For many Europeans, the outdoors can feel intimidating—a space reserved for survivalists in camouflage or wellness devotees practicing forest bathing. Jim Todd, a bushcraft instructor and conservationist, says this leaves many people “a little bit lost” when they step into the wild. To bridge that gap, he and co-founder Tom Young launched the Bushcraft Bus, a mobile hub for wilderness education that travels across southern England.
“We’re trying to fill that gap in the middle, where you don't have to identify with anything. You just need to have a little bit of kit, and just be up for it,” Jim explains. The duo met in Dorset five years ago while training as bushcraft instructors. Today, they lead foraging walks, wilderness skills workshops, and fire-roasted woodland dinners in the Cotswolds and beyond. Their mission resonates in the UK, which ranked 55th out of 61 nations in a global study on nature connectedness—some participants have never set foot in a forest.
Yet the transformation is often rapid. “The excitement builds through the day,” Tom tells European Pulse from their camp in Voltaires Wood. “Some people are quite timid at the start but they’re often the ones who get the most out of it,” adds Jim. A particular crowd-pleaser is King Alfred’s Cakes, a fungus that resembles lumps of coal and can be used as a fire lighter. One recent participant was “just ecstatic” to discover this natural tool, Tom recalls.
Why bushcraft matters now
The Bushcraft Bus isn’t about preparing for the apocalypse, but the skills it teaches feel increasingly relevant. The UK government has advised citizens to stock up on tinned food in preparation for threats from climate change and hostile states. Record heatwaves have put much of Europe under water stress, while geopolitical tensions and the energy demands of AI have driven up household bills. These factors motivate some participants to join the courses, and many leave feeling less fearful and more confident.
“When you start thinking through that lens, you realise how little you actually know to defend yourself or survive in that situation,” Jim says. “We’re so reliant on all of these big systems working. And if any of them collapse, we’re back to basics really quickly… Like, what if there was no heating and it was the middle of winter? Or how do I find water and purify it?”
Fire-making is “instrumental” not just for survival but for enjoyment, Jim notes. “Fire ties everything together,” Tom agrees, from tree identification to foraging and cooking. Tom always carries a ferro rod—a lightweight, reliable fire starter that proved indispensable on his 66-day solo hike through the European Arctic in 2018.
But bushcraft skills only go so far. The biggest lifeline, Tom argues, is community. “Making sure you’ve got a friend who’s a nurse and would know how to treat an injury, and someone else who’s got a mechanical mind who could help turn a dead car into something useful,” he advises.
This collaborative spirit extends to the land itself. “A lot of people don’t learn about the woods anymore. So from a very young age, you’re already disconnected,” Tom says. There are signs of change: the UK recently approved a new Natural History GCSE for secondary students, aiming to “grow the next generation of green careers.” Tom hopes that teaching people about nature will foster greater appreciation and care for these spaces.
That care can be as simple as conserving water. “We’ve wheelbarrowed all of our water up a 15-minute steep, bumpy track,” Jim says from their camp. “So we’re not splashing it around when we’re up here… Instinctively it does reset your brain to be way more conservative with your usage.” It also means leaving enough for wildlife: “You need to leave some of whatever you’re foraging for the animals,” he adds.
For those seeking a mental health boost, the Bushcraft Bus offers a practical path. As Jim puts it, “When you pour energy and curiosity into nature, you get it back.” The experience is not just about learning skills—it’s about rediscovering a connection that many Europeans have lost.
