We’ve known for a long time that spending time outdoors is beneficial to mental health. It seems bushcraft can also boost brain power.

Building self-reliance, confidence and self-esteem, bushcraft and spending time outdoors in nature has now proved to be highly successful in boosting GCSE results at one secondary school in London.

Headteacher of Henrietta Barnett School, Oliver Bond: “The more varied activities [students] do, the better they do in exams. If they focus too much on [exams] they underperform.”

92% of exams taken by girls at the school received A* or A grades this year. Their varied activities included mastering bushcraft skills, drama, music and art.

Boost your families mental health and brain power – get outdoors with the very best in bushcraft, camping and outdoor gear from Lakeland Bushcraft.

Read the full story in the London Evening Standard.

Related posts:

1. Best in Bushcraft Awards
2. Being outdoors boosts mental health
3. Welcome to Lakeland Bushcraft Trading

Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group have recently released Charles the red squirrel kitten back into the wild.

We first reported about this back in May after Charles was abandoned when his drey fell to the ground. Since the update in June, Charles has gone from strength to strength.

Volunteer leader of the PDRSG, Sarah McNeil

“I was a bit worried he had become tame and would not survive in the wild. But I spotted him last Friday just two days after his release and he was running and leaping around with six other red squirrels. Later on I saw him again munching on a larch cone!”

Charles is one of only 150,000 red squirrels left in Britain. He was released into the Scots Pine and Larch woodland on the 18,000 acre Lowther Estate in Cumbria.

Sarah: “I am so glad he’s acclimatised to the woodland. I was a bit worried he was tame because he used to scamper all over me. But we got him used to doing things for himself and it seems to have worked out.”

If you want to get involved with helping with Red Squirrel conservation in Cumbria, contact Sarah at the Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group. Or why not try the Allerdale Red Squirrels Group if they’re closer.

Are you involved in nature conservation in your area? Got something to share? Send us an email.

Related posts:

1. Red Squirrel Update

Last November, floods devastated West Cumbria but have inadvertently revealed a major archaeological find.  Work began near Papcastle after the floods unearthed the remains of a major Roman settlement.

Artefacts, including 1700 year old pottery and glassware, have shown experts that the Roman fort on the site was much more extensive than they previously believed. And the good news for you is they need volunteers.

Being outdoors you always try to be aware of your surroundings, but it’s not often you get to know about the history of the area you’re in. So what better opportunity to learn than this.

The team at Bassenthwaite Reflections are looking for your help with the dig at Cockermouth.

Lead archaeologist Mark Graham

“We are unearthing a site of great historical interest. It is showing the Roman presence in Cockermouth was far more extensive than was believed, with the settlement stretching down to the River Derwent. We had no idea any of this was here. This is exciting stuff.”

And according to Mark this could change our perception of Romans in the county.

Bassenthwaite Reflections is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It is looking for volunteers to help with digs on 26 August and 2 September.

Read the full story in the News and Star.

The days have been arranged as Family Archaeological Days and you’ll need to book in advance. So if you’re interested in helping out on this historic dig get in touch on 016973 215 516 or email andy@grampusheritage.co.uk

More details can be found at the Basenthwaite Reflections website:  http://www.bassenthwaite-reflections.co.uk/

No related posts.

Last night’s episode of Dragon’s Den had a surprise in store for two young entrepreneurs.

Letitia Valentine and Alex Lewis from Swansea came up with the concept for the Surviva Jak Heat Reflective Jacket after Letitia developed hypothermia during a cold and wet cycling trip. Finding a foil blanket inadequate for warming Letitia the pair finally made it to the safety of a cafe. And it was here the first kernels of a better solution were realized.

We already know how great the Surviva Jak is after reviewing it on this very blog but the Dragons took some convincing.

Letitia: “Going in front of the Dragons is as terrifying as it looks.”

After four Dragons grilled the pair before declaring themselves “Out” and with Letitia close to tears, it was down to Deborah Meaden to throw them the lifeline they needed to kick start their business expansion.

