Can anyone point me in the direction of a qualified bushcraft instructor in the Bristol/South Gloucestershire area!?
I need a bushcraft expert
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^^^ +1 That man, most certainly there are far to many 'experts'.
Take the advice Bru, lots of very clued up people out there.
Take the advice Bru, lots of very clued up people out there.
+2 for sapper1's comment.
I am in the Bristol area, and am a qualified bushcraft instructor, but there are plenty of folks who know masses more than me (which isn't hard to achieve lol). Plus to be honest, a 'qualification' in bushcraft means very little in reality, and is not the same as qualifications in proper academic subjects.
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I am in the Bristol area, and am a qualified bushcraft instructor, but there are plenty of folks who know masses more than me (which isn't hard to achieve lol). Plus to be honest, a 'qualification' in bushcraft means very little in reality, and is not the same as qualifications in proper academic subjects.
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what for? is it the qualification that's the most important bit or the bushcraft instructor that's the most important bit?
all the respondees so far have assumed (quite reasonably i should add) that you're wanting to learn bushcraft, in which case i'd agree entirely with the responses you've had, a qualification really isn't that important, most of the real "experts" in their field on here hold no kind of formal bushcraft qualification. if it's for a different reason however (insurance for a youth group or similar is the thing that springs to mind) then maybe the qualification is important.
maybe a little more information about what you need this bushcraft instructor for would help.
cheers
stuart
G'day COAP
I've got to agree with the general theme of the previous posters.
I'm not convinced that there is a direct correlation between the terms "expert" & "qualified instructor".
In this day & age of readily available information (Books, TV series, DVD's, Internet forums, etc, etc), it's easy to appear like an expert by regurgitating the advice & opinions of others
I would have though that the most important criteria is that the person has the real firsthand experience to know what they are talking about.
Can they "walk the walk" & not just "talk the talk".
Kind regards
Mick
I've got to agree with the general theme of the previous posters.
I'm not convinced that there is a direct correlation between the terms "expert" & "qualified instructor".
In this day & age of readily available information (Books, TV series, DVD's, Internet forums, etc, etc), it's easy to appear like an expert by regurgitating the advice & opinions of others
I would have though that the most important criteria is that the person has the real firsthand experience to know what they are talking about.
Can they "walk the walk" & not just "talk the talk".
Kind regards
Mick
neoaliphant.
Yes, Shaun is probably about 25 miles south west, but is not qualified either (whatever that that means lol). On the plus side, he does take people out occasionally and does have land he can use for bushcraft.
It will be interesting to see more detail on this. In between him and the OP, I know of at least ten bushcraft instructors (plus a bushcraft 'school' not from from the OP too), but as per the last sentence, I think we need more info
Yes, Shaun is probably about 25 miles south west, but is not qualified either (whatever that that means lol). On the plus side, he does take people out occasionally and does have land he can use for bushcraft.
It will be interesting to see more detail on this. In between him and the OP, I know of at least ten bushcraft instructors (plus a bushcraft 'school' not from from the OP too), but as per the last sentence, I think we need more info
I'd agree with this but then a good number of 'experts' have no skills, and sometimes little interest, in being able to share their enthusiasm. If you have done an instructor's course, it shows that you have ticked a few boxes concerning your abilities to teach a subject to a certain level, as judged by an accrediting body.
To embark upon an instructor's course does suggest that your bushcraft skills are reasonable but may be some way off being 'expert'; perhaps more importantly, it denotes an enthusiasm for the activity and an eagerness to share it with others.
Who can honestly judge what constitutes 'expert' in this field anyway? Is it just down to hard skills? That being the case, I would suppose that no-one is truly an expert because, as we plunge deeper into the whole subject area of bushcraft, we inevitably find that there are some subject areas that appeal more to us than others. So, you may find someone is an expert on fire lighting and management, another's expertise is in craft, another's in plant i.d. or tracking and so on. Sure, they can do all 'the necessaries' but it is the individual's interests that define them as an expert.
If it's of any help, I am a qualified instructor and, in the real world, a full-time teacher, living about 7 miles outside Cirencester! Well, you have to offer help if it's required!
G'day Tiley
I guess a lot boils down to whether you believe in the teacher defecit or student defecit model of the teaching & learning cycle
A lot of current educational theory focusses on the teacher defecit model (i.e. there is no such thing as a bad student, only bad teachers).
I genuinely wonder how many who espouse this view have spent any recent time in classrooms
I also wonder how many tradesmen have ticked boxes concerning their abilities to teach?
Yet regardless of the lack of formal teaching qualifications or ability that may be held by tradesmen, how many apprentices throughout history have still managed to learn their trade?
Kind regards
Mick
I guess a lot boils down to whether you believe in the teacher defecit or student defecit model of the teaching & learning cycle
A lot of current educational theory focusses on the teacher defecit model (i.e. there is no such thing as a bad student, only bad teachers).
I genuinely wonder how many who espouse this view have spent any recent time in classrooms
I also wonder how many tradesmen have ticked boxes concerning their abilities to teach?
Yet regardless of the lack of formal teaching qualifications or ability that may be held by tradesmen, how many apprentices throughout history have still managed to learn their trade?
Kind regards
Mick
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Can I ask what are the actual qualification or qualifications required to be a 'qualified bushcraft instructor' in the UK??
I wonder if the original poster has the answer yet?
Hello C,O,A,P welcome to the forum why not tell a bit about your self,
Hello C,O,A,P welcome to the forum why not tell a bit about your self,
Thank you for all of your resposes and v.Sorry im a little late to the conversation!
Also, please let me apoligise for my novice post!...it wont happen again!
