Plumbers, professors and carpenters are all hearing the call of the wild in Dalby Forest.

They are just some of the people who signed up for the Forestry Commission’s overnight adult bushcraft events last year in the 3,440 hectare woodland, near Pickering.

Forest chiefs will stage more one-night stays among the trees on May 14 and September 14.

Mark Barker, Forestry Commission ranger and survival expert, said: “People want to live a dream and pit themselves against nature – it’s a complete break from their normal routine. We’ve had folk aged from 18 to 67 turning their back on mod-cons and getting rustic under the stars.”

Fending for yourself in Dalby means making your own den out of branches and brash, lighting a campfire, and learning survival tips like animal tracking.

Mark said: “We have become so divorced from nature that even doing simple things can become a problem when there’s no light switch to flick or cooker to turn on. But with a bit of know-how nature is more bountiful than foreboding.”

To book, phone 01751 472771 or drop into the Dalby Forest Visitor Centre.