Join the 2025 Tree & Plant Identification Masterclass with Paul Kirtley
The Tree & Plant Identification Masterclass is the most detailed botanical training created for those focused on bushcraft and survival skills.Ā
This is the page where you join.Ā Ā
Now is the time to take your identification skills to the next level...
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Get Started Today...
I'm delighted to be able to offer you a place on the 2025 Tree & Plant Identification Masterclass.
On this page you shouldĀ select the payment option that suits you best, then click on the button stating "Secure My Place", which will take you to a payment page.
Remember, places are limited andĀ 2025 enrolmentĀ closes on March 3rd.
I look forward to working with you over the coming year,
Paul Kirtley
Founder, Director and Lead Instructor
Frontier Bushcraft
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Choose the option that suits you best...
Choose one of the three payment options that works best for you, then select your choice by hitting the "Secure My Place" button under your preferred option.
Meet some of the 1000+ course members who have taken their tree & plant ID abilities to the next level...
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Ian Shankland, U.K.
"Paulās enthusiasm is infectious. What would be an impossibly large subject to absorb is made realisable by the focus on the most relevant aspects from the bushcraft and survival point of view. Of particular value to me is being able to learn at my own speed and when life events intervened I could catch up later, as the material will always be there to go back to....In short, this course does what it sets out to do. I initially thought that including āMasterclassā in the course title was a little pretentious but in fact it is very appropriate. Thatās exactly what it is."
Paul Moore, Wild Walk Bushcraft, U.K.
"If you want to find the best plant and tree course for bushcraft online... stop looking you have found it with Paul Kirtley.Ā The man is dedicated to his students at a level which puts university lecturers to shame!! I have studied at MSc level and the quality of info Paul puts out is better and far easier to follow. Highly recommended. And he is a nice bloke."
Aaron Hutchings, USA.
"The idea of an online plant class intimidated me, but I truly feel like I am training in Paulās yard with him. It is so well taught. I am in the United States, The Rockies specifically, and have found a majority of the material highly useful in my area. The plants we do not have are covered so well I still find value in those sections. It is a really well done class."
Tom Scandian, Spoon Carving With Tom, Australia.
"I've had a chance to get my teeth into Paul Kirtley's Tree and Plant Masterclass and Iām blown away by how clear, concise and detailed his work and information is. Having been interested in the subject for sometime and reading through numerous books and websites teaching myself (and been through frustrating periods banging my head against a wall with certain terminology and grasping concepts) I can promise you, without a doubt that you will learn so much so quickly from Paul."
Christy Miles, Way of the Wild, U.K.
"I canāt recommend this course enough. šæš The online resources are so comprehensive and you have them for a lifetime once signing up. Paul Kirtley has made sure this course will take your Tree & Plant ID to the next level. I find this course gives me direction and focus, in an area where there are so many things to learn."
Danny Barrett, U.K.
"I joined the Tree and Plant ID Masterclass as my knowledge of tree and plants was lacking. I found the course very well mapped out and a joy to learn. My knowledge of trees and plants has grown ten fold and continues to grow thanks to Paul Kirtley. I highly recommend the tree and plant masterclass to people who want to advance their bushcraft knowledge."
Craig Taylor, U.K.
"I'm enrolled on three of Paul Kirtley's online programmes.Ā Having worked in the online training industry for approximately 15 years I can wholeheartedly attest to the sound design, delivery and facilitation that goes into each of these programmes."
Join over 1,000 people who have already invested in their tree and plant knowledge...
The first version of the Tree & Plant Identification Masterclass launched in December 2013. This year will be the twelfth year this class has been offered. With some significant improvements in the first years, and gradual improvements over the subsequent years, this course is now the best its ever been. Despite this, for 2025 the courseĀ still has the same great price it has been since 2017.
Spread Your Learning Across the Seasons
The Tree and Plant Identification Masterclass is divided into 12 modules that broadly follow the seasons of the northern hemisphere.Ā More than 120 sections are spread across the 12 modules, with each section focusing on a particular aspect of important trees and plants for bushcraft and survival. Pictured here is an example of one of these sections.
I Guide You Through a Range of Habitats
The Tree and Plant Identification Masterclass contains numerous videos filmed on location in high definition. TheseĀ largely fall into one of two types, eitherĀ looking at a particular subset of trees or plants, such as trees with needles in a particular area,Ā or a seasonal, virtual tree and plant walkĀ looking at prominent plants and trees, along with their identification features.
