DeWolf Bushcraft CIC

This one always makes me chuckle. Well worth a read (Ruth Als Jonathon)

I really must get back to writing . . .

Catching a Break - not-on-my-shift.org Do you ever look at some folk and wonder how they do it? How they get positive recognition for something done over the rest of us. How they always seem to be in the right place at the right time? … Continue reading →

Only taken me nearly 4 years to get to this point!!! Project started way back. Then - The Kid comes along and bam! Work and no time.
Finally a day of play.
Meant to making an arrow with crow feathers The Kid found, but “procrastinating” with finishing this.
Will smooth out and carve patterns etc to finish. . . . maybe in another 3 years 🙄

As you may or may not know, I’ve been ranting and raving about every now and then over the last 8 or so years, about Pete Casey. Ascentoftheamazon.com.

And as you may or may not know, he finished his walk and ascent up the mighty Amazon from Atlantic Ocean to Pacific Ocean via the ultimate source of the Amazon river, atop Nevado Missmi at 5600m, taking him 6.5 years to complete.

Well. Few days ago he completed his first public speech at the The Explorers Club in New York.

For a mild mannered humble man with no military experience, who’s background stems from being a skilled brickie from a non discript south east town - and who’s biggest boast on the hottest place he’d have ever been, prior to this expedition, would have been his local chip shop on a Tuesday night - well, his story is extraordinary. Phenomenal. Outrageous. And other synonyms you can pick out the thesaurus.

Here’s a link below to his first talk at explorers

His main sponsorship and help came from a previous Amazon explorer Piotr Chmielinski, who himself was amongst the first to kayak the Amazon.

I’ve persuaded Pete to come and talk and say hi at Lavvu on the Farm this year and he is also in talks with trying to go to World Extreme Medicine too. And am also trying/hoping to get him in at Kendal Mountain Festival but am awaiting talks on this.

Pete’s entire story is incredible, and for me, he represents a stepping stone “real life” inspiration for ordinary person.

His talk starts approx 12min 30. Hope you enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/live/TST05LjQ07A?si=h15Bab-5DMvczqlH

ASCENT OF THE AMAZON Over the course of six and half years, Briton Pete Casey undertook the record breaking expedition of crossing South America by foot, up the Amazon River from...

So, revisited a poem I'd written for my old Paramedic blog - one that seemed to always well me up when I read it (for some reason). I've updated/edited it to roll of the tongue a bit better.

Have a read - let me know your thoughts

A student's decree - "just one more chance, please" - not-on-my-shift.org This is a little poem that’s been sitting on the back burner for quite a while now – I thought it about time to get it finished and put it out there. Dedicated to all of us starting out who … Continue reading →

A very good friend

🧡🔥*NEW!*🔥❤

I am so thrilled to let you know that I am launching a monthly, evening WOMEN'S FIRE CIRCLE based in the glorious woodland of the National Trust Footprint near Windermere.

🙏 For women, the ancient practice of gathering together in circle, was a chance to reconnect, reflect and share our life stories and wisdoms without expectation or judgement or pressure.

It is a deep-rooted practice that we can (should!) reclaim and rediscover. A sacred space removed from the demands of the outside world.

🔥 Gathering round fire for warmth, comfort and conversation is a primal and powerful part of our human experience. Fire has always made us feel better.

The Women’s Fire Circle melds together the magic of gathering round the warmth of the flames with the supportive power of our collective, feminine spirit.

It’s a place to take a couple of hours away from the busyness and pressures of the everyday and use it whatever way you please.

❤ A place to share, to talk, to listen, to laugh (or cry).

💛 A place to be silent.

🧡 A place to simply gaze at the flames if that is what you need.

💙 A place to drink tea and eat cake.

💚 A space to come together with other women just as you are.

Monthly Women’s Fire Circles take place around the time of the Full Moon, Equinoxes and Solstices.

