if its anything like rowan bark, dead would be better, even though its got oil in it, this still contains water. The paper birch (and others if you can find a few whisps from the small diameter branches that they loose naturally) seems to be dry already. But it looks like they're taking live stuff. Pine twigs with needles on, nice and dry, wont set you wrong.
How NOT to Harvest Birch Bark
- Thread starter Mesquite
- Start date
jimbo75
Settler
I harvest a dozen or so paper birch trees where I work. It just blows of the tree eventually and gets wasted.. They actually look better when they have been 'cleaned up a bit/harvested'... Haven't bothered for a while due to me having bags of the stuff, and they are starting to look grubby!
If anyone is thinking of taking a knife to a living tree at some point... Don't bother, just drop me a self address stamped envelope and I'll post some to you.
ive also got an old silver birch in my garden that I collect the deadfall branches from.... It makes superb tinder bundles! But I wouldn't dream if cutting a standard silver birch. Also, our climate is to warm to make containers from the bark.
If anyone is thinking of taking a knife to a living tree at some point... Don't bother, just drop me a self address stamped envelope and I'll post some to you.
ive also got an old silver birch in my garden that I collect the deadfall branches from.... It makes superb tinder bundles! But I wouldn't dream if cutting a standard silver birch. Also, our climate is to warm to make containers from the bark.
Even in remote area's in Sweden I've seen big slabs of bark being removed, just for the sake of lighting a fire. I've added the link to this topic in an article I made about lighting fires with birch bark, with props to Mesquite for starting this thread!
http://belgianbirkebeiner.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/birch-bark-and-firesteel/
http://belgianbirkebeiner.wordpress.com/2014/06/23/birch-bark-and-firesteel/
This thread should be converged with the truth about birch tapping thread and made into a sticky. We need to prevent this kind of damage.
rancid badger
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sorry Jimbo but you're mistaken
and here's the proof:
The thing is however, that none of these birch bark containers were made from bark stripped from living tree's.
The bark in their case, was harvested from a large, riverside birch that had been down for about 3 years or so, was a couple of millimeters thick and was far easier to strip than any live bark I've come across. If you want to make this type of container, You're actually best to avoid live tree's and look for large dead ones, the bark isn't always as thick as the stuff in the photo's but if it 's too thin for pots etc, it'll be fine for fire lighting. The important factor is that it doesn't matter if you cut into a dead tree and find the bark is too thin for whatever project you have in mind, you can't exactly damage the tree if it's already curled up its toes.
Another example of good thick bark from a local dead tree, can be seen in this video I made a while back:
[video=youtube;bc2wQ9ryts0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc2wQ9ryts0[/video]
If you're going to "harvest" bark from live tree's in this country, you'll almost certainly kill the tree over time.
I tried harvesting birch bark from living tree's locally, when I was working with the Forestry Commission as a volunteer instructor. The tree's selected were those that were to be cleared for various reasons but it was a pain in the arxe to get the bark off, no matter what time of year you tried and no matter how thick the bark was (usually less than 1mm but up to 2-3mm) and in the end, I just stuck with dead tree's.
To be brutally honest however, I seriously doubt there are that many people who could care less. As long as they satisfy their "god given right" to please themselves and mess it up for everybody else and I have to say, I'd include quite a few so called "bushcrafters" in that.
There are far too many clueless xxxxwits out there, who think that hacking at tree's with expensive axes, saws or knives is not only really exciting and manly/macho but sadly, also what "bushcraft" is all about. ( Quite a few on here actually, whether they care to admit it or not)
So, collect bark from dead tree's, standing or down but don't take stupid amounts of the stuff from any one source.
kind regards
Steve
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rancid badger
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Why not show them how and where to collect the dead bark?
I think if it was me, I'd be teaching them not just how good birch bark is for fire lighting and how to use it but also how to collect it in a sustainable or at least a balanced manner. Indeed, that's exactly what I've done over the years, when instructing with the Reserves/Cadets/Forestry Commission, for kids and adults alike.
Without that guidance,the chances are, that at least some of your kids may well decide to go out and collect their own supplies and potentially take all the available bark from a single area, rather than a bit here and a bit there.
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It sure takes a lot of resources to build, and it's on private land. We make a natural shelter every two years to enable 'clients' (I help at a husky farm sometimes, www.fjallspirit.com) to spend a night outdoors in a shelter, just to make sure damage to the area is still manageable. When clients go about on their own we mostly see big slabs of bark missing on beautiful trees (when they haven't chopped it down that is!). Although we want to give people a chance to do things entirely on their own, we still need to interfere quite a lot, which is actually a shame. (catching fish, beating it to dead and then letting it lie around, axe gone missing, tarps totally destroyed, sleeping bags left in the shelter when they get back to the farm...) And most of them are self-proclaimed "extreme" outdoorsmen and -women.
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Sorry Jimbo but you're mistaken
and here's the proof:
The thing is however, that none of these birch bark containers were made from bark stripped from living tree's.
