Tree Folk Weekend at Moor Barton Wilding

Tree Folk Weekend

Woodland myths and legends, nature, craft and community

…at the wild edge of Dartmoor

with Lisa Schneidau, Tony Whitehead, Shane Ibbs, Annie Watson and Robin Bowman

In our folk tales, things happen in the clearing in the woods.

Join us for a folk-fuelled weekend of wildwood story, ecology, skills, gentle ceremony and inspiration. 

Our theme for this immersive autumn weekend is ‘hearth fire’ – setting us up for the winter months ahead with fire, literal and mythical.

Walking among the trees and gathering around the fire, we’ll explore the myths and legends of the greenwood from the British Arthurian tradition. We’ll share stories and songs of woodland wisdom in fairy tales from across the world. You’ll learn about the trees of the season, woodland bird song in autumn, how to create fire as the ancients did, how to care for new woodland, and more… all of this in the middle of the wild woods as the trees change to their autumn colours.

The weekend will be held at the wonderful Moor Barton Wilding on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon, led by professional storytellers, ecologists and bushcraft experts. It will begin at 12.30pm on Friday with lunch, and finish at 2.30pm after lunch on Sunday, with all meals provided.

Moor Barton Wilding has a brand new camping kitchen, a large covered lodge around the campfire, a sauna and compost toilets. There’s woodland and wildlife of all kinds, including Dartmoor’s first colony of beavers down in the valley. You can choose between camping onsite with your own camping kit, or staying in a choice of accommodation nearby (under your own arrangements at additional cost).

No dogs. Suitable for 18+. Terrain is uneven and may be challenging in places for those with mobility problems.

Tickets

£225 EARLY BIRD PRICE for the weekend including camping (£260 after 31st July)

£195 EARLY BIRD PRICE for the weekend without camping (£220 after 31st July)

£100 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place. The balance will be payable by 31st August.

Numbers are limited, so book early!

Practicalities

The weekend will go ahead come rain or shine, with covered lodges around the fire within a woodland site. Please bring comfortable, warm outdoor clothes, waterproofs and stout footwear, and a torch. If you are camping, please bring your own tent, bedding and everything you need for a comfortable couple of nights’ camping in the woods.

Food: We will provide simple food for breakfast, lunch and dinner, catering for most dietary requirements. Where possible food will be local and from sustainable / organic sources. Please let us know of any allergies or particular dietary requirements on booking, and we will do our best to meet them.

Facilities: The site has running water, a sauna and compost toilets, and there is a camping kitchen and two covered lodges around the fire. A dedicated space for camping is set aside on site, with vehicles to be parked a short distance away. Camping setup will be available from 11am on the Friday, and we ask for all tents to be taken down and the site cleared by 4pm on the Sunday.

No dogs please, due to the nature of the site (please let us know if you need to bring a guide dog or assistance dog).

Access: Your safety is crucial: please let us know on booking if you have any particular access or medical issues we need to be aware of. Terrain is uneven and may be challenging in places for those with mobility problems.

Cancellations: A non-refundable deposit of £100 is required on booking, with the balance to be paid by 31st August. Unfortunately we cannot refund tickets once booked.

We will be in touch with all ticket holders nearer the time, with more details of the event and what to bring.

Any questions, please contact Lisa Schneidau: lisa@lisaschneidau.co.uk.


Facilitators and activity leaders

Lisa Schneidau is a storyteller, folklorist and ecologist based on Dartmoor. She works with creative storytelling to enable better connection with nature and landscape. Lisa works with the oral storytelling tradition, where traditional and modern stories are remembered, shared and passed on to others through telling. She is the author of four bestselling books of folk tales: Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland, Woodland Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland, English Folk Tales of Coast and Sea, and River Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland (all History Press). Her fifth book, Tree Folk: tree stories, songs and lore of Britain and Ireland will be published in November 2026.

Tony Whitehead is an environmental campaigner, ornithologist and practising sound artist, with a significant focus on the birdsong, nature, and landscape of Dartmoor.

Shane Ibbs is a sought-after festival storyteller, as well as a bushcraft instructor, therapist and woodland immersion facilitator. He can be found in schools, SEND schools, bushcamps, alternative education settings, nature projects and much more.

Annie Watson is a mother, small holder, land steward and facilitator of spaces for nature connection, way of council circles and grief tending. The thread that weaves the various elements of her work and life together is a desire to contribute towards creating truly regenerative ways of living. As well as looking after the admin and communications for Moor Barton Wilding, Annie is often found 'holding the hearth', creating a comfortable and nourishing space from which folks can venture out to explore the wild and beautiful land.

Robin Bowman has run nature connection, wilderness skills and awareness events and camps with a variety of organisations, charities and schools for over 20 years. He shares his skills, knowledge and experience with deeply engaging stories, an infectious passion for nature and playful humour. Robin’s lifelong love of nature and wildlife, beginning with a fascination with birds as a child, has called him to the cutting edge of the rewilding movement in Britain. He teaches on the subject at Embercombe, Schumacher and the The Old Way Immersion and, around 10 years ago, founded Moor Barton Wilding.



About Moor Barton Wilding

Moor Barton Wilding CIC is a 120 acre haven on the north east shoulder of Dartmoor dedicated to rewilding land and people. The land is made up of a mosaic of ecologically rich habitats - including wood pasture, hazel coppice, transitional edge and wildflower glades, closed canopy woodland, wetland, veteran trees and conifer woodland. In 2022, five beavers arrived from Scotland and have since transformed their area of the canalised Trenchford Stream into a complex and ecologically rich wetland. Each autumn and winter a small herd of Dartmoor ponies graze the rides and glades and, more recently, Moor Barton Wilding has been part of the Devon Wildlife Trust’s Two Moors Pine Marten Project.

Believing that humans are part of nature with a key role to play in restoring our ecological systems, Moor Barton Wilding engages communities near and far, offering many opportunities to learn about and get involved in different aspects of rewilding. https://www.moorbarton.org/