Sources & inspiration
The Wilding activity guides stand on the shoulders of many teachers, trackers, naturalists and authors. Many activities are adapted from their books and teaching, and reshaped for UK wild places and the Wilding Practice Keys. This page credits them, with the page numbers where each idea began.
If a Wilding activity guide sparks something for you, please seek out the original book: they are full of wisdom we could only touch on. Each Wilding activity guide page shows its own sources under Inspired by.
Books
Learning Nature Connected.
Inspired 8 Wilding activity guides
- Dead space p. 160
- Finding north p. 63
- Invisibility p. 125
- It’s all a matter of perspective p. 160
- Mouse view p. 118
- Nature’s network p. 102
- Visual tree assessment p. 134
- What’s the weather? p. 134
Baker, N. (2004) The New Amateur Naturalist (also published as The Amateur Naturalist). London: Collins.
Inspired 44 Wilding activity guides
- All about me p. 285
- Attracting birds p. 55
- Attraction p. 39
- Badger watching p. 140
- Bird pellet detective p. 271
- Collecting plant specimens
- Creating a garden watering hole p. 30
- Drying flowers p. 252
- Exploring the understory p. 120
- Flight pattern & paths p. 42
- Have a guess p. 165
- How to attract moths by sugaring p. 46
- How to do a line transect p. 56
- How to make & use a moth trap p. 46
- How to make & use a pitfall trap p. 39
- How to make a leaf skeleton p. 256
- How to use a hand lens p. 243
- How to use a pooter p. 264
- Leaf printing p. 257
- Looking at plant stems p. 250
- Making & using a flower press p. 56 & 252
- Making a bark cast p. 256
- Making a bark rubbing p. 119 & 256
- Making a beating tray p. 120
- Making a small wildlife pond p. 277
- Making fungal spore prints p. 254
- Measuring a tree p. 110
- Nest collecting p. 53 & 270
- Photographing wildlife p. 196
- Planning a butterfly & bee garden p. 37
- Plant connections p. 253
- Pond dipping p. 166
- Sharing the garden with birds p. 37
- Soil profile p. 106
- Spiders web hunt p. 27
- Spoon or straw? p. 42
- Taking & growing cuttings p. 260
- Tracking plants
- Tracking snail trails p. 39
- Using a sweep net
- Welly magic p. 259
- What’s in wild water? p. 165
- Where do invertebrates hang out? p. 165
- Woodland layers
Brown, T. Jr. (1983) Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature Observation and Tracking; and (1989) Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Nature and Survival for Children. New York: Berkley Books.
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
- Tracking ghosts p. 208
Carss, B. (2020) The Complete Guide to Tracking – Following tracks, trails and signs, and all forms of pursuit. London: Robinson.
Inspired 2 Wilding activity guides
- Night noises p. 73
- Wild memory challenge p. 70
Casey, D. et al. (2019) The Children’s Forest – Stories & songs, wild food, crafts & celebrations all year round. Stroud: Hawthorn Press.
Inspired 20 Wilding activity guides
- Animal races p. 177
- Blend p. 32
- Blindfold earth walk p. 252
- Campfire scout p. 32
- Compass creations p. 168
- Conker rutting p. 243
- Dispersal p. 243
- Extracting the outer fibres from a bramble stem
- Fight or flight p. 212
- Gathering plant stems
- Intuition game p. 255
- Lore p. 150
- Making a wild salad p. 297
- Making flat bread p. 181
- Making wild tea p. 297
- Plaiting fibres to make cordage
- Recycling the wild p. 139
- Squirrel touch p. 211
- The sacred silence p. 31
- Who’s watching us? p. 175
Cornell, J. (1989) Sharing Nature with Children II. Nevada City: DAWN Publications.
Inspired 10 Wilding activity guides
- Camera p. 104
- Exploring special places p. 97
- Guided imagery p. 92
- Habitat p. 70
- Mystery animal story p. 85
- Nature meditations p. 113
- Sit spot trail p. 76
- Sound map p. 75
- Tree imagery p. 97
- Wonder wander p. 90
Cornell, J. (1998) Sharing Nature with Children. 2nd edition. Nevada City: DAWN Publications.
