Growing Roots: Creating Sustainable Adventure Experiences with Trees (Online Virtual Classroom)

What is special about this course?

'Growing Roots' is a course to inspire people to collaborate with nature and develop their personal potential while running a rural enterprise. It explores how to design innovative experiences with trees which can provide an alternative, sustainable income while respecting and enhancing the forests and woodlands around you.

If you care deeply about the environment and want to find a way of working in real harmony with nature – giving back as much as you take from the countryside – 'Growing Roots' will help you develop your skills and business while nurturing your personal connection with green spaces.

Participants will learn about eco-economy and transformative 'slow tourism' in a way that benefits them and their community. Maybe you're a crofter, run a bed and breakfast or represent a community-based tourism or land ownership group seeking to develop well-being experiences for visitors while also caring for the land. If so, this programme would suit you.

There's an increasing demand globally for 'soft' adventures – experiences which encourage people to enhance their personal development while immersing themselves in a new learning environment. 'Growing Roots' offers the ideal opportunity to start designing soft adventure experiences in synergy with people and the planet.

Entry requirements

There are no formal entry requirements for this course.
 

Over seven weeks, you will:

• Learn about eco-economy, slow tourism, and the experience economy, focusing on sustainable practices involving trees and woodlands.
• Discover a range of activities, including forest food gardening, woodland crafts, and forest bathing, designed to support both the environment and personal well-being.
• Develop your understanding of trees as sentient beings and explore how to collaborate with the environment to create immersive experiences.
• Gain practical insights into guiding, working with NGOs, local community groups, and third-age care, integrating nature-based experiences into these areas.

Course overview:

• Week 1: Conceptual framework of rural land and the experience economy.
• Week 2: Custodianship, guiding, and biodiversity interpretation through wildlife photography.
• Week 3: Forest food gardening and the role of the Slow movement.
• Week 4: Craft and biocultural heritage experiences.
• Week 5: Tree lives and synergies with humans - exploring traditional, critical, and scientific frameworks.
• Weeks 6-7: Experience design and creating larger-scale nature-based events, including night experiences.

Equipment

To take part in the online sessions, you will need access to a reliable internet connection and a device with a camera and microphone. Participants are encouraged to keep their cameras on as much as possible to allow them to fully participate in discussions and activities during the course.

Fees

The course fee is £136 for the full 7-week programme.