Ray Mears

Ray is one of the few true outdoor legends and for over 30 years he has been running courses in the UK and overseas, sharing his knowledge with those who have sought to learn more about our unique world. It is often said that before Woodlore, there was no Bushcraft in the UK.

During Woodlore's extensive history, Ray has led courses in many diverse environments, including the Arctic, Jungle, Temperate Rainforest and Desert, and has spent time with some of the last remaining indigenous peoples in some of the remotest places on the planet. Tracking has long been a passion of Rays and with over 40 years dedicated to the study and interpretation of sign, Ray brings a unique wealth of knowledge of this specialist skill to the team.

Quietly spoken, Ray is recognised worldwide as a true master of the outdoors. Having spent the majority of his life learning to be at home in places others describe as hostile, he has unparalleled experience and in-depth knowledge. It is this that enables Ray to design, develop and lead exciting expeditions for Woodlore. Ray continues to work tirelessly to share his understanding so that others may "drink from the well of bushcraft".

Ray's biography is also available to read.

Tom Seward

Tom was born and brought up in Wiltshire where he developed a love of the outdoors. On family orienteering and camping trips, Tom spent many a happy hour exploring and making shelters in the forests and landscapes he visited. With strong Welsh roots, summer holidays were spent on the North coast of Pembrokeshire where he developed his range of water skills – fishing, surfing, kayaking and coasteering. Always a strong swimmer, Tom is a former Junior Welsh surf swim Champion and professional beach lifeguard. He has worked as an assistant instructor at an outdoor activities centre in Pembrokeshire, leading surfing and coasteering groups and developing his climbing, walking and kayaking skills, also improving his knowledge of the local environment.

Tom was introduced to Woodlore through a Fundamental Bushcraft course that he was given as an 18th birthday present and after completing his Campcraft course the following year, he was invited to attend a recruitment weekend.

Tom says:

I once took a day off school (with parent's permission) to attend a book signing by Ray at a local bookshop in Marlborough, where my mother asked Ray if he did apprenticeships. Although Ray laughed and declined the offer, I am delighted to be where I am today and I'm looking forward to developing my experience further!

In 2011, Tom passed the Woodlore Aspirant Instructor test and received his Aspirant Instructor certificate.

Wayne Egerton

Wayne was born and bred on the Isle of Wight, where he still resides with his wife and two young children. Growing up he enjoyed many outdoor activities based around the sea, including windsurfing, fishing and coastal camping. Wayne joined the scouting movement at a young age and later became a keen outdoor sportsman including shooting and ferreting, generally anything associated with the outdoors!

Wayne has enjoyed travelling to many countries over the years, and has come to realise how this develops you as a person, giving you both experience and confidence in dealing with life's situations. Closer to home he enjoys spending time in the varied habitats the Island has to offer, from salt marshes and shingle beaches to pine forests and open downland.

A keen follower of Ray's work, Wayne embarked on the Arctic Survival Course with Lars in February 2009. This he thoroughly enjoyed and learnt a great deal about the very extreme environment. Following this, he attended the Woodlore Selection Process and began work as an assistant in 2010.

Wayne comments:

Since working for Woodlore I have been impressed by the high standards and level of professionalism demonstrated by the entire team, and have been able to add to my skills through training and guidance.

Wayne was promoted to Aspirant Instructor at the start of the 2024 season.

David Southey

Born and raised on Salisbury plain, David spent a lot of his youth exploring the wide open spaces, secluded valleys and copses. During his childhood he spent family holidays in the Lake District, on the south coast, Dartmoor and in the West Country.

David was a member of the Army cadets which meant a lot of his time was spent outdoors on exercises and adventurous training. His first navigational lesson was from his father on Dartmoor at the back of Oakhampton camp aged 8, which fired his great interest in map work.

Serving for 5 years in the Army, working in and undertaking survival courses in the jungle of Guyana, arid lands of the Middle East, Norway and temperate environments here in the UK showed David what a person is capable of beyond their own expectations.

Enrolling on the Woodlore Fundamental Bushcraft course in 2007, while living in Plymouth, changed how David viewed his trips out to Dartmoor; he began wanting to enjoy the journey as well as the destination.

David spent a lot of time building on the skills learnt at Woodlore by reading, watching and listening to any source of knowledge on Bushcraft, then getting out trying things, be that in the garden or the highlands of Scotland. David joined the Woodlore Team in 2011 as an assistant.

In 2017, David passed the Woodlore Aspirant Instructor test and received his Aspirant Instructor certificate.

David says:

I love the countryside of Britain, though I enjoy travelling to other countries, Britain still holds me in awe of the places people seem to dismiss as found, conquered and tamed. This just isn't true; you only have to spend a night outside in any piece of our green land to know how wild it still is.

Dee Whittle

Dee grew up in a rural mining village in Shropshire where she spent time building dens, catching frogs and saving slow worms from her cats.

