Guardian angels

[Gary]

This is a little deep but please give it some thought and bear with me.

I had a chat to a chap this weekend who was deeply spiritual and far more aware of the spiritual aspects of things than I ever will be, that aside we both finally concluded that we bushcrafters are guardians of a knowledge and gift which without us would be lost from the world.

Science and technology over whelm us all and yet many of us for reasons only we can understand still are drawn to 'the old ways' we are drawn into our dwindling woodlands where we struggle through wet and cold, through heat and mosi's to re-learn much which we have so nearly forgotten.

In the last 20/ 30 years bushcraft, fieldcraft, woodcraft, wilderness living skills, lore or survival as it was first christened (by many) had almost disappeared and now, suddenly it is reborn.

Now we find schools, the DoE, local councils ect are all taking tentertive steps back into that light, is the governements subconcious awaking to the future too? And in so doing is another generation finally going to be freed from the concrete, narrow minded jungle in which we have all been enslaved for so long?

Maybe our guardianship is over and a new generation are about to take up the reins or maybe we are now, more than ever, needed to carry the knowledge forward.

Nature has many wonders and maybe this is the first awakening of man to the true peril he is in. Maybe as creatures of the earth we will finally turn back to the creator and mother nature to seek our salvation and in doing so turn our backs on machine and technologies what have raped our world for so long and we like the shaman's, druids or what have you, of old are the ones who carry forth the gift our species may one day need.

Interesting thought eh!

 

[TheViking]

we bushcrafters are guardians of a knowledge and gift which without us would be lost from the world.

Good one. :biggthump

I think what i would like to call 'citypeople' have lost contact with nature. One of our local rangers told me that he had some small kids out for a walk in the woods and there was a little girl, who actually wouldn't eat her food, "cause it was disgusting". :shock: Couldn't believe me ears. :roll:

When most teenage girls today get out to a farm, the first thing they say is that it smells. (either of horse-poo or cow-poo)

Bushcrafters and native people are probably 2 groups of a very few, who knows how to do the stuff out there. Although some may be more experienced than others, of course. And you're quite right, without us the world would have repressed those traditional skills, long time ago.

When I was smaller, i used to believe that the food came from the supermarket, but of course now, I know better.

Some thoughts. ack:

 

[Tantalus]

nice thought Gary

i too believe there is a reason for everything that happens

including the recent revival of bushcraft

it is something i have always found deeply satisfying, and something worth saving and sharing

Tant

 

[RAPPLEBY2000]

nice theory!

problem is there are more people that there used to be, so less space to practice in, less woodland ect ect.

i don't think the world is ready to give up the "easy life" we have nowerdays, but i think as indeed you do that bushcraft is a worthwhile and important skill/way of life that should be passed on.

for most of us bushcraft is still just a hobby, we still need many modern things.

how many fulltime bushcrafters are there!

by that i mean fully self relient?

not many!

the time you suggest will only come around if all the man made resourses were to suddenly dissapear, in that scenario we would need a world wide destructive force such as a world war or constant natrual disasters.

:shock:

most of our skill rely apon nature being in good condition such as healthy plants, clean air/water.

the scenario you suggest could slowly become a possibility but would require vast changes in the world we know!

for example where would the population of all the cities in the UK find food?

but, who can say, no one can predict the future.

 

[tomtom]

Nature has many wonders and maybe this is the first awakening of man to the true peril he is in. Maybe as creatures of the earth we will finally turn back to the creator and mother nature to seek our salvation and in doing so turn our backs on machine and technologies

unfortunaly i think there is going to be on hell of a slap in the face needed befor that awakening comes about for the 99% who are either to ignorant or who dont hold the planet in high enough worth to open their eyes to it..

Interesting though yeh.. Thanks Gary

 

[Womble]

Very interesting. I think that the need for the guardianship you talk about is not going to go away any time soon. I suspect that there will allways be a need for a cries from a Voice in the Wilderness - whilst there is still wilderness to cry from.

