Jason’s interest in Survival was sparked as a child when he went on his first survival course, rushing straight out afterwards to buy Lofty Wiseman’s SAS survival guide and all the kit he could purchase! However as he developed an understanding of what nature could provide he soon understood that it was the knowledge he held in his head and not the gear in his pack that was all the essential kit he needed.

As a teenager growing up deep in the heart of the Lincolnshire Fens, Jason spent every minute of his spare time on the banks of the River Welland and in the estuaries of the Wash, building shelters, learning the art of fire lighting and tracking the vast wildlife of the Marshes, and he has been learning ever since.

Jason also leads our Instructors Apprenticeship scheme, setting the highest possible standards of skills and safety to all our instructors to ensure that you have the most knowledgeable experience when you join us.

With a skills base that has been called upon on many occassions to work with mainstream media, the BBC, educational programmes, universities, and regular invitations to undertake talks and demonstrations at leading establishments throughout the UK, including the Eden Project and the National Forest, you can be assured that with Jason you are in the best hands. Jason is also contracted to write for the Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine with his regular "how to" column.

With a particular interest in both modern and ancient fire lighting techniques, aswell as appalling campfire jokes, you will find his enthusiasm for his subject infectious.

Further background skills are provided by being an experienced hill walker and a qualified Walking Group Leader, recognised through the British Mountaineering Council and Mountain Leader Training UK. Jason is also a qualified instructor for delivery of the National Navigation Award Scheme and personally leads on all our Navigation Courses, passing on his skills to enable you to enjoy the hills in safety.

He has spent a lot of time wild camping in the Scottish Highlands, the ranges of Snowdonia, the Black Mountains, and walking in the Peak District, although his favoured environment is our good old British Woodland. He has trekked widely throughout Europe learning from different cultures on the way, and also developed his desert survival skills in the Sahara and the deserts of the Middle East. Jason also considers himself to be most fortunate as having trekked in the very remote jungles of Borneo, aswell as climbing the three highest peaks on the island in just 9 days!

Jason has now taught many hundreds of people from all walks of life the different skills it takes to survive in the wild and invites you to come and join us for an amazing adventure. 

Kev is recognised within the industry as being one of the UK’s leading Bushcraft Instructors. An Approved Assessor for the Institute for Outdoor Learning Foundational Bushcraft Competency Award, a leading expert in Flora incorporating Wild Foods and Medicinal Plants, a highly accomplished woodsman, craftsman and naturalist, you can rest assured you will be working in the woods with one of the most knowledgeable bushcraft instructors in the industry.

However, what is even more exceptionally surprising, is that Kevs' style is not one of about "this is how much I know”, but more of how he can help you to glean the encyclopaedic knowledge he holds. A fantastic ability to adapt his own style to the needs and requirements of you, his customers, is rare in most people, for Kev it is second nature. A completely unflappable instructor, with such a sound knowledge base, who will put your desire to learn above anything else, will ensure that you leave the woodland at the end of your course completely at home with your new found skills.

Kevs' knowledge has developed since childhood where an interest in flora, fauna and the great outdoors began. Kev would spend his school holidays at his grandparents in Suffolk where he would disappear out of the door after breakfast and not return until evening having spent the day tracking the wildlife of the local woods and heaths.

Membership of the scouts and the Woodcraft folk gave him early experience of camping and bivouacking and it was at the tender age of 9 through the Woodcraft Folk where he was introduced to edible wild plants which kindled his lifelong passion for the subject.

Inspired by Eddie Magee’s TV series "Staying Alive” this foundation of knowledge naturally extended into the realms of Bushcraft and Survival and was built upon by subsequent overseas travel in Europe, Africa, USA and the Middle East. Following completion of his Survival Instructors course, Kev has taught Bushcraft skills to thousands of people throughout the world, and has also provided specialist survival advice and support for numerous TV programmes from the BBC, ITV all the way through to Diverse TV’s world famous Bear Grylls "Born Survivor” programme.

Dan’s earliest memory as a child is one of being bundled into a rucksack, slung over his father’s shoulders, and taken on fishing trips. Unbeknown to Dan at the time it was during these trips that his father, a keen naturalist, was gradually introducing Dan to both the beauty and the harshness of nature. Throughout his childhood Dan's father taught him the skills of identifying Britain’s flora and fauna, and he has continued to be an inspiration ever since.

Dan expanded his knowledge through work at a local nature reserve and went on to attain a BSc (Hons) in Science and the Environment. Since then Dan has worked as a wildlife surveyor, a warden, a ranger and is a qualified arborist.

Dan’s interest in Bushcraft and Survival developed through this initial passion for conservation. Sparked by his interest in plants and trees Dan developed a keen knowledge of wild foods, Richard Mabey's food for free a constant source of amazement. Being a keen hill walker Dan was able to practice his skills often rustling up a quick meal from nature’s bounty.