Inspired 36 Wilding activity guides
- Animal clue relay p. 92
- Animal imitation p. 81
- Animal match p. 89
- Animal parts p. 90
- Apex p. 54
- Attracting birds p. 114
- Attracting predators p. 120
- Awareness hide p. 42
- Blindfold trail p. 27
- Caterpillar walk p. 46
- Echo chase p. 108
- Exploring special places p. 126
- Heartbeat of a tree p. 25
- How old is this tree? p. 80
- I spy p. 42
- Identification activity p. 76
- Imagine p. 33
- Meet a tree p. 28
- Micro-journey p. 50
- Natural colours p. 41
- Night world p. 146
- Photographic memory p. 48
- Plant succession crawl p. 64
- Predator & prey p. 62
- Rabbit in headlights p. 110
- Sit spot p. 140
- Sunset watch p. 142
- The animal activity p. 73
- The ‘fire keeper’ p. 106
- Time machine p. 28
- Tree silhouettes p. 82
- Under nature’s blanket p. 22
- Webbing p. 60
- Who am I? p. 75
- Who’s watching whom? p. 102
- Wild symphony p. 40
Cornell, J. (2015) Sharing Nature – Nature awareness activities for all ages. California: Crystal Clarity Publishers.
Inspired 3 Wilding activity guides
- Animal clue relay p. 84
- Animal imitation p. 108
- Name that neighbour p. 56
Franklin, D. (2019) Put On Your Owl Eyes – Open your senses & discover nature’s secrets. North Adams: Storey Publishing.
Inspired 16 Wilding activity guides
- Be a tourist p. 23
- Birding by ear p. 108
- Deer ears p. 107
- Flying kites p. 58
- Habitat map p. 30
- Home p. 91
- Meet a new tree neighbour p. 50
- Mind’s eye imagination p. 60
- One-minute sponge p. 47
- Owl eyes p. 101
- Silent movie p. 118
- Sit spot journal p. 134
- Soundscape
- The 6 arts of tracking p. 86
- The lost world p. 80
- Your community shared p. 138
Holland, C. (2020) I Love My World – Stories, games, activities and skills to help us care for the planet we call home. 3rd edition. Devon: Wholeland Press.
Inspired 28 Wilding activity guides
- Birds nests & foxes p. 160
- Blindfold drum stalk p. 133
- Blindfold trail p. 123
- Capture the flag p. 162
- Creating a culture of exchange p. 189
- Deer ears
- Edible walk
- Fawns and foxes p. 140
- Log trailing p. 103
- Making a dream catcher p. 201
- Making a hanging mobile p. 201
- Making a nettle burger p. 80
- Making nettle soup p. 80
- Mandala p. 180
- Music inspired by nature p. 180
- Nature’s dance p. 120
- Owl eyes p. 120
- Passing a knife to another person
- Sniff and seek p. 107
- Stories inspired by nature
- The hungry centipede p. 214
- The hush rush p. 139
- Tiptoe to treasure p. 138
- Using matches
- Walking in circles p. 142
- Webbing p. 202
- X marks my spot p. 149
- Xray vision
Irvine, R. (2019) Forest Craft – A child’s guide to whittling in the woodland. Lewes: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications.
Inspired 4 Wilding activity guides
- Coppicing a small diameter green wood stem p. 29
- Log match p. 23
- Making a kazoo p. 80
- Pruning a branch p. 29
Laws, J. M. & Lygren, E. (2020) How to Teach Nature Journaling – Curiosity, wonder, attention. Berkeley, California: Heyday.
Inspired 6 Wilding activity guides
Louv, R. (2016) Vitamin N – The essential guide to a nature-rich life. Chapel Hill: Algonquin Books.
