One of our favourite activities to do with young people is to show them the wonders of what is around them that they can eat, use or is a medicine/poison. It really opens their eyes to being able to spot useful things in nature – so that they can then apply this lesson to all other areas of their lives to spot opportunities and possibilities.

Maths is a part of everyday life. Helping students to put their maths skills into practice can be really fun. Especially when it gives them a confidence boost to realise that they can do it!

Our nettle nipping challenge combines the thrill of courting danger to pick without getting stung with the challenge of calculating how much you would need to get enough calories for the day.

This video give you a standalone activity to introduce the common stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) alongside calculations, weighing and measuring. You can also use the pdf, which is a two page printout covering the same content.

I’ve had to take the ID section out temporarily to enable it to upload. A youtube link will be here shortly with the full version.

Drop back to find out more about this fabulous plant, the following section outlines will have more information and pictures added soon…

Identification points

Nutritional Value

Nettles are a superfood! While most would consider this a weed and a painful inconvenience it is actually a superstar.

Nettles contain a surprising amount of protein for a plant. You can find the most in the leaves but it is also found in the stems and roots. 100g can contain around 7g of protein, however as much as 14g has also been recorded.

It has all of the following vitamins A, C, D, E, F, K, P, and b-complexes as well as niacin, thiamin, vitamin B-6 and riboflavin. Moderate amounts of boron, calcium, chromium, copper, iodine, sodium, and sulfur. But it is especially high in iron, selenium, magnesium and zinc as it is a super absorber of heavy metals. This can be a draw back in heavily polluted areas – good for cleaning up the environment… not so good to eat! Always choose wisely when foraging.

Nettles can be used fresh in juices, teas, soups and salads. It can also be preserved by drying or freeze-drying. Throughout history it has had a place in the cuisine and medicines most regions of the world.

Medicinal

There is a lot of research showing that nettles can be beneficial for arthritis through topical application, management of blood sugar with chemicals similar to insulin for diabetics, and they can also help with seasonal allergies such as hayfever.

Other uses

Stinging nettles are fabulous for making string and cordage as the long outer fibres from the square stems split nicely into four sections. I have a great quiver with a nettle string strap that has lasted over ten years!

Did you know… The Fibonacci sequence can be found in nettles!

Gallery

All images and activities © Polaris Outdoor. Do get in touch if you’d like to work on a collaboration or would like us to speak at your event.

Nestled in an ancient woodland lies Reddam house school, a Hogwart-esque building with the grandeur of a sizeable stately home. The perfect location to host a bushcraft camp for the pupils leading up to Christmas. Typically, the build up to Christmas is quiet for Polaris Outdoor on the schools front as they are winding up to the end of term and is in most cases the busiest time of their year. However, 2020 was not like any other year as we all know and the pupils were in desperate need of some outdoor fun and epic adventures.

What a fantastic week we had with Reddam house! It was high energy for almost every minute of every day. The youngest in attendance was 4 and the oldest was 13 so we catered for a  wide range of capabilities every day. What impressed us most about the students was their ability to mingle across the age groups and support one another. We had particular student stood out as being exceptionally helpful throughout the whole week. Plus another whose passion and commitment to learning new skills was exemplary and infectious – such a curious little bean. 

This was a fabulous week to remember and the students enjoyed it so much we have been asked back again for Easter to run another week which we are looking forward to. This occasion will be progressive for the pupils and they will build upon the skills they have already learnt. Among some of those skills are: fire lighting and sourcing materials and fuel, foraging, search and rescue, first aid, Spoon carving and more.

Take a look at the below video to see some of the highlights of the week: