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About

Steve England Outdoor Learning was founded by Steve England – an outdoor educator, Horticulturist and Historian within North Bristol.

Steve England Outdoor Learning provides outdoor adult education events, courses and workshops within North Bristol. Events include:

  • Wild Food Courses – Identification, sampling & foraging
  • Practical Plants and their uses – learning about plants & trees and their use for food, fire, craft & medicine
  • History Tours – Covering Stoke Park Estate, looking at the history of the parkland, Dower House as an institution, hidden monuments, Purdown Gun Emplacement (Purdown Percy) and history dating back to the medieval times. 
  • Wildlife Walks & Workshops – Offering a range of wildlife events across Bristol, looking at nature, wildlife & all things wild at the particular time of year. Can be adapted to be carried out in woodlands, parks, estates, community gardens, greenspaces & event allotment areas. Popular amongst Friends Groups in Bristol. 
  • Bat Walks – Looking at the thriving bat population in local parks with echo locators! 
  • Bushcraft – Both adult based and family based events with firelighting, knife skills, shelter making & food foraging

For current events in the diary, please take a look at Upcoming Events or subscribe to the Steve England Outdoor Learning Eventbrite page. 

Who is Steve England?

All my life I have loved the outdoors. Growing up in Bristol, my childhood was spent exploring the fields and woodlands of Stoke Park, fascinated by every tree, plant, bird & butterfly. I would regularly leave at dawn and return at dusk, bags filled with my collections and finds, my notebook scribbled and stuffed with tree cuttings and unusual findings from the parkland.

I spent hours building dens, teaching myself to light fires and listening to the bird calls. I decided to continue my learning with the RHS, studying horticulture alongside teaching myself everything there was to know about the wildlife and history on my doorstep – expanding from Stoke Park into the nearby parks, greenspaces and reserves of North Bristol. My self learning expanded into all things wild foods – the fact I could forage myself a meal for free absolutely fascinated me – and continues to cover the use of nature in all its glory – for crafts, for fire, for medicine.

I began teaching what I had learn over 10 years ago to friends, local people and my local community, and absolutely love sharing everything I know.

Whether foraging foods, learning poisonous plants, lighting fires, recognising birds, identifying bats or looking back in time at the history of North Bristol, I come alive when in front of an audience and thrive on sharing my knowledge with others.

I’d love to have you join me on one of my courses or get in touch to chat more – steveenglandbristol@gmail.com

Steve has extensive experience of working with corporate organisations, community groups and youth groups across Bristol to engage all ages of people in outdoor learning, and has worked in Stoke Park Estate for more than 40 years. Steve is a multi-award winning outdoor learning professional whose work is well-respected in Bristol and Nationally.

Steve England Dogs

In 2013, Steve was inducted into the Bristol Walk of Fame at Bristol Zoo in recognition of his work as a local conservation educator. Steve was also awarded the Avon & Somerset Police Commissioner’s ‘Pride Award’ for his work supporting young people with a wide range of previous skills and experience, and engaging young people in positive outdoor learning activities at Stoke Park Estate. Steve has also earned runner up in the UK’s ‘Council for Learning outside the Classroom’s’ “Lifetime Contribution to LOtC” award.

Steve has previously been awarded Bristol’s Green Volunteer of the Year by the Bristol Natural History Consortium, in recognition of his ongoing commitment to improving the natural environment.

Steve has previously worked with organisations including Avon Wildlife Trust, the CPRE and Bristol & South Gloucestershire Council, and has spent his life working in Stoke Park Estate and the nearby Frome Valley, witnessing and contributing to many changes aimed at improving Bristol’s wildlife.

Steve continues to volunteer at Stoke Park Estate and with other community-based organisations to maintain and develop the parks in North Bristol for the benefit of the wider community.

Booking

If you would like to book Steve for private events including corporate team building activities or employee education projects, private family & friends events, for your local community organisation or friends groups, please contact steveenglandbristol@gmail.com.

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