Woodland Ways operates multi award winning bushcraft course and Survival School in the UK. Join the UK's leading Expert of Bushcraft courses, survival courses, wilderness weekend, foraging courses, family bushcraft weekends, bushcraft equipment and outdoor survival skills training course.

Due to his extensive outdoor knowledge and practical applied experience in a number of wilderness environments in 2016 Jason was appointed a Brand Ambassador for Keela International. 

In 2016 Jason embarks on a number of Bushcraft & Outdoor film productions, aswell as his commitment of teaching on our overseas and UK courses, through Wild Earth Productions.

Looking back over Jasons recent career you will see in December 2011 out of 63 of his peers Jason was voted as the UK's Best Bushcraft Instructor by readers of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine in the Best in Bushcraft Awards. He was very proud to be presented with his award in June 2012 by his life long inspiration and the author of the best selling book the SAS Survival Handbook, the survival legend that is Lofty Wiseman.

With a particular interest in both modern and ancient fire lighting techniques, including the impact that the control and production of fire had on the development of the human species, aswell as appalling campfire jokes, you will find his enthusiasm for his subject infectious!

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.

Over the years Jason developed a passion for the British Countryside, and so formalised his bushcraft skills by undertaking other courses and ultimatly passing his Survival Instructors training course and began teaching with other Bushcraft Schools.

From here Jason decided to set up Woodland Ways & Desert Ways to showcase the huge bredth and depth of skills that come under the term of "Bushcraft". A highly respected Instructor within the top tier of the Bushcraft Industry Jason was instrumental along with his other leading peers in setting up the Institute for Outdoor Learnings Foundational Bushcraft Competency Award, and sat on the Executive Committee for 3 years before standing down in 2011. He stills provides help and support to assist steering safety and quality standards within the industry and holds the award himself.

Jason is also Remote Emergency Care Expedition Level 4 first aid trained, and holds the DSC Level 1 certificate comprising assesments on Deer Biology and Ecology, the law relating to deer, stalking techniques, deer identification, safety and shooting aswell as trained hunter, enabling Jason to assess Deer Carcus for human consumption. He is also Landrover trained in 4x4 off road driving.

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. Each member of the team goes through a minimum 2.5 year training programme, from the UK to overseas environments, before being awarded the Woodland Ways Instructors Shirt and running courses. From this point they are then continually assessed by Jason and his senior team.

Jason's knowledge of bushcraft skills is immense, and has been gleaned through extensive personal applied experience, practicing and developing these skills for real, in real circumstances. He is also a very very experienced expedition leader, have led groups regularly Canoeing in Sweden, Tracking in South Africa, and working with the Maasai in Kenya, plus many many more countries beside. These extensive overseas experiences all feed back into the skills that are taught in the UK.

Jason still teaches on many of the Woodland Ways bushcraft courses and here it is about you, and not him. It is not unkown for Jason to spend hours upon hours of extended 121 tuition with someone if they have the desire to learn, because he has a passion for passing on these skills. Everyone here at Woodland Ways wishes to show that learning the skills of our ancestors can not only be a wonderful and enlightening experience for the individual, but it can also be beneficial to the environment.

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. In 2015 he has become a member of one of the UK's Mountain Rescue Teams.

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 can also draw on his experience of being invited to live within a Massai Village Community, where upon on his visit in 2012 he was presented by the elders of the village with a very powerful symbol of leadership, and then repeated visits through the years to 2015 has led to him leading the charitable side of our work through the Woodland Ways Bushcraft Foundation.

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. 

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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.

Kev worked as an independent freelance instructor through his company Barbary Bushcraft for many years, with Bushcraft companies throughout the UK contracting him in for his specialist skills. Kev joined Woodland Ways in 2006 as someone who had trained and worked alongside Jason for years previous. Kevs' skills are still called upon throughout the UK and overseas, and Kev also leads our sister company Desert Ways and is on every expedition.

Kev is Remote Emergency Care Expedition Level 4 First Aid Trained.

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Brian comes from a military background beginning in the infantry before moving on to the intelligence cor. With a number of active tours under his belt, aswell as private security work in different war zones, Brian’s calm and steady approach to everything in life ensure you as the customer will get a no nonsense quality answer to your kit requirements. Quite simply if you don’t need it, he wont sell it to you!

