John Rhyder

Man and dog on frosty day

John is a naturalist, woodsman, wildlife tracker and writer. He is both founder and Head Instructor at Woodcraft School. John is one of the most experienced authorities in the field of bushcraft in the UK, with an impressive pedigree in this instructing since 1997. He is the originator of the first accredited bushcraft programme in the UK and has since gained accreditation for related programmes too.

He has gained Accredited Practitioner through the Institute of Outdoor Learning (APIOL). John also designed and wrote the training and assessment criteria for the Institute of Outdoor Learning’s Foundational Bushcraft Competency certificate. Additionally, he has written a Bushcraft Award for a leading youth organisation, the Woodcraft Folk.

John previously worked and taught in arboriculture, conservation, and habitat management. He has been teaching since 1994, making this a full-time career since then.

John is certified through CyberTracker conservation as Senior Tracker. As such, he is the first, and currently the only, person at this level in Northern Europe. John is also working as an evaluator assessing the CyberTracker system in this region.

As a writer John has contributed many articles for various publications and has authored three books. John’s latest book, Track and Sign, was published by The History Press in March 2021. The same publisher has also re-published John’s first book, Woodcraft, which was originally self-published in 2018. Additionally, he has produced a field guide containing life sized drawings of Britain’s mammals and birds.

John has been lucky enough to travel widely and has studied and led bushcraft, tracking and wildlife tours in Romania, Germany, Norway, Sweden, France, Iberia, Africa, the USA and Poland.


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