The Bushcraft Magazine Spring 2014

Paddle to Freedom Glorious Mud Tracking Searching for Spring in Sinai Make a Leather Axe Mask Hand Craft a Knife

plus Star Lore, Weather Lore and more...

5th Annual May Meet 2nd - 5th May 2014 Book in for a weekend of courses and a chance for bushcrafters and adventurous families to share skills, and swap stories. Camp overnight from Friday for a full programme of activities over the weekend and Bank Holiday Monday; events, tutorials and demonstrations for all the family and levels of skill. Gather round the fire in the evening for storytelling and, weather permitting, star-gazing afterwards. Bring your own food or make use of our onsite catering. Pitch a tent or a tarp and hammock in the woods. Camping included in the ticket price plus access to every available course.

Venue: Egerton, nr. Ashford, Kent.

Our courses for Spring and Summer 2014!

Foraging Field and Woodland

Sunday April 27th No experience necessary; learn how to identify edible Spring greens in a variety of habitats under the guidance of our expert forager Steve Kirk. A useful refresher if you’ve foraged before, with the opportunity to sample genuine wild food.

Leatherworking

Sunday May 18th Learn classic leatherworking techniques and make your own personal items under the experienced guidance and tuition of our craftsman Paul Bradley at an indoor venue in Kent. A bespoke option is available at a mutually agreeable date. There will be an additional charge for materials with this course.

Rocky Shore and Estuary Foraging

Shrimping and Sandy Shore Foraging

Sunday June 1st

Saturday June 21st

Vsit contrasting habitats on the north Kent coast with a view to discovering the foraging possibilities; shellfish and seaweeds at Tankerton, with estuary plants at Swalecliffe. Under the guidance of our editor, Steve Kirk.

Learn to use a shrimp net and collect shellfish in a beautiful sandy bay on the south coast of Kent under the experienced leadership of lifeboatman John Ruffhead. Bring warm clothes and waders or be prepared to paddle.

Please note 9.30 a.m. start. Please be prompt.

Keep up to date or book online at www.bushcraft-magazine.co.uk or follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/TheBushcraftMagazine and Twitter at www.twitter.com/bushcraft_mag you can tweet us with @ bushcraft_mag

All courses cost £45 for the day to non-subscribers, £35 to subscribers; includes free overnight camping at our farm, and lunch of vegetable soup and bread roll on the day.

Volume 10 Number 1 Spring 2014 The Bushcraft Magazine is published by:

The Bushcraft MagazineTM .

Egerton House Cottage, Egerton, Ashford, KENT TN27 9BD Founder: Huw Woodman Editor: Steve Kirk Advertising: Matthew Selfe Webmaster: Paul Bradley Soup Dragon: Cathy Hill E-mail: info@bushcraft-magazine.co.uk Advertising: mafro@bushcraft-magazine.co.uk

CONTENTS 4 PADDLE TO FREEDOM AND ADVENTURE Matt Fletcher can, in a canoe, can you?

10 SEARCHING FOR SPRING IN SINAI Bernardette Simpson finds it in her step and in the desert.

13 A BOWYER’S STORY Jason Wayne Beever knows his bows.

14 GLORIOUS MUD! Steve Kirk keeps track of his local wildlife.

20 HAND CRAFT A KNIFE AT HOME Roger Harrington lets you in to some custom secrets.

24 GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY and Cook Wild with Carol Hunt .

28 TO MAKE A LEATHER AXE MASK Paul Bradley has plans for a hatchet.

31 FANCY A CUP OF KRAUTER TEE? Katy Runacres with a little Swiss role.

32 ’CRAFTY YOUNG FOXES Rowan Harrington and slightly foxed, Phil Ireland.

35 THE LAST WORD Lloyd Hooper recounts the events of ‘Welly Wednesday’.

REGULARS 2 COURSES 8 WEATHER LORE 18 STAR LORE

Please note: The photo of the collection of drop spindles in the Winter issue should have been credited to Laverne Waddington of Backstrap Weaving.

EDITORIAL Here at the Bushcraft Magazine we are constantly striving to extend our learning and see that it is passed on to you. We are fortunate to be aided and abetted by some very knowledgeable people both from the United Kingdom and from abroad, who freely share their wisdom and experience. We have a hat-trick of skilled craftspeople, for example; a custom knife maker, a bowyer and a leatherworker; and whatever your previous level of expertise, they are sure to add an increment or two.

In terms of practical bushcraft, applied directly to a wilderness situation, we offer insights from contrasting environments – bushcraft instructor, Matt Fletcher takes us canoeing in Scotland, while author and educator, Bernadette Simpson gives us guidance on living and foraging in the deserts of Egypt, via her friend, Bedouin tribesman, Eid Al Atrash. Whether drinking herbal teas in the Swiss Alps, cooking down the woods, examining muddy footprints, or turning dandelions into syrup our writers bring something familiar and a lot that’s new for us to ponder. And maybe our horizons will be a bit more expanded as a result.

With that, I’ll leave you in their capable hands.

Steve Kirk. editor@bushcraft-magazine.co.uk

Paddle to Freedom a The earliest known canoe is thought to have been built between 8200 BC and 7600 BC, this makes canoeing a very, very old method of getting around indeed. It does not surprise me then that canoeing seems such a natural and logical way to travel. Canoes enable us to pass through vast wilderness and take us to places that would otherwise be impossible or extremely difficult to get to on foot, by car or other means. For this reason, open canoes and bushcraft go hand in hand. Canoes can take us to those quiet, untraveled corners of the British Isles.

most part, unnecessarily complicated process of ensuring that there is a car at either end of the Loch.

Back in 7600BC bushcraft was simply living and existing, nowadays it is a loose collection of skills that enable us to live outside, happily and sustainably. It is a very popular pastime for many and a way of life for some.

Loch Shiel is 128 metres deep and some 28km in length, as the crow flies. Our route took us along the shore line, rarely crossing the open expanses in order for us to make use of natural shelter from the wind, provide an easy escape route off the water should the need arise and to better enjoy the scenery.

The UK, on the surface at least, can seem an unlikely place for wilderness canoe travel, however, look north, to the shining light that is Scotland and a veritable playground of fresh and salt water lochs, rivers, forests, mountains and moorland can be found. Thanks to the Land Reform Act 2004, we can all enjoy unfettered access to this vast, magical and beautiful land. Providing that we follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and Leave no Trace, we are free to canoe, camp, light fires and fully relax into the outdoor experience.

My story begins in Aberfeldy, Scotland, where I was due to pick up a trailer full of canoes and then drive the 100 or so miles to Glenfinnan in the West Highlands, at the north end of Loch Shiel. It was on this drive that I learned that although 100 miles does not sound like a long way and after all, Scotland is quite a small country and I drove 500 miles to get there, it is unwise to underestimate the labyrinth of single track roads, mountain passes and unbelievably distracting natural beauty.

Shuttles; Everyone meets up at the start point, then at least two cars drive to the end point, one car is left at the end point and everyone jumps into the other car and drives back to the start point. Then you go paddling; at the end point when you finish, the two drivers hop into the car and drive back to the start point, collect the other car and then everyone drives back to the end point.

What Loch Shiel lacks in direct access it makes up for in isolated wilderness, which can be both a curse and a blessing. You are unlikely to be disturbed by anyone or anything on the loch, other than the occasional red deer, ticks or the cursed Highland midge, but be warned, if anything serious should happen to you, you are very much on your own. There is no road access other than the northern end at Glennfinnan and the southern end near Acharacle.

There is a small logging track that runs along the southeastern side but do not bank on encountering passing traffic.

For much of the twenty-eight kilometres, the loch is hemmed in by towering, snow capped mountains, heather fields and bogs, making getting in and out on foot a very tricky and unwelcoming prospect. It is this remoteness that attracted us to the Loch. We wanted to experience real wilderness, far away from litter, barking dogs, drunken fishermen, nosey people and traffic noise. We were not disappointed.

The

Some three and a half hours later, I arrived, met my group of Back at the start point, we had a briefing, checked and eight and got started. First of all, as with most canoe trips, we had to organise the shuttle, that is a strangely and, for the loaded our equipment and tested the trim of the boats. First of all, it is easy to overload a canoe with 5 day's worth of

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m and Adventure

paddling into the wind, it is better to have more weight in the front of the boat, allowing the bow to dig in a little and make it less prone to turning in the wind.

Next, is the question of how to secure the load into the boat.

First of all we want to ensure that in the event of a capsize, the gear does not float away or blow away in the wind, losing a sleeping bag out there could be disastrous.

Most people tend to tie gear into the boat, tying it all down to ensure that nothing can fall out.

The disadvantage of this is that it makes it virtually impossible to X rescue or empty out quickly while on the water, it's just too heavy.

Trimming the boats is the process of ensuring that the weight is evenly distributed for calm conditions and when

X Rescue; The process of recovering a capsized canoe by tuurning it over, sliding it up and over your own canoe, emptying and returning to the water upright before helping people back in. The capsized canoe and your own make an X shape during the process.

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My group opted to learn this the hard way and even asked me, in all seriousness, if they should take a car battery to charge their phones and cameras with. I toyed with the idea of some tough love on this question, often preferring to let people learn from their own mistakes, but relented in the interests of safety and the environment. The battery went back into the car.

My preferred way of securing gear is to use the leash method.

One end of the rope or cord is tied with a releasable knot to a suitable anchor; this cord is then threaded through every item of kit on board and finally tied off on the last item or bag. Enough slack is left so that the whole lot can be thrown out, and enough slack is there to X rescue the boat, get everyone back in and then easily retrieve the gear by pulling it in. It is important to make this tidy and leave no chances for arms, legs, hands or feet to become snagged in the rigging.

WILDERNESSBRITAIN

equipment, most of which you probably won't need but you are not carrying it, right? So throw it in anyway? No: Less is definitely more when it comes to expeditionary travel, essentials only and do not forget that although you are not walking with your kit on your shoulders, you are still propelling it through the water with your arms and shoulders so the lighter your load, the easier it will be.

Matt Fletcher

Bushcraft Magazine

This may seem complicated and extreme but consider that the water temperature was so cold that dipping a finger in was actually painful. Imagine trying to empty a boat out with five days worth of food, sleeping gear, water and everything in it, while suffering the effects of cold water immersion and probably hypothermia shortly afterwards. In the event of a swim in Loch Shiel in April, it is imperative that you get out of the cold water immediately and into dry, warm clothing and preferably, off the water to warm up by a fire.

