Forest School For Grown-Ups by Richard Irvine

Forest School For Grown-Ups

by Richard Irvine

Forest Schools need not be just for children. Here is the ultimate guide for how adults can enjoy the benefits of outdoor learning too.

Have you always wanted to know how to start a campfire, forage for (the right) fungi, or know how to tie a good knot? Or would you like to expand your horizons - and lower your stress levels - by building a dry stone wall, fashioning a bow and arrow, or beachcombing for shells?

Forest schools for kids originated in Scandinavia as outdoor, play-based learning groups and, as the benefits of nature play became internationally recognised, quickly became established around the world.

But why should kids have all the fun? Connecting with green spaces, trees and plants can lift our spirits, improve stress and relax our brains - in short, playing outside is good for everyone.

Forest School for Grown Ups shows you can learn new skills and practise forgotten ones from finding your way in the woods to whittling utensils and carving sculptures; from trapping and smoking game to making and using a divining rod, from building a bird box, or insect house, to simply just climbing trees.

Beautifully designed and illustrated, Forest School for Grown Ups provides the perfect resource for anyone wanting to enjoy spending quality time outdoors.

Reviewed by annieb123 on

5 of 5 stars

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Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Forest School for Grown-Ups is a useful and accessible collection of tutorials and tips on wildcrafting and self sufficiency in the wilds written and curated by Richard Irvine. Due out 10th May 2022 from Chronicle Books, it's 160 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

This is a fun and information rich guide for adults (and older kids) which contains tips and tutorials for engaging and learning activities outdoors. The chapters are grouped thematically: survival, foraging, navigation, forest skills, projects, meditative/emotion, and play and creativity boosting. The activities are appropriate for a wide age range and the number of suggested participants as well as safety considerations are provided by the authors along with alternatives and related activities.

Many of the activities are appropriate for all ages. Tutorials are presented with info on setting, learning goals, tools and supplies, and optional activities. The step by step instructions which follow are well written and specific. I really liked that the authors had a mostly hands-off style of engagement, suggesting to facilitators that they provide the minimum of intervention and only then in regard to safety.

The graphics and illustrations are woodsy and really suit the style of the book. The text and layout are high contrast and easy to read with simple line drawn illustrations and well rendered stock photography throughout.

Although it's aimed at kids, there is a quite surprising amount of bushcraft and practical survival advice contained here. There are also a lot of fun activities (rendering the pigments in leaves, making spore prints, navigating, and acquiring food for example) which hide lots of practical skills.

Five stars. This is a -very- well written and presented book. It would make a superlative choice for public or school library acquisition, makers' groups, youth activity groups, smallholders, and similar.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

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