WILDERNESS FOLK SCHOOL TEAM
The Wilderness Folk School team is composed of seasoned outdoors people, experienced bushcraft instructors, expedition leaders & associates hand-picked to make an industry leading team
Steven Hanton
Founder & Chief Instructor
Steven developed a life long interest in the outdoors at just 15 when he took his first week long bushcraft course. This sparked a passion for wilderness skills which he pursued by combining self study and overseas trips. He blew his first student loan payment on an 8 week solo trip to the Alaskan wilderness when he was just 17.......oops!
After a brief season at Ray Mears' company 'Woodlore' in 2006, Steven began a formal apprenticeship at 'Woodsmoke' under the expert guidance of Ben McNutt and Lisa Fenton, proudly receiving his instructor's knife in 2008. He has been teaching bushcraft and wilderness skills ever since.
As a passionate educator, Steven completed a degree in Outdoor Education at Edinburgh University and stresses the importance not only of what you teach, but how you teach. His enthusiasm for the subject and his delivery make for informative yet fun and engaging programs.
Steven is an experienced expedition leader and has guided trips to some of the worlds most remote environments. Equally at home in the frozen subarctic, steamy jungle or sweltering desert, he has been fortunate to work with and learn from some of the world's last hunter gatherers for whom wilderness skills are still a way of life.
A lifelong obsession with animal tracking has made him a leader in this field, helping to bring the coveted Cybertracker Evaluation system to the UK and successfully being the first certified Track & Sign Specialist in Europe in 2012. Always eager to share his tracking knowledge and experience with others on Tracking Courses and our Namibian Expedition.
Since 2014 Steven has worked on many popular TV survival shows as a bushcraft consultant and safety advisor, keeping crews safe and informed in some of the most challenging environments on the planet; Panama, Brazil, China, Fiji, Kenya, Namibia, Taiwan and Myanmar to name a few. For this work he holds the NEEBOSH General Certificate in health and safety, is a FREC 4 qualified medic with years of expedition medical support experience and is a qualified Mountain Leader.
Steven is never more at home, however, than when exploring the wilds of his native Scotland with his wife and two boys in his handmade wood and canvas canoes......(another hobby that got out of control!)
Hannah Knight
Founder & Instructor
Hannah's background in ecology, wildlife conservation and community engagement means she brings a wealth of experience to the Folk School.
With a degree in Environmental Conservation, she has worked in ecological surveying, managed nature reserves, worked for several Wildlife Trusts and set up and managed nature-based community engagement projects for charities such as the RSPB.
Since 2014, Hannah has also undertaken study in bushcraft and wilderness skills and is a qualified Forest School Leader. Hannah is great with people and her kind and patient nature makes her a great teacher on courses involving craftwork, basketry and plantlore.
Her knowledge and understanding of the natural world, in particular plants, is is combined with her other great passion, art. Hannah is a sought after professional artist working with pen, pyrography and paint to create beautiful, bespoke pieces. She also creates meaningful and truly unique hand-poke tattoos, often inspired by nature, through her company Ink and Ember Tattoo
A mother of two, Hannah is passionate about exploring the natural world with her children in any way she can; canoeing, foraging, cooking over fires and making woodland art!
Associates
Mark Williams
We're teaming up with Mark on our fantastic 'Fungi Foray & Camp Cookery Course'
Mark Williams of Galloway Wild Foods is a passionate mycophile, wild gastronomer and professional wild food educator, who has been teaching about wild mushroom identification and edibility for 30 years. Mark is a font of knowledge and enthusiasm on wild fungi, specialising in making this often daunting subject fun and accessible to novices, while providing solid foundations for a lifetime of discovery, enjoyment and worry-free wild eating. Mark writes widely on this subject and works closely with leading mycologists, landowner/conservation organisations such as The National Trust and Scottish Natural Heritage. Mark’s wild mushroom cookins are legendary! Mark is also a member of the Association of Foragers and the British Mycological Society.
Howl Bushcraft
We are teaming up with Howl Bushcraft to offer our unique 'Canoe Wilderness Scotland' expedition.
From Howl...
''The aim of Howl Bushcraft is to provide the elementary skills needed to spend time outdoors without the clutter of modern gadgets and gear. We look to nature to provide what we need, and the skill of our hands to craft it. We practice a high level of respect for the natural world, and always instill our sessions with the leave no trace ethos''.