The Surviva Jak Heat Reflective Jacket allows the wearer to move to safety and perform other life-saving tasks that would be much more difficult using a traditional foil blanket.

Read the Lakeland Bushcraft Surviva Jak review here and here.

Hypothermia can be deadly. The Surviva Jak helps to provide a better solution to effectively deal with hypothermia situations. Be safe, get yours now.

The Surviva Jak Heat Reflective Jacket is on sale in the Lakeland Bushcraft shop at just £9.95.

Related posts:

1. WebTex Surviva-Pure
2. Small cars and hypothermia

wildelycreative gets a bit excited about this year’s Wilderness Gathering.

Billed as “The Original Bushcraft Show” the annual Wilderness Gathering is gearing up for another three days of all things primitive.

This will be my first time and I’m taking an absolute outdoor novice with me too. I figure there are so many workshops she’ll get a real flavour of bushcraft, primitive and outdoor living crammed into a tiny space of time (and she won’t have to build her own shelter!) And I’ll be able to play with all my favourite bushcraft toys, and some others I’ve yet to discover.

I’m taking the bivvi and the tent, along with the rest of my bushcraft kit but she’ll probably want to cart along a fold up bed too. Sheesh!

If you’re going to the Wilderness Gathering, look out for the rainbow hat. It might not be on my head in the heat of August, but it’ll be visible. Come and say Hi.

No related posts.

Lakeland Bushcraft will be putting together a newsletter for you lucky, lucky people.

To sign up and hear about the latest offers about the best kit for your outdoor adventures it’s very simple.

Email us through this link and we’ll add you to the subscriber list.

That’s it (I said it was easy!)

And if you ever decide you’ve had enough and want to cancel the subscription, that’s easy too – there’s a link at the bottom of every newsletter.

But we don’t think you’ll want to miss out on special offers, the freshest bits of outdoor kit, latest blog posts and your own campside tales.

If there’s something you want to see in the newsletter, get in touch, and let us know. And, of course, tell your friends. They won’t want to miss out either!

No related posts.

It’s back. The World Cup 2010 is well under way in South Africa and despite England’s lacklustre performance so far, there’s still plenty to play for (and lots of matches to come).

To help you enjoy the beautiful game with a little bit of an outdoorsy theme, we’ve come up with our Top 5 bushcraft kit list that’ll see you through to the lifting of the trophy.

Pro-Tex Military Watch G10 Style

To make sure you don’t miss the start of the match the Pro-Tex Military Watch is titanium plated with genuine Swiss movement.

Perfect precision

As an added bonus, it’ll turn into a handy compass if you point it at the sun the right way!

Source Vagabond Wrap Tank

Source Vagabond’s most popular outdoor system works indoors too.

Fill-to-brim through the wide opening access with the cold beverage of your choice and save those pesky few seconds nipping back to the fridge.

Thirst quenching good looks

You never know, you could miss a crucial goal. (Lakeland Bushcraft advises sensible quantities of hydration at all times!)

Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker

Whether it’s to keep you awake through the pre- and post- game chatter or to get you going in the morning, you can’t go wrong with the AeroPress coffee maker.

A decent cuppa is a great motivator

And, it’s small enough to keep next to the remote control. (You can read more about the AeroPress here and here.)

Tatonka 1Litre Hot & Cold Stuff Flask

It’s not likely you’ll be allowed to use a Kelly Kettle to boil the water for your coffee in the middle of the television room. So, to save you the bother of putting the kettle on halfway through a game, fill up a Tatonka 1 Litre Flask with hot water before kick-off and you’ll have hot coffee throughout the match.

Keeping you topped up

Simples.

Leatherman Squirt ES4

The perfect World Cup multi-tool with bottle opener, ideal for cold beverages not transferred to your wrap tank.

The perfect multitool

And a handy wire-stripper tool for putting the plug on your new HD TV that was VITAL to have in time for pre- World Cup banter.

So there you have it – 5 easy ways to get your bushcraft kit to work for you, while you’re so busy watching the World Cup.