Inspired 8 Wilding activity guides
- Grab bag
- Indoor sit spot p. 88
- Nature inside
- Still hunting p. 144
- Unplug p. 42
- What’s the weather? p. 182
- Wild time
- Window warnings
McMullen, G. (2011) Discover Nature Awareness – A collection of nature-based games for adults and children of all ages and backgrounds. UK: Pathfinder UK.
Inspired 5 Wilding activity guides
- Ambush p. 100
- Blindfold drum stalk p. 79
- Owl eyes
- Spot the hair
- The ‘fire keeper’ p. 53
McMullen, G. (2013) Discover Nature Awareness – Understanding nature through play. 2nd edition. UK: Pathfinder UK.
Inspired 2 Wilding activity guides
- Track me p. 16
- Which way? p. 57
McMullen, G. (2014) Discover Nature Awareness – Exploring bird language. UK: Pathfinder UK.
Inspired 11 Wilding activity guides
- Be still p. 92
- Concentric rings p. 61
- Contact p. 63
- Fledging p. 51
- Focused vision p. 60
- Hunting hawk p. 53
- Raid the roost p. 10
- Sentinel p. 90
- Silent hunter p. 74
- Sit spot silence p. 58
- What’s on your mind? p. 55
Mears, R. (2020) Wilderness Chef – The ultimate guide to cooking outdoors. London: Bloomsbury Publishing.
Inspired 5 Wilding activity guides
- Cooking an egg p. 67
- Making bannock p. 130
- Making damper bread p. 58
- Making fire bread p. 74
- Seasoning cast iron pans & ovens
Monkman, D. & Rodenburg, J. (2016) The Big Book of Nature Activities – A year-round guide to outdoor learning. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers.
Inspired 61 Wilding activity guides
- A noseful of nature p. 217
- Attracting birds p. 276
- Awareness trail p. 269
- Badger trail p. 227
- Barefoot walking p. 99
- Bird audio p. 165
- Bird count p. 164
- Bird song ensemble p. 165
- Browse or chew mark detective p. 171
- Cache p. 110
- Cloud matching p. 247
- Deer ears p. 270
- Diagrammatic drawing p. 241
- Dispersal p. 127
- Dragonfly p. 290
- Echo chase p. 274
- Exploring galls p. 177
- Eye to eye p. 269
- Fox walking p. 225
- Fungi scavenger hunt p. 300
- Growing a pollinator habitat from seeds p. 179
- Growing a pollinator habitat with plant plugs p. 179
- Hole / nest detective p. 171
- How to identify a bird using field marks p. 32
- How to identify a bird using GISS p. 32
- How to identify an invertebrate p. 295
- How to make a jar terrarium p. 132
- How to make a leaf skeleton p. 131
- How to use a tracking stick p. 169
- Leaf collection p. 130
- Looking for plant patterns p. 40
- Lynx stalks deer p. 113
- Making & using track training pits p. 167
- Making fungal spore prints p. 133
- Meet a new tree neighbour p. 129
- Meet a tree p. 158
- Natural colours p. 96
- Nature collection p. 47
- Nature table p. 47
- Needles p. 181
- Nut & seed detective p. 171
- Phenology p. 64
- Pond dipping p. 294
- Pot plant p. 40
- Providing food for birds p. 108
- Same but different p. 214
- Scat detective p. 170
- Scentsational discoveries p. 98
- Seasonal bird feeder p. 164
- Seasonal sun tracking p. 135
- Seasonal sunset & sunrise p. 135
- Setting up a trail camera p. 281
- Silent walk p. 97
- Sound map p. 215
- Spectrogram p. 155
- Squirrel touch p. 217
- Squirrel watching p. 110
- Sundial p. 135
- Tree tag p. 132
- Two ears are better than one p. 156
- Winter tree identification p. 184
Robb, M., Mew, V. & Richardson, A. (2015) Learning with Nature – A how-to guide to inspiring children through outdoor games and activities. Cambridge: Green Books.
