Andy Wood
Chief instructor and expedition coordinator
Hailing from the west-country "Woody", as he is known to friends and family, has spent all his working life travelling the world, working with, and learning from many of its first nations peoples.
With over 30 years experience he has researched, planned and participated in expeditions to some of the planets most remote regions. Supporting this experience he has many formal instructor level qualifications. These include International tracking qualifications that have seen him involved in search and rescue tasks in places as far flung as the slopes of Mount Kenya to the forests of Borneo. Woody is also a qualified cross country ski instructor, freefall parachutist, PADI qualified diver and has medical training to paramedic level.
Prior to establishing Bushcraft Expeditions Woody worked as course director and senior instructor for television personality Ray Mear, and over the past 5 years he has worked in varying roles with television personalities such as Bear Grylls, Ben Fogle, Steve Bagshaw and Tara Shine. Woody has also worked on documentaries with the BBC's Natural History Department.
Despite all this wanderlust and thirst for adventure his passion is for bushcraft and the survival skills of indigenous peoples, a subject he is the first to say “you never stop learning about” and a subject he takes great pride and pleasure in passing on to others.
For staff profile gallery please click 'here'
Stani Groeneweg
Expedition mountain advisor and instructor
Half Dutch, half Polish, Stani Groeneweg has been a keen outdoorsman all his life. Raised in a small farming village in East Holland, Stani went on to join the Dutch Armed Forces where he specialized in physical training, qualifying as a "Cordelet Rouge" or mountain leader and winter mountain instructor to degree level. This training has taken him to regions throughout Germany and France and he has travelled independently throughout Asia and Canada.
In 1997 he attended the first of many courses with Ray Mears company Woodlore before being asked back as an assistant instructor in 2004. A natural and gifted instructor, Stani extensive knowledge of mountain guiding and bushcraft make him an invaluable member of the team. Stani is also qualified in mountain rescue and is a remote environments medic.
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Ross Bowyer
Instructor
The youngest member of the team, but already very well travelled and accomplished in his own right, Ross Bowyer is a name destined to be heard a lot amongst the Bushcraft community. Ross holds an impressive array of skills and qualifications to his name, including a National Certificate of Further Education in Bushcraft and Outdoor Leadership. With an unrivalled thirst for knowledge, he has travelled to many countries of the world learning and practicing the subject he loves most and has trained under some of the leading Bushcraft instructors around the country as well as having taught for some of them. A natural, enthusiastic and approachable instructor Ross is a true asset to the Bushcraft Expeditions team.
Dave Connell
More information coming soon.
Jed Yarnold
Canoe expedition leader and instructor
Jed Yarnold has a background in forestry as a National Park Ranger and is well travelled as a result of a military career, serving with distinction in the Parachute regiment, Ghurkhas and the RAF. His company www.truenorthoutdoor.co.uk provides tailor-made canoe journeys at home and abroad for people from all walks of life, from novice to expert.
Jed is a dedicated outdoorsman, coach and wilderness canoeist and has led numerous expeditions. These include guiding a number of trips in Canada, a raft expedition in Brunei, a ramble up Mt Kinabalu, explored the Florida mangroves again by canoe and took part in a descent of the infamous South Nahanni in the Canadian NW Territories. During his varied career, an abiding theme has been a fascination with the natural world, low-tech skills, wilderness living and survival.
Jed is a BCU level 4 Open Canoe coach and works closely with Bushcraft Expeditions acting as river guide, and canoe instructor and assists with bushcraft instruction.
Jed Yarnold (01491) 838 858 or 0777182540.
Email: truenorth@tesco.net
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