Our location for this camp was very different, hosted in one of a number of fields, but with our own camp space on the field boundary beside a small river and away from other campers. The weather was incredibly hot, but thankfully Lizzy had brought a group camp tent which we could use to shelter from the sun whilst learning all manner of things ÔÇ£bushcraftÔÇØ. She also brought a fire pit so we could enjoy chatting around a communal fire in the evening (which did get surprisingly cooler) though people also spent much of their ÔÇÿown timeÔÇÖ quietly enjoying their own little camp space. Steve and Lizzy definitely landed on their feet at this camp though, as some of our members gave them full cooked meals each evening, a real unexpected treat!
Again, as an intro to the weekend, Steve started with a short talk before handing over to Lizzy who took us through the rest of the learning experiences planned for the weekend. These included:
Making a basket from willow and a wooden base. A very creative activity which gave plenty of time for telling stories and general chat. All the participants also ended up with their own baskets to take home!
Of course, we had to have a go at bow drill fire making! After this, though, Lizzy also introduced us to a fascinating range of other fire lighting methods which used a variety of ÔÇÿsourcesÔÇÖ including sunlight, pressure and friction.
On the second day our lunch was enhanced by ingredients from a foraging session. We found we didnÔÇÖt have to walk too far (luckily, as it really was very hot!) to find a wide range of materials, foods and other goodies in the hedgerows, field edge and stream side. We collected some of these (with the ownerÔÇÖs permission) from which we made our own balm and cooked up some foraged treats.
In between activities, Lizzy also shared lots of fascinating stories from her work and travels in the UK, as well as overseas. This gave lots of opportunity to impart more of her wide breadth of knowledge on bushcraft and related things.
Both events that weÔÇÖve held, so far, have enjoyed lots of positive feedback from the members who attended. The gentle approach was very popular, enabling people to learn whilst not having to attend a formal training course, and with lots of time to socialise in between.
We are really looking forward to continuing to develop these camps and giving more opportunities for members to get out, enjoying nature together and having new experiences.