Bushcraft Instructor

[BushcraftCambsUk]

Hi guys i am applying to take a very comprehensive bushcraft instructor course but before they are willing to teach me i have to pass an interview.
Now as a Bushcraft enthusiast i am ashamed to say my knowledge of trees, plants, wild foods and fungi arent as good as they should be.

Does anyone know of any comprehensive books on these subjects that car easy to use, with colour pictures and a guide to were you are likely to find the item in quest. I know it is kinda complicated but could really use some book Reviews! because i dont want to just start buying up every random book that i see if its only going to waiste my time.

Thanks
Dogma

[paul standley]

For Tree identification in the UK, I've found the following compact book very good because it takes a step by step 'process of elimination' approach to identifying trees that is achieved by working through some simple criteria such as for evergreen trees, asking if the needles are in just one plane or set around the core, what colour are the needles, what length are the needles etc....

"The Easy Way To TREE Identification" by John Kilbracken and published by 'Book Club Associates', the ISBN number is
ISBN 0 86272 040 0.

For wild food, I like the following book based loosly on wild food in and around hedgerows, It's called ""Hedgerow - River Cottage Handbook No.7" and written by John Wright with an intro by Hugh Fearnley-Wittingstall.
ISBN 978 1 4088 0185 7.
It's simply written, good pictures and covers a lot of wild food that can be found in the UK and the book covers a bit on the 'legal aspects of taking plants from the land. It's somewhat light on fungi but this is probably a bit of a specialist subject.

Paul.

[BushcraftCambsUk]

Thanks for that paul cheer for taking the time to help me out.

[Shewie]

If it's John Rhyder's course you'll get a joining pack and they'll explain what they want from you in the interview.

[AdrianRose]

Hope this helps:

For wild foods try "Food for free" by Richard Mabey.

For flowers and wild plants try "Wild flowers of Great Britain" by Roger Phillips

For fungi I highly recommend "Easy edible fungi guide" by Prof David Pegler

For trees try "Trees of Britain and Europe" by C.J Humphries

Wild edibles and especially fungi have been a passion of mine for the last 20 odd years and these books are my "go to" bibles.

Ade.

[kINGPIN]

IMHO everyone into bushcraft should own the lofty wiseman survival guide. Obviously it is aimed at survival but it covers a lot of things that are useful for the bushcraft enthusiast and their is a strong carryover.

Food for free is a great book for UK plants/fungi.

Apart from that check out king Rays books. Its worth checking the library, even my little library in town has a few of his books. Librarys are free as is the internet which holds some of the best rescoures for bushcraft.

[kINGPIN]

Oh, where abouts in cambs are you from?

[BushcraftCambsUk]

I live in Willingham.

[kINGPIN]

I've been through Willinham once or twice. I'm in St Ives. Is the course you are doing local to us, or are you going to have to travel?

[BushcraftCambsUk]

it is in midhurts which is basically Brighton

[Mang]

Try doing this quick quiz http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/play/quiz/twigs/

[Martin]

Whooop!!! I'm a twig expert. :D Don't think much of the certificate though. :(

Martin

[rossbird]

Good luck with the interview Mike.
Look forward to hearing how it went.

[luresalive]

If it is the Rhyder thing I hope you are aware that it's simply an awarding organisation given by an organised charity that in turn is funded by making and encouraging accreditations!! see here http://www.ncfe.org.uk/AboutNCFE.aspx .Please be aware this is NOT a qualification regardless of the hype on their site and entitles you to no formally recognised qualification in bushcraft, such a thing does not exist. I appreciate your enthusiasm in doing this, but I hope you realise the reality of it..good luck.

[AdrianRose]

Try doing this quick quiz http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/play/quiz/twigs/

Woohoo!!

I'm a twig expert. I can sleep soundly tonight now.

:)

Ade

[andy202wr]

I'm a twig expert aswell. No tree is safe!

[Wham666]

Woop Woop, I'm a twig expert too :)

[Tony1948]

It a good job you'r not going to be a lorry driver if you think Midhurst is near Brighton:confused2:Midhurst is on the A272 Brighton is down the bottom of the A23 It's closer to Portsmouth than Brighton.You want to go down the A3 to it,come off the A3 at Hindhead on the A286 down to Midhurst,salted,where do want this Load mate:happy-clapping:

[BushcraftCambsUk]

Well i am not from that area and it is 6 of one and half a doven of another according to the prophet google maps it being between Brighton and Portsmouth lol.