The Woolly Compass
On exposed hillsides, sheep take shelter behind gorse bushes. Over time this kills the lowest branches, creates patches of bare earth and pieces of straggling…
Tag: natural compass
Choose Lichens Over Mosses for Effective Navigation
Mosses get all the press, but lichens are the stars when it comes to effective natural navigation. In the video above I look at the…
Clues and Signs in Nature: Northern and Southern Hemisphere
I receive quite a few emails asking whether my books are relevant for readers in the Southern Hemisphere. The answer is ‘yes’, but only if…
In Nature, Everything is a Compass!
Nothing in nature is symmetrical. When we stop to ask ourselves what causes the asymmetries we find outdoors, suddenly everything we see becomes a compass.…
How to Read a Tree
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER THE AMAZON BESTSELLER THE OFFICIAL INDIE NO.1 BESTSELLER WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE MONTH Do two trees ever appear identical? No, but…
Little and Large Natural Navigation Clues
Sometimes natural navigation is more challenging than others. I’m often asked, “What is the most difficult place to navigate using nature?” I think people expect…
Wayfinding with Weld – Reseda luteola
Weld (Reseda luteola) is a tall, hairless biennial plant found on dry ground. It grows up to 1.5m tall and has green-yellow flowers. It thrives…
Some Trees Were Born to be Compasses
See this page for more on how to navigate using plants.
Fast Recognition of Wild Shapes
I took my younger son exploring a couple of days ago. We were looking for wildflowers and using natural navigation to roam across a wild…
The Joy of Signs in Spring
by Tristan Gooley Time outdoors has become precious and there’s a joy in this. We’re all about to get better at appreciating the beauty and…
Using A Tree Stump as a Compass on Hills
Regular readers will be familiar with the idea that a tree stump can be used as a compass. In trees exposed to plenty of sun,…
The Many Faces of Chichester Cross
Chichester Cross is a market cross – the building that symbolises the heart of the market square in my nearest town of Chichester, West Sussex.…
What’s the difference between ‘windthrow’ and ‘windsnap’ in trees?
And how can they help me find my way in the woods? Both ‘windthrow’ and ‘windsnap’ are names given by foresters to trees that have…
How to Find Your Way with Tree Leaves
Earlier I showed how it is possible to find your way using the colour of tree leaves. Now I’d like to show you how to…
How to Find Direction Using Tree Bark
The wind, rain and sun do not affect all sides of trees equally. This creates patterns on the trees’ bark that we can use to…
The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs
The ultimate guide to what the land, sun, moon, stars, trees, plants, animals, sky and clouds can reveal – when you know what to look…
Naturally Navigating Dartmoor Part II
Naturally Navigating Dartmoor Part II Close to the Wind By Tristan Gooley (An edited version of the following article by Tristan Gooley was originally published…
Frost Shadows and Compasses
It is that time of year when nature likes to get out her frost compasses for us to admire. I took this photo last Friday…
Prickly Lettuce, A Compass Plant
Prickly lettuce is known to some of its navigating friends as the ‘compass plant’ and to its Roman friends as ‘lactuca serriola’. In truth it…
Monkey Puzzles
Natural navigation is at its most fun when it is a puzzle and a test of our senses. Have a look at this photo and…
Chilli Compass
Trees are the easiest plants to read to find direction, but one of my chilli plants is also doing a fine job. It has been…