Wildlore: A Four-Day Rewilding Therapeutic Programme

FREE for Adults

Dates: 18th & 19th April + 26th & 27th April 2025 (FOUR DAYS)
Time: 10am – 3pm
Location: Laughton Greenwood, near Lewes, East Sussex BN8 6BP
For: Adults only | Small group (max 8 people)

TICKETS: by reseving a ticket for the first day, 18th April, you will be automatically signed up for the consecutive 3 days of the Wildlore Programme.

Join us for a transformative four-day journey into the wild, where nature’s wisdom helps guide us towards healing, purpose, and belonging. Hosted in the stunning woodlands of Laughton Greenwood, this immersive programme blends ancient traditions with modern therapeutic practices to foster deep reconnection—with yourself, others, and the natural world.

What to Expect:

• Nature-Based Therapeutic Practice – Mindfulness, self-enquiry, sharing & storytelling, and ritual to rediscover your authentic self.
• Bushcraft & Ancestral Skills – Learn fire-making, shelter-building, and traditional skills that connect us to the land.
• Deep Ecology & Kinship – Exploring our place within the web of life.

Why Join Us?

Whether you seek personal healing, renewed direction, or a deeper bond with nature, this experience provides a space to plant new seeds while strengthening your roots.

Additional Programme Details:

This four-day experience is for people wishing to immerse themselves in a therapeutic setting and dive deeper into understanding who they are and how they relate to the world.

We ask that people can:

• Commit to all 4 Days of the Wildlore programme.
• Be open to participate in therapeutic interventions involving individual and group work.
• Are able to be outdoors in all weathers and undertake physical practical tasks.

This work isn’t therapy, but it is therapeutic in nature. Participants will be asked to complete an informal self-assessment at the start and end of the programme to help tailor, interpret and reflect on the impact of their experience. This programme, along with its formal assessments, contributes to a continued professional development for practitioners and leaders in this field.

Your guide on this journey is Dave Barker—a seasoned woodsman, ecologist, and nature-based educator with 30 years of experience in wildlife conservation, community engagement, and supporting people on their path to deeper nature connection.

Testimonials:

“Dave was instrumental in founding and growing what is now a thriving volunteer woodland working group at one of our flagship sites, the Avon Valley Woods, in the heart Devon, where the Woodland Trust itself started. His deep knowledge of ecology and passion for the natural world and its benefits to humanity radiates from him in his work, which in turn inspires those who work alongside him. Dave’s legacy is evident in the infectious passion and enthusiasm he has passed on to our volunteers from their days working with him on many woodland management tasks such as coppicing, hedge laying and tree planting, and have greatly benefitted from the gift of his knowledge and mentorship.” Sam Manning, South West Rainforests Project Officer, Woodland Trust (South Devon).

"I have known Dave for a long time and have personally benefited from his knowledge, experience and guidance. As a qualified Ecologist, Forest School Leader and Wilderness Therapeutic Practitioner, Dave fosters an holistic approach to the natural world - not just an understanding of it, but a connection to it as well. Personally, he has challenged my thoughts & opinions over many years. He has challenged me to look at the landscape in new ways; in ways that I may not have done otherwise without his guidance. When I first met Dave, I was a qualified professional ecologist. Now, thanks to his help, I have a developed into a more rounded being with a more complex and appreciative nature for the other non-human beings who we share this planet with. He has opened my eyes and, quite simply, has made me a better person.” Pete Etheridge. Ecologist & Woodsman.

“A passionate ecologist, dedicated to preserving, protecting and restoring our world for future generations. His work goes beyond his title, expanding into the essence of people where they can thrive and grow in harmony with our planet. With his extensive knowledge, experience and understanding, Dave inspires others to be co-creators of a better world.” Johanna Nilsson, Coordinator for The Swedish Society of Nature Conservation.

Limited Spaces to ensure an intimate and meaningful experience – Completely FREE!

Thanks to the support of Laughton Greenwood and the training case-study nature of this programme, this four day experience is fully subsidised.

Host or Publisher Dave Barker