Bushcraft as Therapy, But Don't Commoditize Nature
There is a large body of research that indicates contact with nature is good for your mental health. I have direct experience, witnessing how conservation activities directly impacted patients in several acute psychiatric wards. A patient who had been struggling with acute anxiety disorder, and who was nearly catatonic became animated when digging, and after 20 minutes said that for the 1st time in his life, his anxiety was gone!
Now called Eco-therapy, more formalised approaches to leveraging the special qualities of nature, forest bathing, or as it was first coined in Japanese, shinrin yoku, have started to grow in momentum in the American and British cultural zeitgeist as a passive consumer product.
Climate Anxiety
Climate anxiety may become one of the major drivers of anxiety disorders and depression, and is fully understood to be driven by climate change or localised extinction events, flooding, bushfires, and catastrophic storms. Interestingly, people notice that there are fewer bugs on windshields in 2024, but they may not realise that this could have an impact on their mood. We evolved around insects and the other species that depend on them. Birdsong is good for mental health. When we lose insects we lose birds.
Mass extinction is a barely acknowledged driver of anxiety.
Getting involved in conservation or campaigning can help, but better than that is actual reconnection with nature through learning skills and knowledge about wild plants that are not food-related. (Not on a Zoom course, but actually in person, in nature with an experienced outdoorsman.
Buschcraft As Therapy
People closely connected with nature are naturally more confident in nature, even in the worst climatic conditions. Bushcraft as Therapy combines philosophy, knowledge, conservation, craft, and wilderness survival skills. It is a philosophy-based approach that promotes conservation (practical sessions) as part of the learning process which uses materials sourced from nature for a variety of Crafts while also teaching a variety of wilderness survival skills.
We are not taught enough about nature in our childhood to feel confident about nature.
Bushcraft as Therapy is a complex combination of low-level skill and knowledge development, coupled with time spent outdoors in nature for the limbic system to activate. Nature connects to us through the limbic system.
1. Environment
Local ecology, conservation, wildlife, and our place in the historic landscape. Natural Progression in nature.
2. Practical Survival Skills:
Camp-craft, ethics and learning to leave no trace.
Cordage, glues and other materials
Advanced Crafting of practical Items using resources only from nature.
Shelter
Warmth.
Water
Food
3. Beauty and Ritual
Using natural materials and the skills you have learned to make entire items with natural materials.
Bushcraft as Therapy equips the student with skills for a free hobby with lifelong deep therapeutic value in nature.
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Now called Eco-therapy, more formalised approaches to leveraging the special qualities of nature, forest bathing, or as it was first coined in Japanese, shinrin yoku, have started to grow in momentum in the American and British cultural zeitgeist as a passive consumer product.
The practice is to surround oneself in nature, mindful of sight, sound, and smell. It is a passive activity requiring zero interaction with the environment.
Climate Anxiety
Climate anxiety may become one of the major drivers of anxiety disorders and depression, and is fully understood to be driven by climate change or localised extinction events, flooding, bushfires, and catastrophic storms. Interestingly, people notice that there are fewer bugs on windshields in 2024, but they may not realise that this could have an impact on their mood. We evolved around insects and the other species that depend on them. Birdsong is good for mental health. When we lose insects we lose birds.
Mass extinction is a barely acknowledged driver of anxiety.
Ecological grief: This term describes the emotional response to the loss of nature, which can be caused by physical losses, loss of environmental identity, or the anticipation of future losses. It can be similar to bereavement and may increase the risk of some mental disorders.
The 6th Mass extinction is already hurting us in profound ways
We are in the middle of a climate and ecological emergency, and the anxiety it is causing can lead to maladaptive responses.
We are in the middle of a climate and ecological emergency, and the anxiety it is causing can lead to maladaptive responses.
"Anxieties about climate change have a big impact on our well-being". If climate change is affecting your mental health, spending time connecting to nature may be helpful. You could also get involved with conservation activities or campaigns to protect the environment." Oxford Mind
Sitting meditating in a woodland, Forest Therapy, or going for a walk in a woodland will not reconnect you with nature.
Sitting meditating in a woodland, Forest Therapy, or going for a walk in a woodland will not reconnect you with nature.
It simply helps you to relax from the digital world and unwind from modern life, have a bit of respite but little more. Connection with nature comes with understanding nature, our place in it, and the knowledge and skills to be a friend of nature.
Getting involved in conservation or campaigning can help, but better than that is actual reconnection with nature through learning skills and knowledge about wild plants that are not food-related. (Not on a Zoom course, but actually in person, in nature with an experienced outdoorsman.
Buschcraft As Therapy
People closely connected with nature are naturally more confident in nature, even in the worst climatic conditions. Bushcraft as Therapy combines philosophy, knowledge, conservation, craft, and wilderness survival skills. It is a philosophy-based approach that promotes conservation (practical sessions) as part of the learning process which uses materials sourced from nature for a variety of Crafts while also teaching a variety of wilderness survival skills.
We are not taught enough about nature in our childhood to feel confident about nature.
Bushcraft as Therapy is a complex combination of low-level skill and knowledge development, coupled with time spent outdoors in nature for the limbic system to activate. Nature connects to us through the limbic system.
The Nature Connection Course consists of planned teaching sessions broken up into 3 distinct areas aimed at increasing confidence while in nature.
1. Environment
Local ecology, conservation, wildlife, and our place in the historic landscape. Natural Progression in nature.
2. Practical Survival Skills:
Camp-craft, ethics and learning to leave no trace.
Cordage, glues and other materials
Advanced Crafting of practical Items using resources only from nature.
Shelter
Warmth.
Water
Food
3. Beauty and Ritual
Using natural materials and the skills you have learned to make entire items with natural materials.
4. Community
Being in nature with others as part of a
prosicial learning process.
Bushcraft as Therapy equips the student with skills for a free hobby with lifelong deep therapeutic value in nature.
In general these skills are rejected by New Age Shamanic Practitioners. Probably because they are percieved as difficult to master. But that assumption is actually wrong. For tinder there are literally thousands of plants that can be dried and processed to accept an hold an ember from flint /pyrites and steel sparks. I find it interesting that Celtic Shamanic Practitioners reject the hearth skills of kindling sacred fire. Yet St Brigid is such an important deity.
Keeper of the light, pictured holding a flame in the palm of her hand. The heat from her flame warms hearth and home. The fire heats the forge, for sh3 is the goddess of an Iron Age Culture. Sparks ar inspiration in poets (Fire of Inspiration) - this flame is representative of all 3 of her triple goddess aspects
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