I need an 'instructor' purely for insurance purposes as the work i am doing involves children and young people taking part in bushcraft days and weekends.
(please feel free to send a private message if you are interested and i will get back to you with more information)
Also, please let me apoligise for my novice post!...it wont happen again!
I need an 'instructor' purely for insurance purposes as the work i am doing involves children and young people taking part in bushcraft days and weekends.
(please feel free to send a private message if you are interested and i will get back to you with more information)
neoaliphant.
Yes, Shaun is probably about 25 miles south west, but is not qualified either (whatever that that means lol). On the plus side, he does take people out occasionally and does have land he can use for bushcraft.
It will be interesting to see more detail on this. In between him and the OP, I know of at least ten bushcraft instructors (plus a bushcraft 'school' not from from the OP too), but as per the last sentence, I think we need more info
I’m just going to interject here and get the thread from the OP back on track.
I think Ray with a post like this you need to go from personal experience, not just the credentials on someone’s website or whatever you base your reply on. Lets not forget here that your comments (although I’m sure they were unintentional and possibly “hidden behind the veil of your PC”
may affect someone’s livelihood. Sean is one of the best you will find in the area, He knows the region well, is brilliant with kids (mine will vouch for that) and has a fascinating bag of skills beyond those of instructors I have seen in other parts of the World including all of the UK. He also has a staunch infrastructure of affiliated guides/instructors that he works with. Have you seen his brilliantly modified bushcraft tools? The man is very intuitive. Those of us who know Sean will agree that he is passionate and engaging.
Ray if your heart is genuinely in this industry it is about camaraderie and networking with others in order to learn on a personal level and/or make a business of it. I'm interested why you aren't advertising your bushcraft company on your profile if you have one and your qualifications as you claim in an earlier post. Wouldn't that be helpful to the OP as you are in the area? In the interest of an amazing pastime, hobby and skill you need to make people like and respect you. Lots of work ahead methinks.
You can’t get a better qualification than that.
Sean at Silver Fox Bushcraft is my instructor of choice down here in the South West http://www.silverfoxbushcraft.co.uk/
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Hi Heltor.
I'm not sure how you have managed to mis read my post to be honest.
I take it you saw me say that Shaun is local to the OP, takes out folks to teach them, and has land he already uses! (unless you think that is bad lol)
I take it you had already read many posters say that qualifications are not the be all and end all, and that personal experience can be the most important thing (including me saying that qualifications can mean very little...especially my own civvy one).
I should assume you saw my 'lol' after my comment on Shaun not being qualified, and that you could have taken it in the same way as many other posters referred to qualifications.
I guess, someone asking what qualifications are needed to be a bushcraft instructor, someone discussing the pupil/teacher model theory, someone questioning the words 'expert' or qualified' all not to be thread drift, but my mentioning of a local expert (Shaun) and a local school (with qualified, insured instructors) to be thread drift.
Maybe you could tell me just where YOU think I have maligned Shaun in any way?
As for offering my services. I am not able to do any kind of work like this at the moment, even if I wanted to, as since I stopped working for a bushcraft school (I have never had my own, nor said so) I don't have insurance (liability or other), so could not be of use to the OP, as per their post, which I suspected would come after the initial query.
I can only say that I base my view of Shaun (which is a positive one) from personal emails we have sent each other a while back over a bushcraft matter near to WSM (in which he was helpful and informative). I have never been to his website though, but prefer the personal experience you refer to lol. From how I read your response, I wonder if you could have read my post any more wrong
Maybe we were just at cross purposes.
I'm not sure how you have managed to mis read my post to be honest.
I take it you saw me say that Shaun is local to the OP, takes out folks to teach them, and has land he already uses! (unless you think that is bad lol)
I take it you had already read many posters say that qualifications are not the be all and end all, and that personal experience can be the most important thing (including me saying that qualifications can mean very little...especially my own civvy one).
I should assume you saw my 'lol' after my comment on Shaun not being qualified, and that you could have taken it in the same way as many other posters referred to qualifications.
I guess, someone asking what qualifications are needed to be a bushcraft instructor, someone discussing the pupil/teacher model theory, someone questioning the words 'expert' or qualified' all not to be thread drift, but my mentioning of a local expert (Shaun) and a local school (with qualified, insured instructors) to be thread drift.
Maybe you could tell me just where YOU think I have maligned Shaun in any way?
As for offering my services. I am not able to do any kind of work like this at the moment, even if I wanted to, as since I stopped working for a bushcraft school (I have never had my own, nor said so) I don't have insurance (liability or other), so could not be of use to the OP, as per their post, which I suspected would come after the initial query.
I can only say that I base my view of Shaun (which is a positive one) from personal emails we have sent each other a while back over a bushcraft matter near to WSM (in which he was helpful and informative). I have never been to his website though, but prefer the personal experience you refer to lol. From how I read your response, I wonder if you could have read my post any more wrong
Maybe we were just at cross purposes.
Hi COAP, perhapse you could try Jonny Crockett at Survival School even if there stomping ground is to far Im sure he will be able to give you some good info relevant to your area, Have fun,
No affiliation other than a happy student,
No affiliation other than a happy student,
Hi Ray. It seems I may have misinterpreted your post for which I apologise. It's a subject lots of people on here are passionate about and I'm glad we both agree Sean is a great instructor.
All the best............hc
It's a subject lots of people on here are passionate about and I'm glad we both agree Sean is a great instructor.All the best............hc
Hi Heltor.
maybe my humour was too disguised, but at least we are back on track again, which is good.
maybe my humour was too disguised, but at least we are back on track again, which is good.
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