Roll on Wimbledon.

Related posts:

1. Aerobie AeroPress Coffee Maker – Update
2. Tatonka Alcohol Burners Back In Stock!
3. Brew-up Outtake

We’ve had a lovely email from the Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group after reporting about Charles, the Red Squirrel kitten found after his drey fell to the ground.

Sarah McNeil:

It’s great to know that people like yourselves are helping the Reds out like this. My partner Jerry Moss, is the Red Squirrel ranger for Whinfell forest here in Penrith, and is also pleased that you are helping him in his fight to save the Red Squirrel.

Awareness is very important in their survival, so we do many shows throughout the year and do a lot for newspapers, magazines, a bit on TV and on numerous websites to raise their profile.

Charles is making great progress and loves his new home

As well as being involved in Red Squirrel conservation, we are also trustees for a strip of woodland and lake shore on the edge of Ullswater, called Wendy’s Wood. The lady who owns the woodland, Wendy Martin, has a dream to bring in school children and to teach them about nature and the importance of conservation.

Apart from the hard voluntary graft we have all put into it so far, we are now starting to be rewarded with stunning views and a forest floor and with no litter! Wendy has made up an awareness stall to raise extra funds for this project.

We’re all for raising awareness.

You can keep up to date with Charles’ progress and the work of the P&DRSG with the regular updates to their website. Or why not get in touch if you spot a squirrel?

If you want to get involved with helping with Red Squirrel conservation in Cumbria, contact Sarah at the Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group. Or why not try the Allerdale Red Squirrels Group if they’re closer.

Are you involved in nature conservation in your area? Got something to share? Send us an email.

Related posts:

1. Charles goes wild
2. Spring Squirrels

Spring is in full sway and the squirrels are having a bit of a field day around the UK.

A kitten Red squirrel is being looked after by the Penrith and District Red Squirrel Group after his drey fell to the ground (pictured above).

Now “Charles”, as he’s been named by Sarah McNeil, volunteer with the PDRS, is being kept in a wooly hat stuffed with pampas grass and leaves.

Sarah explains: “The hat keeps him warm enough without over-heating and over a little time he pulls the front of the hat down like a little hatch.”

Charles will be cared for by the PDRS until he is old enough to be released. You can keep up to date with Charles’ recovery on the PDRS website.

Source: News and Star
____________________________________________________________

And at the other end of the country…

Getting up close and personal

Keen bushcrafter Steve England is pictured seemingly shaking hands with a grey in Stoke Park, Bristol. After waiting motionless for 15 minutes, the grey squirrel moved closer to Steve to accept the hazelnut he had in his hand before running back into the woods.

The picture was taken by NHS community health worker Alex Wood.

Source: The Daily Telegraph

No related posts.

Leisure time reliance on volunteer rescuers is fast becoming a double edged sword.

Cumbria’s mountain rescue teams are rightly regarded as heroes by locals and visitors alike. Always dependable in a crisis, they’re a lifeline when things go frighteningly wrong on fells and mountains.

But they’re being stretched to the limit by unequipped walkers who don’t follow basic safety advice.

This weekend they have again been pushed to the brink by recklessness.

The Keswick team was called out three times on Saturday as tourists headed up mountains in glorious spring weather, disregarding obvious likelihood that early April sunshine will have a challenging sting in its tail.

Cumbria’s volunteers clocked up 26,868 hours last year, after being called out 700 times to accidents and injuries.

But the number of unnecessary calls for help rose significantly and hard-pushed rescue teams say some accidents on the fells could have been prevented had walkers and climbers followed basic advice.

The Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association is urging people to call only in genuine an emergency and warns teams could be forced to prioritise calls for help if man hours continue to rise.

The service of brave volunteers is a Cumbrian jewel of which the county is justly proud. But it was never intended to be a substitute for commonsense self-help or personal responsibility.

From: News & Star

Related posts:

1. Deaths on Fells Rise
2. Lake District Avalanche: “Climbers lucky to survive”