In his remarkable new book, The Pine Marten: The Secret Life of Martes martes, published by Pelagic Publishing, wildlife author Dan Bagur shares the story of a five-year field study dedicated to one of Britain and Ireland’s most elusive mammals.
We spoke to Dan about obsession, fieldcraft, conservation, and what pine martens can teach us about reconnecting with the wild.
Whether you’re new to bushcraft or a seasoned hand, one thing that remains essential, is your clothing and equipment. A good bushcraft outfit earns its keep. Knives, tools, tarps, racksacks, clothing, and shelters all carry the marks of time spent outdoors, but if they’re properly cared for, they will be ready when the next season begins.
Now is the ideal time to repair, maintain, and reset your gear, rather than discovering problems once you’re already back in the woods. The Woodlore team has put together a practical guide to help you bring your clothing and equipment back into dependable working order. After all, learning bushcraft isn’t just about using your kit, but knowing how to care for and repair it too.
Step inside the Arctic Circle with Ray Mears and Woodlore, and you’ll find yourself in a world where the cold is honest, the forest is ancient, and the sky feels close enough to touch. This is Sami country: a place shaped by reindeer trails, deep snow, and the quiet determination of those who travel through it. The journey is tough, beautiful, and deeply grounding. Equal parts training and transformation.
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In 2014 Ray Mears was invited to a private UK screening of the independent film Emptying the Skies. The documentary highlights the great threat that is currently faced by migrating songbirds, which are being killed in vast numbers as they fly across southern Europe. Due to their status as a French culinary delicacy, millions of small birds are being poached each year, fetching large sums of money on the black market.
Based on a widely republished article for The New Yorker by best-selling novelist Jonathan Franzen, Emptying the Skies aims to raise awareness of this devastating environmental tragedy and the journey of those risking their lives to stop it. This squad of pan-European bird-lovers are waging a secret war against the poachers, disrupting illegal trapping to free as many birds as possible. Continue reading
The Ray Mears & Woodlore Bushcraft Blog 