Woodlore Blog

New Woodlore Assistant David Southey

On 9th – 11th March Dan Hume and Keith Whitehead ran an induction weekend for the new members of staff who joined the team recently as a result of our recruitment process in November.  New members of the team were shown the ropes of setting up camp, useful routes to our course sites, shops and hospitals, amongst being introduced to other essential knowledge required for assisting on our courses to ensure they run seamlessly for our clients.

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome David Southey, Joel Toren, Mark Callard and Nigel Hopkins to the team and we hope they will enjoy their time with us.

Following the induction weekend the newer members of the team were joined by the rest of the outdoor team for Woodlore’s annual training week.  Everyone was pleased to be back in the woods again, and although a training exercise, training week is a fantastic chance for everyone to get together to compare their winter adventure stories and to discuss the year ahead.

During the week Head of Operations Dan Hume hosted many activities for the group including a tracking evaluation, carving, training for trainers delivered by Brian Fox and PT.

High on the agenda was Woodlore’s annual First Aid Training.  Expertly run as always by Fusion Medical Limited, it provided the Woodlore team with a high level of competence in this essential field of Bushcraft.  First aid is often an underrated skill, but one which anybody who is keen to enjoy the outdoors should have.

Dressing a wound during a first aid scenario

As well as refreshing the team’s essential core first aid skills, increasing the depth of their knowledge is always a goal of Woodlore’s training week.  This year the team were treated to an in-depth talk on ticks by Ray Mears and lectures on venomous creatures, tropical skin diseases, altitude sickness, cold injuries and expedition medicines by doctors Sarah and Sophie.

Aspirant Instructors Brian Fox and Tom Seward practising resuscitation

The huge success of the training week was rounded off with a fantastic campfire meal shared by the Outdoor and Office teams.  A great time to be together and strengthen bonds and a fantastic start to what promises to be an exciting 2012 season.  We look forward to welcoming you to the woods.

Ray commented on the week;

Training Week has been very successful this year.  We have a great team and I am really enjoying working with them.

Tick-borne disease charity BADA-UK and its Patron, Ray Mears, are warning both outdoor workers and outdoor-pursuits enthusiasts to be vigilant about a potential increased risk of tick bites this spring. The charity is using its annual awareness campaign Tick Bite Prevention Week (26 March – 1 April) to highlight the health risks that ticks pose, especially following the recent EU ban of the herbicide Asulam.

BADA-UK's Patron Ray Mears

Asulam was used by hill farmers to control the invasive spread of bracken which provides the perfect habitat for ticks. Ray Mears warns:

The control of bracken is vital to the survival of numerous species of flora and fauna as well as reducing tick populations. The spread of bracken as a result of this ban will lead to increased tick numbers, making it all the more important that the public takes precautions against tick bites when out and about in rural areas.

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The following post was kindly provided by Woodlore customer Steve Sutterthwaite, who created his own knife handle and matching sheath for his hand-forged knife blade:

Hi Woodlore,

I thought you might like to see some pictures of the knife handle I have made for the Julius Pettersson knife blade I purchased from you:

Steve's knife handle, complete with matching sheath

Whilst purchasing a Julius Pettersson knife blade for my son as a birthday present I saw the wonderful handles created by your readers and decided to purchase a second blade and have a go myself. I had recently been given a quantity of yew in small pieces, left over from the bow-making process which I planed flat and laminated together to create a blank for handle and sheath.
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Rekindling the Fundamentals course

Woodlore’s 2012 UK course season has almost begun and we are very pleased to be offering six brand new courses this year. Rekindling the Fundamentals is among them and will be the first new UK course to be run in 2012, which we are currently very busy preparing for.  This course has been designed specifically for those of you who have completed our Fundamental Bushcraft course.

It can be difficult to find the time and a suitable place in the UK to really practice your skills and put them to the test. During this new course you will have the chance to learn new skills, while also practicing and improving those you already have, all the while having an enjoyable and informative time in the great British outdoors. Our skilled and experienced instructors will be on hand to help you improve and hone your personal skills, ensuring your progression.

Our instructors will also be introducing students to working with axes, while helping to improve the skills of those already competent with the tool.

