Bart Leenders, a fellow Woodlorean from the Netherlands who can frequently be found attending our Bushcraft courses, got in touch with us recently to let us know that his newfound knowledge has been put to good use for his friends in Belgium:

“Hello Woodlore,

Recently we organised a father and son weekend at a campsite in the Belguim Ardennes. The sons were between 5 and 9 years of age and the group counted 19 in total. The owner of the campsite took care of food and beverages, I acted as the instructor and the first aid post was at the reception.

On day one we started by handing out a red bandanna to the kids and inspected the gear the fathers had brought. Then we went for a walk over the campsite and taught them things to know about some trees and plants. Meanwhile, we collected pine needles for tea, birch bark and resin for tinder, faggots for kindling, hazel sticks for walking and preparing lunch. We tasted buttercup, stingy nettle sweets and birch leaves. We collected and filtered water using a gipsy well and the bandannas.

One of the children has a go at fire-lighting with his fire stick

Then we reached a designated area where we made a fire using a fire steel and the tinder and kindling we collected. Some kids were obsessed to succeed. On the next day we made a rope bridge with 2 knots to know and a lean-to shelter.

And that was it really, and they all loved it.

I think spending a few days in the woods together is what did it.  And maybe bushcraft was a way to get them more close to nature.

It is great to share my limited knowledge of bushcraft and a big part of which I learned from you.  Dankjullie wel!

Bart Leenders, The Netherlands”