She has been working in environmental conservation for National Trust since 2009 after many years working in community arts management. Her work in conservation focuses on engaging young people from urban areas with nature through training, volunteering and outdoor activities that help improve the environment for both people and wildlife. The job allows her to combine her passion for outdoor education and ensuring nature is accessible to everyone; with her passion for the natural environment and the opportunities it offers. She spends her free time camping, wild swimming, gardening and walking and finds them the perfect antidote to the complications of modern life.

She first attended a course with Woodlore in 2016 to improve the skills that would help engage young people in Birmingham through wild camping, bushcraft and traditional crafts. The quality of the course and the skill level and enthusiasm of the instructors inspired her to go on the Fundamental Bushcraft course in 2017. Dee joined the team in 2018 and she is looking forward to supporting these courses while taking the opportunity to learn from the Woodlore team.

Dee says:

The courses have given me the confidence and desire to challenge myself both at work and on my own adventures in the outdoors and I hope that as I continue to learn and develop my own skills and knowledge I can inspire others to do the same. I believe developing your connection with nature and understanding your part in it can have a profound impact on your approach and quality of life. The more people that can be given the chance to learn the skills and confidence to enjoy being in nature, the more likely we are to take care of it.

Rob Pascoe

Rob grew up in Buckinghamshire and was always messing about outside exploring the woods of the local Chiltern Hills. He was a passionate lover of nature and bird watcher, and interest shared with his late grandfather, with many holidays spent with binoculars in hand.

He first encountered Ray through "The Survival Handbook" in the early 1990's which he had repeatedly on loan from the village library until the librarian finally said that "someone else might like to take that book out".

He enjoyed a lot of time outside, camping, hiking, and engaging in watersports as part of the Scouts and ultimately achieved his Queen's Scout Award and Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award. Adventures in the Surrey Hills, Brecon Beacons, Lake District, Pennines and on Dartmoor paved the way for later international trips to Sweden, Norway, Canada and Czechoslovakia.

Professionally, Rob is a veterinary surgeon, having graduated from Bristol University in 1999. His love for the outdoors led him towards equine practice, so he could avoid being stuck in an office. He is an RCVS Specialist in Equine Veterinary Dentistry and now runs his own practice. In recent years, he has completed a number of courses with Woodlore, which have brought his separate interests of outdoor pursuits and nature study under the unifying banner of “Wilderness Bushcraft”. Sharing these experiences with his daughter, Olivia, on the Woodlore Family courses has been a joy. Following the attendance of several courses and expeditions Rob joined the team in 2024 as an assistant.

Rob comments:

I feel honoured to join the Woodlore team, and hope that I can be a part of introducing others to something which has given me a lot of pleasure over many years.

It is my belief in the current world it is so important to understand the benefits of putting technology to one side, even for a short while, and to revel in the natural world around us – this is not only good for our wellbeing as individuals but also for the planet.

There is so much to learn it is sometimes hard to know where to start, but my experiences as a client have been that Woodlore, and the team, offer a great stepping off point for lots of adventures. I am really looking forward to being part of this, as well as continuing my own education. I hope to meet many of you in the field.

Ian Monaghan

As a child Ian grew up in the urban environment of Manchester, however he was lucky enough to live opposite a park with a large green space and reservoirs, and biking up to Peak District with friends, Ian was forever outside only coming back home "when the lights come on".

Ian enjoys hiking, over the last 5 years he takes an annual trip to explore the beautiful landscape of the Caledonian Forest of Glen Affric, in 2022 he spent a week solo there. Ian has been lucky enough over the past few years to travel over to Finland and spend weeks in their national parks, including Kolovesi and Lemmenjoki. Bushcraft has given Ian skills and knowledge to be more resilient and comfortable during his outdoor pursuits. Since attending a spoon carving class with Ray, Ian has been bitten by the wood carving bug, having carved immeasurable number of spoons and other utensils as well as kuska.

Ian feels contentment when he is wandering through the woods whether that's undertaking some crafting or just sitting and observing nature.

Ian comments:

I first attended the Woodlore Fundamental Bushcraft course in 2013, this fundamentally changed the course of my life as I realised from this my passion for dendrology (Tree ID), I attended Plumpton College, East Sussex and became a qualified Woodland Manager and commercial Forester. It is an absolute honour and privilege to be joining the Woodlore team and I am hoping to help and inspire future students.

Luke Wilson

Originally from Northern Ireland, Luke developed a keen interest and connection with the natural world from a young age. He spent much of his spare time camping around the woodlands and shores of Strangford Lough and exploring the Mourne mountains.

Luke attributes his connection and passion for the outdoors to his journey with the Scout movement. He feels fortunate to have had a mentor who was committed to and passionate about traditional scouting skills and values. This experience instilled lessons which still resonate with Luke today. He believes that much like the skills and knowledge taught in scouting; bushcraft cannot be learned in theory alone; it must be passed from one person to another and experienced.

In Lukes professional life, he sought a vocation in keeping with his passions. He moved to the North of Scotland in 2008 to study forest management and now works for Forest and Land Scotland with a focus on sustainability. He feels fortunate to be in a position to instil meaningful change and action on the ground which delivers environmental, economic and social benefits to the area he lives and works in.