Clear and Concise Presentations
I hope you have read the testimonials above, noting the value students place on the quality of the information in the course. This isn't about volume (although there is a lot in a course this size) it's about quality. Students value the quality of information put across in clear and concise terms. It's easy to understand and easy to retain.
Screencasts are an important format for this course.Ā Ā They allow a combination of images and text-based information to be shared, along with a voiceover.Ā They usually cover multiple species or genera, often with an accompanying set of notes or a worksheet. You watch these as you would a video.Ā Reviewing these again later is made more efficient by being able to play the screencasts at up to 2x the recorded speed.
Course Notes You Don't Have To Pay Extra For*
Some modules include handy course notes with summary information, in attractively designed PDFs for you to download and save, or print. These have all been created specifically for this course.Ā
*I've been told multiple times that these notes are good enough for me to charge separately for, or they should be combined and made into a book. Luckily for you, they are included in the course.Ā
Worksheets - Helping You Process Information and Improve Retention
Worksheets are provided for you to download and use in conjunction with videos and presentations. They are a simple tool, easy to use but highly effective. They help you process the information in the screencasts and videos, as well as forming the basis of a set of your own notes, should you wish to use them for this. Processing information is hugely important for long-term memory and retention of your identification knowledge. My aim is to make it as easy as possible for you.Ā
Distribution and Habitat Information
It's important to understand where you might find specific species or particular groups of species.Ā The "Three Fs" approach highlights the fact that we want to bring to the fore widespread and common species.Ā But we still need to know the geographic distribution and the habitats in which we might find a particular tree or plant.Ā Ā This allows us to be aware of the likely resources in an area and not waste time looking for materials we are unlikely to find.Ā Knowing broadly where species are likely to occur can also help us positively identify species when we first encounter them.
A Systematic Approach That Avoids Overwhelm
The material in the course develops your knowledge systematically, involving you with "homework", where you apply the identification frameworks to the trees and plants found near to you. Areas of identification knowledge are revisited multiple times, in different seasons.Ā ImportantlyĀ a whole range of identification features are considered across the course - shoots, leaves, stems, needles, bark, buds, flowers, fruits, cones, seeds, roots and tubers, as well as the overall morphology, habit and character of species. It's done gradually, over time, and avoids overwhelm on your part.Ā
High Quality Images Used Throughout
I'm proud of my plantĀ photography but I forgive you for not caring about that.Ā What's important for you, though, is the quality of the images portrays the character and detail of the trees and plants you are learning about. In both the screencasts and notes, high quality photography, captured on professional grade cameras is used throughout the course.
Slick Technology That Gets Out Of Your Way
I've taken plenty of online courses over the years, mainly for various aspects of business education and some for my hobby, which is playing guitar (badly).Ā There are some horrible, clunky course platforms out there. My aim is for ours to be the exact opposite. The Tree and Plant Identification Masterclass is delivered in aĀ custom-built, dedicated course portal, which is housed onĀ Frontier Bushcraft'sĀ Online Bushcraft Courses website.Ā The course portal isĀ fully device responsiveĀ and will look at its best on high-pixel count screens such as modern phones, tablets and retina screens. But regardless of your device, old or new, the course portal is a dream to use and look at. It's smooth, fast and will enhance your learning experience, not get in your way.Ā
BONUS - Webinars - Value Ā£320
In addition to all the course materials in the portal, for 2025 (sneak preview) there will be eight webinars to accompany the course.Ā These areĀ live seminars, using the leading webinar software provider, to deliver an engaging and interactive session for the students on the course.Ā In each webinar, we usually review the latest couple of course modules, using fun, informal visual quizzes. These sessions also allow us to layer on additional information and answer student questions. Webinars are recorded and posted in the course portal, so course participants can review them subsequent to the live session.
The value of this course far outweighs its cost.Ā But don't take my word for it...
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Join the course today...
Choose one of the three payment options that works best for you, then select your choice by hitting the "Secure My Place" button under your preferred option.
ADVANCE WARNING: after nine years of holding the course fee unchanged, the course fee will be increasing significantly for the 2026 enrolment. In most developed nations, the cost of goods and services have increased by at least 30% since 2017 (in the U.K., where I am based, it has been a bit more than this). My costs of hosting and delivering these courses have risen significantly. Hence, I will be increasing course fees from 2026. But I believe inĀ providing fair warning. This year, 2025, is the last year to lock in lifetime access to the course at the prices below. Places are limited, so secure your spot today...Ā
