WOOD CRAFT - THE ART OF SURVIVING IN THE BUSH

Magician, comic... and now successful woodsman

If you were stranded in a forest, would you be able to survive?

Inside Out took city dweller Keith Fields to try his luck in a 600 acre wood in West Sussex.

The origins of bushcraft date back to pre-historic times when a deep understanding of the natural world was essential for survival.

These days there's not much call for such skills. Or is there? What if your car broke down and you found yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere?

The bushcraft course run by Midhurst's Woodcraft School, teaches fire-starting (of the non-twisted kind), fish-gutting, and spoon carving. All vital skills if you're in a Ray Mears-style situation.

And fittingly, of course, the school tutor is... John Rhyder, a life long naturalist, woodsman and craftsman who for three years was chief instructor for Ray Mears.

So how did our Keith get on?

Making a delicious dinner the traditional woodcraft way

Our stooge, Keith, sailed through gutting his fish and honed a fine looking spoon.

But the highlight for the London-based magician was succeeding in creating fire by friction - not trickery.

"I found it a real buzz making fire," he said.

"It was really quite hard work and I felt I'd really achieved something. My heart was thumping and it took 20 minutes for me to calm down."

And the downside?

"I just couldn't get to sleep in the tent," Keith admits. "I thought I'd put my tent up on flat ground but I hadn't and I kept rolling about. And the owls didn't stop hooting all night."

But this kind of exposure to nature is what the course is all about, according to John Rhyder.

John Rhyder believes there's more to wood craft than simply surviving. It's about becoming part of the countryside

He says his courses aren't really so much about survival techniques. They are more about opening people's eyes to the natural world.

"I want to provide people with the skills and confidence to be safe and comfortable in the countryside," he says.

"It's all about giving them the knowledge and ability to connect with the natural world."

John Rhyder isn't the only one to promote 'countryside bonding'.

Many organisations offer outdoor exploration weekends, teaching elements of survival alongside a respect for nature.

Other courses teach plant and animal lore - sending out trail parties to learn more about the flora and fauna of the British Isles.

The spiritual aspect

Other courses concentrate more on the spiritual aspect of the countryside - planning walks through areas of land with special properties in druidic and old English folklore.

It is believed by some that becoming attuned to nature can be both physically and mentally beneficial.

There is also the hope that by understanding the countryside, people will feel less inclined to damage it in the future.

So how would you get on?

If you'd like to discover how attuned you are to the countryside, why not answer the following questions. The more times you answer "Yes" the more countryside-aware you may be.

• Do you know which part of the sky the sun is in at dawn?
  
  
• Do you ever go out walking without a map?
  
  
• Have you ever camped out alone under the stars?
  
  
• Can you tell the difference between a larch and an elm?
  
  
• Do you own a pair of stout walking boots?
  
  
• Do you know which woodland berries are safe to eat?
  
  
• Do you always take your rubbish home with you?
  
  
• Do you like your own company?