A very interesting article appeared in todays Sunday Times. Basically the Newspaper is supporting the Woodland Trust and it's planned new wood of 600,000 native trees which will cover 850 acres near St Albans in Hertfordshire.
Woodland therapy takes disturbed and troubled teenagers andintroduces them to nature. The gentleman who drives the project had this to say
"They ( the teenagers) arrive often angry and confused. The wood is an alien environment for them and they are completely out of their depths.Eventually it has an incredibly calming effect".
The therapy has spread widely in America where it has been championed by Richard louv, author of
"Last child in the woods"...he also suggested the condition known as "nature deficit disorder" to describe the psychological problems which could be caused by children spending their lives cut off from the natural world.
So what do they do? Well in the UK at Hill Holt they help make environmentally friendly buildings as well as learning about woodland management techniques and the environmental importance of trees.
But it could just as well be any number of useful conservation projects. The basic underlying objective being to get them out of their normal environment into one where they will be mentally challenged but within a more natural world.
And who sponsors this? Well the Woodland Trust, a charity that helps to protect and manage Britain's ancient treescape actively supports the scheme.
If you are thinking of venturing into the wilderness with ( or without) your children then the folks at Lakeland Bushcraft
have a wide range of equipment and tools to help you take advantage of your trip. Although they are based up in the Lake District in Cumbria they are more than happy to supply your requirements by mail order.
For example you could contact them to buy a Karrimor SF sack.
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