Nomad Of Soul

Australian Drought Leads to First "Water Rage" Murder

2009-06-18T10:34:00.000+01:00

In Australia's first known case of murder due to "water rage," a dispute over a suburban man's water usage led to him being beaten to death in front of his home. According to police, 66-year-old Ken Proctor was watering the lawn in front of his home in Sydney on October 31 at approximately 5:30 p.m. when a passerby made a comment to him about wasting water. Proctor then turned his hose on the other man, who knocked him to the ground and began to punch and kick him. The attacker was tackled by two bystanders, including an off-duty policeman, and an ambulance came for Proctor. Proctor later died in the hospital after experiencing a massive heart attack.

Due to a severe, nearly eight-year drought, intensive water restrictions are in place across most of Australia. Nearly all states have banned garden sprinklers and the use of hoses on cars or sidewalks.

Sydney, in addition, prohibits leaving hoses or taps unattended except to filling pools, and permits are required for pools larger than 10,000 gallons. The use of fire hoses is prohibited for any use other than firefighting. Hand watering of lawns or gardens is only allowed on Wednesdays or Sundays before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.

Because the incident that led to his death happened on a Wednesday, Proctor was actually complying with the city's water rules at the time.

The drought is Australia's worst in at least 100 years. Combined with over-extraction of water, the drought has caused the flows of the country's two largest southeast rivers, the Murray and Darling, to dwindle. More than three-quarters of New South Wales is experiencing a drought, and Victoria has announced that 100 percent of its farmland has been hit.

While a number of suburban disputes, arguments and calls to police have risen from water restrictions, Proctor's is believed to be the first death cause by such a water dispute.

Global Food Production Plummets in 2009

2009-06-18T10:31:00.002+01:00

Global food production is expected to plummet between 20 and 40 percent in 2009, due to widespread drought and other stresses on agricultural production

Two-thirds of the world's food is produced in countries currently in the grip of droughts. The extent of this crisis can easily be seen by a chart on the Web site of the Center for Research on Globalization:

http://www.globalresearch.ca/index....

Much media attention has focused on a severe drought in Northern China, one of the wheat producing capitals of the world. There, the worst drought in 50 years has already resulted in damage to 161 million mu (26.5 million acres) of crops. In Australia, suffering its worst drought in 117 years, 41 percent of crops have been harmed, farmers have begun abandoning land, rivers have run dry and lakes have evaporated to such an extent that they have turned toxic.

In the United States, Texas and the Southeast remains in the throes of a severe drought. California's drought is the worst in recorded history, with thousands of acres already fallow and worse likely to come -- the Northern Sierra snowpack, which provides much of the state's water as it melts, only reached 49 percent of its average thickness this winter.

Less well-publicized but equally devastating droughts have also gripped other agricultural areas of the world. In Latin America, agricultural emergencies have been declared in six countries, including soy-, corn- and cattle-producing giants Argentina and Brazil. The La Nina weather pattern is expected to make the situation worse in both Pacific South America and the southern United States.

Eastern and southern Africa, and western and central Asia are also facing severe droughts. The wheat harvest in eastern South Africa is expected to be the lowest in 30 years. In Central Asia and the Middle East, wheat harvests have dropped an average of 22 percent, reaching as high as 98 percent in northern Iraq.

Farmers have also been hurt by a lack of credit due to the financial crisis, making it harder to buy fertilizer or seed. Even in Europe, which has been relatively untouched by drought, unusual climate conditions and degraded soil have led to a projected 10 to 15 percent drop in crop output.

Indigenous ‘genocide’ in battle for oilfields

2009-06-18T10:24:00.000+01:00

It has been called the world’s second “oil war” but the only similarity between Iraq and events in the jungles of northern Peru over the past few weeks has been the mismatch of force. On one side have been police armed with automatic weapons, tear gas, helicopter gunships and armoured cars. On the other are several thousand Awajun and Wambis Indians, many of them in war paint and armed with bows and arrows, and spears.

In some of the worst violence in Peru in 20 years, the Indians warned Latin America what could happen if companies are given free access to the Amazonian forests to exploit an estimated 6billion barrels of oil and take as much timber as they like.

