Instructors at Wilderness Gathering, the Original Bushcraft Show


Welcome to Woodsmoke - known for our pioneering bushcraft courses and professional approach to teaching classical wilderness survival skills. Our bushcraft courses and bushcraft expeditions are set in spectacular, inspirational landscapes and are structured to give you the maximum in hours of teaching and practice. We’ve spent the last ten years fine-tuning our courses and expeditions to give you the ultimate in outdoor learning - with intensive tuition and small class sizes, that will hone your skills and empower you to have your own adventure experience. Our core ethos is simply to inspire and educate, sharing our expertise, skills and knowledge and to constantly strive to provide the best authentic wilderness skills tuition available today. Our philosophy is an extension of who we are and what we do on our bushcraft courses

John Rhyder APIOL is a director of Woodcraft School, a professional bushcraft company based in West Sussex. He is a dedicated teacher and has 20 years of experience teaching schools and colleges and the military in many parts of the world. Early in his career he worked as a professional woodsman heavily involved in conservation management, traditional skills and management practices. He holds formal teaching qualifications and has been instructing bushcraft and related skills since 1994. Throughout the last 7 years John has been featured on television, in national and local newspapers and many programmes on radio. The company has originated an impressive array of courses over the last 11 years, including a popular year long instructor programme run through the NCFE and a follow on Diploma at Level 5. Woodcraft School offer a pioneering range of accredited programmes covering bushcraft, primitive crafts and natural history and the school holds an Investing in Quality licence with the NCFE, an accolade normally reserved for larger educational establishments. The courses reflect the passions of both John and his great professional team for nature and heritage and passing on these skills and knowledge to all. Such is the quality of the teaching that Woodcraft School have won awards for 2 years running for Best School, Best Instructor and Best Course for adults voted for by the readers of Bushcraft & Survival Skills magazine.

Woodland Survival Crafts is one of the longest established schools of Bushcraft having been set up in 1995 by Dave Watson LPIOL. Being in the outdoor industry all his adult life Dave`s focus has consistently been about how to develop and inspire people. He created the first OCN units in Bushcraft which have been used primarily to train young people. In 2007 Dave instigated the Bushcraft and Survival Skills Special Interest Group within the Institute for Outdoor Learning. Working with the IOL and other leading professionals in the Bushcraft world we have developed the Foundational Bushcraft Competency Certificate that is helping create a baseline of skills and safety in the Outdoor world. In 2008 Dave was awarded Leading Practitioner status with the IOL and is regularly asked to run workshops and seminars. He has regularly written for Bushcraft and Survival Skills magazine as well as other publications.

ShadowHawk is an organisation set up by Max to train and provide trackers for a multitude of tasks. It soon became apparent that there is a large demand for people wanting to learn more about nature and their environment and are seeking the art of tracking to be their vehicle. With this in mind it was decided to extend the tracking courses from a specialist areas to one that encompasses any person who has the desire to scratch below the surface, look to the ground and see what stories are to be told. Those that know Max will know that he has a deep respect for most things, he believes that tracking is his tool, the outdoors his office and that bushcraft and campcraft provide his home and are the bus to work. He believes that tracking and bushcraft are inextricably joined. His methods of tracking are an alloy of skills and knowledge from around the world. His methods of teaching tracking are unconventional, they will excite you and bring you and your environment closer together. Max has spent most of this year tracking rhino poachers and will be sharing his experiences in his lectures. Look out for Ian Maxwell "tracking guns and horn" on the timetable.

Lonescout Bushcraft is born of a lifetime of working with people and a passion for the outdoors. Understanding that not everyone has the ability or the desire to spend an extended period of time outdoors, Lonescout Bushcraft can bring elements of the adventure to you.As an Accredited Practitioner with the Institute for Outdoor Learning and a holder of their Foundational Bushcraft Competency Certificate Ian Cresswell offers a flexible response to your Bushcraft and Survival educational needs. It has been said that ‘we have become apart from nature rather than a part of nature. Lonescout believes this to be the case, evidenced in the way that we abuse our Earth, destroying it increasingly quickly with our consume all and hang the consequences attitude. It is easy to not care when one is distant, a state born of ignorance. Lonescout thinks that constant bombardment about the enormity of the catastrophe that we are heading towards globally is only partially effective. Lonescout firmly believes that to begin to grasp the global issue then we must become aware of our own local picture and develop a respect for our garden, school ground, park, recreation ground, woodland etc..

