Igloo or Quinzee?
By Sam Haywood. As I write this many people are saying goodbye to the remnants of snow which has blanketed much of the UK over the last week or two. For us it is only now visible coating the tops of the tallest hills. While snow is understandably a nuisance to many...
Sharing your space with nature
By Nicky Hedgecock The drive to be out in the garden isn’t always as strong this time of year, when you look out of the window at the, often, gloomy weather. Once you are out there, however, digging, sweeping, composting and pruning, you soon warm up and appreciate...
Collecting natural tinders for firelighting
By Nicky Hedgecock. Autumn and early winter is a great time for collecting your natural tinders while you are out foraging nature’s bounty. It is very quick and easy to light your fire or stove with a match and firelighter and, at times, the best way to go, but it is...
The right knife for you….
By Sam Hayward The pursuit of the ‘perfect’ knife is arguably a never-ending one, as I have found. There is a lot more to it than one may realise, with the added factor that everyone will have their own individual preferences. I’ve been acquiring them now for over 20...
Natural art with autumn’s bounty.
By Sam Hayward. I often find when chatting to others that autumn is a bit of a ‘marmite’ season – you generally like it…. or you don’t. I can understand the perspective of those who are not too keen, viewing it as the prequel to winter, with daylight hours reducing,...
Adaptation, Evolution and Quality
By Philip Clegg. The outdoor sector has been very badly hit by the restrictions in place because of the pandemic. At Learn Outdoors and the Wilderness Project we have only been trading again for a few weeks after losing our entire spring and summer season and we are...
Bramble Baskets
By Nicky Hedgecock. As spring pushes into summer and the fine weather continues there is now an abundance of wild food and resources available to us. We are still not able to go back to work but I am enjoying greatly seeing the almost daily changes occurring in my...
Wellbeing in nature
By Nicky Hedgecock. A couple of days before the lockdown was announced I travelled to the South East of England to spend time with my family, so here I am still, unable to travel back to Wales. So, for someone who lives in mid Wales, teaches outdoor education and...
Experimental cooking over an open fire
By Sam Hayward. These are unprecedented times, with schools closed nationwide and many of us confined to our homes. Not surprisingly, there has been a surge in memes and jokes centred on home isolation, with numerous references to ‘Groundhog Day’. Throw some energetic...
Is this a good time to go walking in the hills?
By Philip Clegg. Maybe! At the time of writing there are no restrictions being placed on accessing the hills and mountains of the UK. We’re all aware of the health benefits of walking, but we need to tread carefully. Many of us will be going through a period of...