After months of peaceful protests, the police were ordered to use force to remove a roadblock near Bagua Grande.

In the fights that followed, nine police officers and at least 50 Indians were killed, with hundreds more wounded or arrested. The indigenous rights group Survival International described it as “Peru’s Tiananmen Square”.

“For thousands of years, we’ve run the Amazon forests,” said Servando Puerta, one of the protest leaders. “This is genocide. They’re killing us for defending our lives, our sovereignty, human dignity.”

As riot police broke up more demonstrations in Lima and a curfew was imposed on many Peruvian Amazonian towns, President Alan Garcia backed down in the face of condemnation of the massacre. He suspended – but only for three months – laws that would allow the forest to be exploited.

Peru is just one of many countries in open conflict with its indigenous people over natural resources. Barely reported in the international press, there have been major protests around mines, oil, logging and mineral exploitation in Africa, Latin America, Asia and North America. Hydroelectric dams, biofuel plantations as well as coal, copper, gold and bauxite mines are all at the centre of major land rights disputes.

A massive military force continued last week to raid communities opposed to oil companies’ presence on the Niger delta. The delta, which provides 90 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign earnings, has always been volatile but guns have flooded in and security has deteriorated.

Nigeria’s main militant group said yesterday it had destroyed an oil pipeline belonging to the US company Chevron.

“A major gas pipeline manifold and another major crude oil pipeline belonging to Chevron JV recently repaired at a sum of over $US56 million [$68million] were both blown up,” the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said.

It warned that its fighters were heading to the Chevron tank farm in Escravos and urged staff to flee.

The escalation of violence came in the week that Shell agreed to pay £9.7million ($19.7million) to ethnic Ogoni families – whose homeland is in the delta – who had led a peaceful uprising against it and other oil companies in the 1990s, and who had taken the company to court in New York accusing it of complicity in writer Ken Saro-Wiwa’s execution in 1995.

In West Papua, Indonesian forces protecting some of the world’s largest mines have been accused of human rights violations. Hundreds of tribesmen have been killed in the past few years in clashes between the army and people with bows and arrows.

“An aggressive drive is taking place to extract the last remaining resources from indigenous territories,” said Victoria Tauli-Corpus, chairwoman of the UN permanent forum on indigenous issues. “There is a crisis of human rights. There are more and more arrests, killings and abuses.

“This is happening in Russia, Canada, the Philippines, Cambodia, Mongolia, Nigeria, the Amazon, all over Latin America, Papua New Guinea and Africa,” MsTauli-Corpus said. “It is global. We are seeing a human rights emergency. A battle is taking place for natural resources everywhere. Much of the world’s natural capital – oil, gas, timber, minerals – lies on or beneath lands occupied by indigenous people.”

Source: Global Research

Ipod apps of interest

2009-05-12T21:02:00.006+01:00

If you own an iphone or ipod touch then here's a selection apps that may be of some interest to the outdoor enthusiast.

First up is Chirp! and Chirp! USA. I highly recommend these apps from ispiny, here's the marketing from their website:

The Chirp! family of apps for iPhone and iPod Touch feature the songs of the most common birds of backyards, gardens, parks and woodland, in north-west Europe and the USA. Tap the name of the bird to hear its song, tap again to stop the song. If you need extra help in learning the songs, simply tap the bird photo to flip it over and reveal helpful tips. After listening, try the quiz to test your memory. Answer fast to earn a score multiplier and get on the high score table!

A very special feature of Chirp! is that birds are arranged in order of commonness - no more searching through rare birds to find the one singing on your lawn.
Other key features include:

* Your location is checked on first start-up to load the correct bird data
* A map screen allows birds from different areas to be compared
* High quality sounds and stunning photos (male birds)
* Links to Wikipedia and (USA only) Cornell Lab of Ornithology
* Quiz with three levels of difficulty - suitable for all the family
* Frequent updates, adding extra birds

Chirp! USA features birds from across continental USA (excl Alaska). More birds will be added, with priority given to user's suggestions. We already have a variety of Chickadees, Grosbeaks, Woodpeckers, Sparrows, Bluebirds and many more, so let us know if your favorite is missing.

