Woodcraft, woodslore, wilderness skills or bushcraft are all names for a skill set that involves being able to be use materials gathered off the landscape for emergency/survival purposes, simple comfort or enhancement of outdoor activities.

 

These skills range from land navigation, fire craft, knots, tool use and craft, shelter craft, food gathering and preparation to plant and animal identification. Some of the traditional methods are destructive in nature and cannot be practiced in our modern world due to changes in land use laws, modern understanding of environmental impact or out of respect for the woods. Also, the backpackers’ mantra of, “Leave no trace” is also an inspiration.

 

Sheltercraft is very important, whether from a comfort level or a full-blown survival situation. Shelter is what protects us from environmental extremes, keeping warm or cool and most importantly, dry. Cutting down a ton of trees can be a high-impact and destructive process. In the case of public lands, this practice is illegal.

 

For a much lower-impact way to approach shelter, simply take a tarp on forays into the forest, from a simple six-by-seven-foot day trip tarp to a 10-by-10-foot camping tarp. With a little knowledge and some cordage, an effective shelter can be made for all reasons or seasons, whether for an emergency or simply for comfort. When we're done, simply unpitch the shelter and take it with us. Thus it’s sustainable.

 

As for emergency debris shelters, they are low-impact because they use debris and not logs, but the tarp alternative is still superior. It takes hours to build an effective weatherproof and insulating shelter, while a tarp can be deployed quickly, making it much better in a survival situation.

 

Firecraft can have the highest impact as far as resources consumed and the potential for sheer destruction if not handled properly. When we're going to make a fire, the first thing to consider is location. Be sure to look around and also up above. For example, don’t make a fire beneath an old, dry, dead tree. Use existing fire rings in the forest if possible.

 

As for firewood, gather only what we need. If using tools to gather wood, be sure to take already laying dead trees. If we must drop a standing dead tree, take any that are slightly larger than a shin; this keeps the larger standing trees available for cavity nesters such as woodpeckers, owls and wood ducks. When done, be sure to put the fire completely out, and if it’s a non-ringed fire, cover it with dirt and replace whatever was moved.

 

Foraging for edible, medicinal or useful trees and plants should also be done sustainably. Many times plants have been wiped out of an area by overzealous foragers. The first key to sustainability while foraging is to think long-term versus short-term. If we take everything now, it won’t be there next year or the following year, or potentially ever again. So keep that in mind when gathering.

 

If we gather leaves, only take a bit from one plant. Most importantly, take only what is needed and harvest only from areas where the plant or tree is common. Avoid foraging the same area from one year to the next. Let the area lay fallow in-between foraging visits, allowing it time to grow back.

 

With fruits and berries, don’t be greedy. Leave some for the wildlife, as they will spread the seeds of the tree or bush throughout the woods, potentially increasing the spots to gather from in the future. Learning the lifecycle of what we're gathering is also important, because if we harvest at certain times we might affect the species’ ability to withstand the harvesting or its ability to spread.

 

Chad Redding learned from woodsmen such as Steve Jennings, Kevin Estela and Tom T.D. Cusack, who learned from Marty Simon, formerly of The Wilderness Learning Center, and Ron Hood. He will be leading several free Walk with a Woodsman events at Sonnewald Natural Foods, in Spring Grove.