We have often been asked in the past whether we provide a course such as this, so we are very excited to now be able to offer it to our students. So, if you feel the need to practice, progress or simply get outdoors for a week, then join us on the Rekindling the Fundamentals course this May.

In February 2012, Ray Mears joined Lars Falt in Northern Sweden to lead Woodlore’s Arctic Experience expedition. Upon his return to the UK, Ray gave the following interview, discussing his fascination with the Arctic, the wildlife you can find there, and the environmental changes he has seen since first running the course 19 years ago:

Ray Mears in Northern Sweden, as part of Woodlore's Arctic Experience expedition in 2012

Where did you spend much of February this year?

In Northern Sweden, running our Arctic courses; roughly 104 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.

How do you feel the courses went?

They went very well; we had two really good groups of people. They were all seriously interested and there for the right reasons. They worked hard; they put a lot in and got a lot out.

What is it that drew you to the Arctic in the first place?

The Arctic forest is an area that I find fascinating. The boreal forest is the largest land biome. It’s a wilderness that stretches around the top of the globe. It’s a fascinating area; a difficult area to travel in. It’s an area that takes a long while to really come to know and understand well. I feel a kinship with it – I like the space, I like the solitude, and I like the fact that you have to work very hard if you’re going to see wildlife there.

Is that something you still feel today?

Well, the more times you go, hopefully the more skilled you become at living in that environment, the more at one you feel with the place. That’s the principle of Bushcraft overall, the difference between Bushcraft and survival. With survival there’s a struggle involved. But Bushcraft is a step beyond, where you start to master skills and really develop true expertise in travelling and living in different environments.

Ray Mears, ice fishing on the frozen river

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The following post was kindly written by Woodlore Aspirant Instructor Sarah Day:

The recent fall of snow offered great opportunities to see tracks and signs left by wildlife. It was a real eye-opener, and made me realise how much I must miss normally.

Animal tracks in the snow

An encounter with three Roe deer near the river gave me the chance to look at fresh sign and older sign, left (presumably) by the same animals, as well as the contrast of tracks left by the animals going about their business normally, versus running when they spotted me clambering out of my canoe.

The 'fall out' of a deer print

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News emerged earlier this week of the passing of PC David Rathband, who was found dead at his home in Blyth.

In July 2010, the British police officer was shot and blinded by the gunman Raoul Moat, as he sat in his patrol car in Newcastle.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who had met the officer, described him as an “extraordinarily brave man”, adding:

After his horrific injuries he did an enormous amount for charity and other injured police officers, and for families who had lost police officers in the line of duty.

Ray Mears, who assisted in the search for Raoul Moat in 2010, said the following:

I was deeply saddened at the news of PC David Rathband’s death. He was an extremely brave man, who was victim to a tragic injury. His case serves as a stark reminder of the dangers which our police officers can face on a daily basis. My condolences go out to his family and loved ones at this difficult time.

Land Rover celebrated the production of the one millionth Discovery yesterday, calling in a group of renowned explorers who have all used the vehicle in their past adventures.

Ray Mears, Bear Grylls, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Monty Halls and Ben Saunders were all present at the launch, toasting the iconic off-roader before it embarked on an epic 8,000 mile fund-raising expedition to China.

Dubbed the Journey of Discovery, the 4×4 will form part of a three-vehicle convoy travelling through more than a dozen countries across Europe and Central Asia. The expedition aims to raise £1 million for the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in what Land Rover says is its most ambitious fundraising project ever.

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The following post was kindly provided by Woodlore customer Neil Salisbury:

Hello Woodlore,

Here are some photos of the handle I made for my Hand Forged Knife Blade. Im calling it my ‘Brecons Knife’, as the red deer antler and pieces of rowan came from the Brecons during one of my many trips there. I made the bolster from antler too, and added my initial as a little personal touch; the leather came from an old rifle sling - I’m all about recycling!

 

Neil Salisbury's 'Brecons Knife'

 

I know it’s not the most ornate handle ever made, but I made it for practical uses; it feels really comfortable and strong in my hand and grips well, which I’m sure you will agree is the most important aspect of a handle. I also think that the natural patterns in the antler and the grain of the rowan are nice enough to be kept simple, with just some linseed oil for protection. I will soon be ordering a sheath, I just can’t quite decide which one!

Neil Salisbury