I had briefed my group on all of these points before we set off, along with some guidelines on recognising the onset of hypothermia before it takes hold and then off we went. The sun came out for us as we left Glenfinnan and with a mild breeze behind us we sped off to find the first camp site.

A couple of peaceful hours later we arrived at a likely looking spot, a large shingle beach in a secluded bay with a small island in front of us. Sheltered from the wind, and with flat, grassy surfaces to sleep on. It is rare to find a perfect campsite that ticks all of the boxes but in essence you are looking for somewhere that is safe, protected, and has abundant resources. You need a flat surface to sleep on, free of overhanging dead tree branches or other things that might fall on you in the night, enough firewood to keep you going, fresh water and shelter from the wind. I would also add to that, somewhere that the deer do not obviously sleep, the grass and bracken are absolutely loaded with ticks, a parasite that sneakily attaches itself to you and drinks your blood.

Anywhere that there are deer, there will be large numbers of ticks.

Ticks; A small spider-like parasite that can cause infections and some carry disease, difficult to notice so check yourself and each other regularly, they like the groin, armpits, scalp and other warm areas the most. Use tweezers to gently but firmly take them by the head and twist them off, ensuring that nothing is left attached to you. Wear long sleeved shirts and tuck your trousers into your boots or socks to make it harder for them to get in.

purified, plans for the following day made and equipment looked after. It is easy to underestimate just how much work is involved in running a camp but as a rough guide, expect to be spending a good two or three hours on setting up camp, cooking and sorting your water and gear out.

Which brings us neatly on to water. On a limited diet, i.e. no fresh fruit and veg., we need to drink around 2 to 3 litres of fresh water a day, depending on how hard we work and how much we sweat. This quickly adds up to a huge amount of water that needs to be filtered, to get rid of particulate matter, and purified to kill off bacteria, parasites and viruses living in the water. We filtered our water through Millbank bags and boiled it to make it safe to drink and it was a major task each day to filter and boil enough water to keep everyone hydrated and with topped up water bottles for the following day.

Water collection and purification; Dehydration symptoms include; decreased urinating, dark and foul smelling urine, dry and sore lips; thirst; headaches; tiredness and fatigue; seeing stars when standing up suddenly, dizziness and fainting. More serious symptoms include; delirium, seizures, sunken eyes, increased respiration and heart rate and finally, death. You have around 3 days before reaching the final stage of dehydration.

We need to be aware of and remove the following; turbidity, parasites, bacteria, viruses, chemicals and heavy metals.

Filtering through a filter will remove the turbidity, boiling will kill the living things that can make us sick and chemicals and metals can be removed or deactivated with a carbon filter.

The

As the trip progressed, a routine established itself. This was a good thing, it made tasks like this easier and quicker to achieve, leaving more time for other things, such as observing changes in the weather and watching a pair of Sea Eagles flying around. Routine helps to ensure that camps are clean and tidy, that things do not get lost and, importantly, we leave no trace behind of our presence – no fire remains, A trip like this is as much about just being there as it is about no litter, and none of our gear. We developed a system, a canoeing or bushcraft, we gave ourselves plenty of free time routine in which each person had a responsibility, someto explore and relax into it but as the group discovered, body was always last into their canoe in the morning things take time in the wilds, firewood must be collected, and it was their job to do a final sweep of the camp tents must be pitched, food cooked, water filtered and site, looking for litter and anything else left behind.

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The mountains of the West Highlands harbour changeable weather that is difficult to predict so it is always worth keeping one eye on it. The following morning saw fairly high winds and an icy temperature. Paddling a canoe in the wind is challenging, it is important to keep your paddle in the water, this gives you some traction against the wind and helps to stop it from blowing you off course or across the loch. The Indian Stroke is particularly useful for this, as the paddle remains in the water at all times, provides forwards power and can be adapted into a J stroke for steering.

good opportunity to discuss navigating by using the stars.

Another good option in windy weather is to build a raft using your canoes and some poles. We foraged for a couple of straight, strong dead pine poles and lashed the 5 boats together with some discarded rope that we found on a beach, the front three boats providing forward power and the rear two providing steering. This is a great option with many benefits. Not least, it is a more sociable way to get around and everyone can chat and in our case make fun of each other along the way. Rafted canoes are very stable but care must be taken to ensure that they can deal with waves and not swamp.

Accidents toward the end of an expedition are common, people tend to relax a bit too much, thinking that it is over and the danger has passed. It is important to keep your head in the game until it's really over.

On the last night we found yet another picture postcard, sheltered bay with a golden sandy beach and small island a stoneâ€&#x;s throw away. I opted to set my hammock up in the pine woodland behind the beach while the rest of the guys put their tents up on the flat, grass bank in between. That night the sky was clear, a sure sign that it's going to be a cold one. The clear sky provided some of the best star gazing to be found anywhere on account of the lack of artificial light pollution, the sky literally looks different up there. This provided a

The scenery by this point was changing, the mountains fading behind us and a large, open, flat expanse in front of us, but the water was calm here, which was a nice change. The mountain pass that makes up most of the northern end of the Loch helps to funnel the wind and concentrate it into a problem. Once clear of the mountains, the wind can disperse and is less of a challenge. I could not help but notice a slight sadness at leaving the mountains behind though, they are so close to you, surrounding you on all sides that they feel like shelter and safety. It is a difficult feeling to express.

We headed south and after paddling for a couple of hours watching a tiny black speck in the distance become larger and larger until it became a pier. We were there, at the finish point.

Loch Shiel is an amazingly beautiful place, rugged and extreme at times, tranquil and idyllic at other times, never underestimate the loch and always play it safe and you wonâ€&#x;t go far wrong.

Mobile phone reception is patchy in places but some coverage is possible; however, understand that you are in a very difficult place to access and expect a long wait should you need help, prepare accordingly and be sure of your paddling skills before you attempt a trip like this.

Much like happiness, expeditions are about the journey, not the destination.

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A few days into the trip, we all settled into the peaceful rhythm of nature, stopping when it was too windy and finding time to relax in the sunlight while waiting for windows in the wind to move onward. It is important to know when to stop on trips like these, there is no point in trying to fight nature, you will lose, so best to find somewhere nice to stop and wait it out. This is why I always have at least an extra 24 hours of food with me, as should you, when travelling in remote places.

The following morning, all of our damp and wet kit was frozen solid. Washing in the dangerously cold loch was simply not an option as I rolled out of my toasty warm sleeping bag; our nice, safe and easy to paddle raft, still tied together on the beach was an inviting prospect. One last briefing on the dangers of letting our guard down towards the end of an expedition and we were off to our destination, the township of Arachacle.

Bushcraft Magazine

VIRGA

BUSHCRAFTER‟S

ALMANAC

NEW MOON

When there are showers about, we are able to see if rain is approaching. A curtain of shadowy streaks hangs from the belly of the cloud, making visible trails that clearly reach to the ground. The veil obscures the landscape as it closes in. You see it brushing the treetops and feel the rain or snow when it arrives.

FULL MOON

APRIL 29

06:15

MAY 14

19:17

MAY 28

18:41

JUNE 13

04:12

JUNE 27

08:09

JULY 12

11:25

JULY 26

22:42

AUGUST 10

18:10

AUGUST 25

14:13

SEPT 09

01:39

Sometimes clouds appear to be doing this but the streaks fade away before they reach the ground. These are known as virga.

Colloquially, especially in America, they may be called ‘fallstreaks’. In these cases rain, sleet or snow may be falling but no more than a sprinkle of it reaches the ground and usually none at all. Something is happening to the water droplets or ice crystals as they descend that causes them to evaporate once again.

METEOR SHOWERS

Name

Dates

Peak

Hourly rate

Eta Aquarid April 19 - May 28

May 5

20-60

Camelopardalids *

May 24

May 24

100-1,000

Perseids

July 23 - August 20

August 12

100+

Clouds at all heights are capable of producing virga. Cirrus, the very highest family of clouds are kind of permanently in this state and with a few exceptions are visibly fibrous with combed streaks emanating from a generating point, like the locks of hair that give them their Latin name. These clouds are formed by ice crystals, tiny grains of simple ‘snow’ (not the fern or star-like flakes), if you will, and as well as being blown along at high speeds in the upper troposphere, they are slowly descending also. Clearly they evaporate long before they reach the ground or occasionally metamorphose into another sort of cloud. However, meteorologically speaking, they are not usually

Cirrus uncinus

* Unofficial name for a newly predicted meteor shower as Earth passes through dust from Comet 209P/LINEAR but, be warned may be a dud.

THE PLANETS Jupiter is very bright

Venus is a brilliant Morning

in Gemini.

Star until October when it becomes the Evening Star.

Mars is very bright in

Saturn is in Libra

Virgo (East). It was closest to Earth in April

CAR

best seen in May 2014

SUNSET

SUNRISE

LON

Mercury is

EDIN BEL

LON

CAR

EDIN

BEL

MAY 1 04:33 04:45 04:29 04:46

MAY 1 19:24 19:36

19:52

19:57

JUN 1

03:49 04:02 03:35 03:55

JUN 1

20:08 20:20

20:37

20:49

JUL 1

03:48 04:00 03:31 03:52

JUL 1

20:21 20:33

21:01

21:03

AUG 1 19:49 20:01

20:20

20:25

AUG 1 04:24 04:36 04:17 04:34

Note that all times are Universal Coordinated Time UTC /GMT. Add 1 hour for local time until October 26.

The

Summer Solstice occurs at 10:51 June21, 2014

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designated as virga, except for a form known as Cirrus uncinus.

In this species the streaks may clearly emanate from a ragged white ‘cell’ of cloud or often the generating heads may not be visible at all. The crystals descend vertically for a time, decreasing in size as they evaporate; hence the tail trails away downwind, making a hooked shape, the meaning of the Latin uncinus. Depending on the strength of the wind the cloud may form long streamers with a shallow upward hook or the vertical component may be longer and the tail shorter, like a fish hook shape. If the cloud head is more rounded this would be regarded as a different cloud type – Cirrocumulous with virga.

One of the most dramatic manifestations of ice crystal descent is in a ‘Hole-punch’ cloud (see TBM Vol. 3, No. 2, Summer 2007). Ice crystals fall rapidly from a height and on encountering a more stable layer, usually mid-level clouds such as

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Altocumulus, (but sometimes the higher Cirrocumulus) they burst through it by turning the super cooled water droplets that form the lower cloud into ice crystals also. What exactly is going on is not fully understood, but the crystallisation process opens up a very regular hole in the cloud with feathery Cirrus spreading in its midst. Several holes may appear at around the same time in an extensive mid-layer. Sometimes the central crystal clouds have the appearance of angels or giant birds in

‘Hole-punch’ cloud

layer clouds. In this case their rain, although not reaching the ground, can cool the lower layers as they advance and should be warning of prolonged rain approaching.

As they occur at the beginning, so they can appear at the end, in the decaying stages of a weather system, so it important to take note of which way things are going. This particularly applies to thunderstorms. During their developmental stages the giant crisp, cauliflower-shaped Cumulus clouds reach a point where their heads begin to blur; striations appear in the cloud indicating virga, except these are once again ice crystals where the top of the cloud has reached such heights that it is turning into Cirrus. This is known as glaciation. As it pushes up higher to the horizontal winds of the tropopause it will eventually form the crowning ‘anvil’. The resulting Cumulonimbus cloud will go on to produce, rain or hail, thunder and lightning. Thunderstorms with high cloud bases over desert or interior continental areas may produce rain that evaporates as it reaches the warm layer below. As it removes heat from the air it generates a cold, turbulent wind that can be hazardous to aircraft. Similarly, a warm, dry downburst may occur if the rain evaporates by compressional heating as air pressure increases closer to the ground.

Photos© S.Kirk

Fallstreaks may be friendly. I have seen their benign presence on warm, balmy days with well-broken Altocumulus clouds harmlessly shedding their water droplets, only for them to vanish without impact or a most sprinkle a few drops on my head. However, it is important not to mistake distant rain for virga and also to be aware of the types of virga that portend something more significant in the weather. They can be frequent in the multiple levels of Altostratus (mid-level layer clouds) that build up before an advancing warm front, for example, and develop into Nimbostratus – rain bearing deep

Altocumulus virga

Altostratus virga As a thunderstorm decays, losing the convective power that drives its engine, one way or another, sometimes the anvils become detached from the main cloud. These may then be known as ‘orphan anvils’ and they show fallstreaks. The higher levels of the parent cloud may also produce virga at this stage; but the threat is over.

WEATHER LORE

people’s imaginations. They are certainly an eye-catching sight but have no obvious effect down below on the ground, other than generating conspiracy theories. They logically must reflect something going on higher up and in many cases aircraft are implicated, perhaps having disturbed a Cirrus cloud whose crystals then descend or by seeding the lower cloud with exhaust particles around which crystals then form.

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There is not a single mechanism that causes the catch-all term virga, so each observation should be considered in context. In fact, they have not been well studied because usually if you can observe them you are too far away to test the theory that their precipitation does not reach all the way to the ground. A recent hypothesis put forward by some meteorologists suggests that, at least in the case of higher level virga, what appears to be the end of the trails ice crystals or snow, is actually simply where it turns into rain and becomes hard to see because it suddenly starts to fall faster. I think we should put it to the test. Is that virga? Let’s stand under it and find out.

Bushcraft Magazine

Searching for Spring in Sinai Bernadette Simpson Last night I dreamt of a baby camel. The small, fuzzy camel sauntered up to greet me to and allow me to give his head a scratch. I awoke this morning with a smile on my face, not at all surprised by my dream. My husband and I have taken a short holiday from work and are leaving this morning to visit our friend, Eid, in Ras Sudr, a town on the west coast of the Sinai peninsula. Eid recently showed us photographs of the region and the news that Spring had already begun! I'm sure his image of a mother and baby camel amongst a field of purple wildflowers is what prompted my dream. It's only been two weeks since he sent the photos but the temperature has been rising and I am anxious that the splendid signs of Spring in Sinai will be difficult to find. ***** It was a 4 ½ hour drive from Dahab to Ras Sudr. But road trips through Sinai are good for my soul and this one was long overdue. Flocks of storks soaring overhead and herds of camels grazing on the patches of fresh green growing in the coastal plains, definite signs of Spring, surpassed the minor frustrations of the numerous security checkpoints and overzealous drivers. We arrived in Ras Sudr in the late afternoon, just in time for a stroll along the shore, not far from Eid's land where we are camping.

These coastal plains are home to some of the largest

Ghurgad plants, or Salt Trees (Nitraria retusa), I have ever encountered. They are thriving, as are all of the local desert plants, thanks to the generous amount of rain the area received this past Winter. Despite the destruction caused by the rains and floods – washed away roads and dams, collapsed roofs and walls, loss of livestock – most Bedouin in Sinai are grateful for these winter rains, as they bring life to the desert, providing fresh and nutritious food most importantly for their herds of goats, sheep, and camels but also for themselves. Many of the Salt Trees are covered in small delicate white blooms, but we must wait until Summer to snack on their tasty red fruit - a habit, Eid tells me, that only Bedouin children practice. I must be a child at heart.

Eid, a member of the Tarabeen tribe, is a dear friend and has taught me much of what I know about the local flora and fauna in Sinai. As a child, Eid accompanied his father as he traveled on camel back over a vast area of Sinai, journeying to various villages to trade goods. In the not-so-distant past, the Bedouin people practiced nomadic pastoralism, herding their animals to wherever fresh pasture could be found. Eid's father passed down not only his knowledge and the skills needed for a nomadic life in the desert but also his

The

Eid collecting ja-hag

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Eid was busy with guests from Cairo today and we were content to resume our exploration of this strip of coastline along the Gulf of Suez; it is so vastly different from Dahab's rocky shore on the Gulf of Aqaba. Not far from the camp, there is a 2km-long wooden bridge to a small, sandy island.

We walked across, having decided to continue our search for Spring near the water until Eid is ready to venture into the desert. Gulls and terns, swifts and swallows, plovers, sandpipers, kingfishers, bee-eaters, and shrikes – they all make an appearance during our walk. Some of them are resident birds, while others are just a sampling of the millions of birds that pass through Sinai during the autumn and spring migration seasons. Sinai is the land bridge between Africa and Asia and Europe. During Spring, migratory birds pass through on their way from eastern and southern Africa to Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Siberia, and Central Asia. Soaring birds, like the storks we saw on our drive yesterday, as well as pelicans and raptors, use hot air thermals, or updrafts, as they travel. They don't get very far flapping their large wings! And since these thermals rarely form over sea, these birds choose a migration route that involves the shortest trip across water. Hence, they cross the Gulf of Suez in south Sinai, where they can be found in large numbers. Migrating birds are a sure sign of Spring in Sinai!

Bedouin tent

Until only a few years ago, Sinai suffered from drought conditions, which severely affected the number of animals the Bedouin could raise. Several women have spoken to me about the lack of quality wool needed to create such magnificent material. It simply has not been possible to raise enough animals without the fresh pasture provided by the winter rains.

But the goats are lucky this year and have plenty to graze on!

This Spring, the surrounding desert is bursting with edible plants. Some of the most abundant at the moment are Spanish Pink Mustard (Eurcaria hispanica) and Stock (Matthiola spp.). The goats grazing in the Ras Sudr desert also munch on Sorrel (Rumex spp.), Mustards (Diplotaxis spp.), Mallows (Malva spp.), Chamomile (Anthemis spp.), Fenugreek (Trigonella sp.), Wormwoods (Artemesia spp.), Salt Bushes (Atriplex spp.), Wild Marjoram (Majorana syriaca), Fleabanes (Pulicaria spp.) and young Spiny Zillas (Zilla spinosa).

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At sunset, the women will return with the goats to their encampment. There, the older women will separate the nanny goats and milk them. The Bedouin drink the milk fresh and, my favorite way, warmed over the fire and mixed with sugar ***** and some fresh Wormwood or other local herb that has been My husband returned to our tent this morning with another collected. With this fresh milk, available only in Spring, the sign of Spring – a small glass of fresh goat milk. This milk Bedouin women will also prepare cheese and ghee, or clariwas delivered to the camp by Eid's neighbour. Eid saves the fied butter. The cheese is dried and will be stored to last for organic waste from his camp's kitchen and brings it to his months. The ghee is mixed with fresh herbs to make “samen neighbor for the goats she raises. In return, she brings him sheehi”, like an herb butter. Two herbs are typically collected fresh milk. This tangy drink was the perfect introduction to and used in this mix – Fenugreek and Wormwood. our day! After breakfast, Eid packed up the jeep with supplies Occasionally, salt collected from the mountains will be added and we set out to search for Spring in the nearby desert. Our to extend the “shelf life” of the butter. A typical spring lunch first stop was at a small field of wheat, grown entirely from for the Bedouin in the desert includes rice and lentils with a flood water with no extra irrigation or maintenance needed. spoonful of samen sheehi or sour goat milk (like buttermilk, The Bedouin have built dams that divert the flood water from what is left after the ghee is made) mixed in. the wadis into low-lying areas that hold the water for several weeks. They plant the seeds before the rainy season starts and Unfortunately, today we could not stay until the women the rest is up to luck. If there is no rain, the seeds simply rereturned and we set off again on our search for Spring. We main in the ground, viable until the next season. passed a well and made a quick stop to draw and taste the fresh water, the underground springs having been replenished Next we stopped at a Bedouin family's spring camp. They with the winter rain water. We continued on to a fenced off have just recently moved to this location, drawn by the better garden area near a reservoir and enjoyed a simple lunch of pasture for their animals. The camp is quiet during the day. beans and bread, resting and staying out of the midday sun. It The girls and young women are out with the goats and only was so hot today that Eid is convinced Spring is over and the older man and women are “at home”. The women were Summer has arrived! Because the camels and goats are not tickled when I showed them the photos I had taken of their allowed in this area, many of the wildflowers are still around

WILDERNESSWORLD

Background map S.Kirk/NordNordWest/Wikipedia

***** The Bedouin call Spring “Rabeeya” and as I was leaving Dahab yesterday morning, several of my young neighbors inquired as to where we were travelling. My simple answer of “Ras Sudr, rabeeya” sufficed. They understood that I was going to where the plants were growing. For that is what, traditionally, Bedouin did in Spring – moved with their herds to the freshest grazing grounds. And though most Bedouin in Sinai today are settled in towns, many of them still pack up their animals, tents, and supplies and head to the green areas in the nearby plains and mountains where they will stay for a few months, until the plants are gone. They call this “na-ja-een”, or “pasturing”.

tents. They are proud of their handiwork and were intrigued by my interest. The tents, called “bait el-shar”, or “house of hair”, are woven out of goat and camel hair, and these particular ones were made by hand over 60 years ago. They are representative of a traditional Bedouin tent and are somewhat rare to see these days.

Photos © The Author

passion for their traditional culture and the natural heritage of the Sinai. Nothing makes Eid happier than supporting his people and sharing their culture and their desert with others.

How lucky I am to have such a friend!

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and flourishing, but many are already succumbing to the change in temperature. Just over the next sand dune is the wide plain where Eid took the picture of the mother and baby camel in the field of purple flowers. Sadly for me, this field is no longer so lush. What the goats and camels did not eat, the wind has blown away.

There are still plenty of other plants, though, that are thriving this Spring. We stopped to collect some ja-hag, or Mustard leaves (Diplotaxis acris), for our dinner, as well as Chamomile, which the Bedouin use for medicinal and culinary purposes. Although we didn't collect any today, we also spotted Mallows, Fenugreeks, Wormwoods, Fleabanes, and Salt Bushes – all foraged from the wild by the Bedouin and used to prepare infusions, salads, and soups. These are just half of the edible plants growing in the surrounding desert!

last for a longer period of time there. Besides the desert plants typical of the Sinai, there are several cultivated gardens in these desert mountains. The gardens date back to the Byzantine era and are home to several types of fruit trees. The blooming Pomegranate (Punica granatum) and Almond (Prunus amygdalus) trees are a beautiful sign of Spring; the fruits and nuts will be harvested in Autumn. The Christ-thorn Jujubes (Ziziphus spina-christi), which also grow wild in Dahab, are ready for harvest now and are a favorite treat of my young Bedouin neighbors. Driving them around town in search of trees from which to forage these fruit is another sure sign of Spring in Sinai!

After a delicious traditional Bedouin dinner of chicken, rice, and vegetables – with a side of ja-hag - we chatted around the fire as we drank sweet Bedouin tea infused with Sage (Salvia sp.), another plant collected from the wild. ***** Although we saw several baby camels from a distance, none It is only the first weekend in April, but I think Eid is correct came close enough for a photo op.

Nor have I been able to Spring is on its way out here in the Ras Sudr desert. Of all the sample fresh camel milk.

So we made plans with Eid to meet in Bedouin families that left the town to na-ja-een, only about 1/3 two weeks time, when we will visit a mutual friend and his of them are still camping in the desert. The rest have returned family who will still be in the desert at their na-ja-een camp in to Ras Sudr and the nearby villages and the other families will the mountains.

Our friend has camels and I am assured of some follow within the next two weeks. But in other parts of Sinai, milk.

There we will also hope to collect the local wild desert Spring will stick around for a couple of more months. In the central part of south Sinai lies the high mountain region around herbs that are used by the Bedouin for medicinal purposes. Our search for Spring continues!

St. Katherine's Monastery. Due to the higher elevation, cooler temperatures, and greater amount of precipitation (There were several snow storms there this past Winter!), spring conditions

Collection of Chamomile

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A owyer’s Journey Jason Wayne Beever

Growing up, I was fascinated with Native American culture and art. Our home was the first to

I focused on this piece of hickory, was healing me.

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Photos courtesy of the Author

The first bow I attempted was an Eastern Native American Longbow. After researching online, I learned very general information; like which trees were appropriate for bows and the average length of a bow that would have been made by people of the Iroquois Nation. My goal was to make a Longbow at least 1.5 meters long. I identified a hickory tree, climbed up its trunk, and took down a straight branch with my knife. Yes...I used only a knife.

With no other tools on hand, I did not split the log; but rather chopped and whittled the branch down into a stave.

I will never forget this bow, as it took longer to make than any self bow I‟ve made to date. All of my childhood passion pumped through my veins as I chopped away at the branch all weekend long, without a break, until it was shaped. I was in a zone. Time flew by, thoughts faded like mirages, and I realized that the process of making this bow was quieting the noise echoing inside my mind. I was forming a relationship with the hickory. The simplicity of working with organic materials was teaching myself to be a better me, and whatever was naturally evolving within as

TRADITIONAL SKILLS

After I had a simple shape, I was ready to tiller; yet, I didn‟t know how to tiller. I kept imagining all the bows I had seen over my lifetime in the forefront of my mind, and continued to sculpt the bow. As I tillered, I noticed a pin knot located about a foot from the tip of the bow. Something inside me knew that a knot would cause a problem.

But, like many little things in life, I just ignored it, hoping for the best, and continued to shave over it. Normally, alterations such as creating a bulge around the knot or removing it completely is the appropriate action; however, I was a beginner, and making no accommodation for this knot was As many of us do, we lose track of our childhood part of my learning. I reasoned with myself, passions during adolescence, and it wasn‟t until a “What could a little pin knot do? It‟s too small young adult that I delved back into the organic of a knot to affect the bow.” As I strung the primitive arts and became a bowyer. When I Hickory, bow and pulled back on the string, I heard a moved from the southern Californian desert to hickory knot... loud snap, and watched hours of work splinter the New York mountains, I was inspired by lush before my eyes. My first reaction was to scream, greens, colourful deciduous trees, and hearty swear, and throw the bow across my property as far as my conifers. Driving through the mountainside, I wondered to arm could launch it. Once I had burst with disappointment myself, “Which trees did the local Native American tribes and frustration, I realized that this pin knot was no use to make their bows?” I felt the passion from my childdifferent than other small “knots” in my life that I‟d rather hood flood back through me. Serendipitously, only a few ignore instead of address directly. This experience was a days later I happened by the Iroquois Indian Museum and true awakening to allow patience with myself and the was fortunate enough to meet a Mohawk Indian who processes of life. became my mentor, teacher, and friend. Since that time, I have made over 150 primitive-style bows from cultures I display this bow on my living room wall. I love this bow, around the world. My intent is to learn how, and with what even if it dangles in two pieces, as it is a symbol of materials, these bows were historically made. Through the persistence and patience. Being a bowyer has changed my mindful process of making these bows, I believe I‟m life; and with each bow, I continue to unveil a truer me. retaining wisdom from these experiences, renewing my connection to the earth, and expanding my appreciation for all life. In these series of columns, I will share what I‟ve learned through making these various bows. be built in a canyon within Southern California, which was a Diegueño region. While I watched the canyon over several years become an urban sprawl of homes and malls, I would still find sacred spaces for myself in the canyon and play with the imagination of how I could live off the land. Back home, I would entertain myself for hours in my room, making bone chest plates, bows, arrows, and anything my mother would allow me to make from organic materials; whether they be wood, bone, feather, rock, or hide.

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There‟s nothing quite like it for taking a track – and Spring can be the ideal time for finding footprints. Slow-drying woodland rides, bare fields, ruts, pond margins and large puddles eventually reach the perfect state for receiving the clear imprint of an animal‟s foot. Clays and fine silts are best for detail. If the soil is too sandy, information will be lost. With tracks, the delight is in the detail!

However, mud is not so good for recording trails – a sequence of tracks. It is rarely extensive enough and, wherever possible, terrestial mammals, ourselves included, avoid the insecure surface it provides. Snow is a much better medium. In addition, following a trail is about forensically unravelling the natural behaviour of the creature being tracked. This can only be done if you know who you are following. Identifying an animal from its footprint is the first step.

acceptable to measure from heel to heel, so long as you are consistent. If you can measure several you can get an average value. This will give you an idea of the animal‟s size if it was moving at walking pace.

The context of the tracks will provide clues as to the identity of the animal, also. Which part of the country are you in and does the suspect live there? Is it the right sort of habitat? Are there domestic animals in the neighbourhood?

Can you see other field signs that might relate, e.g. paths, feeding signs, tunnels. Record these things too.

!

Steve Kirk

...Glorious

Let us have a look at some real examples:

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TRACKING SKILLS

A] These tracks are both very distinctive and potentially confusing. They were photographed in a lowland wood in south-east England. The length of stride indicates a small dog-sized animal walking slowly. Breadth of track and depth of imprint indicates a certain stockiness. The animal To familiarise yourself and identify any track you find, plants its feet flat on the ground in plantigrade fashion, some knowledge of natural history is useful, as is a good typical of animals in the weasel family (Mustelids) and field guide to tracks, signs and traces. It will be necessary bears, for example. This contrasts with the tiptoe manner to record some details. A digital camera is an invaluable of certain species, such as cats and foxes, described as tool to aid in this process, but don‟t be tempted to simply take a quick snap and move on with the intention of making digitigrade, though the distinction can be quite subtle in a footprint. Cloven-hoofed animals are further distinguished up your mind back home in front of the computer, as in some cases there will simply not be enough information for as unguligrade. There is a clear space between the tracks of the left and right side of the animal along its central axis. a secure identification. It is a good idea to take measurements in the field and write them down. A retractable lock tape measure is essential, in my view, but in the absence of Where these tracks become problematic is in the details. such, any object of a known size, such as a 10p coin, placed Some appear to have 6 toes, e.g. the foremost, and wavy pads or double pads, e.g. the rearmost. The hind foot of a beside the print and included in the photo will help you walking Badger, Meles meles, often sets down directly on gauge its size. Improvise, if necessary. I have marked the edge of a page in my field notebook with width and length, the spot where the forefoot was a moment before, obliteratwritten the value of longer distances in times the notebook ing it completey except for the marks of the long front claw tips. When a track does this it is said to be registered. The length; or you could trim two twigs or mark a stick to the result is a blurred double track with two sets of claw prints size of the tracks. Otherwise, measure across the track at the widest point and again from the back of the large pad to (arrowed). Sometimes they register incompletely and half cut into the front track as may be seen on the lower track in the front edge of the toes, excluding the claws. By all the picture. The walking trail is a complex set of double means record the length of any claws, but do not include prints and the only true likeness of a foot that can be them in the length of the track. Measure several and note any differences between them. In many cases hind feet are discerned is a back one. In the Badger the hind feet differ smaller than front feet – though not in rodents. If the tracks from the front ones in that they are more compact and have are slots – cloven hooves – measure their width, length and much shorter claws. width between the cleaves at the widest. Always look for D] This is a clear and diagnostic Badger right forefoot signs of dew claws and measure their width apart and distance from the hoof. Sketch and/or photograph the arrange- track. In this case the animal made a bit of a turn and the hind foot landed on the leaf, just ment.