🍃🍂Tapping into the influence of the seasons, circles may include meditation, creating, a little breathwork and gentle movement or simply a lovely get together and natter around the fire. In the warmer months, I’ll be combining Women’s Fire Circles with an optional wild swim first.

☕🍰 There will always be homemade cake and tea! x

First WOMEN'S FIRE CIRCLE takes place on Thursday 21st December, Winter Solstice 7-9 p.m.

👉 BOOK: www.atnaturespace.co.uk/adventures-escapes/womens-fire-circle/

Windermere and Footprint NT





📸 credit Jumpy James Photography & Web

Recently ran a Sanctuary Project at the site in Graythwaite. With a twist. This was for the benefit of the https://www.180project.co.uk

“Turning lives around 180 degrees. At 180 we blend CrossFit with education and life coaching... to help change lives. People get physically, mentally, emotionally well, and socially connected.”

A good friend of mine, John Paul Liddle and his wife, Elaine, who both volunteer for the 180 Project, fronted the liaison and helped me massively to set up and take down the site for the weekend.

Twas an amazing weekend with a great group of guys who had amazing backgrounds and stories to tell. It was a privilege to have hosted them all at the site.

All got involved in different forms of firelighting, cooked over open fire - sharing spatchcock poussin twixed hazel sticks, and a chicken stew, wild swim in Windermere, and a “stroll” up Gummers Howe with cracking views. And of course, sleeping in hammocks!

EDIT
Sorted. Thanks for everyone’s help and support. Was fantastic just to hear the calming nature of the accountants all similar in their approach. But have got it done now. And YES. In future I’ll use an accountant

Anyone financial/accountant based or any experience filing accounts for a CIC business.
I am in process of trying to file my accounts for DeWolf Bushcraft CIC with/via Companies House (deadline 31st May - yes leaving till last moment). Period is for 31st Aug 21 to 31st Aug 22.
Simple enough so far.
Buuuut . . . I'm getting easily confused with how to do this. So far, I believe DeWolf Bushcraft CIC qualifies as "micro-entity" status and thus no audit required. But if so, when trying to log final accounts online it says it must be done by paper/post.
Is this right? If so, what is overal format?
I've signed up for free access to FreeAgent. com to do a spread sheet of sorts (one of many suggested software providers for their preferred formatted account sheets I believe), have entered in all I need and have an Unaudited Financial Statement for 21/22.
What next?
And Do I still need to do something online via companies house?
ANY help will be MOST appreciated
EDIT: And no, I cannot afford an accountant otherwise I'd have had this sorted aaaages ago. And yes, I am a numpty

So. Made some dandelion fritters. Introducing “the kid” to wildlife cooking.

Picked fresh dandelion heads, unique and specific batter mix recipe
1 egg
Some flour.
Some milk
Some vanilla sugar
Some finely ground/powdered desiccated coconut
Sunflower oil.

So. A wonderful quality day losing myself into a hobby that I rarely get to do these days.

8 x Edward point bone arrow heads round 1 completed. Need polishing and serrated edges added to all. Then engraving primitive symbols. Then attaching to the arrow shafts I maxed ages back.

Bit by bit

I’ve not posted for a while and wanted to update all.
Happy new year to everyone first of all

The sanctuary project is still number one focus in the DeWolfBushcraft CIC vision. However, before I can give it my full focus, I have to complete a course related to my main “ratrace” work. I have just started my Independent Prescribing course which will be going on till June. As this is level 7, notoriously full on, and I’m dyslexic, I will be focussing as much time to this as possible.

Afterwards I will have time to focus on the Sanctuary Project and further project ideas and dates.
I still would like the project weekends for emergency blue light services and Nhs staff etc and also want to open up day events for various craft activities, as well as mountain and fell walks and forest bathing and well being.

If folk have any ideas what they’d want please feel free to contact or put some ideas in comments.

