The first ever autobiography by Ray Mears, entitled My Outdoor Life, is now available to pre-order. Each copy sold through Woodlore will come individually signed by Ray Mears himself – a service that is not available through any other stockists.
Please click here to pre-order your copy today
*All orders will be dispatched following the book’s release date of 12th September 2013.
Ray Mears fans unite! The British publishers Hodder & Stoughton have confirmed that the much-anticipated Ray Mears autobiography will be released later this year. Provisionally titled ‘An Outdoor Life‘, the book is scheduled for release in September 2013, coinciding with Ray’s nationwide lecture tour.
Ray in Idaho, during filming for the ‘Wolves’ episode of Survival with Ray Mears
For details of upcoming episodes, please visit the ITV Press Centre.
We are very excited to announce that the brand new third series of Wild Britain with Ray Mears has now begun on ITV1. What better way to start the new year than with a bit of Ray on the telly, eh?
Ray Mears on the set of Wild Britain – Series 3
On Monday night Ray had the honour of hosting the 2012 St John Ambulance First Aid Awards, a ceremony which looks to celebrate the amazing and brave actions of organisations and individuals who have demonstrated their first aid skills in extraordinary circumstances.
On Monday night Ray had the honour of hosting the 2012 St John Ambulance First Aid Awards, a ceremony which looks to celebrate the amazing and brave actions of organisations and individuals who have demonstrated their first aid skills in extraordinary circumstances.
Woodlore are very excited to announce that Ray Mears will be embarking on a nationwide tour in 2013, entitled ‘An Evening with Ray Mears‘. Coinciding with Woodlore’s 30th Anniversary, this new series of talks will find Ray sharing some of his favourite moments from his many adventures:
Welcome to our second ‘Ray Mears Sightings’ post, in which we bring together the best stories, news articles and interviews with Ray from the past month:
As part of a brand new series for ITV, Ray recently visited the Isle of Wight in search of the island’s local badger population. To aid him in his quest, Ray enlisted the help of Badger Trust member Graham Lee, as well as his dog Breez. Yes, the German Shepherd, who has been specially trained to locate badger activity without disturbing the animals, helped to sniff out the creatures for Ray and his film crew. And, as if that wasn’t odd enough, Breez was also fitted with an HD camera to capture her findings. Find out more in this Isle of Wight County Press article, and keep your eyes peeled on the blog for future news on Ray’s upcoming series.
Ray on the set of his second Wild Britain series last year
Welcome to the very first of our ‘Ray Mears Sightings’ blog posts. As a new venture of ours, the aim of these posts is to bring you the very best articles, interviews and videos of Ray Mears found online each month. Throughout this past month, Ray has been busy getting involved in a variety of projects that are occurring around the UK, as well as participating in interviews with a number of publications. To simplify things, we have rounded up the cream of the crop and hope that you will enjoy them as much as we have.
The eagle-eyed among you may have already spotted Ray Mears popping up in the latest Carlsberg TV advert, known as ‘The Fan Academy‘. Made in preparation for this year’s UEFA Euro 2012, the light-hearted commercial features a bevy of English stars – including Sir Bobby Charlton, Peter Shilton, Brian Blessed and Linford Christie – as they help train 300 England fans to be the best supporters they can be:
Appearing at 0:56, Ray Mears is on hand (complete with 5.11 garb), preparing the fans for the worst the English weather can throw at them on the terraces:
Ray prepares the fans for an 'English Summer'
Darren Morris, Brand Controller at Carlsberg, said:
“As England fans ourselves, we know how important supporters are to the England team during a major tournament and we wanted to acknowledge the unique characteristics that make England fans amongst the best in the world – such as commitment, loyalty and passion.”
Tick-borne disease charity BADA-UK and its Patron, Ray Mears, are warning both outdoor workers and outdoor-pursuits enthusiasts to be vigilant about a potential increased risk of tick bites this spring. The charity is using its annual awareness campaign Tick Bite Prevention Week (26 March – 1 April) to highlight the health risks that ticks pose, especially following the recent EU ban of the herbicide Asulam.
BADA-UK's Patron Ray Mears
Asulam was used by hill farmers to control the invasive spread of bracken which provides the perfect habitat for ticks. Ray Mears warns:
The control of bracken is vital to the survival of numerous species of flora and fauna as well as reducing tick populations. The spread of bracken as a result of this ban will lead to increased tick numbers, making it all the more important that the public takes precautions against tick bites when out and about in rural areas.
In February 2012, Ray Mears joined Lars Falt in Northern Sweden to lead Woodlore’s Arctic Experience expedition. Upon his return to the UK, Ray gave the following interview, discussing his fascination with the Arctic, the wildlife you can find there, and the environmental changes he has seen since first running the course 19 years ago:
Ray Mears in Northern Sweden, as part of Woodlore’s Arctic Experience expedition in 2012
Where did you spend much of February this year?
In Northern Sweden, running our Arctic courses; roughly 104 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle.
How do you feel the courses went?
They went very well; we had two really good groups of people. They were all seriously interested and there for the right reasons. They worked hard; they put a lot in and got a lot out.
What is it that drew you to the Arctic in the first place?
The Arctic forest is an area that I find fascinating. The boreal forest is the largest land biome. It’s a wilderness that stretches around the top of the globe. It’s a fascinating area; a difficult area to travel in. It’s an area that takes a long while to really come to know and understand well. I feel a kinship with it – I like the space, I like the solitude, and I like the fact that you have to work very hard if you’re going to see wildlife there.
The Ray Mears & Woodlore Bushcraft Blog 