Badger feet cutting into the lower part of the large pad of the front foot. The There are other important measuretrack shows a broad sausagements too, if you have anything other shaped pad with all five toes in a than an isolated footprint. The distance gentle curve, set in front of it. The from one footprint to the next on one smallest toe, slightly offset, is the side of the body (either forefoot to foreinner one, and it does not often foot or hind to hind), for example. This show in a track. The front claws is known as the stride length. Always show in their entirety. They may measure from the front edge of the toes be 25mm or more long. of the first to the front of the toes of the next, not to its heel – though it is also

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B] The tracks in this photograph were found on Romney Marsh in Kent. Each footprint is 4cm long by about 3.5cm wide. They are clustered, with the nearest grouping 25cm away, out of the picture. The animal must have been in motion, rather than standing because one footprint has landed on top of another. The two front tracks are aligned, suggesting the paired landing of the hind feet and the arrangement with the other two behind them is typical of a bound. This pattern is seen in hopping rabbits but the clear definition of the toes and pads and the roundness of the pattern of spread digits in this case would rule out those woolly-footed animals. It is also commonly seen in squirrels which are in the size range. However the open nature of the area renders a squirrel unlikely and the fact that all the tracks have 5 toes eliminates it entirely. Squirrels have only four toes on the front feet.

These tracks follow the typical blueprint of the mustelids.

There are only seven species to choose from in the UK. Badger and Otter are large, much larger than the animal that these tracks suggest. Pine Marten - Martes martes, is also quite large and is not found in southern Britain. Weasel Mustela nivalis, is tiny and the Stoat - Mustela erminea, is small. Which leaves the Polecat - Mustela putorius, (and its domestic descendant, the ferret) and the introduced American Mink - Neovison vison.

Polecats, although having recovered from near extermination and spreading, are not yet known in Kent. At this stage the ferret remains a possibility – these tracks were near a farm, and feral ferret F populations exist throughout the country – though the marshy habitat is ideal for mink. The decision is made after the corroborative discovery of a near perfect mink scat very close by [F].

woodland ride, is unlikely (but not impossible) for a Field Vole - Microtus agrestis. We are left with three species of mice and the Bank Vole - Myodes glareolus. After further contemplation of the tracks, I favour a mouse. Although they seem rather random there is not a clear running or walking trail, a style favoured by voles, but there are several instances of „hops‟, the locomotion of a mouse. The hind feet land side by side in alignment and the fore tracks are slightly behind and in between them (as in J and the left hand side of C – arrowed). The House Mouse - Mus musculus, is only found in association with the inhabited dwellings and outbuildings of people and in any case, hops infrequently. Of the remaining species, the larger Yellownecked Mouse - Apodemus flavicollis, is certainly common in my local woods but so is the Wood Mouse - Apodemus sylvaticus, and in truth it could be either, or both. The size in this instance, suggests the latter.

Strong ambient light is preferable for reading footprints; cloudy but not gloomy days, therefore, are better than sunny ones with strong directional light that casts deep shadows.

Instead of the usual indentation, the angle of lighting on these footprints makes them seem to my eye like raised shapes that strongly convey the form of the creature‟s feet. I find that by rotating an image it is sometimes (but not always) possible to achieve a similar effect, or in this case to turn them back into negative impressions. I] In some cases, by inverting an image (turning it into a negative using Photoshop) a footprint can also be made to appear raised as if you were looking at the paw pads. H] The neat oval of a fox‟s footprint shows the characteristic hairiness between the pads and the small central pad, not much bigger than a toe. Careful examination suggests that this is a double track, the hind foot having landed neatly in the front, which is just visible as a double toe on the right and the imprint of extra claws at the front.

The

E] There are strong rodentG like features in these larger tracks that were found along a quiet country lane beside a bridge over a small river.

They are roughly squirrelsized but of a very different C] Each of the little star-like footprints measures about shape and arrangement.

7mm across. These are the front paw impressions. With its Three possible candidates high moisture content the silt seems to have been a little bit spring to mind; two species elastic and has sprung back, erasing some of the impresof rat and the Water Vole sions. The hind feet were clearly set down more lightly than Arvicola terrestris. The timid the fore and are missing the side toes. They are recognisable vole would never willingly as the three straight toes in a line. Elsewhere in a drier part leave the security of the bank-side vegetation or the safety of the same puddle it is possible to observe in exceptional net of its burrow system, whereas the brazen rat wanders detail the fleshy rings on the undersides of the mammal‟s freely. The Black or Ship Rat - Rattus rattus, has a very toes and the tiny oval cushion-like pads [J]. limited distribution in Britain, being found only along the Thames in London, close to or in buildings such as We are looking at the traces of mouse-sized animal, here. warehouses and must therefore be discounted, leaving the Of the 10 possible options we can eliminate the minute Common Rat - Rattus norvegicus, as the maker of the Harvest Mouse - Micromys minutus – on the grounds of marks. Although the feet of both kinds are more or less size, the three insectivorous shrews by their different gait identical the very clear hind footprint in the image matches and because their fore and hind feet tracks look very similar up very well with the configuration of pads on the hind foot to each other, whereas these differ; the Dormouse of a dead specimen.

Muscardinus avellanarius – because it is a tree-dweller and rarely runs about on the ground and the habitat, a bare When it comes to identifying bird tracks you can be

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L] The Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus, is even more ter-

Be patient. Building up knowledge through experience takes time. Whether the creatures are commonplace or not it is good to know that they are out there. There is something inherently satisfying about certainly identifying the source of a footprint, about pinpointing a bird or animal‟s presence during your absence, maybe mere moments before. M] The most exciting footprint I have found had been made quite some time previously on a muddy south coast seashore, a mere 135 million years before... by an Iguanodon.

Photos© S.Kirk

However, birds helpfully exhibit some of the most extreme environmental adaptations of any living creatures and these usually show in the beak and the feet. Some tracks will therefore be unmistakeable provided you have a little background knowledge about birds. There are two examples in the photos of closely related but easily separable species.

Both are water birds – but the feet are not webbed in either case. Of these, the Coot - Fulica atra, K] is the most aquatic. Instead of webs the Coot has broad, leaf-like fringes bordering its toes, including the hind toe. Coots spend a lot of time on water but spend time on land too. As a consequence the legs are slung underneath the body and they can walk more or less normally, albeit with outsize clown feet! The only possible source of confusion might be a grebe. Grebe feet are somewhat similar but the lobes taper smoothly from front to back and do not show such clear indents at each toe joint (arrowed). They are ill-adapted to moving about on land because their legs are set well back like a little outboard motor so when a grebe comes ashore it assumes a very upright stance and waddles about on its heels.

restrial than its bald cousin and has large feet with long toes to spread its body weight. In this way it can walk across floating vegetation without sinking too deeply. The lobes on its feet are distinct but narrow, and taper towards the toes because they need only bestow a limited paddling ability.

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forgiven for feeling a little bit daunted. In the absence of a good field guide – and the ones that exist are hard to get hold of – it is possible, over time, to build up your own database. This can be done by first identifying a species of bird in an environment where they may leave tracks, such as a beach at low tide or anywhere in the snow. After the bird has gone inspect, measure and photographically record the tracks, using your prior knowledge of who made them.

Bushcraft Magazine

The asterism (an unofficial grouping of stars) known as Charles‟ Wain, the Plough, the Wagon or the Big Dipper forms the bright core of a sprawling constellation named Ursa Major, the Great Bear, that comprises many fainter stars. If we are to take the original Greek imagining at face value, the three bright stars of the Dipper‟s handle represent the bear‟s tail. Although the bear constellation overall is large, this tail is disproportionately long, so that artists‟ renderings of the superimposed animal shape of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor, the Little Bear look, frankly, ridiculous and wrong.

Curiously, many northern Native American tribes also imagine a bear in the sky that revolves around the Pole Star.

As you might expect from people who live in close harmony with nature, their pictures in the night sky do not include any unaccountable anatomical anomalies! The four wheels of the Wagon or the rectangular bowl of the Dipper are perceived as the bear and the three (or four) stars of the Wagon‟s thill (see TBM, Vol.7, No. 3, Autumn 2011) or the Dipper‟s handle are accounted for in a separate but related way – they are the hunters in a celestial bear hunt.

of the thrush and Blackbird. The Black-capped Chickadee Poecile atricapillus, a member of the tit family. Moosebird Perisoreus canadensis, a kind of jay. (Passenger) Pigeon Ectopistes migratorius, once incredibly common – now extinct! Blue Jay - Cyanurus cristatus, and the Great Grey Strix nebulosa and Saw-whet Owl - Aegolius acadicus.

Here is the version collected and told by Stansbury Hagar in 1900, in the Journal of American Folklore. “... the Bear is represented by the four stars in the bowl of what we call the Dipper. Behind are seven hunters who are pursuing her. Close beside the second hunter is a little star. It is the pot which he is carrying, so that, when the bear is killed, he may cook the meat therein. Just above these hunters a group of smaller stars form a pocket-like figure - the den whence the bear has issued.

Late in spring, the bear waking from her long winter sleep, leaves her rocky hillside den and descends to the ground in search of food. Instantly the sharp-eyed chickadee perceives her, and, being too small to undertake the pursuit alone, calls the other hunters to his aid.

Together the seven start after the bear, the chickadee with his pot being placed between two of the larger birds so that he may not lose his way. All the hunters are hungry for meat after the short rations of winter and so they pursue eagerly, but throughout the summer the bear flees across the northern horizon and the pursuit continues. In the autumn, one by one, the hunters in the rear begin to lose their trail. First of all the two owls, heavier and clumsier of wing than the other birds, disappear from the chase. But you must not laugh when you hear how Kōpkéch, the smaller owl, failed to secure a share of the In the Musquakie and Iroquois versions of the origin of these bear meat, and you must not imitate his rasping cry, for if you stars three hunters flush a bear from its den and give chase. disregard either warning, be sure that wherever you are, as At times they run North, East and West in order to head off soon as you are asleep he will descend from the sky with a the bear and so intent on the hunt are they that they do not birch bark torch and set fire to whatever clothing covers you. notice that the bear has led them up into the sky until there is Next the blue jay and the pigeon also lose the trail and drop no way back. There they must continue a perpetual pursuit, out of the chase. This leaves only the robin, the chickadee, for their constellation never sets all year round. The second and the moose bird, but they continue the pursuit, and at last, hunter has alongside him a small dog called Holdtight – these about mid-autumn, they overtake their prey. are the double stars we may know as Alcor and Mizar. There is more to this tale that links it to the revolving wheel of the Brought to bay, the bear rears up on her hind feet and year. However, a more complete and detailed variation of prepares to defend herself, but the robin pierces her with an the story comes from the Micmac tribe of Nova Scotia/New arrow and she falls over upon her back. The robin being Brunswick, Quebec, Newfoundland, and Maine areas on the himself very thin at this season is intensely eager to eat some eastern seaboard of Canada and the United States. The hunt- of the bear's fat as soon as possible. In his haste he leaps upon ers in this story are birds and although depicted as such, they his victim, and becomes covered with blood. Flying to a have human attributes and very likely changed into human maple-tree near at hand in the land of the sky, he tries to form. This was possible at one time in the distant past before shake off this blood. He succeeds in getting all off save a spot humans and animals became fixed, and the characters they upon his breast. " That spot," says the garrulous chickadee, present are still shared by the birds as we see them today. "you will carry as long as your name is robin." But the blood They are; the American Robin - Turdus migratorius, a cousin which he does shake off spatters far and wide over the forests

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THE NEVER-ENDING CHASE

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of earth below, and hence we see each autumn the blood-red tints on the foliage; it is reddest on the maples, because trees on earth follow the appearance of the trees in the sky, and the sky maple received most of the blood. The sky is just the same as the earth, only up above, and older.