Chirp! Europe features birds of north-west Europe. It is available in English, German, French, Dutch, Swedish and Norwegian and also partially translated into Danish and Irish Gaelic. The app runs in the main language of your iPod/iPhone but to see the bird names and song comments on another language, go to the main settings of your device, scroll down until you see the Chirp! settings and choose a language from the list.

Cheap Chirp! is a free ad-supported cut-down version of Chirp! It does not include all the birds and does not include a map screen for changing location, but does give you a taste of the full version.

The chirp series are updated regulary, you can download the free lite version or if you have jailbroken your phone/touch and are a cheap bastard then try out the full versions via the installous app.

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Next up is Butterflies of Britain & Ireland from birdguides.com.
I only had a vague interest in butterflies before but this app gives you more than the usual identifying info. Each of the many butterflies have photos for the upperside, underside, colour varients, larva, egg, pupa, male/female, larvae etc it also gives details on which plants they commonly lay or feed on along with a map of distribution and phenogram.
A lot of work and detail went into this app and you will never fail to learn something new each time you look at it. (Did you know the Red Admiral likes to get drunk on over ripe orchard fruit or fermenting tree sap, the guy who wrote this info found over forty of them at one time lying totally drunk , some on their backs waving their legs feebly in the air, under a damaged tree).
This app is £9.99 or to see if it's worth it then you can find it via installous.

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Next up is the north woods field guides which can be found seperately or in a all in one app. It covers 7 subjects: fish, flowers, fly fishing, garden insects, scat, tracks and trees.
Each subject has very little to choose from, some have a little info on the subject and some don't but all have hand drawn colour pictures which lack detail and even worse not a single sample includes the Latin name, it's local common names in America.
The one good thing going for this i the quiz which will give a picture and you have a choice of 4 answers but the whole app looks and feels like it's still in it's alpha stage, it has a lot of potential so much so i wish i could improve it myself. At the moment this app is just a basic idea and not worth paying anything for it even if it is only 59p each or £2.99 for the lot, one for installous only.

More apps tomorrow

Free Map Reading Book

2009-05-12T20:23:00.003+01:00

Howdy ho folks thanks to BT and their remarkable incompetence i lost my connection for while but thanks to Dick Branson and his virgin pipes i have a much faster connection.

Well for anyone who actually bothers returning to this blog then here is a link to a free ebooklet written by the Ordnance Survey called Map Reading: From the beginner to the advanced map reader.
Down it from George Fisher directly
or from here if old George removes it.
1.91MB

WILDERNESS MEDICINE - 5th Edn

2009-03-19T15:19:00.006Z

This book is expensive, really expensive, you can buy it new on Amazon UK for £133.35 ($159.20 Amzon.com = £109.40) and comes with a DVD which is a lot of money to gamble on a book so I decided to post the link to the torrent for the .chm edition of the book (DVD not included). If you like it and think it's worth it then make sure you buy it.

WILDERNESS MEDICINE

Text with DVD
Fifth Edition

By
Paul Auerbach, MD, MS, FACEP, FAWM, Clinical Professor of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

Description
Manage any medical emergency you encounter in the great outdoors! Every day, more and more people are venturing into the wilderness and extreme environments...and many are unprepared for the dangers that come with these adventures. Whether these victims are stranded on mountain tops, lost in the desert, trapped deep in the woods, or injured far out at sea, this indispensable resource equips rescuers and health care professionals to diagnose and treat the full range of emergencies and health problems encountered in the wilderness!

Contents

MOUNTAIN MEDICINE

1. High Altitude Medicine 2. Avalanches 3. Lightning Injuries

COLD AND HEAT

4. Thermoregulation 5. Accidental Hypothermia 6. Immersion in Cold Water 7. Nonfreezing Cold-Induced Injuries 8. Frostbite 9. Polar Medicine 10. Pathophysiology of Heat-Related Illnesses 11. Clinical Management of Heat-Related Illnesses

BURNS, FIRE AND RADIATION

12. Wildland Fires: Dangers and Survival 13. Emergency Care of the Burned Victim 14. Exposure to Radiation from the Sun 15. Volcanic Eruptions

