I’m excited to be part of this movement. It truly feels like nature therapy’s time has come.” Lea believes that the antidote to stress is found through our connection to nature and that through this we can connect with others and with ourselves, building emotional resilience and community.
The official description of the BBC documentary reads;
“As the world grows more urban, humanity moves further away from nature. Could this be the reason anxiety has become the most diagnosed mental illness in the west? The idea of mindfulness is becoming more popular as the mainstream grows more aware of how panicked we all are. How are we tackling this issue? Jordan Dunbar dives into a niche of researchers and therapists who are learning about and treating the negative symptoms of urban life with a dose of nature.”
In the programme Lea takes the show’s presenter, Jordan Dunbar, on a taster Nature Therapy session where she convinces him on the power of walking barefoot on the earth. Later, James gives Jordan a crash-course in ancient bushcraft skills including firelighting by friction. This awakened Jordan’s inner cave-man as he learned how to make fire using only the natural materials he could find around him.
The programme’s presenter and producer, Jordan, has this to say, “The video was listed in the top 5 on the BBC News website over the weekend, making the front page of the BBC website and we had over half a million views on the BBC News Instagram! We’ve had great feedback on the radio doc already and it wouldn’t have been half as good without the sounds of the woodland and bushcraft!”
Lea is interviewed about the power of nature for improving mental health and well-being by the BBC.
SO, WANT TO JOIN US FOR A ‘MINDFULNESS & BUSHCRAFT’ EXPERIENCE?
If you like what you hear in the programme and the idea of not just getting away from it all for a weekend but actually coming away with real skills and techniques appeals to you then you’ll be happy to hear that Lea and James host immersive weekend workshops in Woodland Mindfulness & Bushcraft for adults which features activities such as: spoon carving, awakening your animal senses, crafting your own woodland getaway (mindful shelter building), breathing space meditations, natural navigation techniques, fox walking, traditonal fire-lighting techniques, foraging, wildflower identifcation and more.
The aim is not just to give you a couple of days from the rat race but to enable you to come away with new skills and techniques which you can use to be more mindful going forward and bring nature deeper into your life.
Our next Woodland Mindfulness & Bushcraft Weekend is taking place in September 2020. You can find full details RIGHT HERE. Book your place now for what promises to be a fantastic weekend. To find out more about our upcoming courses and events for all ages, check out our Events page.
We also take bookings from organisations and for events to deliver our nature connection workshops to groups. Get in touch if you’d like to know more.
We’d like to say a big thanks to Jordan Dunbar and the BBC crew for visiting us all the way up in North Wales, and for spreading our message that nature is a positive force for improved mental health and well-being. Also, we could not have had this opportunity without the kind permission of the staff at the National Trust’s Chirk Castle who we work in partnership with to deliver our programme of courses and workshops.
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