Flint and steel practice

[Woody girl]

I really struggled to find King Alfred's Cakes (I'm in Farnborough, Hampshire) and there just don't seem to be many Ash trees now, let alone fallen branches However, on a recent trip to the New Forest, I (literally) stumbled upon a fallen branch from an Ash which had a good number of them, so I liberated a couple to try with.
Apparently Ash used to be the third most common tree in England, but I can only guess that Ash Dieback has had a much bigger impact than I (and I suspect many others) appreciated.

I used to live near Farnborough in the 60s and 70s. I remember the elm being devastated in the area back then.... including my tree house tree. I remember crying my heart out when that went. Recently saw a stand of conifers all looking very dead. It's a big problem. With the amazon burning and tree diseases decimating them. I worry for the future of our world.

 

[Sundowner]

Took to lighting my cigars with flint, steel and charred amadou........works, but, sometimes I just don't smoke

 

[Robson Valley]

Dig under the conifer bark and look for the tell-tale groove tracks of burrowing bark beetle larvae.
If so, find as much evidence as you can = you have a serious problem.
We have 18,000,000 ha dead pine to sell you if you can find a use for junk wood.