Ray Mears-We are nature tour

INTERVIEW: RAY MEARS - WE ARE NATURE TOUR

Q: What is the theme of your new show We Are Nature which is touring the UK in the spring?

A: This is a show about rediscovering nature and exploring the true depths of our sensory capacity. It’s about rediscovering ourselves, rediscovering who we are and exploring capabilities which have been passed down to us from our ancestors. leaf, it tasted of apple peel. And I’ve never looked back. That was when I really started to get a kick out of being outdoors. I remember that day also seeing some baby Jays on the ground. So, things connected. The joy of the subject that I’m involved in is that you never stop learning. I’m still learning now.

Q: Can you tell us about your theatre show?

Q: When did you first fall in love with nature?

A: When I was about seven or eight and I started to learn about edible plants. In those days, there was no internet, you couldn’t look on YouTube for information, which was a good thing. So, I went to the library. At first, all the books were very botanical and a bit mysterious to a 7-year-old. me. But then a book came on to the shelves which had photographs in it. I gingerly took that book out into the countryside looking for edible plants, and I came across this plant in the woods called wood sorrel. I took ages to study it before I plucked up the courage to try it, which is how it is if you’ve got no one to teach you apart from a book. But when I finally tried the A: This show is all about thinking and feeling the depth of our ability and turning up the volume of the senses that we normally suppress. Effectively ‘tuning in and turning on’ to nature.

I will be showing how we can reconnect with an evolutionary heritage that stretches right back to the earliest of our ancestors. We have these abilities which are handed down by each generation for most of our species’ history. These skills were essential for survival, and I would argue that they still are. It’s never been more important than to feel, understand and connect to nature than now.

With today’s fast-paced life and the rise of technology, everything is made very easy. When you go to the supermarket for example, you drive there, and you know exactly where to look for the road signs. When you go inside, and you look for a special offer - there’s a bright dayglow star telling you ‘This is a special offer’. But in nature, everything is far more subtle - more cryptic and camouflaged. To see things in nature you must learn to use your senses to find the wildlife that is hiding. Once you start to do this you discover that the whole process is massively rewarding because you are scratching an itch you didn’t know you had.

Even in an urban setting the increased situational awareness that you gain from the things we will be talking about can help to make you safe. Q: What can audiences expect from the show?

Together with the audience we will go on a voyage of discovery of our senses. But it won’t be limited to just that - we will be talking about a lot more – how we can read a landscape, the kind of equipment that we can use to ‘supercharge’ our senses, and how we can use these skills, not only for our own enjoyment and benefit but also to protect wildlife which is such an integral part of the British countryside.

We will look at the extraordinary work that the National Wildlife Crime Unit do in this area, how they protect the environment and how they combat wildlife crime which has increased during lockdown. There is a very good chance that people coming to this show will find their lives forever changed. Q: Many people discovered the beneficial effects of nature during lockdown, didn’t they?

A: Yes. What we saw during lockdown is how important the greenbelt is. What a safety net that was! We don’t want to see people try to build on this land. It is very important that we start to stand up for the things that matter to us that aren’t necessarily immediately obvious.

Q: What do you hope that the COP26 conference about climate change has achieved?

It has outed those big polluting nations that are not yet mature enough to join mayhem at the moment! Pets are wonderful. They are the most amazing companions. In times of difficulty, they are a great distraction, and they are excellent security. They also remind us daily how intelligent other animals are.

I lean towards what Prince Charles said. I think he hit the nail on the head when he said two things are very important. One is that we mistakenly feel that nature is completely at our disposal, and we forget that we are a part of it. As the title of my book suggests, we are nature. We are not lords of it, we are within it and need to act accordingly. Q: You are obviously very busy with your various projects - do you have time for any hobbies?

A: No. I just do what I do. I’ve got very diverse interests. The field of bushcraft is enormous. You’re carving a piece of wood one day, and you’re picking mushrooms and watching birds the next. It’s a wonderful subject that never gets boring.

Q: You obviously have a great love of animals – do you have any of your own?

A: Yes. We have a Labrador, and now we have a Labrador puppy, who is causing Q: What do you hope that audiences take away from “We Are Nature”?

A: I hope that when they leave the theatre, people will start to notice things that they didn’t notice on their way to the theatre. I hope that they slow down just a fraction to take in the information that often gets missed. I think lives will be saved because of alertness, and some of our audience members will also help to protect wildlife from some of the threats that it currently faces. But the most important thing is that they go away and see and feel and most importantly enjoy nature. I don’t think there is a more important skill that I teach than that. It’s a very powerful skill.

Ray Mears, We are Nature, is at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford on Friday 11th March 2022 at 7.30pm