Luke comments:

Bushcraft is a vital link to the natural world in which we live and our window to the past. I'm drawn to the sheer breadth of the subject where I enjoy breaking it down and applying the knowledge to everyday life. I see bushcraft as a combination of learning and understanding ancient skills, integrated with modern techniques and equipment, allowing individuals not only to survive but to live, travel, and thrive on the land with minimal impact.

Fuelled by this belief, Luke is passionate about assisting students to embark on their Woodlore journey of learning new skills, overcoming challenges, and igniting a lasting desire to explore and learn more.

Rhys Willams

Rhys grew up in the Wye Valley and spent much of his time walking and cycling around the local woods and back lanes. As a ten-year old, he would have been surprised to learn that more than 30 years later one of his favourite activities would still be making dens in the woods.

After being gifted a Carving Masterclass voucher by his wife, Rhys has gone on to complete many of the Woodlore courses, both in the UK and abroad. Every course has been a challenge, in the best possible way. Lessons learned include the value of being prepared, open to learn, resilient, and the strength of confidence well-earned. Those lessons have been applicable to far more spheres than just the bushcraft world.

Rhys has been an Explorer Scout Leader for nearly 15 years and has recently become a trustee of Scouts Cymru. In addition to regular unit nights, he has assisted in Explorer Belt trips to Norway and the Czech Republic, supporting 16-25 year old participants in a 10 day expedition. The skills and mindset taught on the various Woodlore courses have been invaluable in helping young people experience the outdoors, who often have had little exposure to it outside of Scouts.

If not in the woods, outdoor time is spent hill-walking or cycle touring. Another favourite pastime is cooking to fuel those adventures, whether on a fire or stove.

Rhys comments:

I've been on several of the Woodlore courses as a participant. Each time I have been inspired by the quality of tuition, access to beautiful locations, and overall professionalism of the Team. I can guarantee that anyone taking part in a course will leave amazed at how much they have learnt and with confidence boosted for further adventures. I'm so excited to be joining the Woodlore Team and playing whatever part I can in helping facilitate that.

Josh Lake

Growing up, Josh's playground was the lush-green county of South Gloucestershire. Here, he spent many care-free childhood days playing in streams, climbing trees and camping to the soundtrack of whittling, crackling fire and birdsong. His early experiences instilled in him a strong sense of belonging and responsibility towards the very thing that he has come to love so dearly: Nature.

His love of nature saw him exploring the Brecon Beacons, Pembrokeshire and Dartmoor as a teenager. Although the destination was often the goal, the journey, or being present and peaceful within, came to define his outdoor experiences.

Today, Josh lives and works in Oslo, Norway. Around working as a filmmaker and photographer, Josh relishes any opportunity to commune with nature in the rugged environs of the capital and beyond. Josh thrives in the dramatic and varied landscapes of this enigmatic country where he paddles in the summer, skis in the winter and climbs, hikes, tracks, explores and films wildlife throughout the year.

Over the past six years, Josh has travelled to the Arctic to learn about and experience the beauty of the boreal forest. He has a degree in Design and Photography from Kingston University, London, where, following his studies, he worked as a guest lecturer.

Josh comments:

Upon reading Ray's books, watching his television work as a young boy and attending Woodlore courses, I have come to realise that Bushcraft as a subject allows me to nurture my relationship with nature. Each step I take along the seemingly never ending path of learning makes me feel more connected with nature and confident in the knowledge that I can travel safely in remote places and be at one with my surroundings. Becoming an assistant at Woodlore is a dream come true and one that I am incredibly proud of. The passion, professionalism and encouragement from all the team is almost palpable and I am over the moon to be a part of it. It is an immense opportunity to learn, develop and apply Bushcraft and share knowledge and passion with future students of Woodlore.

Steven Robinson

For all of Steven’s life he has lived and worked in the stunning wild countryside of the High Weald of Sussex often referred to as a medieval landscape this environment has made him the person he is now. Growing up Steven was given this amazing freedom from his parents to almost be a feral child spending his time walking out to their local stream with a cane fishing rod, making hazel bows and arrows with baler twine and just generally being free to start to explore and learn his natural surroundings.

Steven has been very fortunate to have had a long career in working in the countryside as a Nature Reserve warden with a job as diverse as our natural history. Having spent over 30 years working in the same woodland Steven feels part of the ecology and not a visitor. He never studied at university the natural environment has been his tutor. Steven is passionate on continuing our traditional woodland skills as so many are being lost such as charcoal burning, hedge laying and coppicing. He also carries out environmental monitoring of dormice, butterflies and birds, and manages deer on the reserve. Steven has a fascination and admiration of our accentual past and how hunter gatherers survived and lived and regularly goes in search of worked flints.

Steven comments:

I came into bushcraft late in life and discovered this incredible new world when I attended the Woodlore Tracking course to improve my deer tracking skills little did l know what an incredible new path in life l would follow with Woodlore. Very quickly l attended the Fundamental Bushcraft course and immediately booked the Journeyman, and the journey continues to have a privileged position to be part of the Woodlore Team. What l hopefully will bring to Woodlore is many years of experience and knowledge which l can pass on to you and look forward to meeting you out there in the woods.