Dan has spent time wild camping throughout the UK but his most memorable experiences came from his two separate Month long expeditions to the Shetland Islands.

Here Dan has stepped on over 50 of the Shetland Isles uninhabited islands, watching otter, a variety of sea mammals, and numerous species of sea birds.

Dan’s middle name is "practical”; his ability to find ingenious solutions to problems whilst out in the field, coupled with his ability to thrive no matter what the weather throws at him and his honed naturalist skills, makes Dan a valuable instructor for Woodland Ways.

Martyn was born and raised in Norfolk, England, and still lives in the area. As is common with many people who practice Bushcraft, it was Martyns father who taught him the skill of fishing, however his biggest influence came from an old boy named 'Alfie' who taught him how to shoot and trap small and large game. Alfie taught Martyn how to respect the countryside and shared his vast knowledge which to this day Martyn is grateful for.

Before joining the Instructor Apprenticeship Scheme Martyn consolidated his Bushcraft knowledge through attending a range of our course, beginning with the Woodland Ways Weekend, before pushing his skills further on to our Stone Age Weekend. Martyn states "It was incredible to be able to put down my Bushcraft Knife, choose an appropriate piece of flint, fashion it into a tool, and then prepare a whole deer. Just connecting with a process that had until recent times being going on for centuries was incredible, and in such a beautiful and relaxed environment”.

It wasn’t long before Martyn made a life changing decision and decided to travel with us to the Sahara. "I joined fellow like minded people on a 10 day experience which changed the map of my life. The experiences I shared and the knowledge I gained led me to enrol immediately on the Apprenticeship Scheme.”

Since that time Martyn applied himself to work his way through the Woodland Ways Apprenticeship scheme, working 12 months of the year, through rain and shine, to develop the skills to teach his knowledge. His highlight during this time was working with the Masai warriors to teach them about the tinders available to us in the UK. Following completion of his training it was never going to be a question that Martyn was then employed to teach you the skills only his years of experience can bring.

Martyn also holds the Institute for Outdoor Learnings Foundational Bushcraft Competency Award and is Remote Emergency Care First Aid Trained (Level 2).

When Ruth joined Woodland Ways it was obvious from the very begining that her approach to life was one of fun and enjoyment, and she has the amazing ability to put you at ease from the second you arrive at camp.

Joanne joined the Woodland Ways Instructors Apprenticeship after attending the Woodland Ways Weekend and then the Woodland Ways Week.

Apprentice Instructors:

Alec (or Burt as we call him!) grew up in Harefield and as a youngster was persuaded to join the 1st Harefield Scout Group. It was here that Alec discovered a passion for wilderness camping and as his father shared the same interests it was natural for his father to begin to hone his sons campcraft skills. He soon realised it was the outdoors that was for him and so combining his career as a warden on a large country estate with the Territorial Army Royal Yeomanry it was the perfect combination to develop field skills aswell as a keen interest in conservation. Alec is one of those people who you just cannot fail to respect his passion and interest in his natural environment, a passion he communicates to each and every one of his customers.

Adam had already been working as a Survival Instructor in the industry for a number of years before he came out with us to the Moroccan Sahara, and it changed his perception immediatly. As soon as he returned home he asked to join the Woodland Ways Team and enrolled on to our training programme.

Daniel grew up in Oxford always having had a keen interest in the outdoors, enjoying hill walking and climbing.  After travelling to Morocco on the Sahara Desert Expedition with us he developed an intense interest in bushcraft and survival training. 

José grew up in South Africa. His earliest memories were of camping, hiking and generally being outdoors. As a child he attended many residential school trips to various game reserves and so started developing a passion for fauna and flora at a young age.
 
Over the years he did lots of wild camping, hiking, hunting, tracking and off-roading.  A year in the South African army did not dampen his enthusiasm for the outdoors, despite spending most of that year sleeping under the stars.
 
A few years later, he moved to the UK and a weekend survival course sparked his long lost passion for nature and the outdoors. He then decided on a career change and joined Woodland Ways in March 2011.

Growing up in rural Hertfordshire, Ben has always had a passion for the great outdoors. It was his experience in cubs and scouts that first got him hooked, something he now repays by being a Scout leader himself.
Preferring to travel and holiday in the beautiful UK, you’ll often find him up a mountain, walking the moors or even flying high above a ridge paragliding. Other hobbies include rock climbing, mountain biking and most disciplines of shooting.

Alex spent most of her childhood playing with her twin sister in the nearby woods, learning how to light fires and make rudimentary camps. As a teenager, she took that interest into army cadets, where she spent many a weekend sleeping under a basha or trying to walk silently through the countryside. After leaving for university the wilds still called and she was often to be seen on Autumn forages gathering blackberries, damsons, and wild apples for canning.