The Value of Bushcraft

The Bushcraft Bus believes bushcraft is much, much more than just survival skills. It’s all about interacting with the natural world in a meaningful way, getting the most out of the environment and your experience in it. It’s been a powerful tool for enhancing our own experiences of life. It provides us with a sense of relaxation and an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. For school pupils, bushcraft and nature education offers numerous benefits that can improve their academic and personal growth.

Here’s our top five favourite benefits of bushcraft:

Appreciation of nature

Providing the next generation with the opportunity to connect with nature is critical for their future and the planet's health. Being in nature encourages pupils to think about the environment and their role in protecting it, promoting a sense of responsibility and empathy towards the natural world. We like to focus our sessions around nature, and teach the importance of preserving natural resources while responsibly managing the resources we use. We will protect what we love!

Identifying fungi with a student on a fungi forage — Jim teaching fungi identification on a fungi forage

Boost Academic Performance

Being in nature is an excellent way to boost academic performance. Research suggests that exposure to natural environments enhances cognitive function, reduces stress levels and improves memory retention. This is especially important for pupils who struggle to concentrate in a traditional classroom setting.

When children are responsible for managing their own safety and well-being in a natural environment, they learn to take ownership of their actions, which can translate into their everyday lives. Also, bushcraft can aid children in developing their problem-solving abilities, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.

Nature can be a fantastic educator, sparking curiosity and providing inspiration for creative play and exploration. Outside, children can improve their communication and social skills, building strong bonds with peers and family.

We’ve seen shy kids come out of their shell in the woods, kids with behavioural ‘issues’ excel and leaders emerge. Building a shelter with limited resources pushes children to use their creativity to build sturdy and safe structures, and what was a simple shelter building challenge becomes a homes under the hammer show, with old tree stumps for toilets, ferns for beds, old branches for a kitchen. It’s amazing what kids come up with!

Home Education students practice firelighting at a Bushcraft Bus event

Mental Health

Research has shown that spending time in nature can enhance mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and boost self-esteem. Playing and learning in the natural environment can have a positive effect on a child's mental health, leading to improved mood, decreased stress, and an increased sense of well-being.

The UK has been found to be one of the most disconnected societies from nature in Europe. Bushcraft and nature education opens the door to providing an environment to disconnect from technology and reconnect with the natural world, which is becoming increasingly important in our digital age. Both of us at the Bushcraft Bus have found healing and happiness in hard times from feeling truly connected to, exercised in and engaged with the outdoors.

Connecting with nature - Yoga on a Tor in Dartmoor

Physical Health

Bushcraft and nature education offers significant health benefits. Outdoor activities promote physical activity and encourage pupils to move away from their screens. This reduction in sedentary behaviour helps combat obesity, which is a growing problem among society. Our bodies respond to more natural diets, we sleep better, we feel better. If we have the skills and knowledge to feel confident and safe outside, we are going to spend far more time out there. Whether it’s walking, mountain hiking, cycling, running, wild swimming, or going out for a picnic. Jim can sometimes be seen hanging from hoops in the trees, and Tom swaying in the top of the best climbers.

Climbing in the Woods — Tom climbing in a woodland park

History and Tradition

Bushcraft skills were once more than recreation. Without knowledge of plants, people would have been without food, medicine and material for construction. Without a knowledge of ecology, people would have gone without food and clothing. It might be a skill no longer necessary for survival itself in general, but it is one that connects us to our ancestors, to each other and to the natural world that supports all life on earth.

Firelighting skills with a ferros rod, forrocerium, making sparks, female bushcraft — Close-up of ferros rod sparks

Conclusion

We may not use these skills directly, every day. But developing these outdoor skills helps provide a confidence and self esteem that feeds into the rest of our lives. They will forever form who we are, our decisions and inevitably, how we spend our lives.

Bushcraft and nature education offers significant benefits for school pupils. These outdoor activities provide a platform for self-exploration, physical and mental health benefits and social development. Encouraging pupils to engage with nature is not only beneficial for their personal growth but also has a positive impact on the environment. We believe it is crucial to incorporate these activities into school curriculums and make nature a regular part of their education.

The Bushcraft Bus is on a mission to bring these skills to people and pupils across the country, introducing students to knowledge and skills that can better equip them for life. As well as opening them up to a world long forgotten in a modern, technology-rich society.

Let us know why you love the outdoors!

See what we can offer students in your school, birthday parties or local education groups https://www.bushcraftbus.co.uk/school-packages

Contact us :)
07958344038
bushcraftbus@gmail.com