INJURIES AND MEDICAL INTERVENTIONS

16. Injury Prevention 17. Principles of Pain Management 18. Bandaging and Taping 19. Emergency Airway Management 20. Wilderness Trauma, Surgical Emergencies, and Wound Management 21. Improvisation in the Wilderness 22. Hunting and Other Weapons Injuries 23. Tactical Medicine and Combat Casualty Care 24. Wilderness Orthopaedics 25. The Eye in the Wilderness 26. Wilderness Dentistry and Management of Facial Injuries 27. Wilderness Cardiology 28. Wilderness Neurology 29. Chronic Diseases and Wilderness Activities 30. Mental Health in the Wilderness

RESCUE AND SURVIVAL

31. Wilderness Emergency Medical Services and Response Systems 32. Search and Rescue 33. Technical Rescue in the Wilderness Environment 34. Litters and Carries 35. Aeromedical Transport 36. Essential of Wilderness Survival 37. Jungle Travel and Survival 38. Desert Travel and Survival 39. Whitewater Medicine and Rescue 40. Caving and Cave Rescue

ANIMALS, INSECTS, AND ZOONOSES

41. Protection from Blood-Feeding Arthropods 42. Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Diseases 43. Malaria 44. Arthropod Envenomation and Parasitism 45. Tick-Borne Diseases 46. Spider Bites 47. Scorpion Envenomation 48. Bites by Venomous Reptiles in the Americas 49. Bites by Venomous Snakes outside the Americas 50. Antivenoms and Immunobiologicals: Immunotherapeutics of Envenomation 51. Bites and Injuries Inflicted by Wild and Domestic Animals 52. Bear Behavior and Attacks 53. Wilderness-Acquired Zoonoses 54. Rabies 55. Emergency Veterinary Medicine

PLANTS

56. Seasonal and Acute Allergic Reactions 57. Plant-Induced Dermatitis 58. Toxic Plant Ingestions 59. Toxic Mushroom Ingestions 60. Ethnobotany: Plant-Derived Medical Therapy

FOOD AND WATER

61. Field Water Disinfection 62. Infectious Diarrhea from Wilderness and Foreign Travel 63. Nutrition, Malnutrition, and Starvation 64. Dehydration, Rehydration, and Hyperhydration 65. Living off the Land 66. Seafood Toxidromes 67. Seafood Allergies

MARINE MEDICINE

68. Submersion Incidents 69. Emergency Oxygen Administration 70. Diving Medicine 71. Hyperbaric Medicine 72. Injuries from Nonvenomous Aquatic Animals 73. Envenomation by Aquatic Invertebrates 74. Envenomation by Aquatic Vertebrates 75. Aquatic Skin Disorders 76. Safety and Survival at Sea

TRAVEL, ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, AND DISASTERS

77. Travel Medicine 78. Non-North American Travel and Exotic Diseases 79. Natural Disaster Management 80. Natural and Human-Made Hazards: Disaster Risk Management Issues

EQUIPMENT AND SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE

81. Wilderness Preparation, Equipment and Medical Supplies 82. Outdoor Clothing for Wilderness Professionals 83. Nonmedical Backcountry Equipment for Wilderness Professionals 84. Ropes and Knot Tying 85. Wilderness Navigation Techniques

SPECIAL POPULATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS

86. Exercise, Conditioning, and Performance 87. Children in the Wilderness 88. Women in the Wilderness 89. Elders in the Wilderness 90. Persons with Special Needs and Disabilities 91. Wilderness and Endurance Events 92. Wilderness Medicine Education 93. Medical Liability and Wilderness Emergencies 94. The Ethics of Wilderness Medicine

THE WILDERNESS

95. The Changing Environment 96. Wilderness Management and Preservation 97. Aerospace Medicine Appendix: Drug Storage and Stability Index

Bibliographic details
Hardbound, 2336 pages, publication date: MAR-2007
ISBN-13: 978-0-323-03228-5
ISBN-10: 0-323-03228-1
Imprint: MOSBY

You can grab a torrent from the list HERE 418MB

Aldi tools

2009-03-16T23:00:00.007Z

Aldi seem to have a steady influx of home tools at the moment some of which i have bought. These tools are aimed at the home DIY enthusiast. Here's the list of my new toys all of which may still be in your local Aldi (descriptions from aldi web site). I'm very happy with them btw.
Update, they may look toyish but they do the job, i also added a few stickers over the power craft logos, they look a lot better already.

