BUSHCRAFT

Bushcraft is much more than simple survival.
At WildWise we prefer to think of bushcraft as a means to thrive in the outdoors.
Wherever you may find yourself, whether in the forest, at the coast or on the mountain, bushcraft will teach you to rely more upon the natural resources you find, and less upon what you may be carrying in your bag.
It involves learning and practising the skills and knowledge in a way that respects and understands the need for the natural world to sustain itself.
Most of all, bushcraft is a means to an end, a means to enjoy the business of living in the outdoors whilst pursuing your other interests eg. fishing, camping, hiking etc.

The skills involved in Bushcraft include:
- firecraft, including fire-by-friction
- improvised shelter building
- foraging for wild edible and medicinal plants
- wildlife tracking and hunting
- campfire cookery
- aidless navigation techniques
- finding and making water safe
- the use of cutting tools including knives and saws
- woodcraft and hand carving
- cordage-making from natural materials

Our bushcraft courses and camps are suitable for all abilities - opening the doorway to a fascinating syllabus. They aim to introduce the basic skills necessary to feel at home in the great outdoors, and develop these skills and discover some new ones. Becoming proficient with these skills takes time, energy and practice, which means you are hosted in a comfortable camp setting, rather than in a military boot camp!

So, for all those people who are inspired by Ray Mears on TV, come and experience it for yourself and get a taste of self-reliance within wild nature!

WildWise’s programme includes a diverse selection of Bushcraft events – bushcraft courses for adults, bushcraft and nature awareness camps for kids (8-12yr olds) and teenagers (13-16yr olds) as well as bushcraft camps for families. Our day courses include firecraft workshops, wild food forages, wildlife tracking and our Family Bushcraft day.

WildWise make donations from the proceeds of our bushcraft events to Survival International’s Bushmen Appeal.

The ‘Bushmen’ are the oldest inhabitants of southern Africa. They are hunter-gatherers, who for thousands of years supported themselves in the desert using bushcraft skills. Many Bushmen have been forced off their ancestral land into settlements, and are no longer able to live their hunter-gatherer way of life. Many have faced torture and harassment, and have no land rights at all. Survival International is lobbying for all Bushman peoples across southern Africa, for their right to live as they choose. A few have returned to their land, but many more are desperate to do so.