Inspired 46 Wilding activity guides
- Animal yoga p. 27
- Apex p. 75
- Awareness trail p. 66
- Badger trail p. 52
- Blindfold earth walk p. 77
- Blindfold recognition of leaves p. 37
- Buzzard eye p. 47
- Camera p. 41
- Deer ears p. 59
- Deer stalk p. 64
- Dormouse balance p. 68
- Echo chase p. 49
- Fawns and foxes p. 43
- Follow the leader p. 73
- Food chain p. 44
- Fox walking p. 57
- Leaf jigsaw p. 38
- Log trailing p. 98
- Lynx stalks deer
- Making a wild salad p. 120
- Making wild tea p. 120
- Meet a tree p. 39
- Mobbing p. 51
- Name that neighbour p. 31
- Natural camouflage p. 100
- Nature names p. 33
- Nest robbers p. 45
- Nutty navigators p. 62
- Owl eyes p. 58
- Owls & mice p. 50
- Photographic memory p. 35
- Run rabbit, run p. 46
- Scavenger hunt p. 40
- Seeker p. 72
- Sense meditation p. 60
- Sit spot p. 92
- Squirrel touch p. 6
- Stoat & vole p. 69
- Time machine p. 39
- Tracking ghosts p. 53
- Treasure hunt p. 74
- Tree tag p. 36
- Who am I? p. 32
- Who’s watching whom? p. 55
- Wild cat territories p. 63
- Wolves & deer p. 54
Rodenburg, J. (2022) The Book of Nature Connection – 70 sensory activities for all ages. Gabriola Island, Canada: New Society Publishers.
Inspired 41 Wilding activity guides
- Animal calls p. 30
- Attracting birds p. 16
- Badger nose p. 74
- Badger trail p. 72
- Bat walk p. 13
- Birding by ear p. 1
- Camera p. 60
- Creature cover-up p. 44
- Deer stalk p. 27
- Deer walking p. 62
- Drum stalk p. 27
- Eagle eye p. 60
- Echo chase p. 12
- Echolocation p. 11
- Eye to eye p. 42
- Heartbeat of a tree p. 15
- Hunting in hidden habitats p. 54
- I can smell… scent sacks p. 73
- Making & gifting a ‘seed gratitude ball’ p. 105
- Micro-journey p. 59
- Mirror walks p. 58
- Moth trail p. 77
- Scanning p. 58
- Scent of place p. 75
- Scent slide show p. 74
- Scentsational discoveries p. 71
- Shape matching p. 63
- Smell like nature p. 75
- Smell scavenger hunt p. 77
- Sound shakers p. 28
- Spectrogram p. 21
- Spirals p. 65
- Spot the difference p. 61
- The echo detective p. 11
- The heron p. 26
- Tree faces p. 57
- Tree songs p. 14
- Using a bat detector p. 13
- Walking in circles p. 112
- Wild skeletons p. 52
- Wind dancers p. 65
Salisbury, C. (2021) Wild Nights Out – The magic of exploring the outdoors after dark. London: Chelsea Green Publishing.
Inspired 41 Wilding activity guides
- Attracting birds p. 80
- Badger nose p. 32
- Badger trail p. 31
- Badger watching p. 90
- Bat walk p. 37 & 86
- Campfire stalk p. 64
- Dawn chorus p. 162
- Deer ears p. 30
- Deer sneakers p. 50
- Deer stalk p. 49
- Drum stalk p. 66
- Dusk walk p. 45
- Echo chase p. 84
- Finding & navigating by the north star p. 142 & 145
- Fingertip tracking p. 35
- Fox walking p. 47
- How do you walk? p. 53
- How to make & use a moth trap p. 39 & 94
- Hunting in hidden habitats p. 103
- Light keeper p. 60
- Lynx stalks deer p. 51
- Making a footprint tracking tunnel p. 75
- Mammal track matching p. 35
- Name that neighbour p. 72
- Nature collection p. 117
- Nature table p. 117
- Navigating by the constellations p. 142 & 145
- Navigating by the moon p. 142 & 145
- Night noises p. 107
- Night predator p. 62
- Night vision p. 44
- Owl eyes p. 29
- Owls & voles p. 76
- Predator & prey p. 58
- Rabbit in headlights p. 56
- Scent slide show p. 32
- Sense meditation p. 28
- Snail trail p. 53
- The ‘fire keeper’ p. 54
- Using a bat detector p. 37 & 86
- Wild symphony p. 30
Trotta, R. M. (2013) Sit Spot and the Art of Inner Tracking. USA: Sagefire Institute for Natural Coaching.