500W Bench Drill £41

Whizzing through wood and metal with pinpoint precision, this brilliant bench drill will make light work of all sorts of workshop tasks.
9 adjustable speeds (from 280-2350rpm)
16mm keyed chuck with safety guard
Drilling capacity: metal 16mm, wood 35mm
Fully-adjustable table with 0-45° left or right tilt
54mm clamp width
Sturdy cast-iron construction
Depth stop for precision drilling
Magnetic safety switch

240W Bench Grinder/Belt Sander £19.99

Dual-purpose system that will flatten/smooth out all sorts of imperfections in metal or woodwork pieces for a cleaner finish.
No load speed: 2950rpm
Grinding disc (for metal): 150 × 20 × 12.7mm
Abrasive grinding belt (fitted): 50 × 686mm (Grade: 150)
2 spare belts included – 50 × 686mm (Grade: 150)

204 Piece Drill Bit Set £19.99

40W Model Building and Engraving Set £10.69

Super-light, super-versatile tool for the dedicated model maker/arts and crafts enthusiast. It contains all you need to achieve a professional looking finish on a variety of creative projects. Includes 40 accessories for drilling, cutting, grinding, sanding, engraving and polishing.
Variable speed: 0-20,000rpm
Adaptor AC 230V, DC 18V
Transparent storage/carry case

1020W Angle Grinder £17.99

Metalwork, bricks, paving slabs, ceramic tiles, rusty rivets – slice through them all with ease.
1020 watts, 230V, 50Hz
2 diamond blades included
Safety goggles included

24V Cordless Hammer Drill £39.99
Versatile drill, including an all-purpose bit set, to tackle a range of jobs from masonry to metalwork.

24V/1.5Ah NiCad battery
2 mechanical speeds
Quick charger with LED load indication
Adjustable side handle
9 bits (plus bit holder)
Peacock keyless chuck (1.5-3mm)

Also bought extra grinding/cutting disks and other odd and ends, i have quite a few projects lined up which i will be posting here hopefully with video.

A greenpete success story

2009-03-16T22:30:00.004Z

If your a fan of blades then watch this video, this guy has been making knifes for about a year (at time of making of video). He got started by watching the fantastic video from greenpete
and a year later he's making stunning blades like this.
I recommend you watch greenpetes video just to see how easy it is to make your very own knife, i recently bought all the tools he used but still need to get to the scrap yard. If i can make a knife half as good as this one then i'd be a very happy chappy.

The youtube page is HERE
DevilDwarfBladesmith

Palmyra woman finds roses made from birch shavings 'so real'

2009-03-04T13:54:00.001Z

PALMYRA, Mo. — Joyce Wagner knew about good, unique crafts -- she'd been buying them for years.
But the Palmyra resident never really made any of her own until last year when she spotted wooden roses at a fair in Fulton.
"People were walking by, and I thought 'Why aren't those wilting?' " Wagner said.
She tracked down the booth selling the long-stemmed roses and discovered that they were wooden, made from birch shavings.
Wagner bought eight dozen and gave them away, then decided to track down the supplier herself. Once she found the maker in Colorado, she ordered 3,200 the first time. She has placed similar orders three more times since June.

Wagner's venture with the roses, along with her other business of selling streak-free cleaning cloths, has proven so successful she's quit her full-time work. Every weekend, she heads somewhere for an event where she sells the roses.

Story from HERE

Saving Chile's southern wilderness

2009-03-04T13:43:00.002Z

Charles Darwin wrote about the region during the voyage of the Beagle

It is not every day that a Wall Street bank finds itself in possession of a chunk of land 50 times the size of Manhattan, covered in pristine forest, windswept grassland and snow-capped mountains.

But that's the position Goldman Sachs found itself in, in 2002 when it bought a package of distressed debt and assets from a US company called Trillium.

The resulting conservation project in the very south of Chile has been hailed by the bank and its partners, a US-based NGO, as an example of how the public and private sectors can work together to safeguard the world's last remaining wildernesses.

Chilean environmentalists are more sceptical but, even so, have largely applauded the project.

