Teens develop their environmental awareness by learning to identify the trees and plants in the area and understanding how they fit into the wider ecosystem.

Teens are taught how to build and manage a safe, controlled flame, building practical skills, focus, and responsibility.

Working together to build a simple base or shelter gives teens the chance to problem-solve, communicate clearly, and take genuine pride in completing something as a team.

Through movement and steady reflection, participants start to recognise how their emotions shift, building a clearer sense of what calm, focus, and connection feel like in their own bodies.

Safe tool-use helps participants develop focus, precision, and a growing confidence in their practical skills.

Respect for the site is built into every task, with participants learning to leave the area clean, tidy, and undisturbed.

Guided tool-work with natural materials helps particioants slow down, focus, and take satisfaction in producing something they’ve made themselves.

Working with the ponies teaches Participants how to settle, read subtle cues, and build trust through calm, steady interaction.

Knot skills give teens hands-on competence with reliable ties and joins, strengthening their practical ability while building persistence and attention to detail.

Through still moments outdoors, breathing, noticing, listening, Participants begin to feel how nature steadies the mind.

Caring for a pony’s coat and mane builds gentleness and trust, a shared rhythm that settles both participant and pony.

Group tasks become spaces for connection, learning how to support, listen, and celebrate one another through action rather than instruction.

Participants develop foundational photography skills taught by a photographer with over 20 years’ experience, using the camera as a regulating focus to observe and record their time at Wild Mane, with space to upload their work to the secure online hubs.

Through the optional online hub, participants can access short tutorials, upload their photographs, and build a steady record of their learning, giving them a structured way to practise skills between sessions. Participants can even watch our badger sett and ponies though streaming.

Participants learn how to track the wildlife around our badger sett, using cameras, and guided observation to build a safe and respectful understanding of the animals that share the land.

Creative expression runs through every programme, from building outdoor structures and carving with tools to painting signs, writing for personal reflection or our blog, and working alongside visiting local artists to develop practical, hands-on skills.

Conversations at Wild Mane unfold naturally, led by the Participants themselves, giving them space to talk in their own time while we guide the discussion with calm, age-appropriate prompts that keep it safe, grounded, and meaningful.