No, it really does!! Obviously, it does but I found out how on a whole new level as I was asked to run bushcraft sessions for year 3 at Maes yr Haul primary in Bridgend in November 2021. Admittedly I did scratch my head and think how does this topic of rocks relate to Bushcraft?!
I have worked with this school a lot throughout the time I’ve run Bushcraft Adventures and have always enjoyed running sessions here. This was a little different and required more thinking out of the box. I’ve always had a thing about picking up stones and shells, and I’m very inquisitive and learning more about bushcraft over the years has further ignited that spark and search. I had been on courses, read books and learnt about flint and steel, I bought flint – yes, I know! I’m learning about iron pyrite, I bought pyrite – yes, I know! But I had a yearning to find it myself, so I started ‘larking about’ – more on that in another blog! – In the fields of Northamptonshire, I found flint, at the Bushcraft Show 2021 I learnt how to flint knap, I now have my own flint shards for fire lighting and on a trip to Tenby I found iron pyrite in a ‘seam’ on the coast. With my hand knapped flint and my own sought out iron pyrite I made sparks – onto amadou – yes, I bought it! but one day I’ll figure how to process my own! I got to take all of this along with cooled lava from Hawaii, fossils from local beaches, and more to the sessions.
The pupils loved the sessions and so did I, I learnt so much from them which proves that learning never stops. We can all stop and learn, take that walk on the beach, or through a field, stop and look, see what you can find, history can literally be in your hands, but also at the same time you can take some time out, relax and look after yourself and be mindful whilst larking about.