The story of what is now known as the Karukinka nature reserve dates back to the 1990s when Trillium bought land on Tierra del Fuego - a cluster of inhospitable islands between Chile and Argentina - clinging to the southernmost tip of South America.

The company planned to use the land for logging and wanted to cut down the lenga - a type of beech tree found only in this part of the world.

Environmental groups opposed the project and it eventually failed.

That was when Goldman Sachs stepped in, buying up Trillium's assets, including the land.

"It's not often that you're in a position where you buy a security and learn that you have 680,000 acres of land in Tierra del Fuego," says Tracy Wolstencroft, head of Goldman Sachs' Environmental Markets group.

"The more we realised what we had the more we realised how unique this property was."

The bank considered selling the land but realised it would face the same opposition as Trillium had.

So it took what some environmentalists now regard as a radical and enlightened step - it gave the land away to a New York-based environmental group, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

Full story HERE

Nature defies the Big Freeze and heralds spring

2009-03-04T13:33:00.003Z

Published Date:
02 March 2009
By Richard Morris
Ignore the cold snaps and big freezes - spring is on its way.
According to a recent nature survey bumble bees have been spotted here in 1066 County. Wildlife recorders have also logged birds building nests, snowdrops and frogspawn - all signs that spring is sprung.

However, according to one wildlife expert, it is not necessarily good news - especially with more cold weather predicted.

Shaun Nixon, manager for the Nature's Calendar, said: "The timing of natural events is one of the most responsive aspects of the natural world to warming, so it is an important indicator of change."

"There will be variations year on year, however, if we look back over the past 30 years we can see a marked advancement of spring, up to two weeks for insects and a week for plants.

"The fundamental concerns thrown up by spring's gradual advance are that food chains also come under pressure or even break down and species fooled by warmer weather into activity, blossoming or breeding can very vulnerable and can get caught out by the sort of freeze not uncommon in March."

As always this story was stolen from HERE

Maple syrup producers wait on Mother Nature

2009-03-04T13:26:00.000Z

MONCTON - As David Briggs trudges into his forest of sugar maples, he thinks out loud about the coming syrup season.

"We can only hope it's not like last year," he said. "Not that there's much we can do about it - other than hope."

His boots break fresh holes in the snow around hundreds of trees, signalling the beginning of a new season.

New Brunswick ranks third in the world in maple syrup production and is home to the country's largest organic and conventional syrup producers.

Some of the province's 112 maple syrup makers already have spent months tapping their trees and setting up lines of plastic tubing in preparation for just a few weeks of production that may begin any day now.

They are praying that this year the weather will co-operate.

Two straight seasons of foundering production has cost the industry millions, spiking prices and decimating any reserve of syrup around the world.

"I mean 2007 was bad, but 2008 was miserable," Yvon Poitras, general manager of the New Brunswick Maple Syrup Association, said.

"It was the worst year in 35 years of production. We didn't even produce 50 per cent of normal production."

Canada accounts for 85 per cent of the world's production of maple syrup, the majority of it coming from Quebec. Each year the industry prefers to have a reserve of at least 30 per cent of its product to meet higher demands, Poitras said.

But there is currently virtually no reserve.

"If we don't get a good season we're going to be in big, big trouble," he said. "There are no reserves left anywhere. There is a lack of product all over the world."

Sap drips from maple trees when temperatures fluctuate from -5"‚C at night to 5"‚C during the day, usually beginning in mid-March.

Last year, snow storms buried tubing and forced producers to spend thousands of dollars clearing obstructions.

When the season finally came, it lasted only four days before temperatures turned drastically warm, ruining the sap season.

"We thought we had it made last year. The old guys were saying it was going to be a great season, and then nothing," he said. "We depend so much on Mother Nature that it's unbelievable.

"Everyone's got their fingers crossed, their legs crossed and everything else crossed to see what Mother Nature is going to dump on us this year."

New Brunswick can produce more than four million pounds of maple syrup each year, originating from more than two million tree taps.

That ranks behind Quebec and Vermont.

Poitras said the industry as a whole lost more than $5 million last year.

Even though syrup producers have had a difficult time of late, the industry could easily grow bigger. Poitras said his association is working with the province to utilize more Crown land that is heavily covered with maples.