Inspired 3 Wilding activity guides
- Deer ears p. 64
- Leaf identity parade p. 44
- Silver linings p. 98
Van Matre, S. et al. (2019) Earthwalks – An alternative nature experience. West Virginia: The Institute for Earth Education.
Inspired 36 Wilding activity guides
- A noseful of nature
- Another world p. 286
- Follow your nose p. 113
- Hand washing p. 157
- Hunting in hidden habitats p. 164
- I can smell… scent sacks p. 223
- Intention p. 179
- Kinship p. 168
- Lighting p. 257
- Meet a tree p. 154
- Micro-journey
- Mirror walks p. 147
- Movie camera p. 187
- Natural colours p. 209
- Natural texture scavenger hunt p. 121
- Nature’s art gallery p. 183
- Nature’s show p. 150
- Once upon a stone p. 260
- Perspective p. 107
- Pocket friends p. 195
- Returning natural objects to their home p. 213
- Reverence p. 216
- Scentimental p. 282
- Scentsational discoveries
- Slide show p. 175
- Small world safari p. 278
- Song of the season p. 254
- Tender touch p. 270
- Thank-you tangle p. 129
- The heart of nature p. 179
- Tickle, prickle, guess! p. 205
- Time machine p. 154
- Unique p. 201
- Wild skeletons p. 230
- Wild symphony p. 263
- Wind dancers p. 294
Walmsley, N. & Westall, D. (2018) Forest School Adventure – Outdoor skills and play for children. Lewes: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications.
Inspired 43 Wilding activity guides
- Animal tag
- Awareness hide p. 41
- Deer stalk
- Direction mapping
- Echo chase
- Extracting the outer fibres from a bramble stem
- Fire in ‘the Wild’
- Flour trailing p. 40
- Gut instinct p. 162
- How to make a tracking stick
- I spy p. 41
- Intuition
- Journey stick
- Making & using track training pits p. 34
- Making a bark water filter p. 94
- Making a plank & cooking on it p. 153
- Making a small tent peg
- Making a wild salad
- Making an incense bundle
- Making charcoal p. 82
- Making clay pots
- Making clay prints
- Making damper bread
- Making resin glue p. 114
- Making wild tea
- Mandala
- Measuring a tree p. 42
- Meet a tree
- Natural camouflage p. 44
- Night vision p. 33
- Photo dash p. 163
- Photographic memory
- Providing food for birds p. 16
- Scavenger hunt
- Seeker p. 166
- Sit spot
- Trail blazing
- Transporting a fire p. 86
- Tree spirit
- Tying a square lashing p. 59
- Tying a timber hitch p. 51
- Using matches
- Who am I?
Walmsley, N. & Westall, D. (2020) Urban Forest School – Outdoor adventures & skills for city kids. Lewes: Guild of Master Craftsman Publications.
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
Worroll, J. & Houghton, P. (2018) A Year of Forest School – Outdoor play and skill-building fun for every season. London: Watkins.
Inspired 6 Wilding activity guides
- Animal tag p. 92
- Extracting the outer fibres from a bramble stem p. 27-31
- Gathering plant stems p. 27-31
- Intuition p. 66
- Plaiting fibres to make cordage p. 27-31
- Silent predator p. 66
Young, J. & Morgan, T. (2007) Animal Tracking Basics. Mechanicsburg: Stackpole Books.