Some time after these things happened to the robin, the chickadee arrived on the scene. These two birds cut up the bear, built a fire, and placed some of the meat over it to cook. Just as they were about to begin to eat, the moose bird put in his appearance. He had almost lost the trail, but when he regained it he had not hurried, because he knew that it would take his companions some time to cook the meat after the bear was slain, and he did not mind missing that part of the affair so long as he arrived in time for a full share of the food. Indeed, he was so impressed with the advantages of this policy, that ever since then he has ceased to hunt for himself, preferring to follow after hunters and share their spoils.

And so, whenever a bear or a moose or other animal is killed to-day in the woods of Megumaage, Micmac Land, you will see him appear to demand his share. That is why the other birds named him Mikchagogwech, He-who-comes-in-at-the-lastmoment, and the Micmacs say there are some men who ought to be called that too. However that may be, the robin -and chickadee, being generous, willingly shared their food with the

moose bird. Before they ate, the robin and moose bird danced around the fire (neskouadijik), while the chickadee stirred the pot. Such was the custom in the good old times, when Micmacs were brothers all to all and felt it a duty to share their food together, and to thank each other and the Universal Spirit for their present happiness.

But this does not end the story of the bear, though one might think so. Through the winter her skeleton lies upon its back in the sky, but her life-spirit has entered another bear who also lies upon her back in the den, invisible, and sleeping the winter sleep. When the spring comes around again, this bear will again issue forth from the den to be again pursued by the hunters, to be again slain, but again to send to the den her life-spirit, to issue forth yet again, when the sun once more awakens the sleeping earth. And so the drama keeps on eternally. And so it is, the Micmacs say, that when a bear lies on her back within her den she is invisible even to those who might enter that den. Only a hunter gifted with great magic power could perceive her then.�

The story accounts for the characteristics of a whole host of creatures, including the bear, which was regarded widely as a mystical being akin to humans, as well as relating the changing of the seasons on Earth to the shifting patterns in the sky. Both things are directly related to the Earthâ€&#x;s annual orbit around the Sun, and in a way, could not be more truthful or more poetical.

Winter

The bear lays on its back, dead. Inside the den, which has reappeared, is an invisible bear of the new year.

Spring

Autumn

The hunters chase the bear along the northern horizon. As the season progresses some fall behind.

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The bear rears up to defend itself. Only three hunters remain in the chase. Later in the night it falls over, slain by the hunters.

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Illustrations Š S.Kirk

The North Star

STAR LORE

The bear wakes from hibernation and climbs down out of her den. The hunters pursue her.

Bushcraft Magazine

Hand craft a knife As some of you may know, I am a custom knife maker and have been so since 1997.

Whilst I am constantly learning new skills and techniques to make a better product – I hope I never stop learning – I still look back on my initial methods and tools (or lack of) and my early knives, with fondness. The journey along

10cm). Handle shapes and sizes should also reflect your hand. Complex shapes only lead to frustration in construction and blisters in use. Do a few drawings to get ideas and when you've settled on one, do your best 1:1 scale drawing on card so you can cut it out to use as a marking out template.

Do your best 1:1 scale drawing .

this road has been so much fun and full of so many proud moments when I have created something that was a beautiful and serviceable tool; even more so when there is more personal input into my creation than mechanical.

Skills apart, the popularity in bushcraft and greenwood crafts these days has made various materials, tools and useful parcels of information widely available on the internet. This makes starting out or just having a go even easier. Depending on your budget you could go straight out and buy a specific knife grinding linisher, a temperature controlled kiln and a variety of tools and materials that would give you the possibility of creating a wonderful knife, but that wouldn't give as much sense of achievement as crafting your own blade by hand. Nor would it give you the understanding of your craft or start you on the journey to improvement.

Blade as long as the width of your palm.

Handle shapes and sizes should also reflect your hand.

With that in mind I plan to help you along the way of making a useable and good-looking bushcraft style knife by hand with rudimentary tools just as I did with Now the tools and materials need to be collected. the very first Bison Bushcraft Knife.

The O1( Oil hardening 1% carbon) tool steel is sold The knife that we'll make will have a full tang; that is a online in various places and is often referred to as gauge plate. Make sure you get a piece that is thick knife where you can see the blade metal all around the middle of the handle like a sandwich. It will be of and wide enough to accommodate your design. You'll need a length of brass tube from a modelling supplies simple high carbon tool steel. The handle will be of wood for this article, but you can choose any suitable company for a thong tube and two brass loveless screws/bolts available from knife making suppliers material for your project. online.

We'll use some of the fittings now widely available The glue should be a quality two pack type such as such as the handle fitting screws. I made all my own araldite and some thinners or nail varnish remover to one at a time for years before I finally found where I clear off the excess is always useful. could buy them in The USA.

The

PREPARATION The first task is to make a plan. Decide on the blade shape you'd like. Don't get carried away with size and thickness, remember the Mora clipper/companion knives are only just under 2mm thick and work just fine. I prefer 3mm for most knives. Also it is worth remembering that a usable blade only needs to be as long as the width of the palm of your hand (average 9-

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The handle scales can be made from any hard wood of your choice, but it must be dry and well seasoned.

There are stabilised woods available for the job. These are just what they say, very stable, as they've been injected with resin. It is your choice what you choose.

I've always preferred non-stabilised as it has more life to it, especially if this is to be a truly hand crafted project.

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at home

Part One

Roger Harrington

MARKING OUT AND CUTTING OUT/PROFILING To mark out your profile on the steel first clean any grease or oil off of the steel with thinners and using a permanent marker or pencil draw around your profile.

Don't lay it in the middle, use existing straight edges on the outside edges of the plate to minimise any cutting you have to do. Then, it is hacksaw time. Cut around the profile with the saw, making sure you use straight even cuts with the saw and do use all the saw blade when cutting. It'll not be perfectly aligned with your template, most likely far from it. This is when you take the file to it.

When you are happy with the shape... mark and drill the holes...

for your screws and lanyard tube.

When you are happy with the shape you can mark and drill the holes suitable for your screws and lanyard tube. I find it makes a stronger knife if you don't oversize the holes. They should be in the right location and the right size. I always countersink the holes slightly to remove burrs and prevent possible cracking on heat treatment. If you don't have a metal cutting countersink bit, use a larger drill bit in each hole; remember to do both sides.

Cut around the profile with the saw,

Then take the file to it.

Remember a file only cuts in one direction, forwards,

Decide on your preferred edge angle, let us say 30 degrees. A triangle has 180 degrees in total so the other two angles needed are 180 minus 30, divided by 2, which equals 75 degrees. Now using your ruler, draw on a sheet of paper a horizontal line 3 cm long (or 4 if your steel is 4mm, etc.). Now, using the protractor, mark a 75 degree angle on top and at each end of that line pointing inwards. Draw these lines upwards until they cross. Check that angle is 30 degrees. Now measure down from the point to the horizontal line

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The

Mark out your profile on the steel.

MARKING OUT AND GRINDING THE BEVELS Marking out where to put the lines for the bevel involves some simple trigonometry.

TRADITIONAL SKILLS

The tools for the job could be a very long list as just like so don't rub the file back and forwards. Filing forward kit and toys, you can never have enough! only will prolong the life of the file. It is more productive to file along the edges rather than across, I'd suggest that your main priority is a good vice to hold be patient and try to keep the edges flat and at 90 the work firmly. This doesn't only make for a better degrees to the sides. job, it makes for a safer job. Measuring and marking tools including a protractor are useful, these can be just a fine ruler and sharp pencil. You'll also need good files (fine and coarse); a reasonably coarse, flat bench oilstone; a metal cutting hacksaw, a power drill of some sort (with drill bits relative to your tube and bolts); various grits of sandpaper from coarse to fine and most of all PATIENCE!

Bushcraft Magazine

vertically. Whatever your answer is in cm is the height of your bevel line in mm.

6 units approx.

30°

75°

surplus metal and stay within the lines previously marked.

Use long strokes of the file up the blade and not just across. When you think you have got to as near as you can move on to using a course sharpening stone. It will be reasonably easy as the blade won't be hard yet. Get the blade as perfectly sharpened as you can with first the coarse and then a medium stone. Take this opportunity to tidy the riccasso, that is the handle end of the blade. Make sure it is symmetrical, balanced and central. The more you do at this stage, the easier it will be post heat treatment.

75°

3 units

You can use an old set of compasses, the ones you used at school to draw a circle and have rarely used since, to mark the line. Set the lead or pencil slightly shorter than the point so they look odd-legged. Set the gap between the two to your bevel height in millimetres and holding the side of the point against the edge, run the pencil up the side of the blade. This should give you a line to file to.

Holding the side of the point against the edge, run the pencil up the side of the blade.

To mark a centre line on the edge use the same process .

Take this opportunity to tidy the riccasso.

POLISHING If you want to at this stage, you could polish out the grind marks in the steel as it comes from the factory; to leave them will have no adverse affect on the knife and does add a certain rustic charm. However if you are working towards a show piece, you'll need to polish them out. You'll need medium grit wet and dry sanding paper around 150-200 grit to start with. Pin the knife flat side down to a bit of flat wood as shown. Now wrap a piece of the wet and dry around a flat file, wet it with thin oil ( such as WD40) and use this to polish backwards and forwards, up and down the blade area that will be visible after the handle scales are fitted. Keep going until you have got all the factory grinding marks out of both sides.

You need to file away the surplus metal.

To mark a centre line on the edge use the same process using half the thickness as your measurement. Mark it out from both sides and it'll give you the centre line.

The

Now to grind the bevel. Again, be patient, take your time and keep checking your work. You need to file away the

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Polish backwards and forwards, up and down the blade area .