For now I look forward to getting back into it all

at nature's pace

The Kid’s 2nd birthday tomorrow. Thought I’d quickly knock up a mini self bow. An hour and half later with an openel 8 only and sore wrists and sore fingers, et voila. A mini baby war* bow

Made from hazel

*mild toddler conflict over “war”

Final Course of 2022 jungle training for RatRace. Very busy with lessons and lectures and a “night time exercise” consisting of 17kg packs and a yomp up and down and through mud, swampy ground, thick brush, steep ground, over and under felled trees in marsh. Just for a little taster of things to come. All did well. And wish them all well for the event next year

DeWolfBushcraft CIC needs some help.

Next year aims to be a fruitful moving forward year with the Sanctuary Project. And I would love and welcome help and support from folk.

Couple things I’m after for storage at site is some second hand garden storage containers. Does anyone have anything they’d want to get rid of?
I’ve been given permission to store kit at site or in barn by site. Either way this saves massively on travel times, fuel, vehicle wear and tear, and huge effort moving kit back and forth. But I need to secure it all and keep it dry and safe.

If anyone has anything or knows where please get in touch.

Also, been given permission to build a wood storage right at base camp. And some other things that will stay standing (like make shift sink and shelving, raised fire bed etc

If anyone is dab hand with this, has tools, any supplies for wood etc. anything that will help please get in touch.

Storage is more urgent than others for now.

I will be grateful for anything as always thank you

Final Sanctuary Project weekend just gone. Had an awesome bunch of medics from SECAMB and one Special Inspector representing the thin Blue Line.

So much covered . . .
Fire lighting
Primitive arrow making
Fletching
Pine pitch and hide glues
Sharp tool use
Wild swimming in Windermere
Cooking over camp fire
Sleeping in hammocks
Little bit of foraging
And basically being outside in awesome woodland using nature as therapy

Thank you to all who came and huge thank you to Susie who volunteered as camp hand whiteout whom I would have died of exhaustion.

Thank you also to Graythwaite Estate for allowing this to happen on their land

The Sanctuary Project is there
For all Emergency Services personnel, all NHS workers, MRT, CFRs, and other similar organisations that may dealing with burn-out, moral injury, or ptsd.

I will be restarting weekends and other activities from April 2023. For now, it’ll be about planning and seeking funding.

Jungle Training/Preparation course - set for BAIML and all similar exped folk. Done.

Cracking weekend. Small turn out but fine. Good to dust off cobwebs on this course. Specific to generalised jungle environment and people venturing into the tropics say, for first time, ?leading groups.

I have some things I’ll probably change or adapt for next years run. But all fine so far.

Thanks Stuart Smith for being linchpin in getting this going with BAIML and thanks for both you and me being the first aid “patients” (😜)

Jungle training course starting in 24 minutes. Set up Thursday night and yesterday in that miserable deluge weather front. But out of the blue it stopped and the sun came out . . .

Sanctuary Project Dates
Reminder for 10th 11th of September for anyone who is NHS, Emergency Services (EMS/Police/Fire), MRT, First Responder or similar - these dates are very much under subscribed currently.
If anyone can join at short notice - or knows anyone who would benefit from this then please get in touch
www.dewolfbushcraft.co.uk
[email protected]

Jungle Training/Preparation Course

Worth 2 x CPD points

1st to 2nd October 2022

Graythwaite, Lake District

Heavily discounted half price (one off) at £95 (£50 for BAIML members)

https://mt.tahdah.me/event/detail/610933?fbclid=IwAR15FzNUDHMgJZxU2O-YhnhD7OwYzINg5G-xOjQK87Cv6_CrvjHQ91g_Hsc

A neat two-day, one night jungle training event, designed to give you baseline knowledge and how to be prepared for the jungle environment, whether for leading expeditions or for personal joy of the tropics.

