Family Day

[Kepis]

I enjoyed a great day up on the South Downs today supporting a Family day that had been organised by one of the local Conservation Groups i support, they had asked me ages ago if i could demo a few Bushcraft skills during the day and i was only to happy to help out.

The day started off wet and rainy with a NE wind and things didn't look good at all for a while, but shortly after we got to the spot, the clouds lifted, the wind seemed to decrease, but that may have also had a lot to do with the fact that we were also in the lee of some Hornbeam & Beach trees.

So out with the Gazebo, rope off all around it as a safety cordon as i was using sharps, Elm axe block all set up for some spoon carving and a big bucket of water and my folding fire bowl ready to go for later in the day when i was doing some Bow Drill demo's

Eldest was the official photographer for the day, and i have no idea what it is about this picture he took, but something in it, just makes it right

As well as me doing a few things, the group had also organised many other activities, including Pond Dipping, Tree & Plant ID Challenges and a Treasure Hunt

Pond dipping under way

and some Newts, that nobody knew where there, more on that later

The area we were in - lovely spot

Yours truly making smoke (flint & steel fire lighting)

Explaining how you can use fungi to make fire (Cramp Balls in this case)

and then using the glowing cramp ball to make flame with the help of some hay

Was time for some more spoon carving after that, then on to Friction Fire, explaining the principal of low friction and maximum friction and how the method works

Normally i can get an ember first hit with the Bow drill, but today the dampness of the woods and air made it a little more difficult than normal and the first two attempts, although they did produce embers, were not strong enough to maintain and grow

So time for another attempt and at this point, who should turn up, but me old mucker RockMonkey, in the background with the stick and his wife.

Time to spin up that drill and make an ember

ember made, time to get it into the tinder bundle, because it was so damp, i used some crushed cramp balls as an ember extender

Time to smoke out the public

and we have fire and a round of applause

Crowds have dwindled a bit now, but still a few people around

and the kids are still enjoying their pond dipping

and im still cranking out bow drill fires

at this point my photographer moved to the Dew Pond, where pond dipping and making casts of animal tracks was under way

The pond dipping was a great success with over 120 Newts, yup, that nobody knew where there, being caught and all returned to the water alive i hasten to add.

A great day out with some quality people who love the countryside and know and understand how it works and want to keep it and maintain it for all to enjoy.

 

[Rockmonkey]

The weather turned out to be good, and a good job done by you Kep!
I see from the photo's that the Wellie wearing Mr Monkey is still stalking you!, Damn good looking bloke though!!
Looks like you ended up with a good turn out! and a lot was caught in the dew pond!, did not know there was that much in there!!!

 

[Kepis]

cheers Mr Monkey, good to see you and Mrs Monkey up there, have to say Mrs Monkey wins in the looks stakes over Mr Monkey any day of the week.

The amount of stuff that was found in pond was amazing, a lot of the group were stunned at the sheer volume of Newts in there.

 

[Rockmonkey]

As was I!
Yes you are right about the looks!, just!

 

[Dannytsg]

Looks like a good day out.

 

[gsfgaz]

Brilliant Kep , looks like everybody enjoyed themselves ...

 

[nodd]

Looks like a good day and a good collection of Smooth Newts Lissotriton vulgaris

 

[barking badger]

looks like fun was had by all and the weather looks good

Sent from my GT-I9100

 

[Kepis]

Cheers Guys,was a good day for sure and at the end the group had attracted a couple of new members as well, so all was good in that respect too.

@Rockmonkey - i got three embers and blew each to flame this afternoon, in the same time as it took me to get the one decent ember yesterday, just goes to show the difference a bit of rain can make to proceedings, still tis all good practice

 

[Rockmonkey]

Or was it that you had an audiance yesterday and you were nervious!

 

[Kepis]

Or was it that you had an audiance yesterday and you were nervious!

nah, ive done these demos so often these days it doesnt bother me, perhaps it was your missus putting me off

 

[Seoras]

Where exactly was this Mark and what Conservation group?

I had the same problem with the dampness a couple of years ago at the Moot. Hard work it was to get the embers.

As the Newts were unknown to the area, conservation wise does that have implications for it. I know when they developed some MOD land near me (Bramley) that the newts had to be moved to another area purposely maintained for them.

Cheers

George

 

[Kepis]

It was up on the Downs between Worthing & Shoreham George, the group was a local Friends of the Downs, we have a work day up there once a month doing a bit of tree planting, cutting back around paths etc, all very informal, but good fun with good people, the land is a designated Local Nature Reserve that is owned by the Council, there have been Newts found here in the past, but we didnt know there were that many in the pond, was a bit of shock for all of us.

 

[Harvestman]

Great looking day. I've done a few of those and they are always fun.

 

[nodd]

The smooth Newt is protected under schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 under (section 9[5]) this protects only with respect to trade (prohibition of sale and advertising for sale, etc. It does not protect it in respect of development. It can be protected in respect to designation on the site on which it is found. Great Crested Newts are a whole different ball game. They are a protected by a whole raft of legislation as a European Protected Species.