The weather has finally started warming up, and plants are bursting into flower everywhere, including the fell tops. The photo is of the common mouse-ear which has been credited with all sorts of cures over the ages from jaundice to cancer and ulcers. I took the photo whilst I was on a 2 day backpacking expedition with students from the University of West England, from the Hartpury Campus. We hiked across the Black Mountains in South Wales and camped wild in the Grynne Fawr valley in superb sunny conditions.

Since then, I've been busy with inspection work for the Learning Outside the Classroom and Adventuremark schemes, including one with a difference - I spent a day with The Bushcraft Company looking at their systems and how they deliver lots of bushcraft based skills to groups of young people including living off the land.

Other work has been at the Shortwood Outdoor Centre in Telford. This is run by staff from Arthog Outdoor Centre and operates on an outreach basis. I was assessing a small group of teachers and youth workers to use the Shortwood climbing wall with their groups. Some of them are now planning on taking the Climbing Wall Award as the next stage in their development.