About Forest Horizons
A bit about Col
I've always felt the pull of nature. As a child, the woodland was my safe place away from school bullies, and in many ways it still is today. Nature performs itself authentically. It can be ruthless, but it doesn't judge. As a neurodivergent person, I've always been drawn to the direct, sensory ways in which I experience and communicate with the natural world.
I've been teaching wild food and mushroom foraging since 2012, but for me, foraging has never been simply about finding something to eat. People often describe spending time in nature as 'slowing down', but that's not really how I experience it. Curiosity, noticing and exploring natural habitats are part of a learning journey that becomes more intense, more fascinating and more complex the more I discover.
I live off-grid on a narrowboat, and much of my life revolves around exploring, making things, learning and sharing experiences. I also work part-time as a groundsman on the farm where my boat is moored, giving me the freedom to continue developing my work in foraging and embodiment.
I enjoy questioning the things we take for granted, whether that's our relationship with nature, the expectations society places upon us, or how we understand ourselves and one another.
That curiosity has taken me in some unexpected directions. In 2022, my partner Sadie and I set ourselves the challenge of cycling 1,000 miles naked across Britain, raising money for Rewilding Britain and MIND while challenging attitudes towards bodies, shame and social conventions. The adventure also became part of the story behind my book, The Naked Forager.
Another unexpected turn took me to Lancaster University, where I recently completed an MA in Theatre for Social, Political and Environmental Change. Theatre wasn't somewhere I'd ever imagined finding myself, but I've come to see life itself as a form of performance, while social, political and environmental change are threads that weave through much of what I do.
My research explored how embodied foraging practices might contribute to personal and ecological repair. It gave me an opportunity to investigate academically many of the questions that have emerged through years of spending time in nature and sharing those experiences with others.
I'm interested in what happens when we pay attention, when curiosity takes us somewhere unexpected, and when we begin to recognise that we aren't separate from nature, but part of it.
That's at the heart of what I hope to share through Forest Horizons.
Jump to: About Col About Sadie
Saving Hope The Naked Forager
Sadie has a deep love of the natural world. Whether she's exploring a woodland, searching for fungi, photographing wildlife or simply noticing the small details that others might overlook, she's happiest when she's surrounded by nature.
A passionate forager and naturalist, Sadie has an MSc in Wildlife Conservation, with research exploring fungi and climate change. Her scientific interests sit alongside a curiosity about the living world that takes her outdoors whenever she can. There's always something new to discover, another question to explore or something fascinating to photograph.
Sadie is naturally quiet and unassuming, but beneath that gentle exterior is a strong, independent and adventurous woman. She doesn't seek the spotlight, preferring to engage with people and places in her own thoughtful way.
On our foraging walks, Sadie brings patience, kindness and a wealth of knowledge. She has a lovely way of helping people explore at their own pace, answering questions, sharing discoveries and making space for those who might not feel comfortable in a large group. Her gentle approach is particularly appreciated by participants who prefer a quieter experience.
And while Sadie might not be the loudest voice in the room, she's certainly no stranger to challenging conventions. In 2022, she joined Col on a 1,000-mile naked tandem cycling adventure across Britain, raising money for Rewilding Britain and MIND, while challenging attitudes towards body shame and social expectations.
For Sadie, being close to nature isn't just an interest or a pastime. It's a way of life, expressed through her foraging, photography, studies, adventures and the time she spends exploring the living world around her.
A bit about Sadie
Jump to: About Col About Sadie
Saving Hope The Naked Forager
During filming, I made a simple whistle from a piece of hazel, burning the words Saving Hope into the wood. What I didn't know was that the filmmakers had independently chosen exactly the same title for their documentary!
The film was made before much of my more recent work exploring embodied foraging and our relationships with the natural world, but its themes remain central to what I do today.
Saving Hope
Filmed during the winter of 2021–22 by a group of MA wildlife filmmaking students from Bristol University, Saving Hope explores the climate and ecological crises, the importance of rewilding, and the possibility of finding hope in our relationship with the natural world.
I was delighted to contribute to the documentary, sharing my experiences of off-grid living, foraging, and connecting with nature.
Jump to: About Col About Sadie
Saving Hope The Naked Forager
The Naked Forager
You might also know me as The Naked Forager, the title of my book documenting an unusual adventure in foraging, body acceptance and challenging social conventions.
In 2022, Sadie and I joined forces with Macclesfield's Naked Neil and classical musician Hannah for a 1,000-mile naked cycling challenge between John o' Groats and Land's End. Travelling in opposite directions on two tandems, they raised around £7,000 for Rewilding Britain and MIND, bringing together two causes close to their hearts: our relationship with nature and our mental wellbeing.
The adventure was followed by a year-long project of foraging adventures and photoshoots around the country, culminating in The Naked Foraging Calendar, created to raise awareness and funds for the same charities. Col's book, The Naked Forager, tells the story of that project.
For me and Sadie, naturism isn't about exhibitionism or making other people uncomfortable. It's about body acceptance, freedom from shame and questioning some of the social expectations we take for granted.
So, are we naked on our foraging walks?
Only when an event is specifically advertised as a naturist forage. Most of our walks are fully clothed!
And is anyone expected to take their clothes off?
Absolutely not. Nobody should ever feel pressured to do anything they're uncomfortable with, whether that's taking off their clothes, joining a conversation or participating in an activity.
At the heart of it all is acceptance — as you are, for who you are.
Jump to: About Col About Sadie
Saving Hope The Naked Forager