Chris Holland, trading as Wholeland, has so much to offer individuals, families and friends. Chris has many things in is teaching bundle. He is a bushcraft teacher, an outdoor play and nature awareness facilitator, an environmental artist, musician and storyteller. The intention behind his work is to help people, young and old, into a more heartfelt relationship with the world around us. The way this comes to you is in the form of bushcraft days out, bespoke bushcraft camps and holidays, bushcraft birthday parties, bushcraft stag parties, bushcraft tuition and bushcraft mentoring (phew thats a lot of bushcrafts in one sentence!). Physically we are all made of air, water and earth, with the magical firey spark of life thrown in for good measure - something we share with every other thing or system on this planet. When we tug at any strand in the fabric of life we soon find that all things are connected and that we humans are very much part of life’s rich tapestry. Click on the links below to find out ways you can get connected with some of the activities and events offered by Chris.

Patrick McGlinchey runs Backwoods Survival School, based near Glasgow, in Scotland, teaching introductory, advanced and individually tailored group and family courses in survival and wilderness living skills. Patrick's deep love for and affinity with the natural world, particularly woodland and shoreline, started in childhood, with many of his youthful activities being inspired by Larry Olsen. He studied originally as an artist at Glasgow School of Art which has helped him enhance his observations of nature. Patrick trained in survival techniques at one of the longest established survival schools in the UK, where he went on to become an instructor for several years. Further training and extensive travel have broadened his knowledge, and experience with alternative cultures has influenced his teachings. He takes great satisfaction from sharing his knowledge with others and regularly puts his wilderness living skills into practice. He has lived off the land on many occasions for periods up to 2 months and is a firm believer in ‘practice what you teach'

Jason set up Woodland Ways in order to build on the tradition of teaching Bushcraft and Survival Skills, with an emphasis on the protection and conservation of those environments we work within. The team at woodland Ways help people to develop an understanding of what nature can provide, in a sustainable way, to learn the skills of our ancestors. Through practical, hands on training, we teach skills including building your own shelter, collecting and purifying water, fire lighting by friction, traps and snares, game and mammal preparation, navigation and natural foods to name just a few. All our instructors come from a forestry/conservation background and so at the Wilderness Gathering this year the Woodland ways team will be using in depth knowledge of Flora to provide free tuition on tree identification skills.

Survival School believes that wilderness bushcraft is about - Learning to live with nature, Enjoying yourself, Respecting the environment, Pushing back the boundaries of what you are capable of, Learning new skills and meeting new people, Trying new ideas. Survival School courses are designed to be fun and safe, (we have had a recent Health and Safety Inspection) whilst passing on the knowledge you need to be able to live comfortably in the wilderness. Our instructors will spend time with each participant, ensuring that they get enough knowledge and practice on each skill to be able to master it before leaving the course. All courses are practical, hands on experiences. You will get the chance to try new skills and techniques, see the edible plants in their natural habitat, build your own shelters and have all the fun and laughs that go with wilderness bushcraft.

Duncan Clark heads up North Ridge Adventure and is dedicated to survival training which boosts self belief and confidence through a combination of skills, practice and experience gained. Duncan's personal skills are well rounded having grown up with the family shooting, fishing and foraging for everything from wild fruit and nuts to roots and fungi, becoming proficient in combat survival techniques and enjoying many years experience of climbing and bivouacs around the world. He is supported by a great team of instructors bringing their outdoor, sporting and military skills to the courses which often have surprise menus! In 2011 North Ridge Adventure are excited to be launching a 12 month long Survival Instructor course which we are uniquely able to provide off the back of our Adventure Training. Candidates will equip themselves for a range of situations and environments, learning navigation, climbing & abseiling skills plus mountain survival and hostile environment techniques as well as the lowland/ forest based skills which you would expect. All modules are led by instructors with appropriate NGB qualifications.

Tony Deacon has been an angler and interested in the outdoors since he can remember. He has fished for a variety of fresh and salt water species in Europe, North America and Southern Africa. Tony has held the prestigious Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructor (APGAI) qualification since 1989, was sometime Director of the Game Angling Instructors' Association, Editor of the Flydresser magazine and tackle and equipment reviewer for Britain 's oldest game angling monthly magazine. Tony has a B.Sc Hons degree in metallurgy.

Mountain & Bushcraft Ways is run by George Yeomans providing a range of accredited and non-accredited bushcraft courses for personal and professional development. George has a wide range of outdoor experience both here and abroad and is qualified as an Outdoor Education teacher, NCFE Bushcraft Instructor and a Summer, Winter and International Mountain leader. He is a member and trainer on a Scottish Mountain Rescue team and is a registered provider for the National Navigation Award Scheme.