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HEAT TREATMENT With a blade that now looks almost finished we now have to look at heat treatment, as the steel in it's current form is too soft. Heat treatment or hardening and tempering are needed to make a useable blade that will hold an edge. There are two stages to complete here, one hardens the steel to a point where it is very hard and brittle – in fact if you dropped it at this stage it may shatter! The next (tempering) slightly softens it to a working and useable edge.

Heat treatment instructions on the steel.

For tempering you then need to heat it to 200 degrees Celsius and hold it there for two hours, (this is possible in a domestic kitchen oven) take it out carefully with pliers, it will be hot! And run it under the cold tap straight away. This gives you the desired level of strength, ductility and hardness. If using a forge you need to clean off the scale and heat it until it is an even light straw colour all over and then quench in water.

There are heat treatment companies out there who will help at a cost but you may try local engineering firms or blacksmiths. Ask for around 59 Rockwell C scale.

MORE CLEANING AND POLISHING After heat treatment you'll find your blade is pretty black and sooty. Clean it up first with a nylon kitchen scourer (e.g. Scotchbrite) and then repeat the steps mentioned above to sharpen the edge with a grinding stone and clean the flats with wet and dry. You can take the levels of shine upwards by gradually increasing the grit range of the wet and dry if you wish. You'll be pleased you did the groundwork pre heat treat as this is a lot harder now. Make sure to clean up all the flats up under where the handle goes too. All that black carbon type soot needs to go as the glue will not bond with the steel through it.

The blade was placed in the kiln standing on its back supported by wire.

vertically, tip first.

To harden a carbon steel blade it needs to be raised to around 800 degrees Celsius and then quickly quenched in oil. Not possible with a domestic oven!

You could build a forge and heat it to bright cherry red and then quench vertically in oil.

For the purposes of this knife I have hardened this knife blade using my workshop kiln. It is a small enamelling kiln capable of reaching temperatures in excess of 1050 degrees Celsius. The blade was placed in the kiln standing on its back supported by wire.

This prevents the warping that may occur if laid on its side. Once the desired temperature was achieved I quickly removed the blade from the kiln and quenched it in oil by plunging it in vertically, tip first, this also prevents warping.

Clean it up first with a nylon kitchen scourer.

Sharpen the edge with a grinding stone.

Clean the flats with wet and dry.

Next: HANDLE SCALES Roger shows you how to handle your knife in part two. Ed. www.bisonbushcraft.co.uk

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Quickly quenched it in oil...

Bushcraft Magazine

Creamy Ramsons Mash

The

Wild and Rich Venison Stew Bushcraft Magazine

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Venison is such a fantastic treat that if you're lucky enough to have a good sized cut or a joint to cook with, whether fresh or frozen, it's well worth going that extra mile to really do it justice and I personally think you won't go far wrong if you try this rich and deliciously deeply flavoured stew with its side garnish of soft, caramelised onions.

I admit that it might require a little extra patience, planning and effort to prepare but this is by far my favourite way to serve it - honestly, the gravy alone is mouth wateringly sumptuous, glossy and dark and the whole meal becomes even more special if you go full on seasonal 'wild' and add a generous helping of really creamy garlicky Ramsons mash, and some freshly picked buttered nettle tips. I promise you, there won't be any leftovers.

Buttered Nettle Tips

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The

Caramelised Onion Garnish

Bushcraft Magazine

Photos courtesy Steve â€&#x;Mesquiteâ€&#x; Harral

Wild and Rich Venison Stew* with Creamy Ramsons Mash, Caramelised Onions and Buttered Nettle Tips 2 medium sized onions 2 medium sized carrots 1 small swede 1 kilo venison 2 sprigs Rosemary (or 2 sprigs of Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) or Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) 1 bay leaf 1 small knob of butter (approx 10g) 1 clove of garlic (A handful of chopped Ramsons leaves (Allium ursinum) may be substituted, but add them in at the end as they can quickly lose the potency of their flavour with cooking)

*(The original inspiration for this was a Delia Smith recipe, but I have tweaked it quite a bit and added some tasty wild extras)

300ml stout 150ml Ruby Port Salt and pepper to season A little flour to thicken if required (approx 1 level dessertspoon) 500ml of good venison stock (you may substitute something such as a beef stock if you do not have venison but make sure it is of good quality and not just a cube) If, like me, you are lucky enough to have access to the bones and other trimmings from your venison then put it all to good use by placing everything in a stock pot and adding approx 1 litre of water. Cover the pan and set it over a medium heat and leave it to simmer for as long as possible (at least an hour). Taking the time to do this will provide you with a really good rich stock for your stew.

Buttered nettle tips.

While the stock is simmering, measure out the stout into a large jug and add the Ruby Port to it.

Clean and cube the venison, then place it in a large securely lidded container along with the bruised fresh bay leaf and rosemary sprigs (or other wild herbs).

Pour over the blended port/stout mixture, and stir everything together well. Seal the container and place in a cool place/refrigerator overnight so that the marinade has time to develop.

The next day, drain off the meat (reserving the liquid).

Heat a little oil in a large heavy frying pan and flash fry the venison on all surfaces to seal it. Then place the seared venison pieces in an oiled cast iron casserole to rest and cover with the lid while you prepare the rest of the dish.

The

Peel and quarter the onions then coarsely chop them. Peel or scrape the carrots and cut them into chunks. Peel the

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A generous helping.

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swede and cut it into chunks also (try to make sure that the vegetable pieces are all of a similar size).

Re-oil the pan you used for the venison, then add the carrot and swede pieces. Cook them over a medium heat until they just begin to soften (if you are cooking over a camp fire this will require you to watch your pan very carefully and to remove it from the embers immediately if things look like they are getting too hot), then add the onions and crushed garlic clove then continue cooking until they have just begun to turn golden on the outside. Take care not to let the vegetables catch or burn.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the casserole dish along with the venison.

Remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool significantly.

Once it is cool enough to slowly melt the knob of butter when placed in it without it bubbling or burning, gently work the flour into this - but make sure that your pan is not still too hot, or the flour will clog into a rubbery lump.

Once all of the flour has been absorbed into the butter/oil in the pan, return it to a low heat and gently trickle in a little of the marinade juices, stirring continuously so that you begin to form a nice consistency of gravy. Make sure that you scrape up all of the remains of meat juices etc., from the pan as you do this.

Cook until the gravy begins to look slightly glossy. Do not let it boil dry.

Allow two medium to large floury potatoes per person. Peel and quarter them, placing the pieces into a large pan of water. When you have enough portions prepared, place the lid on the pan and set it over a medium to high heat and cook until the potatoes are just soft.

Meantime, take two generous handfuls of washed Ramsons leaves and roll them into a tight bundle. Using some clean scissors, snip the leaves into fine shreds over a bowl. Set these aside.

While you wait for the potatoes to cook, you may also prepare the nettle tips and the caramelised onions. Allow approx 1 generous handful of young soft nettle tips for each portion. Wash them carefully to remove any grit and/or debris. Fill a small pan about halfway with water and bring it to a rolling simmer.

Using a pair of tongs, quickly dip small bunches of nettle tips into the water. Hold them there until they turn bright green and then quickly withdraw them. You want them to be warm and al-dente and the best test is to snip off a small piece of stalk and nibble it to see if it's at just the right point.

If you over cook, the nettles will become grey-green and unappetising. Get it right though, and they have a slight crunch and a very pleasing light, almost 'green', nutty flavour. Once you are happy with the degree of cooking, place the finished nettle tips into a bowl with a lid over them to keep the heat in. Add a generous knob of butter and a small amount of salt and freshly ground pepper.

Pour the remainder of the marinade liquid (including the bay leaf and herbs) directly into the gravy and then gradually add the To make the caramelised onion garnish for this dish, you will venison and vegetable mixture. Gently stir everything together to need between one and two medium sized red onions. Peel, halve make sure that it is well blended and check for seasoning. and then thinly slice them. Put a little oil into a pan setting it over a medium to high heat, and add the onions, stirring Cover the casserole and cook (either over your camp fire or in a continuously. Cook them until they begin to become transparent, conventional oven) for at least an hour, or until the meat has then golden, and finally just a tiny bit darkened. Add a generous become meltingly soft and tender. pinch of sugar, plus another smaller one of salt, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. Lower the heat a little and continue to cook, Again, if you are cooking over a fire, check periodically to make until the onions have begun to caramelise and the balsamic/ sure that there is enough fluid in the pan, and that nothing is sugar/salt mixture has begun to thicken. As soon as the onions sticking or burning. have reached the desired point of caramelisation, place them in a small serving bowl and cover it with a lid.

Serve the stew with a generous helping of creamy buttered mashed potatoes flavoured with very finely chopped Ramsons You may now finish making the mash. Drain the potatoes (you leaves, some caramelised onions and a helping of buttered nettle can discard the cooking water or add it to the stew if you're feeltips (see below). ing frugal, just don't overload it with too much liquid it or it will become watery and spoil the end result. You are aiming for a nice, thickish, slightly glossy gravy).

Creamy Ramsons Mash, Caramelised Onion

Garnish & Buttered Nettle Tips Two medium/large floury potatoes per head Two generous handfuls of Ramsons 1 generous handful of fresh young nettle tips per head 1 or 2 medium sized red onions.

Sugar

Mash them thoroughly, beating the mixture a little and adding in butter until it reaches a smooth and nicely creamy consistency.

Season to your preference, and then stir in the shredded Ramsons. Make sure that they are thoroughly blended throughout.

Serve generous helpings of all three piping hot alongside your venison stew.

Salt and pepper A tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar

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The

A block of butter

Bushcraft Magazine

To Make a Leather Axe Mask

Photos© Paul Bradley

Paul Bradley

For our March 2014 ‘Monthly Challenge’ on Facebook, Paul Bradley, a.k.a. Bardster, gave a mini-tutorial on how to make an axe mask – live! Paul posted each stage as it was completed, in real time. Here is the stylish result and the transcript.

“I am going to show you how I make a mask for an axe. So for this we are going to need a knife, some thick leather and some basic tools. Also an axe. There are various styles of axe mask we could make; my personal favourite is the style as used on the green mask. I have been asked to make a replacement mask for the Husqvarna axe in the style of the Gransfors axe so that's what we will do.

Next stage is to draw round your axe and establish a pattern. Take into account the thickness of the top of the axe.

If you are using thin card, like a cereal box, you can test fit your pattern around the axe. Looks good from here. Now to transfer the pattern to some leather and cut it out, as well as the welt to protect the stitching.

