Europe
Swiss pine cones and their uses
The Swiss pine (Pinus cembra), goes by different names in German-speaking countries, such as ‘Zirbe,’ ‘Arve,’ ‘Arolla pine,’ or ‘Austrian stone pine.’ For generations, people have used the nuts of this particular pine species as food during the winter months,…
Beachcombing for Vongole clams in Northern Italy
Vongole clams (Ruditapes philippinarum) are the main bivalve species collected from the flat beaches of the Adriatic Sea in Northern Italy. These clams were introduced to aquaculture facilities in the lagoon of Venice in 1983 and are now considered an…
How to find freshwater on sandy beaches?
Freshwater seepages occur along drainage lines on beaches, where the water table meets the sea. These seepages are fed by freshwater supplies from inland, and the land beyond the sea is naturally higher than sea level, causing freshwater to flow…
Using Honey Locust Pods as Food
The Honey locust tree, also known as Thorny locust, derives its genus name (Gleditsia) from a former director of the Botanical garden in Berlin. Its species name (G. triacanthos) means ‘Three thorns’, which refers to the typical arrangement of its…
Limpets on rocky shorelines
Limpets (Scutellastra sp. and others) have conical, oval-shaped shells that range from 1-10cm in diameter depending on the type of limpet. Their shell is ribbed or smooth depending on the limpet species. The shells are normally brown, grey, or black…
Water dispensers for handwashing
In former Soviet Union- and their satellite states, many citizens had and have water dispensers in their so-called ‘Dachas’ (Russian: дачи). Dachas are typically simple, free-standing houses, either located in city suburbs or in the countryside. And most of them…
Is your firewood wet or dry?
If you are outdoors in boreal forest biomes worldwide, it is of primary importance to protect yourself against wind and wetness. And, to light a fire for warmth. The necessary firewood should be dry in order to burn hotter and…
Skinning and processing of dormice in Slovenia
Before dormice can be skinned, processed and cooked – they have to be caught. That is an art of its own and is described in an article you can find under this Link here. Skinning and processing of dormice is…
Dormouse trapping in southern Slovenia
Worldwide, the dormouse family consists of three sub-families and 29 species and in Slovenia the ‘European edible dormouse’ (Glis glis) is native. There live three other dormouse species: garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus), forest dormouse (Dryomys nitedula) and hazel dormouse (Muscardinus…
Bushscout UK’s fire bundle basket
Terry Longhurst said, “Bundle baskets are what we use with young people when fire lighting, using a bundle it prevents them getting burnt, it also helps if they have special needs.” Such a fire bundle basket is basically chicken wire,…
Fire lighting with Flint & Steel
Originally, stone age- and bronze age man in Europe created fire by striking flintstone on marcasite and caught resulting sparks on tinder made from horseshoe fungi. Marcasite is crystallized pyrite (iron sulfate mineral) and is not readily available but had…
Hand drilling in UK as taught by Dave Watson
Friction fire hand drills are normally not the first choice for fire lighting in the Northern hemisphere, as it is regarded as a strenuous technique, especially in cold and humid environments. Dave Watson proved under overcast Northern Wales weather conditions,…
Bow drill standard procedure by Dave Watson
The approach of friction fire lighting with bow drill in the UK is slightly different from other countries. In the following these differences will be explained. Materials and shapes of the various bow drill elements Hearth board of the bow…
Bow drilling in Sweden by Mattias Norberg
Sweden has got a rich tradition of outdoor living and Mattias Norberg wrote the standard book about fire making in this country (‘Konsten att Elda’) . It was a great privilege having got his first hand practical instructions on one…
Finding direction with the Pole Star
Finding the Pole Star with the Constellation of Ursa Major Only in the Northern Hemisphere the Pole Star is visible, and its location is mainly indicated by the position of the two pointers of the Great Bear (also called Big…
Finding direction with the Constellation of Orion
The Constellation of Orion, or ‘The Hunter’ can be best viewed in the evening skies from November to February. And during that time, it holds true for both the Northern- and Southern hemisphere. Although Orion is still visible in the…
Solar fire lighting
The energy received by the earth from the sun is called the Solar Constant, which describes the effect that every 1 m2 of planet earth, facing the sun rays in a 90-degree angle (directly overhead) will receive 1375 Watts (Joules/sec)….