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After gaining a degree in Outdoor studies Adam went on to achieve his Mountain Leader qualification whilst working as a full time Outdoor instructor. He taught regularly on bushcraft and survival courses as an independent freelance instructor as well as attending various bushcraft training courses across the UK and overseas.

“I have had the privilege of learning from some of the best and have attended many courses with some of the country’s finest training providers”- Adam

Adam’s impressive dirt time in the woods found a well receiving home at Woodland Ways where he has been a full time and permanent member of the instructor team since early 2012. After joining Woodland Ways on our Desert Survival Training Programme Adam decided to join the Woodland Ways Apprenticeship scheme. This detailed training further bolstered his instructional skills and Adam was delighted to attain the now much coveted Woodland Ways instructors shirt before going on to help coach other trainee instructors on the scheme. In 2016 Adam was awarded Senior Instructor Status, a hard won merit reflecting an exceptionally high skill set and dedication to his own learning.

‘I will always consider myself an apprentice where wilderness living skills are concerned but I am very proud to be operating within the Woodland Ways family where the skill sets themselves are held up in the highest regard’.

Adam has since been mentored by the senior staff to learn the ropes of delivering overseas expeditions in Africa, and Europe where he has most recently Co led a Saharan Desert trip and designed/ delivered a Canoeing trip to Sweden.

Adam teaches regularly on our advanced courses, leading on bow making where he has a particular fascination. He regularly delivers modules of The Woodland Wayer and The Bushcraft Year which he helped to design drawing on his fascination of natural materials and what can be crafted from them.

Woodland Ways has provided Adam a unique opportunity to share a lifelong passion for wilderness skills in a realistic training format that holds true to the essence of the subject – he feels most content whilst in the woods using handmade clothing and equipment leading activities alongside our students the year through and in all weathers!

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Danny has a great passion for the natural world, and great skills for making. Whether you see him in his home made buckskin trousers, or woolen tops, in the field this flexibility and ability to adapt and overcome are for Danny the corner stone skills of what we call “Bushcraft”

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Through school and college where evenings and weekends would be spend camping out or on trips with pals up in the Lakeland fells and forests. New books became his guide such as the SAS survival handbook and Raymond (as he was known then) Mears Outdoor Survival Handbook were always close to hand.

Ian attended survival courses and bushcraft skill courses with companies throughout the UK, when one year he was taught by Kevan Palmer and this really fuelled Ian’s need to learn more. Marvelling at the amount of information Kevan was able to retain and recite to students was amazing.

Whilst working at an outdoor show for Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine Ian was introduced to Jason Ingamells. Ian again saw in Jason the same depth of knowledge and skill he had seen in Kevan and that he wanted to attain. Jason saw the passion Ian had for the subject and his want to learn, a bond was formed that later enabled Ian to join the Woodland Ways team, that Kevan Palmer was now a senior instructor at. Ian joined on the apprentice scheme and learned from the team and worked alongside the people he had come to admire so much.

Sacrificing time off work and holidays to attend as many courses as possible Ian began to learn many of the skills that had eluded him in his previous trials. Absorbing the information being taught and getting hands on dirt time made a massive improvement to Ian’s skill set. Not only learning in UK woodlands, but traveling on the Sahara desert expedition broadened Ian’s skills and knowledge. Whilst in the Sahara Ian achieved a goal of fire using a hand drill made with local resources under the excellent tuition of Adam Logan. Since this time he has also travelled to the stunning wilderness of croatia’s Forest with the team, tracking European Brown Bear and Wolf

In 2015, following years of training Ian was finally awarded the Woodland Ways Instructors shirt, meaning that aswell as continuing on his own learning journey he now passes on his highly regarded skills to our clients.

Among Ian’s passions are wood carving and he is able to produce some beautiful items. He is a very hands on person and will turn his hand to many craft based items be these from wood, bark, natural cordage, leather or buckskin. He is quite a tailor too, making many of his own items of clothing and footwear.

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Matt is renown through the company as "the bear". Not only for his impressive stature but also for his intelligence, adaptability and inquisitiveness. He will take a subject and tear it apart into the minutest detail to fully understand the topic... a key trait for being a Bushcraft Instructor with woodland ways. Matt has taken the subjects of knife making and clothing production to his heart and is often turning up with his next inspired project.

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He joined us as an apprentice instructor, developing his bushcraft skills and honing his delivery of instruction with lots of dirt time. It wasn’t long before he joined the team as a permanent staff member, instructing on courses and working in the World of Bushcraft.

