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We offer expert training in wildlife tracking, trailing, ethnobotany and practical outdoor skills, helping students develop practical outdoor knowledge, ecological literacy and a deeper understanding of animals, plants and landscape. Our courses focus on track and sign identification, animal behaviour, careful observation and interpreting the landscape through the eyes of a tracker and naturalist.
John Rhyder is a professional wildlife tracker, naturalist and educator who has been teaching in the land-based sector since 1994 and delivering respected courses through Woodcraft School since 2000. He is one of Europe’s leading CyberTracker evaluators and specialises in track and sign interpretation and trailing.
Skills rooted in the past, shaping how we read the land today: ecological fluency through tracking, ethnobotany, and woodcraft.
COURSES
Our woodland camp is set in 250 acres of ancient woodland on a private estate in the South Downs National Park, providing an ideal location for wildlife tracking, bushcraft, and ethnobotany courses. With a three-acre lake, streams, and meadows, students gain hands-on experience in natural history, plant identification, and traditional outdoor skills. Beyond the South Downs, we run tracking programmes and Cybertracker evaluations and wildlife tracking tours across the UK, Ireland and Europe, bringing participants closer to nature in inspiring landscapes.
Wildlife and Tracking
Understanding our animal world using track and sign identification and following the animals using trailing techniques
Ethnobotany
Identification of plants, trees and fungi with a deep exploration into wild foods, medicines and bushcraft uses.
Bushcraft
Covering the traditional outdoor living skills and crafts that are wedded to our region. essential skills for any naturalist