I originally wrote this article on coppicing for the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL ) Bushcraft Special Interest Group (BSIG) newsletter which came out in February 2015. Based in the south east of England, our woodland was badly damaged by the hurricane in 1987. Whilst many mature beech, ash, sweet chestnut and oak were unscathed, large parts […]
I originally wrote this article on late summer tinders for the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL ) Bushcraft Special Interest Group (BSIG) newsletter which came out in October 2014. When I’m teaching fire lighting I tell this really bad joke –“I’ve got tinder constipation; I can’t pass a birch!” I hope that it will help people get into […]
Here we are in mid-February and the cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) is growing profusely in the hedgerows of Kent. Also known as ‘wild chervil’ it makes a great soup when young. A word of warning however, at this time of year cow parsley could be mistaken for hemlock (Conium maculatum), which is highly poisonous. All parts of hemlock […]