Open your eyes and mind:- and awaken.

 

[Kim]

I agree with Gary.

If we want this world to change it's our responsibility to change it.

 

[jamesdevine]

This something that struck very early after getting into Bushcraft. I am still only novice but one of the key things that drives me to learn is seeing the destruction of the land and seas by man and the contribution I can make by learning and passing on this knowledge. Bushcraft is relatively un known here in Ireland. The skills are there but people are almost seem afraid to show them or to pass them on and I am trying my best to change that in my own small way.

As for a revival, well we are only a small number of people and the recent events in the middle east and the fuel crisis probable has a lot to do with recent interest in Bushcraft.

The people here at BCUK would be here either way I believe. The difficulty that faces us will come when things ease or don't get any worse and people laps again into the false sense of security they have been since the end of the cold war. Our personal goal should be to continue passing on our knowledge, and to not allow people to forget the debt we owe to future generations to give them a wondrous planet to live on. So we use bushcraft too looking after our mother earth. This site is become a huge Library of this knowledge we should also continue to help it grow.

I am stepping of the soap box now. Sorry.

James

 

[RovingArcher]

Gary, well said.

 

[whitebuffalo]

Much food for thought there Gary.

I guess your right, its like us all saying how we wish the so and so tribe had still kept its skills isnt it.

 

[JakeR]

Thought of the day!

Thanks mate.

 

[Carcajou Garou]

Saygo!!! Gary, Good words to think on.

 

[maddave]

Very emotive Gary. My wife Jules and I are both of pagan faith and hold with what you say in many ways. I'm not going any deeper as this isn't a theology thread, but you're right we are guardians of the old ways and a very precious thing it is too :You_Rock_

 

[Les Marshall]

Like MadDave, I believe in the old pagan ways and feel that we owe a debt to mother earth, she still loves us even after all we have done to her. We are indeed the guardians of a special knowledge that seems to frighten a tremendpus amount of people, who feel we are strange for doing what we do.

One thing I have noticed with BCUK, if there is going to be a thought provoking and sensible thread, Garry usually initiates it, or is one of the first to give sensible advice. Thank you Garry.

 

[Nightfall]

Good post. Good thoughts.

 

[Squidders]

Gary,

You raise some very interesting points... Keeping alive traditional skills and values is trusted to every generation, despite the recent revival, past generations have held this knowledge for us all along. If they hadn't, we would have little knowledge to revive.

I'm all for technology, it's great to live using ancient and traditional crafts but I wouldn't like to see this planet after a billion families decide to cook on camp fires every day with food they gathered from the local wildlife. I think what's lacking is sympathetic technology, sure we have some, such as solar cells, wind generators etc. And despite our creator wanting us here, if we haven't killed ourselves before then, our sun will exhaust its natural fuel and die. We will want technology then to move home... Interesting that we started out as nomads and some day we'll have no choice but to be nomads again!

Whether we like it or not, technology will progress and just as city folk are detached from the country side. Country folk do little to shape the way technology progresses... other than to shout when it's something they don't like.

I also agree that even if there hadn't been a revival, we would still be here, learning and sharing because I think that certain people are simply drawn to bushcraft, same as some people are drawn to joining the military, mass murder or becoming a doctor.

I feel very fortunate to read Gary’s post, it's thought provoking and has brought to the forefront of my mind our responsibility to this planet and to one another.

 

[Gary]

Thank you all for your kind words.

And Joe, if your right, doesn't that make the gift all the more precious to us all!!

 

[Tony]

Good stuff and worthy of much thought :biggthump

 

[Bushmaster]

Wow:shock: Great thread,truly great. I really wish those that knock Bushcraft and survival skills could read this thread, I really do.
Nice one Guys
:You_Rock_
Geoff

 

[Squidders]

Thank you all for your kind words.

And Joe, if your right, doesn't that make the gift all the more precious to us all!!

Yup :biggthump