Forest Discovery Week
Discover the forest and rewild yourself!
Connect to the natural world by immersing yourself in the wild Scottish Highlands. Join expert naturalist and wildlife tracker Dan Puplett to learn skills such as plant and animal identification, wildlife tracking, bird language, foraging, wildlife watching and mindfulness in nature. Learning these nature awareness skills can enrich our lives and help us see the world in a new way. During the course of this fun and eye-opening week, take the time to really immerse yourself in nature and share the company of other nature enthusiasts!
Dates
Saturday 21 – Saturday 28 September 2024
Cost
£700 per person
Includes shared accommodation, communal cooking and activities
10 spaces available
What you can expect
The Dundreggan Forest Discovery Week provides a unique chance for people to understand and connect to the natural world in a meaningful way. It’s an opportunity for anyone interested in nature to immerse themselves in the Scottish Highlands and learn skills such as tracking, foraging and identification. You don’t need to be an expert or a naturalist; you just need curiosity to learn, discover and connect to the natural world. There will also be free time so you can relax, wander, explore and cultivate your connection to nature at your own pace.
Accommodation is in Dundreggan Lodge, situated on the southern boundary of Dundreggan, overlooking the River Moriston. This comfortable and cosy building has three bunkrooms, a well-appointed kitchen, a large lounge/dining area, two en-suite shower rooms and two other shower/toilets. There is plenty of hot water for the end of a hard day’s work and drying areas for wet clothes.
The common room has a large wood burner for cosy evenings in – and on clear evenings we can light the fire outside. You will also have access to our growing library and equipment such as camera traps, microscope, bat detectors, moth traps as well as our hide, where pine martens are regularly seen.
Hosted by Dan Puplett
Dan Puplett is a naturalist, conservationist and environmental educator providing training in a range of nature-based skills, as well as opportunities to get closer to the fantastic fauna and flora of our planet. He offers a high quality service for those who want to protect, understand and connect to the natural world. Dan provides public and bespoke courses, guided walks, environmental education and more.
Activities
Tracking
Identification
Wildlife watching
Tracking is an ancient skill that helps us to gain a deeper insight into the lives of wildlife. You will learn a range of tracking skills including how to identify and interpret tracks, feeding signs, bones, feathers and more. Tracking brings out the Sherlock Holmes in you and is great fun!
Dundreggan is a biodiversity hotspot and we will cover ways to identify a variety of plants and animals from recognising bird song to identifying trees – sometimes with your eyes closed! These are skills that you can use wherever you happen to live. Identification skills include tree, bird and plant ID.
There is a wide range of wildlife in the area including red squirrels, pine martens, ospreys and more. While sightings obviously can’t be guaranteed there will be a chance to visit the pine marten hide and to look for other wildlife. You will also learn wildlife spotting tips and techniques.
Bird language
Foraging
Mindfulness and nature connection
Reading bird calls and behaviour is an aid to spotting predators and other wildlife, and can teach us much else besides! Bird language is another age-old skill that is closely related to tracking. By interpreting the different types of bird call and behaviour we can build a picture of what’s going on around us. It is even possible to locate owls and other predators purely by listening to other birds!
Humans have relied on plants for countless millennia. Discover how to recognise wild foods and to gather them in a safe and sustainable way.
We will also look at other plants and fungi that have been used to make fire, string and more.
Engaging our senses is an essential part of being a naturalist. We will explore ways to do this that help us to relax and become fully alert and present in our surroundings. There are many proven benefits that come with connecting to nature both to physical and mental wellbeing. You will get to try out some tried and tested ways of feeling more at home in the natural world and rewild yourself!
Important information
Travel
Participants are strongly advised to arrange their own travel insurance when making a booking.
The pick-up point is the central concourse of Inverness railway station at 1pm on Saturday 21st September. You’ll need to make your own travel arrangements to get there, which may mean travelling to Inverness on the Friday and organising your own accommodation for that night. The Forest Discovery Week takes place some distance from Inverness, so it’s not possible to return and pick up participants later. Similarly, it isn’t possible to drive back to Inverness before the final Saturday. Therefore, please commit to the whole week if you wish to attend. For accommodation and local travel information contact Inverness tourist office (01463 234353). The Bazpackers Hostel (01463 717663) in Inverness and the Inverness Student Hotel. We return to Inverness railway station between 10-10:30am on the following Saturday.
What to bring
- Bedding: a pillowcase, single duvet cover and bed sheets
- Wellies and/or waterproof walking boots
- Waterproof jacket and trousers
- Two sets of warm working clothes – not jeans! (cold, wet weather is a possibility)
- Day pack (small rucksack)
- Vacuum flask
- Sandwich box for packed lunches
- Container for drinking water
- Warm hat + gloves or sun hat (consider the time of year)
- A warm change of clothes for evenings
- Towel, soap, toothbrush etc
- House shoes/slippers
- Torch (ideally a headtorch)
- Speciality foods if you are on a restricted diet or have any allergies or intolerances.
- Midge repellent
- Gaiters (useful for tick avoidance) *
- Hot water bottle *
- A camera *
- Extra snacks, such as chocolate, crisps, fruit bars etc *
* These items are optional
FAQs
Q1. Can I bring my own car?
Under some circumstances and only through prior arrangement with office staff. We would prefer you not to bring a vehicle. We collect participants from Inverness train station at 1pm on the Saturday at the start of the week and you will not need a car during your stay. Therefore, if you are able to get public transport to and from Inverness then this is preferable. Please ensure you’ve had lunch before meeting as you will most likely go on a walk after the drive to your accommodation.
Q2. What food is provided?
We provide food for the week and a large selection of vegetarian food is available. Meals are cooked on a voluntary rota basis by participants and group leaders.
Q3. Can I bring meat with me to eat?
You are welcome to bring cooked lunch meats with you for packed lunches, discussing appropriate storage with the group leaders. However, we do ask that you don’t bring any raw meat with you as all cooking on the Forest Discovery Week is vegetarian.
Q4. Will there be WiFi available?
There is limited WiFi available, however it is often intermittent and unreliable. There is generally an agreement to refrain from using devices in the common areas.
Q5. Will there be mobile phone signal?
Depending on the location, mobile phone signal is often intermittent and unreliable (please check with your network provider for network coverage).
Q6. Will I have to share a room?
Yes. Accommodation is dormitory-style, with either bunk beds or single beds. We try to ensure that rooms are single-sex.
Q7. Can I share a room with my friend/ partner?
If you are coming with a friend or partner and would like to share a room with them, please let us know as soon as possible, and we will try to accommodate this.
Q8. Do you have weeks available for families?
Unfortunately, at the moment we cannot accommodate anyone under the age of 18 on our Forest Discovery Week.
Q9. Can I join part way through?
The first day of the Forest Discovery Week is spent travelling to the accommodation and stopping for an introductory walk along the way. Once at the accommodation, participants have a chance to get settled in and are then given a talk about the site, health and safety, what the week will involve and any rules. Therefore, it is not feasible for participants to miss this first day.
Medical conditions
If you have any medical conditions, specific dietary requirements, mental health issues or are taking medication we need to know. Details are held in the strictest confidence. Please fill out the relevant section online when booking, or call the office in advance on 01320 340380. The vast majority of people can be accommodated, but we need to be made aware beforehand.