bushcraft career?

[mat mac]

IM a student doing my A-levels(i'm 17). i find school boring as do most but i have a huge interest in primitive skills and traditional skills. So i would love to hear from people who have made a career out of such things and how they did it and if its not to personal how they get by in the current climate.
thanx mat mac

 

[Loenja]

hey man im in exactly the same situation (watching this thread with interest)
uou could always go into manuafacturing things like knives... etc

 

[JonathanD]

.. or go into zoology or biology.

 

[spiritwalker]

hmm ignore the above i done terrestrial and marine biology and i work as an oil scientist lol

 

[JonathanD]

hmm ignore the above i done terrestrial and marine biology and i work as an oil scientist lol

But you don't have to

 

[spiritwalker]

lol in theory i dont but with mortgage wife and kid i do as to get a more desirable job (would mean a move and probably a pay cut)
i treat work as a means to get cash to do the things i enjoy in my spare time, i would hate an in theory ideal job make me lose interest in something i like if that makes sense

 

[JonathanD]

lol in theory i dont but with mortgage wife and kid i do as to get a more desirable job (would mean a move and probably a pay cut)
i treat work as a means to get cash to do the things i enjoy in my spare time, i would hate an in theory ideal job make me lose interest in something i like if that makes sense

I know what you mean. But.. I used to work for Rolex and I earned an absolute fortune and had a lifestyle that matched. It was the best decision of my life to go back into herpetology and do what I love. I'm on half of what my old stupidly overpaid job used to give me, but I love what I do now and it gets me outdoors and travelling the world and makes me love bushcraft, tracking and nature all the more. I wouldn't go back if you gave me a million quid.

 

[Peter_t]

just something working outdoors will be good, a ranger or forester are ideal. im a tree surgeon which is mostly in gardens but i work with people who do firewood coppicing and other woodland work such as rhody and dutch elm disease control work. although even in a town i get plenty of fresh air and sometimes a sea view!

it does have its perks such as all the free wood i can get my hands on, ash for axe handles, elm for bows, lime bark for cordage etc.

most outdoorsy type jobs tend to be poorly paid but i would take happiness over money any day

pete

 

[Barn Owl]

Get involved with your local Natural History groups,wildlife,archeology,etc...

You'll meet all sorts of people from keen amateurs to the highest in their professions.

These are the things you need to be in to be seen and noticed.

It's not just what you know but who that get's you the breaks and you're plenty young enough to get in there and build your skills knowledge from real people as well as from the books.

Get as many qualifications as you can just now.

I too found school boring but knuckle under buddy,it's easier to get them now than later.

 

[JonathanD]

It's not just what you know but who that get's you the breaks.

Absolutely spot on.

 

[mat mac]

well thank you very much for all the feed back. i've thought about tree surgeon work but im not always brilliant with heights and i do do bio but its not enough skills but thank u i think i may look up some of the groups around me to do with history etc. first thread think its gone well lol

 

[Shewie]

The HND in Countryside Management seems to be the key for a lot of the ranger and outdoorsy jobs these days.

I'm looking to pack in a good IT career and go back to college for a couple of years and I only wish I'd done it years ago.

Barn Owl makes a good point about getting out there and trying to get involved, pick up some experience and get a feel for what's going on.

For some general outdoorsy jobs have a look here, check out the links on the left.

If you really want to do the whole bushcraft thing then there are places that teach it now as a qualification, I'm not sure how well these quals are regarded amongst the schools though. Getting your foot in and maybe following a plan set out for you might be a better option.
Have a look at John Ryders stuff, he's a really nice chap too and will happily explain stuff on the phone ...
http://www.woodcraftschool.co.uk/advanced-ncfe-3.htm

 

[Robbi]

for some good courses, check out Warwickshire College ( www.warwickshire.ac.uk )

countryside management

fish, game and wildlife management

apprenticeship in enviromental conservation

and many others.

hope this helps

Robbi

 

[mat mac]

again thank u i will defo hav a look

 

[calibanzwei]

Just about to start on this path with a diploma in Countryside & Environment, a starting point for me to go onto further education (specialised HND/HNC in Forestry etc; long way off yet )

 

[Wayland]

Life is what happens when you are making other plans.

I didn't set out the be a professional Viking but it suits me just fine.

I get to do bushy type stuff and have enough spare time for my photography and more bushy type stuff.

It's a tough job but someone's got to do it....

 

[Rumi]

I worked in forestry for a while. I then moved into coppicing and hurdle making as well as other green wood crafts. Its a great career but there are not a great deal of jobs around and its not particularly well paid.

Good luck

 

[mat mac]

thats exactly want i want to do lol. i really wona do green wood working etc i did a course and it was really fun, i like the hard work involved and the end result and plus u get out side but also being a full time viking.. thats pretty cool

I worked in forestry for a while. I then moved into coppicing and hurdle making as well as other green wood crafts. Its a great career but there are not a great deal of jobs around and its not particularly well paid.

Good luck

 

[Doc]

Go for it, and do what you want.

Academic studies can be useful though. An understanding of science can make you more in awe of, and appreciative of, nature. Many famous outdoorsmen (Aldo Leopold, Sigurd Olsen, John Muir) had scientific training either at university or self-taught, or both.

One thing I notice at the meets is that many, maybe most people have a good understanding of science, though not necessarily through formal qualifications.

 

[Rumi]

"Academic studies can be useful though. An understanding of science can make you more in awe of, and appreciative of, nature."

This is very true, I have a degree in Tropical Forestry and this certainly got my foot in a few doors. Sure the tropics are considerably different from temperate zones, but it is fairly straight forward to relearn the science once you have a basic grasp .

I haven't been to any of the bush moots yet, but all the Bc'ers I have met around the world have one thing in common, they are resourceful and not afraid of a bit of "bush engineering" where required. Anyone wanting to make a career in this area gets my vote 100%..

There are some great books available from the Centre for Alternative Technology on green wood building and crafts. Also if you can get to go down and visit Ben Law who lives in a "cruck frame" round wood house he built in the Sweet Chestnut coppice where he lives.