The

Leather now cut out and I am going to dye it at this stage as I find it easier than when all sewn together.

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The dye I use is Eco-flo professional water stain. It goes on easy and contains oils and waxes so leaves a nice finish on the leather and doesn't dry it out. I find the coverage a lot easier and more even than with the alcohol based dyes. I even prefer them to the oil based ones. If you don't have access to leather dyes, coloured shoe Polish will do an excellent job. For this project I have used Bordeaux with about 30% medium brown to get the colour I want.

Now that dye has dried, I have glued in the welt and added the strap and Sam Browne post. I have also burnished the exposed edges. Time for a test fit. Had to trim a little off the bottom of the welt but now fits perfectly. We could at this stage use rivets, either modern or copper, to fix it all together, but for this one I am going to sew two lines of stitches.

And the other way to mark the stitch distances. Once the stitches have been marked, you can either use an awl to make the holes or 1mm bit in a drill bit works very satisfactorily.

See you when I've sewn this up!

Having finished the sewing, it's a cleanup of all the edges by sanding them smooth and burnishing them.

Mark the length of the strap and make the hole for the stud. Give it a polish with a waterproof wax, I use sno-proof and it's ready to go.

DO IT YOURSELF

Yes I could use all my leather working tools to mark where I want the stitches, but what if I haven't got those sorts of tools? All hail the humble fork! Tines to mark distance from the edge.

And the last thing.... Don't forget your makers mark! This is my mini wild boar that I use when there isn't room for my full stamp.�

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Look out for more monthly challenges of our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/TheBushcraftMagazine

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Fancy a cup of Krauter Tee? Katy Runacres Combining and storing homemade herb teas Collect the herbs needed and dry them in the sun or a conventional fruit dryer. Chop them as fine as possible for use in a tea mixture. Mix in the quantities and stir. Store in a dry glass jar or Kilner I have been living in Adelboden, a small town situated in the bottle. As long as all elements in the mountains of the Berner Oberland Canton for over a year mix are completely dry then it will now, working as both a cook and a writer, whilst my partner keep for months in the store cupis a grounds man, locally. I take an interest in plants, board. When you want to make the foraging and landscapes and have noticed the regular use of tea just add 1 teaspoon of your herbal herbal teas in the area by families, restaurants and cafés. tea to a mug, pour in hot water and let it infuse for 5-8 minutes. Drink and The herbs are collected in July or August, then dried to feel the effects. store. Many local farmers and neighbours of ours use a selection of these herbs to produce teas, known in Swiss You can make herbal tea in your local area by researching German as Krauter Tee. Each herb for the mixture is chosen and sourcing local herbs and combining them to create good for its beneficial effects on the body and overall health. herbal teas. Making them specific for the purpose you reHerbs and wild flowers can help relieve stress, reduce quire is key. For instance, I have a Swiss Herbal tea to help swelling and calm sore throats. Everyone locally is aware of me sleep. It is Guet-Nacht Tee (translates to “ Good-night the health aspects of Alpine herbs and flowers and there is a tea”) and contains plants that reduce stress levels and calm holistic focus on how they help to improve a person’s health you. It includes elements such as lavender, Verbena, lemon and temperament.

Melissa and rose petals.

Photos© Katy Runacres

You can source a variety of herbs from most landscapes. I am lucky enough to live in Switzerland, surrounded by mountains. Here we have a plentiful supply of wild herbs and flowers growing in the high pastures of the Alps.

Here is a simple Alpine Herbal Tea mixture (Alpler Krauter Tee) Lady’s Mantle

Kidney Vetch Wild Thyme

One third of Alpine Lady’s Mantle – Alchemilla alpina. This plant has yellow flowers and is very hardy. It is said to have healing properties and help wounds to recover. It is found in British mountains, too. Common Lady’s Mantle (the Lady is the Virgin Mary) – A. vulgaris, which has similar virtues, is also found throughout Britain but is commoner on higher ground and in the North.

One third of Kidney Vetch – Anthyllis vulneraria. This member of the Pea family also has yellow flowers and is commonly known as ‘wound healer’. It is common on sea cliffs in Britain.

One third of Thymus (Acinos) alpinus – Rock Thyme. The plant produces purple Photos© S. Kirk flowers. It is known to have properties to reduce fever and high temperatures and also to calm the effects of shock. That being said, it soothes the nerves too, so good when stressed. Thyme is a useful herb to have; it also acts as a natural disinfectant and anti-inflammatory. It is provides a suitable drink when you are ill as it is supposed to revitalise you and gives relief from coughs and sore throats. Wild Thyme – Thymus serpyllum, or even garden thyme would make a good substitute in the UK.

Overall, there are many different herbs and alpine flowers which you can use to create effective herbal teas. I am lucky enough to have access to Alpine Herbal tea but there are many equivalent herbs that can be found not so high above sea level. So decide what properties you want from your tea – for instance, is it to reduce stress or to soothe a sore throat? Then seek out the herbs which are known for those particular properties. Then try a mixture and over time you can modify it to improve quantities and flavour.

WORLD OF KNOWLEDGE

Traditionally herbal medicine has been used by pharmacists in Switzerland for centuries. They have continued to use them for their great properties and benefits, even today. As part of their training Swiss chemists have to study herbal medicine as well as the more modern pharmaceutical methods. Famous Swiss companies such as Ricola still rely on the herbal benefits of Alpine herbs to create their sweets and medical lozenges.

Making an antler handle for my firesteel Rowan Harrington age 9

First, I smashed off the old handle with a hammer. I wore goggles to stop bits of handle hitting my eyes.

Then I cut the antler handle to size.

The

Photos courtesy R. Harrington

I sanded off the ends and edges of the antler to make them smooth.

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I drilled a hole in the end the same size as the firesteel and one in the side for the cord.

I put some glue on the end of the firesteel and hammered it in with a piece of wood on it to stop it breaking.

I put the cord and striker back on and here it is.

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How To Make a Delicious Dandelion Syrup Phil Ireland The humble dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is one of my favourite foraged plants. It’s many uses, such as wine and beer, salads, pot herb and a coffee substitute as well as it’s uses medicinally have been discussed in previous issues (see TBM Volume 6 Number 1, Spring 2010), for example.

Easily identified by novices and vilified by gardeners it is uncontroversial to harvest. A recent recipe discovered by my wife in Maria Treben’s book, Health Through Gods Pharmacy sounded worthy of experiment, and a little too good to be true.

The recipe calls for two large handfuls of dandelion flowers, (but I have equated this to a litre and a half of loosely packed blossoms) ideally on a warm still day. Remove any green bits as these are bitter, but try to avoid shaking out any pollen. Immerse in one litre of cold water, in a stainless or enamel pan, bring briefly to the boil and leave overnight to steep. Strain and press to release the juice, discard the petals and add one kilogram of white sugar and the juice of half a lemon. Place in a bain marie or double boiler and reduce down to a thick flowing syrup.

Whilst this is happening you should notice an amazing aroma of honey. Bottle in a sealed jar, by which time you may have noticed that the rich honey smell has reduced. Fear not! Once it has cooled, store in the fridge and over the next few days the rich honey fragrance should have returned and the flavour improves over time.

This rich honey substitute contains health giving flavonoids, which have good antioxidant benefits, and is suitable for vegans. It behaves just as normal honey in that it crystallises in the fridge, but is easy to revive in a warm kitchen if you prefer your honey runny.

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The

The keeping qualities are unlikely to match the alleged 2,000 year shelf life of honey, but my jars have been in the fridge for over 9 months and are still excellent.

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„Welly Wednesday‟

Lloyd Hooper

Do you know when you agree to something and then think.. "Oh dear ! "

“Apple..?”

And then for a very short moment, it all seemed worth it.

“Well if we walk to my garden you will see one of those” “Oak?”

“Does anyone know this tree? Well, its a sycamore.”

(Do you know when you have something planned in your mind – what you are going to say, like the history and uses of the tree and then think you are going to waste your time?) “Well, lets just go for a walk” I did find out from one child his parents marital status; then I was asked if my bad leg was because I smoked !..

A few attempts at pointing out a few trees but I was doing the whatever you shouldn‟t do into the wind!

Mind you they did like the beech tree because they had been studying “sand beneath your toes !” in another lesson.

Photos courtesy L. Hooper

"YES! Well done! We can see if we can find an oak tree.”

The Last Word

I think my ace card had worked; there was a buzz of excitement. Part of my plan was to show them the birds which had nested in the letter box on our front gate. (I Well the local primary school have a „Welly Wednesday‟ know that sounds posh but our old dog used to bite the where they go out for a walk having a look at nature and postman and if we were to have mail delivered, we had a bit of outside teaching. Well, I got "lured in" to join in to make „suitable arrangements‟.) and have a little chat about trees. Now there is a lovely little walk close to the school leading to the playing So the teacher clapped her hands, pointed to her eyes, fields, along which I have counted thirteen species of then her ears and said “Stop, look and listen,” which they trees, plenty to talk about, I thought. all repeated and sat down on the kerbside. I thought, “I wish I had known that one at the start of the walk!”

Well there I was waiting for them on the footbridge, when all of a sudden I could hear them an awful long “What birds are they?” the teacher asked. “Great Tits”, I time before I could see them: another "Oh dear" replied, with not a snigger from anyone. (Not like a few years ago when I was in an evening class „Painting for So after a brief introduction of their „Special guest‟, I Beginners‟. I had just completed my effort, when the asked the first question; “What do you know about Spanish teacher from another class came in. Being from trees?”

Madrid and Spanish being her first language, she looked at my painting and asked “Weet bird issit ?” “A Great “They are big... They are green...”

Tit,” I replied. “Teet, teet.” and she put her hand on her ample bosom, repeating “Teet,teet.”So I replied; “Sorry, “Can anyone name any trees?” it‟s not a compliment, it‟s the name of the bird”, when there was a cough and a splutter and an old man nearly “Banana... Coconut...” fell off his chair crying with laughter.) Sorry, I digressed there.

“Good answers but I don`t think we will be seeing any of those on our walk.”

So, two by two the children filed in, stood on a milk crate and peered in. There were lots of “Oohs” and “Aahs” as “Palm tree!” they looked in at the chicks, which had hatched that very morning, then a couple of them looked in and their jaws “Oh dear!” dropped with amazement.

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The

Then finally, the end of the path and I asked the question “Who lives in trees?” After a variety of answers we finally got to birds. “Now would anyone like to see a bird‟s nest? “

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