Bushcraft competency training
About the Course
This 3 day training course is approved through the Institute for Outdoor Learning and focusses on equipping Teachers, Wildlife Rangers, Outdoor Pursuit Instructors and Forest School Leaders with some detailed understanding and confidence in the key skills of Bushcraft.
The course looks at effective shelter construction, efficient fire lighting in a selection of methods with time spent on the bow drill, confident knife skills, string making direction finding, tree dentification, water procurement, wild food and wilderness cookery.
This course can lead on to the Bushcraft Competency assessment which is increasingly accepted as a useful benchmark for outdoor professionals.
Woodland Survival Crafts is one of the longest established schools of Bushcraft and Survival in the UK having been set up by Dave Watson in 1995. Our focus is simple: equip, inspire and build confidence and understanding. Dave and his team can be seen at various shows throughout the UK including the Bushcraft Show where they demonstrate various friction fire lighting as well as run workshops. Dave is also an assessor for the Bushcraft Competency as well as an External Verifier for Ascentis which is an awarding body.
If you will be redeeming a CraftCourses gift voucher on this course, the voucher code must be provided at the point of booking.
What's included in the price?
Price includes all equipment needed. Hot drinks are available throughout the course. You will need to bring food with you and you can cook on one of the campfires or bring your own cooker. Accommodation is either in the shelters that are already there, the ones you build or if required, your own tarp/tent.
You can park 200m away from the site and if your vehicle is not too low to the ground, closer.
Contact
Dave Watson at Woodland Survival Crafts LtdGrangewood
Netherseal, Swadlincote
Derbyshire
DE12 8BG
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This craft course provider has been awarded Gold status for receiving 10 or more 5 star ratings from previous students.
The Students' Choice award ensures that course providers get recognised for their efforts in the teaching and practice of UK craft.
They also allow tutors to gain valuable feedback on their courses and for new students to find the course that's right for them.
Suitable for
- Advanced/pro level
- Residential
- UK Holiday
Available as a gift
Learn about gift vouchersReviews
We had such a brilliant weekend and the whole experience has really stayed with me - much more than l expected it to. I'm looking forward to practicing with my new bow drill and you have given me such confidence that l know it won't be long till I'm NINJA!!
Thanks again for inspiring me .
Be well Jane Taylor
Thanks for an amazing weekend, I had such a good time and felt like I learned loads. So nice to meet everyone as well.
Quick one to say thanks again for a great weekend. I've just got home and emptied my rucksack and subjected Richard to an hour-long show and tell session! He's made all the right noises about my needle, spoon, bark container and basket! I had a fabulous time.
Hope you have a quieter week
I was lucky enough to receive a recommendation for Woodland Survival Crafts from a friend who had done a number of courses with Dave. I was looking to update my own personal skills and undertake a training course to help develop the bushcraft activity sessions I deliver through my activity business. The Bushcraft for Practitioners course fit the bill perfectly and when it came round to the start I’d gotten another 5 of my staff on board too.
The site was wonderful, a wealth of natural resources, beauty and isolation. Just enough home comforts to make the stay more appealing to the less experienced and wild enough to satisfy the seasoned wild-camper. The course content was as varied as it was in-depth. All the course topics were covered thoroughly and enjoyably, the level of practical activity was maintained very high throughout. The resources and reading materials made available to us were more than adequate. The highlights for most were the tree identification walk in the dark and, of course, the fact that every member of the course had lit fire with a bow drill by day 2.
On a personal note, Dave has a patient and relaxed attitude and his passion for the outdoors was clearly visible in his teaching and the way he talked about the woods and his history. His level of skill and knowledge can only be described as expert and he was a pleasure to learn from. Dave was also ably assisted by Mike, Howard and Ewan, who, like Dave, were knowledgeable and great company. We were not the shyest of groups out there but they gave as good as they got!
I would have no hesitation in recommending Woodland Survival Crafts to any individual or company. All 6 of us immensely enjoyed our time in Spring Wood and I for one have already started looking into other courses with Dave. I shall be buying the friend who made the initial recommendation a beer.
Many thanks.
I'd like to thank you for your instruction and caring manner upon the course. I found the whole thing truly inspiring and it developed me as a person as much as my knowledge. Taking the three days out was truly life changing for me.
Many thanks for a thoroughly enjoyable 3 days over which you covered a huge amount of Bushcraft skills. The wood is a wonderful location, with everything you might need to practice the skills covered. I particularly enjoyed and benefited from the practical and memorable way you have of teaching and I left far more confident in my skills and knowing the way ahead. Thanks again for a great 3 days.
Thanks again for the training: it has left me really inspired. I have made a couple of baskets, lots of different types of cordage and managed to get a bow drill ember using my own nettle cord on my birthday which was the best present I think i could have made for myself. I also went on a little trip and made a fairly random mat out of dry grass that was inspired by the mat thing that Otzi had that no-one could quite decide what it was for. I lay on it.
We both had a great time and enjoyed not just the activities but also how friendly you all were and how easy going the whole thing was. Euan was terrific-very knowledgeable, amenable and nothing seemed too much trouble. Will certainly recommend you and hope to be back at some point.
Thanks again
A wealth of exceptional knowledge and experience.
Thank you for teaching us so many very interesting and useful skills – and for all the fun that you provided too. It was an experience that we’ll never forget and Charlotte has not stopped smiling since!
Excellent course. You were fantastic, I learned such a lot in 3 days. Inspired to continue learning.
Totally inspiring. You are full of great tips and useful anecdotes, on top of your obvious skill and knowledge.
Thank you so much for providing the fantastic setting and knowledge for the bush-craft course.I have learnt a huge amount in three days and I hope to continue my learning, not just from yourself but also through some of the contacts made. You offer a great service to the outdoor industry.
Thanks once again and I hope to be in touch soon.
Your approach enabled us to learn so much in such a short space of time and develop our woodland knowledge and skills to levels previously unimaginable.
Excellent! In depth and concise. Your knowledge and delivery was perfect.