The Wild of the Words
Reconnecting with nature through the sharing of land, skills & stories
LEARN WILD
Let nature teach...
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When truly present in nature, we do use all our senses at the same time, which is the optimum state of learning.”
― Richard Louv, The Nature Principle
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Led by ethnobotanist and storyteller Pridie Tiernan, our Learn Wild experience features a rich mix of folklore, stories and ancestral skills for students keen to explore more of the natural world through practical and imaginative experiences.
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Sessions focus on deepening our relationship with nature; sharing nature-based stories and bushcraft skills that reflect how our ancestors interacted with the natural world and highlight exciting opportunities for teaching the wider curriculum outside.
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WHAT PEOPLE SAY
ANDREA
Experiences are all bespoke - designed with careful considerable of age, setting and specific needs of each group. Pridie works with primary and secondary schools, youth groups and colleges and is a qualified teacher with over 20 years experience. Stories and bushcraft activities vary according to season. No previous knowledge is necessary. Depending on the age of the class, current focus of study, time of year and the timetable of the day, workshops can include the following:
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Nature-based Storytelling with Folklore & Folktales
Literacy, literature, history and art
Storytelling based in nature linking to specific trees, plants and the seasonal year
Exploring and unpicking the 'riddles' of hidden wisdom in plant folklore
Guided walk to identify wild plants and trees, using snippets of folklore and stories to memory peg
Creative play with natural materials, inspired by seasons and storytellings
Singing folksongs and ballads connected to trees and seasons
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​​Ancestral Skills & Ethnobotany
Literacy, history, science and art
Plant and tree identification (Winter bud/Spring & Summer leaf)
Latin names of plants and trees
Tree biology
Veteran trees
Sustainable harvesting
Wild food
Methods of making fire
Cooking on fire
Whittling
Cordage and basketry
Plant medicine
Dyeing with natural materials
Ancestral art
Tree and fungi relationships
Animals tracking
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​Celtic Runes & the Ogham Tree Alphabet
Literacy, history and art
Exploring ancient Ogham script and its connection to our native trees and plants
Crafting Ogham wands with runic inscriptions
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​Immersion into Narrative
Literacy and history
Survival skills: shelter, fire, food, water (e.g. Lord of the Flies / Hunger Games)
Sensory exploration of environment (Creative Writing)
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​Immersion into Narrative
Literacy and history
Survival skills: shelter, fire, food, water (e.g. Lord of the Flies / Hunger Games)
Sensory exploration of environment (Creative Writing)
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​The Science of Storytelling
Literacy, literature, film, science and history
Exploring the neuroscience behind storytelling
Neural activators within narrative
Seminal texts and films
Own storytelling practice
Use of rhetoric
Creative writing
Example workshops
Colleges
Guided foraging walks, plants and tree ID, ancestral storytelling, plant medicine, wild crafting, the neuroscience behind storytelling, camping at Cwmffrwd Farm Campsite...
Sessions can be booked to take place at Cwmffrwd Farm or Pridie can visit your setting. Workshops can be designed to suit all budgets :)