Bushcraft & Survival

As we had to cancel the session planned for Monday at Forest Hills we re-scheduled for today, thankfully it stayed dry!  We were joined by a lovely family, Dave, Jane 'Issac' (a popular author), daughter Ella (Goldfish amongst other entertaining nicknames) and friend 'hairy' Mike :-).

 Ella was flora mad, especially anything medicinal and everyone loved digging for pignut - well except for Mike as her said it was best to just go to Sainsbury's.

Will lights his favourite bit of kit at the moment - a fire tin made from recycled card and old ends of candles. It burns for ages and it's free!

Litter can be good if it's up-cycled! A shower and a hobo stove made from tin cans and an old lager tin.

Look at all that pignut - get digging (with the landowners permission of course)!

Dave the pignut digger, it was worth all of the effort!

Forest Hills Activities

Magick Wands

Great wands made in Merlin's cave/corridor at Forest Hills this bank holiday Monday.

From Left: Annabel's Hazel, Camille's Oak, Harry's Rowan, Joseph's Oak, Samuel's Oak (and mini wand!), Caiden's Rowan, Tierney's Silver Birch and Jacob's Hazel - big brother got a wand for his birthday too.  You guys went before I gave out your spell making scrolls, if you didn't get them at Reception visit www.nixinnature.co.uk for a copy. (Website launch later this week).

Bat Walk

The first bat walk of the season here went well too, loads of bats hunting above the pond.  We met a lovely family who we are later taking out for Bushcraft as it was rained off (although after we cancelled it, there was not a drop of rain - typical)! Dave made a great bat although he hugged his victims rather than eating them :-).

Bushcraft at Forest Hills and Tigh Mor

We have started to do Bushcraft & Survival walks at both Forest Hills and Tigh Mor.  At Forest Hills we offer session for all ages on a Monday, Tigh Mor is just for the adults and older kids on a Thursday outside of school holidays (Arthur will continue to offer kids bushcraft during the holidays at Tigh Mor) . 

We were joined by a lovely couple at Forest Hills braving the rain (which died off thankfully) on Monday who seemed quite impressed at all the wild foods that are out already. Lots even on the roadside and along country lanes. I think they are looking forward to showing their nephew what they had learned as he is bushcraft mad apparently!
Thursday we were joined by five lovely eager to learn adults and young Brendan with his Batman figure for added enjoyment at Tigh Mor.

Will over ran a bit again, sorry, I can't stop his passion for this session whilst he is in full flow!

Daisy, or the Day's Eye. Edible and good used as an astringent.

Pignut, not Daisy the dog (although she is a bit like a hairy piglet), but something to look out for as it is just starting to come out up here in the Trossachs.  Dig down following the stem and at a 90 degree angle you will find a nut, edible and really scrummy.  Nothing to bark at really so get grubbing for nuts!!

Batty Halloween Walk at Forest Hills

Well it was still raining, but we went ahead with the last bat walk of the season at Forest Hills. This one had a spooky twist as Hallowe'en is coming up giving people ideas and traditions to do on Thursday. We played traditional games and divination with apples with a few tricks and treats along the way. Thanks to all those that came along to help raise money for the Bat Conservation Trust :-)

Ken the bat perfectly demonstrates how to eat Peter the moth using echo location. 'Death' or the Grim Reaper is a constant distractor for young Peter though :-)

 

Bat Walk - Forest Hills

Only one booked on the walk this week at Forest Hills, a lovely lady that had always wanted to do a bat walk and lots of bats came out to say hi.

Will's Dad joined us too (along with his partner Alex) and he helped us out by donning the bat suit.

Big scary 'Blind as a Bat' Dad

Bat Walk at Forest Hills

We are just loving our new bat wings! This lovely chap helped us to demonstrate how they have evolved to be the only true flying mammal in the world during our bat walk at Forest Hills .  He didn't take off though?  The batfink mask was just for fun - it was his friends that made him do it, very amusing thanks :-)

Arts & Rafts at Forest Hills

It's quiet here too at Forest Hills now that most kiddies have returned back to school.  Alexander though, from Germany still has two weeks left so he got stuck in with some whittling and came up with this lovely little boat.