He expanded his desert training, firstly in Kenya embarking on his own personally moving journey with the Maasai. He continued by joining us on the Desert Survival Course in the Sahara where his team navigation skills shone through. Captivated by Africa he soon embarked on our Bushveld Game Ranger Experience in South Africa, Patrolling with a rhino anti-poaching program.

He will take you on a journey as he teaches the skills he has learnt over the years. Always enquiring and always trying new things his enthusiasm is contagious, he acknowledges that he is a student of the subject and will be for the rest of his life... and that makes him an excellent instructor. He has a very calm, collective way about him and will inspire you to achieve.

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It was apparent early on that Joe had a spark that needed to be nurtured, he willingly threw himself into all the challenges we face as an instructing team, his energy and enthusiasm is his most prominent feature. Don’t be put off by his age, this guy knows a lot about Bushcraft, in particular his foraging skills and bone working skills. As a keen musician, Joe also loves making prehistoric and early instruments and is often found fiddling or playing with a new musical instrument he has rediscovered. It is this knowledge that gained an invite for Joseph to work alongside the academics at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford to deliver an ancient Bone Flute making course.

In 2014 Joe accompanied the team to Morocco on the desert survival course to further his education in desert survival, in the same year, Joe also accompanied the team on the canoeing and camp craft trip to Sweden where he spent every moment hunched around the fire making various projects. Joe now works in the World of Bushcraft centre in Bedford as well as delivering courses nationally, learning all the behind the scene skills and knowledge that goes into running the busiest Bushcraft company in the UK

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Davie closed his existing business and threw himself into the Woodland Ways Apprenticeship to train up further in order to run courses for us in Scotland, supported by our team. The Woodland Ways Apprenticeship is the hardest scheme to get through in the UK, most do not make it. Davie’s skill set and communication skills in delivering high quality Bushcraft instruction means that he will have no problem in gaining that instructors shirt. Davie has now been training with us for well over 2 years and in 2017 is being assessed to become a full Instructor Shirt owner, but in the meantime don’t be put off by the term Apprentice… our apprenticeship starts at a way higher level than a lot of instructors end their learning.

As well as the basics of fire, food, shelter and water…. Davie has a passion for wild foods, a talent for craft work, and an indepth knowledge of hide working skills. His higher level of training and delivery means that you are getting an instructor who really walks the walk, for him Bushcraft is a way of life, one that he wants to share with as wide an audience as possible

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With a varied background including countryside management and international disaster relief, Nathan has enjoyed working in many countries, and now delivers freelance training in logistics and security for humanitarians. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Nathan also enjoys supporting expeditions, and is motivated by the practicalities of getting vehicles, electrical supplies and communications equipment working effectively in remote locations.

Nathan engaged fully in the 2yr Woodland Wayer course, and is eager to continue learning through sharing bushcraft with others as an apprentice.

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I taught myself tree lore, plant identification and foraging and have been apprenticing with excellent foraging and herbal medicine teachers. My bushcraft skills have been honed over many years through attending numerous courses, as I work towards a vision of spending a year living solely off the land using traditional technology.

Having completed a BSc in Geology with the Open University, I am currently studying for a Masters in experimental archaeology at Exeter University. I am particularly interested in Mesolithic development within Britain, as well as the evolution of our woodlands and hedges. These aspects of my research are influenced by and in turn impact upon my bushcraft.

I love sharing what I have learnt with students, so am very excited to join as an apprentice instructor with the fantastic team at Woodland Ways.

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Being a keen angler Jo was used to Bivvying up under the stars and loved nothing more than being outside. Jo has also worked with the Princes Trust Volunteers to undertake conservation tasks and is a keen outdoor pursuits enthusiast, with canoeing, caving and being an award winning climber under her belt!

It was this keen interest in the outdoors that led Jo to join us on the Apprenticeship Scheme and develop her Bushcraft Knowledge, and the skills required to teach this knowledge.

With a keen interest in tracking you will often find Jo on her belly on the woodland floor watching deer. Her second favourite experience being the time she got to within 15 metres of a Red Deer Stag during the rutting season in the Outer Hebridies. Her absolute favourite experience was in September 2010, when she took the dedication to her job that one step further and married the chief instructor!

In 2009 Jo was lucky enough to assist us with an expedition to the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains, where she stayed with the Berbers and began her desert survival training. Jo also manages the retail aspect of our business.

Jo is Remote Emergency Care First Aid Trained (Level 2).

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