Hello

[lruggier]

Hi everyone. I wonder if you guys can help me. I'm training for my level 3 forest school leader and work with young children. I love my work, but what I really need is the chance to get away from it all sometimes and spend some down time with adults who can share their bushcraft skills with me. I'm quite an old lass and used to roughing it, and grew up in the woods so I blend in pretty well. Any ideas? Live on the edge of Dartmoor.

[Roadkillphil]

:welcome: hi there :D
Have a good look around, there is loads to plough through on the forum and the website. Ivan has a bushcraft friendly place on the south side of Dartmoor which you may be interested in visiting. Check this thread (amongst others) http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?1127-BushMeet-on-Dartmoor-Fri-27th-Mon-30th-May
Loadsa folk happy to help on here :D

All the best

Phil

[lruggier]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I am delighted to have found some like-minded people.

[lruggier]

Would appreciate some advice on a good knife and other basic tools, items that have serviced any of you well. I haven't got a lot of money to spend (we work with children to make a difference, not to get rich) but willing to pay well for good kit that will last and do the job properly.

[Ivan]

Hi Iruggier , welcome to the wonderful world of NB , hope to meet you soon and hopefully you will get to the chance to come and sample my place .
Thankyou very much for your kind comments on my visitor page ...

Atb Ivan...

[comanighttrain]

hey welcome to the forum!

Mora knives are basic but solid... tends to be the recommended choice for a budget bushcraft knife

[paul standley]

Iruggier - Welcome...

Most of us would probably recomend a Mora Clipper knife, inexpensive and very good quality in either stainless steel or carbon steel. Hunt around the net, you can pick them up for £9 or £10 new.

My advice would be to also get a small multi-tool, if cash is thin on the ground then halfords do one for £2 or £3 or GO Outdoors do some for just a few pounds. To a large extent it depends how much you will use the kit. Inexpensive serves well for occassional trips but for more extensive or heavy use then you may need to up the anti cash wise.

Kit-wise, you'll get a lot of advice on this forum and some varying ideas and then you'll need to decide for yourself...!

What do you use for a stove, cooking pot etc ?

Paul.

[Silverback]

Eyup from oop north. Rather large Dartmoor contingent now isnt there ?

[lruggier]

I would love to come and visit your place. Just name the date/event and I will be there. I'm working and also studying two 1 yr courses at the moment, so a change of scene would serve as a much needed break!

[lruggier]

Also thanks to everyone for the great advice on tools.

[Matt]

Hey Iruggier,

:welcome: to NaturalBushcraft, enjoy :).

Regards,

Matt.

[MikeWilkinson]

Hi Welcome to the Forum,

The Nursery that my two little 'uns has just put two of its staff on the lvl 3 course too. I think it is a great Idea that Nurseries introduce toddlers to the great outdoors at an early age. They are putting on a forest school day for fathers day that I am delighted to be helping out on.

You will find plenty of help and advice on here, and if you ever need further ideas for doing things with kids then just post on here.
We've just been making a new hammock for my eldest little one using bed spreads (she has got bored of her Fifi one we made last year).

The Nature detectives website by the woodland trust is a great resource of things to do with little ones.

Welcome again.

[lruggier]

It is encouraging that more and more nurseries are appreciating the value of forest school. I am always thrilled by how creative 2yr olds are at finding ways to play and learn in the natural environment, and how quickly even the least confident begin to relax and enjoy outdoor play in all weathers. I work outside with our children most of the time, and I reckon I have a fantastic job! Every day the natural environment offers unique opportunities for learning and no day is the same.

[lruggier]

What I had forgotten to add to my last post here was that I feel it is very important that anyone intending to be a level 3 forest school leader needs to make a commitment to really gettting to know and love woodland and not to feel that it is enough to go on a level 3 course and then just to do the job. - hence my being here on this site and planning to come to meets and getting out other times to be out there in nature (as I have all of my life).

I have met forest school leaders who engage with nature strictly on a nine to five basis and wouldn't dream of wasting any time in it beyond that - but how can you convey to children a love of nature and the environment on that basis? We need only forest school leaders who are passionate about their environment - individuals who aren't just going on a course to get a certificate, get more pay, do what their headmistress told them to do, tick the right box, or to get outside simply because out there the children 'are less trouble'.

[swkieran]

hi lruggier :)welcome to nb.

[lruggier]

Thank you for the welcome

[swkieran]

no worries its nice to see another devon person,theres a few of us on here :)

[lruggier]

I see you are Paignton based. I lived in Brixham for quite a long time when I was a lass, but now I am to the west of the moor.

[swkieran]

i know brixham well :),i'ts changed very much in the last ten years gone is the eyesore of the multistorey car park,also the breakwater area of the harbour has been modernised,theres a brand new fish market,the derelict sharkham campsite has gone and a lovely new housing devlopment is in its place.still a very tight knit town thou lol :),but if youre from paignton you love it but if youre from torquay you hate it lol,ive never understood the rivalary myself

[Ben Casey]

Hi there from me better late than never :)

[lruggier]

i know brixham well :),i'ts changed very much in the last ten years gone is the eyesore of the multistorey car park,also the breakwater area of the harbour has been modernised,theres a brand new fish market,the derelict sharkham campsite has gone and a lovely new housing devlopment is in its place.still a very tight knit town thou lol :),but if youre from paignton you love it but if youre from torquay you hate it lol,ive never understood the rivalary myself

I have to admit that my last sight of Brixham was many many years ago, don't think there even WAS a multi-storey car park then! I had friends on the boats and used to go down and pick up odds and ends of fish they didn't want to sell, (beautiful fish nevertheless just not popular at the time) and I used to sing with a folk band sometimes (will eventually remember the name). It was a lovely place, but I know what you mean about tight knit - hasn't changed then.

[swkieran]

the multi storey dominated the town lol,it's long gone it was a typical 60s/70s concrete arcitechture in other words it was made of concrete and looked liked it belonged in the soviet union lol :), but i met my first girlfriend underneath it,and thank god i was not a torquay boy lol,it's a town you would be proud to show off now,come back and see it,and yes it's a really close knit town to this day but it is just brixham lol,lruggier richards fish and chip shop opposite the fire station is still serving torbays finest fish and chips :),the hole in the wall pub is still serving ale for those who feel brave lol,it's become modern but out of all the towns in torbay it still has kept it's identity and fabric,paignton still clings on aswell especially in the new street/winner street and church street areas, :),

[Martin]

And, a very warm welcome to the NaturalBushcraft forum from me. :)

Martin