Falling into water unexpectedly can be frightening, even if you’re a strong swimmer. You might slip from a riverbank, fall off a paddleboard, get caught by a wave or enter the water while walking beside a reservoir. Your first instinct may be to thrash about or swim immediately towards the nearest bank, but cold water…
A handful of fresh greens can turn a basic pot of soup into something worth making again. Nettles have a mild, earthy flavour once cooked, wild garlic brings a gentle savoury sharpness, and sorrel adds a fresh, lemony taste. Each works well in a simple soup, whether you’re cooking at home or preparing a meal…
A successful hike depends on more than choosing a route and putting one foot in front of the other. Conditions can change, paths can become difficult to follow, equipment can fail and people can become tired or injured. The decisions you make when something unexpected happens can have a considerable effect on how safely you…
Rainfall affects everything from ground conditions on a walk to how quickly streams and rivers can rise. Making a simple rain gauge gives you a way to measure what’s falling where you live, rather than relying on how wet the ground looks. For this challenge, you’ll make a rain gauge of your own, place it…
There are many ways in which nature gives us signs of wind direction. Wind leaves clues behind, even when the air has become still. Trees may grow in unusual shapes, grasses can become combed in one direction, and loose sand or fallen leaves may collect where the wind has carried them. Once you start noticing…
You don’t need leaves to recognise a tree. Its bark, buds, twigs, shape and even the seeds scattered beneath it can provide clues to its identity. Learning to identify a tree without leaves is especially useful in autumn and winter, when many familiar trees have lost their leaves. For this challenge, you’ll investigate a tree…
A stream can look harmless from the bank, but moving water is not always as shallow or predictable as it appears. Rainfall upstream can raise water levels quickly, and slippery stones or hidden holes can turn a simple crossing into a serious hazard. This is why it is important that you learn and understand how…
You don’t always need to see an animal to know it’s been nearby. A nibbled leaf, a chewed hazelnut or a strip of missing bark can tell you that something has stopped for a little meal. Learning to spot these clues makes an ordinary walk through woodland, a park or a hedgerow much more interesting….
Choosing where to camp is about more than finding a flat patch of grass with a good view. In order to find a safe campsite, the right spot should keep you sheltered, comfortable and away from any hazards, while giving you enough space to pitch your tent and move around safely. For this challenge, you’ll…
Before modern rope was available, people used natural fibres to make natural cordage for tying, carrying and securing things. In this challenge, you’ll explore how fibres can be twisted together to make a simple piece of cordage and discover which materials work best. The aim is to experiment, observe the results and learn something about…