New Brunswick is home to the largest single producer with 168,000 taps near Saint-Quentin. It is also home to a producer in Bath with 110,000 taps for organic syrup.

"Those are two things we love to boast about," Poitras said. " But if the weather doesn't co-operate, they may be the biggest, but the biggest of nothing in not much."

Gus Hargrove, owner of Canadian Organic Maple Co. Ltd., of Bath agrees.

His business has tapped into a growing sugar market, as an organic trend steers followers away from the refined substance. Hargrove now has an international market that spans Germany and China.

"The demand actually opened up some of the market for us, but it would be nice to have more to supply it," he said. "They seek you out because of it (a decrease in supply), especially in the last two years.

"But we're optimistic because we have had a couple bad years, so hey, third time lucky."

Briggs, the fifth generation in his family of maple syrup producers from the Moncton area, said there's no way to know what this season will have in store.

Regardless, the industry has served his family well. He plans to expand Rocky Mountain Maples to include a year-round business in Riverview to sell his maple syrup, butter, cream, candy, barbeque sauce and classic taffy.

"There's absolutely nothing we can do other than get ready for it," Briggs said.

"But this is a growing industry. Producers from all over the province are growing their operations."

Story stolen from HERE

The Old Lady's Camping Trip

2009-03-04T00:24:00.000Z

Viktor Schauberger

2009-03-03T15:15:00.001Z

An interesting video which is a good introduction to Viktor Schauberger don't be put of by the look of presenter (Tom Brown I think - not THE Tom Brown Jnr).

A farm for the future

2009-03-03T14:17:00.008Z

This programme seems to be recieving a lot of positive reviews on the net so i'm downloading it at the mo. It caught my eye as it mentioned forest gardening which is a passion of mine at the moment (will be posting links to some great videos on this soon)

Wildlife film maker Rebecca Hosking investigates how to transform her family's farm in Devon into a low energy farm for the future, and discovers that nature holds the key.

With her father close to retirement, Rebecca returns to her family's wildlife-friendly farm in Devon, to become the next generation to farm the land. But last year's high fuel prices were a wake-up call for Rebecca. Realising that all food production in the UK is completely dependent on abundant cheap fossil fuel, particularly oil, she sets out to discover just how secure this oil supply is.

Alarmed by the answers, she explores ways of farming without using fossil fuel. With the help of pioneering farmers and growers, Rebecca learns that it is actually nature that holds the key to farming in a low-energy future.

The following quote is from HERE

It offered a powerful combination of looking back and looking forward, underpinned all the time by her clear deep affection she has for the farm itself. and the deep respect she has for both her father and his work. It was surprisingly personal and moving. For me, the proof of this programme was a visit yesterday from my father in law, not usually one to be interested in such things, who had seen the programme, loved it, and told me excitedly that he now knew that hedgerows could be productive, and that fossil fuels are running out. He was very impressed with the agroforestry side of things, and I suspect that many people also watched it and found themselves similarly having Eureka moments as regards some of the insights about soil, ecosystems and the idea that food production need not necessarily involve huge tractors and lashings of diesel. It was also very powerful for people to start to realise that food production and biodiversity are not necessarily, as is often believed, mutually exclusive

You can still watch this on the BBC site but only for a limited time so here are a couple of torrent links to download it.

DEMONOID 185MB .MOV
MININOVA 571MB .AVI
You can watch a short clip HERE (Trivia- I think the refinary in the background is Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire where the worlds biggest LNG plant operates)

UPDATE since watching

Sorry but i watched this and found it to be mostly a pile of crap.

First of it’s presented by some anoying female who as it turns out is the usual London career type who then decides to head out to country (i know she was from there anyway but she still acts like all the others).

She then starts bleating on about oil and how it effects farmers and all the doom and gloom that comes with it, fair enough but i got the impression she was telling herself that more than telling us as if she was just learning this herself and what little knowledge she does tell is hardly unkown anyway (unless you lived in the London bubble for years).