The bark in their case, was harvested from a large, riverside birch that had been down for about 3 years or so, was a couple of millimeters thick and was far easier to strip than any live bark I've come across. If you want to make this type of container, You're actually best to avoid live tree's and look for large dead ones, the bark isn't always as thick as the stuff in the photo's but if it 's too thin for pots etc, it'll be fine for fire lighting. The important factor is that it doesn't matter if you cut into a dead tree and find the bark is too thin for whatever project you have in mind, you can't exactly damage the the tree if it's already curled up its toes.
Another example of good thick bark from a local dead tree, can be seen in this video I made a while back:
[video=youtube;bc2wQ9ryts0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc2wQ9ryts0[/video]
If you're going to "harvest" bark from live tree's in this country, you'll almost certainly kill the tree over time.
I tried harvesting birch bark from living tree's locally, when I was working with the Forestry Commission as a volunteer instructor. The tree's selected were those that were to be cleared for various reasons but it was a pain in the arxe to get the bark off, no matter what time of year you tried and no matter how thick the bark was (usually less than 1mm but up to 2-3mm) and in the end, I just stuck with dead tree's.
To be brutally honest however, I seriously doubt there are that many people who could care less. As long as they satisfy their "god given right" to please themselves and mess it up for everybody else and I have to say, I'd include quite a few so called "bushcrafters" in that.
There are far too many clueless xxxxwits out there, who think that hacking at tree's with expensive axes, saws or knives is not only really exciting and manly/macho but sadly, also what "bushcraft" is all about. ( Quite a few on here actually, whether they care to admit it or not)
So, collect bark from dead tree's, standing or down but don't take stupid amounts of the stuff from any one source.
kind regards
Steve
Good post, and well said! BTW, I bought a scraper/pouch when they were for sale and it's one of the best things I have; I use it every day at least once and never have to touch a knife to light my home made wood gassifier, or to prep it - works a treat
says here that new bark forms underneath the inner bark
http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-cr...-bark-canoe-collecting-materials/#lightbox/9/
http://www.robin-wood.co.uk/wood-cr...-bark-canoe-collecting-materials/#lightbox/9/
jimbo75
Settler
Sorry Jimbo but you're mistaken
and here's the proof:
The thing is however, that none of these birch bark containers were made from bark stripped from living tree's.
The bark in their case, was harvested from a large, riverside birch that had been down for about 3 years or so, was a couple of millimeters thick and was far easier to strip than any live bark I've come across. If you want to make this type of container, You're actually best to avoid live tree's and look for large dead ones, the bark isn't always as thick as the stuff in the photo's but if it 's too thin for pots etc, it'll be fine for fire lighting. The important factor is that it doesn't matter if you cut into a dead tree and find the bark is too thin for whatever project you have in mind, you can't exactly damage the the tree if it's already curled up its toes.
Another example of good thick bark from a local dead tree, can be seen in this video I made a while back:
[video=youtube;bc2wQ9ryts0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc2wQ9ryts0[/video]
If you're going to "harvest" bark from live tree's in this country, you'll almost certainly kill the tree over time.
I tried harvesting birch bark from living tree's locally, when I was working with the Forestry Commission as a volunteer instructor. The tree's selected were those that were to be cleared for various reasons but it was a pain in the arxe to get the bark off, no matter what time of year you tried and no matter how thick the bark was (usually less than 1mm but up to 2-3mm) and in the end, I just stuck with dead tree's.
To be brutally honest however, I seriously doubt there are that many people who could care less. As long as they satisfy their "god given right" to please themselves and mess it up for everybody else and I have to say, I'd include quite a few so called "bushcrafters" in that.
There are far too many clueless xxxxwits out there, who think that hacking at tree's with expensive axes, saws or knives is not only really exciting and manly/macho but sadly, also what "bushcraft" is all about. ( Quite a few on here actually, whether they care to admit it or not)
So, collect bark from dead tree's, standing or down but don't take stupid amounts of the stuff from any one source.
kind regards
Good skills fella........."........
rancid badger
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Thanks for the kind comments!
I'm pleased you're getting some good service from your scraper/carrier set Mac
I like the idea of some sort of "consequences" sticky or whatever. :thinkerg:
It could have examples of all sorts of activities/crafts/skills etc but for each of those examples, an example of the impact that you will/potentially may cause in your wake.?
best wishes
Steve
I'm pleased you're getting some good service from your scraper/carrier set Mac
I like the idea of some sort of "consequences" sticky or whatever. :thinkerg:
It could have examples of all sorts of activities/crafts/skills etc but for each of those examples, an example of the impact that you will/potentially may cause in your wake.?
best wishes
Steve
Knowledge and awareness, is the answer. I know that ignorance is no defence, but i struggle to believe that someone would do this if aware of the consequences on the tree. We see it simple, you don't harm a living tree. Sadly some people really believe that whatever you do is ok, as it will grow back. We need to educate the youth of our nation.
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