Arts & Rafts at Forest Hills

The sun had his hat on for the Bank Holiday (probably as it wasn't one in Scotland!) but lucky for those on holiday none the less :-) It must have meant that everyone was off out enjoying the rays somewhere else as we only had one little lad today and for the first time ever at Forest Hills, no-one for the bat walk? 

Will made Harry a bonus extra boat - he just loves whittling! Harry named it Super Hero.



Harry went for a Hazel wand - the most popular choice this week. Interestingly it is the Celtic Ogham month for Hazel, see these kids are using their intuition well :-)

 

Harry's 'Super Hero' mark one!

Arts & Crafts at Forest Hills

A very crafty afternoon at Forest Hills this week, loads going on!

James & Nate's raft Skully

Theo's The Shin Digger (sponsored by Pepsi Max)

Jasmine's The Red & White Raft

Sarah's Monkey Banana 

Russ's Tinted Turbo 

Louisa's Fiddlestix 

 

Lydia's BOAT

Sarah and Lydia's pendants, Beatrice made a lovely pendant too but I missed photographing that one! 

Last but not least, a wand making session, phew! 

Louisa's Ash wand and her brother Russ's Oak wand is pictured above. Their Mum Nikki made one too with her ogham birth tree Alder which is a wand in progress (same name and tree as me:). Quite funny when the tree bobbed Will on the tree after snipping a branch, I asked permission from the Dryad, clearly Will didn't!!
Sarah made a Hazel wand too and Lydia a Willow. Happy magick making, remember the full blue moon tonight for magick and cleansing :-)

Arts & Crafts and a Batty Starlit night at Forest Hills

Three marvellous rafts at Forest Hills (all sporting a new style fishing net) and thanks to all that joined us for a brilliant batty walk that was perfectly finished off with a romantic meteor shower, yay! Brilliant spook too from an excitable Remy and a rather moving, expressive tale from Olivia, hope everyone slept OK? :-z

From left: Katie & Natalie's rafts, Rosie and Amy

Olivia's raft Sunrise proudly reflecting the gold sail in the pond

Arts & Rafts at Forest Hills

Thanks to the lovely family who joined us for mini raft building and to all who joined us on the bat walk that night too :-)

Matthew's 'Matthew', or 'Pest'! Will made most of it following orders :-)

 On the left (above and below); Jonathan's 'Papa Voyager' with the green flags and David & Adam's 'HMS Granny'. Keen whittlers this lot!

 

Forest Hills Arts & Rafts

Our first craft session at the lovely Forest Hills resort on Loch Ard went really well and the kids made wands and mini rafts next to the pond. Thanks to everyone that joined in!

From left; Mia's lacey Willow wand, Sam's Holly and Tamzin's Ash wand.

Talking of ash, don't forget to put the leaves of ash under your pillow for psychic dreams to help you see into the future!

 I forgot to say that holly leaves under your pillow can help those who's hearts need healing (or make men irresistible to women if carried along with a berry ;-) and you can make a wish with a willow tree - ask permission from the tree, snap off a bendy shoot and make a wish as you tie the knot. Look after it and when your wish comes true take it back to a willow tree with a gift, untie the knot and say thank you :-)

Beth's lovely red sailed raft was named 'Star' and Finlay's Titanic stayed afloat excellently, although there were no icebergs, just dunking ducks :-)

Forest Hills Gets Batty Too!

This lovely warm weather has finally invited the bats to come out to play.  We had 'loads' of soprano pipistrelle bats around the grounds of Forest Hills with a couple of common pipistrelle's and possibly a Daubenton's/water bat too.

We even had a couple of tawny owls hooting from the local farm.  At least it wasn't 'too wet to woo!'

Forest Hills, Aberfoyle

Thank you for such a brilliant turnout for our first 'Bats, Owls & Spooky Tales' at the lovely Forest Hills Hotel and Spa in Aberfoyle.

A chilly, windy night but at least the rain held off!  No wonder we only managed to see one bat, he obviously thought it was best to go back inside until another day and went on to tell all his friends.