Inspired 10 Wilding activity guides
- 50 tracks in a row p. 64
- Best guess p. 71
- Ethogram p. 82
- Human tracks p. 69
- Mind’s eye sketching p. 37
- Movement movie p. 68
- Owl eyes p. 63
- Track drawings p. 71
- Track pattern & gait p. 52
- Track storytelling p. 70
Young, J., Haas, E. & McGown, E. (2016) Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature. 2nd edition. Santa Ana, California: OWLink Media.
Inspired 62 Wilding activity guides
- 50 tracks in a row p. 416
- Animal calls p. 353
- Awareness
- Backtracking p. 450
- Badger trail p. 305
- Be alone with a tree p. 459
- Bioblitz p. 475
- Bird language skits p. 336
- Bird’s eye view mapping p. 450 - 451
- Buzzard eye p. 358
- Capture the flag p. 482
- Exploration group p. 320
- Fawns and foxes p. 401
- Fire in ‘the Wild’ p. 394
- Follow the leader p. 376
- Found p. 448
- Fox walking p. 310
- Group sit spot p. 472
- How to identify a tree p. 436
- How to identify a tree by its leaves p. 436
- Invisibility p. 342
- Journal maps p. 329
- Journaling from field guides p. 329
- Journaling from the ground up p. 325
- Log trailing p. 409
- Looking for plant patterns p. 436
- Lost p. 446
- Lynx radar p. 314
- Lynx stalks deer
- Map your home p. 321
- Map your sit spot p. 320
- Mapping activity p. 320
- Medicine wander p. 317
- Meet a tree p. 456
- Meeting poisonous plants & trees p. 439
- Mobbing p. 386
- Natural navigation p. 450
- Nature collection p. 351
- Nature names p. 348
- Nature table p. 351
- Nutty navigators p. 371
- Owl eyes p. 302
- Photographic memory p. 432
- Pot plant p. 436
- Predator’s path p. 397
- Pronking p. 399
- Run rabbit, run p. 388
- Sensing bird language p. 71
- Setting up a trail camera p. 416
- Silent predator p. 380
- Sit spot p. 292
- Song-lines p. 445
- Squirrel touch p. 303
- The 6 arts of tracking p. 306
- The ‘fire keeper’ p. 362
- Time machine p. 484
- Tracking journal p. 325
- Trail blazing p. 450
- Tree tag p. 459
- Trouble in the treetops p. 378
- Who am I? p. 406
- “I lost my stone!” p. 317
People
Brian Mertins.
Inspired 7 Wilding activity guides
Dan Puplett – tracker, naturalist and nature connection teacher.
Inspired 4 Wilding activity guides
Jay the Jay (Jay Witts) – re-wild’s own activities.
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
Nick Baker – naturalist and author, including The Complete Naturalist (2015) and The Nature Tracker Handbook (2013), Bloomsbury Natural History; and Gardens & Parks – Fun ideas for things to do outdoors (2006), Collins.
Inspired 13 Wilding activity guides
- Building & positioning a blue tit nesting box p. 20
- Building & positioning a robin nesting box p. 20
- Building & positioning a swift home p. 20
- Hand feeding a robin p. 14
- How to make an earwig trap p. 60
- How to measure rainfall p. 24
- Making a bumble bee box p. 30
- Making a dead hedge p. 18
- Making a mammal table p. 78
- Making track traps p. 43
- Mammal map app p. 78
- Providing food for birds p. 10 & 12
- Providing nesting materials p. 26
Paul Brockman MBE – Woodlander Coppice.
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
Organisations
DD Hammocks – hammock set-up instructions.
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
Jack Raven Bushcraft.
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
RHS (Royal Horticultural Society), including Pilcher, H. (2020) The Pocket Book of Garden Experiments. London: Bloomsbury Wildlife.
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
TCV (The Conservation Volunteers), including The Dead Good Deadwood Survey (2019).
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
The Wildlife Trusts.
Inspired 2 Wilding activity guides
Online
The Forest Educator podcast.
Inspired 1 Wilding activity guide