Coastal Survival School run Bushcraft Survival courses to help you experience, practice and understand Bushcraft Survival skills and resources in a coastal location. Coastal survival school use many different and diverse coastal locations. We are based near the Devon/Dorset boarders and currently run courses along the Jurassic Coast and the Llyn peninsula in North West Wales. Coastal survival school courses are suitable for all skill levels, individuals and groups of up to 12 can enjoy having fun learning valuable skills. The UK Coast line is a beautiful and sometimes wild environment, with an abundance of wild food, fish and shellfish. Learn how to collect, catch and cook them, along with the other essential skills needed to both Survive and enjoy the great outdoors

Woodlife Trails was established to provide unique nature-based courses and sessions introducing and immersing participants into Britain’s woodlands & forests. Our aim is to guide you on a journey of self-discovery through the woodland, heightening your awareness and enabling you to appreciate and get closer to its inhabitants by using a combination of field craft, bushcraft and tracking techniques. On your journey (whether you are a beginner or more experienced) we will provide you with the skills to enable you to be more comfortable and confident in the wilderness. We won’t just show you what, but we will show you how. This will enable you to take away your learning and apply it to your local environment. We also conduct Woodland Craft and Wilderness Camp Courses. Your guides have a whole host of experience from qualified adult learning, service & law enforcement training, counselling, countryman, bushcraft & tracking instructional backgrounds. We have experience dealing with young people, families, adult and corporate groups. Our guidance is structured at the right level to the right audience at the right time. Visit us at the show for impromptu bushcraft related sessions (like spoon carving), field craft demonstrations & how to get close to wildlife and, of course, the Extreme Cake Baking Competition for charity. Pablo will be speaking about Bushcraft and the Law. You can find us on the net at Woodlife Trails

Roger Harrington is the man behind Bison Bushcraft, one of the genuine long established Bushcraft schools in The UK. Whilst known to many as a custom knife maker and co-organiser of The Wilderness Gathering, Roger is also passionate about crafts associated with wilderness living and has a knowledge of Bushcraft and related skills accumulated over several years experience in the outdoors. Roger and his crew employ a friendly, confident and hands on approach to Bushcraft training. Whilst you’ll often find Bison Bushcraft expeditions to remote wilderness areas such as Northern Canada or The Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where everybody involved truly lives off the land. Bison will make sure you have the full UK based training to undertake such journeys with a comprehensive set of realistic courses born from experience to equip you for your travels.

Joe O’Leary, author of The Wilderness Survival Guide’ and his team of instructors run a wide selection of fun and informative courses combining up to date training and knowledge with traditional skills and crafts. This mix of outdoors know how provides a total package for anyone wishing to increase their confidence on the trail or just learn more about the natural resources which surround us. Wilderness Survival Skills main site in Wiltshire boasts 2,500 acres of mixed woodland and Wiltshire downland. Gnarly old Oaks wrestle with ancient Hazel coppice providing the perfect environment to live in and learn from. Experienced, enthusiastic and friendly instructors teach one day courses, bushcraft weekends, five day bushcraft foundation courses, wild food foraging weekends, primitive skills and traditional crafts courses, mountain navigation weekends and for the serious wilderness living enthusiast, a week long Hunter Gatherer challenge. Joe and his fellow instructors constantly strive for self sufficiency in the great outdoors, believing that every item of carried equipment should be able to be mended, improvised or replaced using natural alternatives. This extremely liberating mind set is central to all Wilderness Survival Skills courses and is born of a lifelong interest in outdoor life both past and present. It promotes confidence in one’s own abilities and encourages a ‘can do’ attitude which is invaluable in any potentially sticky situations.

Wild Food School is the UK's leading wild food educational resource and caters for a wide cross-section of people with interests in foraging wild foods - from absolute beginners to chefs seeking exciting new food ideas to entice their clients, to survival professionals already trained to live on the edge of existence but looking for that extra 'edge', sometimes for unique circumstances. Courses are run throughout the year in Cornwall and in other UK venues, while a distance-learning course is also available for folks who wish to learn at their own pace. Marcus Harrison who runs Wild Food School courses has written extensively about wild foods and publishes a variety of paper and digital guides on foraging and using wild foods. His botanical knowledge-base covers most of the northern hemisphere (with a few tropical subjects covered too), while on the historical side seven years of academic-level research in the British Library (for a book) provides a 1,500 year contextual backdrop to the modern use of edible wild food.

Steven joined Woodsmoke in early 2007, achieving his instructor's knife in 2008 and becoming firmly ensconced as a full time member of the instructional team. Steven completed a BSc in Outdoor Education with Geography at Edinburgh University, while pursuing bushcraft knowledge and experience. His interests have led him on expeditions to remote areas of Alaska, Norway, Namibia, North America, Canada, Indonesia and Malaysia and has spent months participating in animal tracking conservation projects in the North Maine Woods; where he developed an affinity and ability for passing on his knowledge. A lover of books, Steve is inspired by tales of the backwoods. A knowledgeable botany enthusiast and wildlife tracker, Steven insists that those who enjoy the great outdoors should work hard to develop a deeper understanding of the creatures that accompany our journeys into the wilderness, and enrich our experiences there.