This would suit people with limited knowledge of tropical environments or those who just want to hone their knowledge and skills. Open to Expedition Leaders who are breaking into the jungle environment and are looking for a baseline skill set to give them the steppingstone to venture forward, or solo venturers wanting the same.
Even though it is a short two-day course, I will be packing in as much information as I can for you, and it will be a mix of practical sessions vs lectures.
You will sleep out in hammocks for the night (provided or your own), use machetes, and will eat around a central campfire under a huge parachute. If time and weather permit, we can nip down to Windermere lakeshore and have a wild swim too.
Full details of the course along with full joining instructions and directions will be given once booked on.
I have places for maximum 10 people.

I want to pack in as much as I can on this course so expect a lot of information. It will be a huge mix of practical's and lectures covering:

• Tarp and hammock set ups - Practical
• Sleep bags / Top Quilts - Practical
• Hammock Admin/Routine – Practical/ Lecture/Discussion
• Clothing - Practical/ Lecture/Discussion
• Rucksack and kit - Practical/ Lecture/Discussion
• Cooking and fires – Practical and lecture
• Jungle environment - Lecture/Discussion
• Fauna and flora - lecture
• Safety and psychology - lecture and discussion
• Medical - Lecture/Discussion
• Water- Lecture/Discussion
• Hygiene and toileting – Practical/ Lecture/Discussion
• Knots - Practical
• Knives/machetes – Practical/ Lecture/Discussion

All proceeds will be going to fund the Sanctuary Project as part of the DeWolfBushcraftCIC objective.

If interested please get in touch via messenger or [email protected]

thanks

Tried my hand at some jewlry. Some slate arrow head necklaces engraved with Viking symbols and embossed with copper sulphate

Well done Pete. Six and half years and he’s topped out on source of Amazon.

If people can help him out with twitter followers this would be great

The Source Of The Amazon - Ascent Of The Amazon Blogs sponsored by Piotr Chmielinski Canoandes.org The summit After crossing the winding, treeless, cold and barren valley from the small mining town of Caylloma, and staying a few days with the hardy local inhabitants, one of whom walked with me for a few hours, I followed the last part of th.....

Over the years I’ve become more and more of a obsessive perfectionist when sharpening knives. Visited in laws this weekend. Brought stones and belt sander for ease as had neighbours knives too (word had got out).

After a lengthy stropping process to rid the “visually seen” burrs I use magnifying glasses to check the edge for any remaining burrs or imperfections. I learnt this from watching Howard Schechter of The Perfect Edge (theperfectedge.com) who I reckon is a guru in the art.

Anyone else become obsessed in their craft?

Our main man Pete Casey is currently sat approx 2 days walk to the base of Nevado Missmi, the mountain source of the Amazon River.

He is currently sorting supplies, resting and getting ready for this summit bid. and once done will continue on to the pacific coast to finish the epic 6.5 year walk !!!!

Please have a read of his blogs. He’s does do a great write up. And his photos are amazing.
Remember - this is a guy with no military experience, comes from my home town in Sussex, is a brickie, and sold everything he owns, house and all, to realise this dream. Hard. As. Nails.

If anyone can recommend journalists or news outlets to contact when he’s getting real close to the ocean, so we can get his profile raised this would be appreciated.

Tree Of Rivers - Ascent Of The Amazon Blogs sponsored by Piotr Chmielinski Canoandes.org I borrowed my title from John Hemming’s wonderful, definitive book Tree of Rivers. If you look at the diagram of the Amazon Basin below, it is not difficult to distinguish his “tree” of rivers that appears to grow west from the Atlantic. The t...

Well. Our good friend and intrepid explorer and adventurer Pete Casey is about to start the final leg of his Amazonian journey.

Covid has finally caught him in Cuzco, where he is recuperating. Needing to get root canal completed and jabs and papers.

If anyone can help this good man then please help and donate. Again if you’ve done it before. From Cuzco the source of the Amazon, Nevado Missmi is not far now.

