If there’s one family that knows how to embrace the great outdoors, it's the Shahabeddins. Join us as we follow in this forage-loving family’s footsteps to see what it’s like to truly live and love the rural world around us, and how to dress your little explorers for their wildest adventures yet.
Hello! We’re the Shahabeddins, a foraging family of four who are lucky enough to call Northumberland in the UK our home. I’m John: dad, author, photographer, educator and creator of natural parenting, adventure and wild food account, The Grizzly Forager — all with a little help from my wife, Christina, and our two children, Arthur and Sybbie, of course. We love nothing more than sharing our adventures with the world, which is how our first book, The Grizzly Forager’s Guide to Family Foraging, came into fruition.
Living quite rurally (in the middle of nowhere, actually!), the majority of our free time is spent outside. On the weekend, you’ll often find us walking the pine trails of the Redesdale or Kielder Forests, amongst the heather-strewn hills of Whitelee Moor National Nature Reserve, or the rugged Roman pathways of Northumberland National Park. We often jump across the border into Scotland to explore the ancient woodlands in Jedburgh and the surrounding burghs, too.
Getting out of the house is a mix of spontaneity and organisation. Here in England, we’re very aware of the seasons, so we often head out with a plan for what we’d like to gather in mind: elderflowers in June, cherries in July, and chanterelles in August. But quite often, the best days out are spontaneous treks into the forest to see what we can find.
"We spend most of the year out in the woods, foraging from early spring right through to mid-winter, so clothes need to be adaptable."
As an outdoorsy family, our clothes need to be adaptable. We really love Arthur’s Week-end à la mer shacket, with its cosy sherpa fleecing inside, and Sybbie’s reversible Milledeux gilet. Arthur, being on the cusp of wanting to be trendy, loved wearing the shacket with his Levi jeans, as it made him feel very grown-up and outdoorsy.
We especially love Sybbie’s beautiful, smocked cotton dress in Liberty fabric by Tartine et Chocolat. The smocking on the bodice really has a timeless charm, whilst being light for the warmer days. Sybbie really feels special in this outfit as she dances and plays in the forest. In terms of sustainability, Arthur’s Stella McCartney Kids ‘Stay Earthy’ sweatshirt is made from natural fibres and has a meaningful eco-friendly message that is close to Arthur’s heart, and his blue Planet Earth backpack is made from recycled materials — two big wins as far as he’s concerned!
"For wet days, the kids have a pair of Töastie rain trousers, which keep them warm and dry in boggy marshes or exploring the Great British waterways."
Putting screens away is easy when the woods are on your doorstep. It's just one big natural adventure playground, with plenty of opportunities for climbing, balancing, swinging and even messy play. Foraging is such a mindful activity, as it makes us focus on our surroundings; it’s basically an all-natural and fun treasure hunt! The forest is also filled with opportunities to be artistically creative, from making stick toys from branches and creating woodland collages to pressing leaves and flowers and making natural dyes. Documenting their adventures in nature journals and drawing pictures is a lovely way to reflect on their day's activities and continue the screen-down time, even when you're back home. The creative opportunities are literally endless!
“My biggest tip for making outings feel more manageable with kids is to slow the pace down. Nature and the outdoors provide so many things to do."
Our days out are usually super-relaxed affairs. We've learnt that kids crave our attention, so if they want to build a den, roll your sleeves up and do it with them. You may also find that you ignite that inner childhood magic that’s still buried deep within you!
We visited the National History Museum (in London) not so long ago. That was a fantastic trip! We also headed out to Holy Island and the Farne Islands and saw some amazing sea life. But our most memorable trip recently was grabbing some fish and chips in Jedburgh and eating it under the boughs of the magnificent Capon Tree — an eight-hundred-year-old oak tree. Then, watching Arthur and Sybbie climb and laugh and play in her branches was just so magical.
“Pat me on the head!” - Sybbie
“One day, I’ll eat you!” - Arthur
Stones, bones, pinecones and acorns!
"The sound a porcini makes when being pulled from soil." - John
"Cuckoo!" - Christina
"An eagle’s call." - Arthur
"The trickle of a stream." - Sybbie
"Wild cherry." - John
"A raspberry!" - Christina
"Gooseberry." - Arthur
"Wood sorrel." - Sybbie
Arthur is kind, enquiring, honest, loving, and creative.
And Sybbie is funny, theatrical, affectionate, gregarious, and a boho-princess.
