Based at Hellens Manor in Herefordshire, Back to the Wild CIC is dedicated to reconnecting children, young people, and communities with the natural world.
About Back to the Wild
Nestled within the stunning 58-acre Hallwood, Back to the Wild CIC offers engaging outdoor experiences designed to cultivate curiosity, creativity, and ecological awareness in an inclusive setting.
Key initiatives include:
- Wild Tots: Weekly outdoor sessions for young children and their caregivers featuring woodland exploration, campfire cooking, and nature-inspired crafts.
- Youth & Community Projects: Targeted programs, such as the DE-FRY initiative, blending environmental study with pottery, creative writing, practical life skills, and mental well-being.
- Outdoor Learning Conferences: Every two years, educators, practitioners, and volunteers gather to collaborate, share knowledge, and advance nature-based education.
- Festival & Market Activities: Free, interactive craft spaces at local produce markets and the Hellens Garden Festival celebrating plants, community, and the environment.
Background & History
Nearly twenty years ago, Adam Munthe, Chairman of the PMM Charity Trust, founded Back to the Wild after leading the Royal Geographical Society’s 2007 Finnmark Expeditions—a Arctic dog-sledge journey researching climate change across Fennoscandia. Observing how environmental shifts directly impacted local indigenous communities underscored the vital necessity of ecological knowledge for human resilience. Inspired to make a difference, Adam began hosting three-day residential trips at Hellens Manor for London students to learn about sustainable practices and ecology.
Over the years, the program expanded across three counties to offer both day visits and residential programs.
Back to the Wild officially registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC) in 2018, with Adam continuing his support as patron.