Heart Of The Inca Universe - Ascent Of The Amazon Blogs sponsored by Piotr Chmielinski Canoandes.org Cusco was the physical, political, and spiritual center of the Inka universe. Every aspect of the city reflected its cosmic significance. The Quechua word “Qosqo”, comes from an indigenous word meaning “navel of the world” or “center of th...

Easter weekend and October, a very good friend of mine, Ruth Kirk, specialising in well-being and forest bathing is running events. I’ll be offering some Bushcraft and primitive skills to the weekends.

Food is provided for the evenings but otherwise bring your own. Camp fire, ancient forest, lake shore dwelling, good company, unwind, chill and be one with nature!

Check out the link below as based by Conniston so ample opportunity for wild swimming too. What’s not to like!!!

Please share if you can

REWILD in the WOODS at nature’s pace - At Nature’s Pace Escape for a whole weekend of off-grid rewilding and nature reconnection in a magical woodland setting near Coniston.

CLOSED NOW. POSITION FILLED THANK YOU FOR ALL INTEREST. SOME AMAZONG PEOPLE WITH AMAZONG BACKGROUNDS OUT THERE

Hiya all paramedics/doctors/nurse practitioners. Trying to help out some friends

Looking for genuine expressions of interest for a third paramedic/doctor/nurse practitioner (with emergency medicine exp minimum pref with prescribing too but not essential) to come out to Panama around March 18th to 31st March this year! To be official medical cover with myself and another doctor to cover an ultra marathon coast to coast event.

This is a paid role! Details can be discussed further as that is the role of the medical providers. But I am told it runs in line with expected expedition payments. Travel expenses all paid for (including flights)

There is a segment of this ultra that involves a five day jungle trek with one way in and one way out and daily distances of up to 20km so need to be fit - as cross terrain too. Total elevation over this five days is approx 7000m. You’ll be carrying your own kit throughout including food and sleep systems

The two days prior to jungle slot is road running for the participants so we (as medics) will be in transport. The final section is in pack rafts down a river for one or two days (one I believe).

The jungle phase will expect you to be sleeping in hammocks. I have systems that I can lend out if don’t have any.

This is a serious undertaking and we are looking for confirmation of this third position this week. If you think you could do those distances with a full rucksack and still perform as a medic, if you have any jungle experience or expedition experience, if you are a fell runner etc and if you could get the time off, then drop me a line so I can get your name forward asafp

I’ve attached random pics of jungle from my albums to add excitement.

Photos from the final “pilot” weekend for the Sanctuary Project.

Great group that bonded brilliantly and made the whole thing worth while. Had a Doctor, Tech/AAP, ECA, and an ex Ortho Nurse. Great mix of professions and all got stuck in.

Fire lighting sessions in morning learning to use strikers and different materials. All opted for slices of birch polypore in end and bundles of dried bracken and moss with rosebay willow herb to bring to life. And finally two “witches brooms” of dried jack by the hedge garlic.

Afternoon had them making atlatls and spears using pine pitch glues and slate stones and sinew and stinging nettle yarn with turkey feathers.

Wild swimming in Windermere

Cooking over fires with beef and red wine stew and non meat stew for vegans. Saturday night saw then roast their spatchocked poussin over the fire twixed split hazel secured with willow bark. Also roasted vegetables and squash stuffed with cherry tomatoes, avocado, mushrooms and seeds and nuts.

Now to take a short break and start lots of admin for the CIC. Start funding, sort everything!!!

Hammocks and base camp set for this weekend - the third “pilots” in delivering the Sanctuary Project.

Was dragging firewood into camp other day and lost my wedding ring! Couldn’t find it at all. So - have a metal Detectorist coming from Kendal and District Metal Detecting Club tomorrow to help find it. Super excited about this!

Great trip along Caledonian Canal from Fort William to Inverness. Favourable winds and weather meant for a good four day paddle with some awesome camping

Thanks to Rockhopper Sea Kayaking for all kit