Heritage Skills: Wilderness Immersion

This course covers the basic skills and knowledge required to begin to fully immerse your self in nature, and interact as a ‘participant’ rather than an ‘observer’ when spending time in the natural environment.

The course will equip you to spend extended periods in the outdoors with reduced reliance on expensive technical equipment that really only serves as a barrier between you and nature in order to keep you comfortable.

With knowledge and experience, the natural world can provide everything we need to live comfortably in the outdoors, allowing you to really absorb and become one with the ‘real’ physical world around you.

We will cover practical skills such as ‘reliable’ fire lighting methods (without matches, & even in a rain-storm), wild camping (without a tent), how to find water and make it safe to drink, natural navigation, wild foods, campfire cooking, how to use a knife safely & effectively, animal tracking, and much more.

From beginning to end we will adhere to good “leave no trace” practices so that you can always leave a site undamaged and looking almost as though no one has been there. Yet, you will take away with you a set of real and transferable life skills, a deepened appreciation for nature, and the confidence to spend more time immersed in the outdoors learning nature’s secrets.

This course differs from other bushcraft courses in that we focus on how to slow down and take lessons from the natural world around us through observation and natural history knowledge. We will learn to adapt and align our selves with the environment so that our actions are in time with the rhythm of nature rather than independent of, and superimposed upon it.

The course will involve the following elements:

Natural navigation
Wild food identification and preparation
Safe use of a ‘survival’ knife for splitting, cutting and shaping wood
Harvesting and preparing tinder
Reliable, non-weather dependant, fire lighting skills, including friction (rubbing sticks together)
Outdoor cooking
Natural shelter building (water-tight, wind proof, insulated shelters from sticks & leaf-mould)

There are no charges for courses if you are unemployed or in full time education, (proof required*). If there is charge for materials you will be expected to pay this and cash should paid to the trainer on the day.

*See Terms and Conditions in FAQ

What to wear and bring: Participants should bring sturdy footwear, waterproofs & camping gear, we recommend wearing old clothes.

Materials: £30 to be paid to the tutor on the day

Age Limit: Courses are designed for 18years and over. If you are under 18, please contact us on rusland.horizons@lakedistrict.gov.uk to discuss other opportunities.

Meals: All food and camping for Sat & Sun provided, bring something for dinner on Friday eve, BBQ available.

Location: Force Knott Wood, Satterthwaite LA12 8LL

Directions: Meet in the layby near the bridge at Low Bowkerstead Farm. LA12 8LL

Weather:

It is your instructor's responsibility to ensure your safety. In the event of exceptionally poor or dangerous weather conditions the course may need to be cancelled.

Please note that we are unable to offer refunds for any part of a course altered at short notice because of the weather.

Please contact Rebecca at rebecca.oaks@btinternet.com or your instructor if you have any questions.

FAQs

Terms and Conditions

Course Fees - Concessions

Courses are free if you are unemployed or are in full time education. These discounts relate to course fees only, materials costs still apply. Money for materials should be brought to the course and given to the trainer directly on the day.

Applying for the Unemployment or Student Discount

If you want to apply for the unemployment, or student discount, please send us proof of your eligibility within seven days of your booking a course. You can send this to us via email to rusland.horizons@lakedistrict.co.uk or send via post to:

Sharon Callaghan, Rusland Horizons, LDNPA Southern Office, Saunderpot, Haverthwaite, LA12 8AB,

If you have not supplied proof within the required seven days, you will be charged the full amount for the course.

We can accept copies of the following documents:

Job Seekers

Proof that you are receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Letter on headed paper from your JobCentre Plus confirming your status

Students

Student Card
Certificate of student status provided by your university, college or school.
Letter on headed paper signed by your tutor, head tutor, dead of department or University / College administration staff member.

Cancellation

In order to receive a full refund, you must notify us 30 days of the course start date that you are unable to attend.

We are unable to offer refunds for any part of a course altered at short notice because of the weather.

Images:
Caption: 
© Rusland Horizons 2017 - 2025. All rights reserved.
Rusland Horizons was a Landscape Partnership funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund until July 2019. It is now being delivered by The Rusland Horizons Trust Limited. Company No. 2133450; Charity No. 519410; Registered Office: Pipistrel House, Finsthwaite Lane, Backbarrow, Ulverston, Cumbria, LA12 8QD.

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