Forest school leaders and bushcraft enthusiasts from around Cumbria and North Lancashire gathered at Birkmere, near Blencowe, to learn from bushcraft expert and television personality Ray Mears and his team from Woodlore.
Woodlore — founded in 1983 by Ray — was Britain’s first School of wilderness bushcraft.
The weekend was organised by local community interest company Branch Out Education, and was a rare opportunity to learn from such a well-known expert in the field.
Those on the course were able to request areas for learning and the weekend was filled with demonstrations, stories and hands-on experiences.
The first task was to put up tarps and the group were taught the Evenk hitch and adjustable knot before each person had a go with their own tarp.
Different fire lighting techniques were shown and then attempted by the group, each with its own fascinating story of people and place.
As the light faded, head torches were switched on and the fire built up.
Ray prepared and cooked a whole salmon for the group, showing them how to remove the fins, bones and head. He prepared green sticks to make a cooking frame to hold the salmon over the fire, and no parts of the fish were wasted as they were added to a pan on the fire to make a delicious fish broth.
While some of the group returned home for the evening, at least half camped overnight in tents, hammocks and even a tree tent, suspended between three birch trees. It was a windy night, but dry and mild for the time of year.
The second day included a variety of wilderness bushcraft techniques.
There were baked eggs on sticks for breakfast, a demonstration of how to make perfect coffee, according to Ray, and an informative talk on different bushcraft knives.
The group was able to examine 16 different knives and ask questions about sharpening and making your own knife.
Later in the day, the group took a walk around the wood, with Ray highlighting different plants and trees and their uses.
This was followed by a demonstration of water filtration methods and finally some practical tasks — making a willow withy pot hanger using a length of willow selected from the wood, and having a go at making nettle string and birch roots as natural ways to tie things together.
The weekend was a great success and everyone took away new ideas, knowledge and motivation to practise and share their skills with the young people they work with outdoors.
It was a relaxed course with time for networking, sharing skills and stories and eating together, plus plenty of opportunities to ask Ray questions and listen to some amazing stories from his travels around the world.