Now to the worst part of all. She sets up a so called live internet conversation with a bloke in the USA (remarkable image clarity and streaming they get down in Devon) which saves us TV licence payers the cost of her flying out there BUT after moaning about the fuel crisis she then jumps into her Land rover (not the most fuel effecient motor) then drives from Devon to SW Wales then onto a ferry (she doesnt say but i’m certain they dont use sails or oars) then drives to some point in Ireland to chat to some bloke for 2 minutes. Then on the ferry on the way back she’s moaning about the resources that went into the sandwich she just bought, it was at this point that i was going to switch off, she is a complete idiot and treating us the same.

But i held out as I have a strong passionate interest in forest gardening and permaculture. It’s only after she returns from Ireland that it finaly gets interesting, it wasnt very indepth but it was good to see her taking it seriously (in her own wishy washy way) but more importantly it was good to see more exposure for this subject.
It did make me wonder if she was going to do something similar herself on her dad’s farm which i hope she does, maybe a follow up episode but without all the nonsense.

England's largest forest takes shape on the edge of St Albans

2009-03-03T12:59:00.001Z

When and if a plan to create an 850-acre forest on the edge of St Albans gets the go ahead it will create the largest new native woodland the people of England have ever seen. Neil Skinner joined residents on a guided tour on Saturday.

It's a development of immense size and scale; far in advance of anything the area has witnessed before – a project which dwarfs any supermarket or housing estate past or present.

Why, then, has it created such limited local opposition and why is the £8.5 million project necessary at all? Why spend so much money on a project many of us won’t live to witness in its full glory?

The UK, apparently, languishes at the bottom of the European woodland league, with a mere 12 per cent coverage compared to 44 per cent in other parts of the continent. Extricate from this the vast wooded areas in Scotland the comparative poverty of England becomes clear; a poverty not just of aesthetic beauty but of fragile woodland species – 78 of which are thought to on the verge of extinction.

Full story HERE

Plant diseases threaten woodland

2009-03-03T12:54:00.004Z

They are Phytophthora kernoviae and Phytophthora ramorum.

Rhododendrons, a carrier of both diseases, are likely to be removed in woodland to combat the problem.

The flowering shrubs, popular as an ornamental species in many gardens, also grow wild in wooded areas and an area of the New Forest has already been cordoned off to allow rhododendrons to be cut down and burned.

Phytophthora kernoviae, first found in the south-west of England in 2003, reached Scotland five years later. It attacks and kills many trees and shrubs, including the oak and beech trees which make up so much of Britain's woodlands.

Full story HERE

(The evil Rhododendron, coming to a woodland near you soon)

Sumatran tiger faces extinction as forest habitat shrinks

2009-03-03T12:48:00.002Z

The Sumatran tiger is in danger of becoming the first major mammal to become extinct in the 21st century, as villagers on the Indonesian island fight a deadly war with the magnificent but ferocious predator.

At least four tigers, and nine people, have been killed in the past month alone, as the shrinking of Sumatra’s already depleted forests brings an increase in attacks on farmers, hunters and illegal loggers.

With fewer than 400 of the creatures estimated to be left in the wild, the Sumatran tiger is classified as critically endangered, the most vulnerable of all the six surviving tiger subspecies.

The fact that several victims of the recent attacks have been devoured by the tigers, which usually have little taste for human flesh, suggests how hungry and desperate they are becoming, as economic exploitation of their habitat confines them in ever smaller and more impoverished patches of jungle.

Full story HERE

The forests of southern Korea yield a prized elixir

2009-03-03T12:40:00.000Z

HADONG, South Korea: At this time of year, when frogs begin stirring from their winter sleep and woodpeckers drum for newly active insects, villagers climb the hills around here to collect a treasured elixir - sap from the maple tree known as gorosoe.

"It's important to have the right weather," said Park Jeom Sik, 56, toting plastic tubs and a drill up a moss-covered slope. "The temperature should drop below freezing at night and then rise to a warm, bright, windless day. If it's rainy, windy or cloudy, the trees won't give."

For centuries, southern Korean villagers like Park have been tapping the gorosoe, or "tree good for the bones."

Unlike North Americans who collect maple sap to boil down into syrup, Korean villagers and their growing number of customers prefer the sap itself, which they credit with a wide range of health benefits.

In this they are not alone. Some people in Japan and northern China drink maple sap, and birch sap has its fans in Russia and other parts of northern Europe. But no one surpasses southern Koreans in their enthusiasm for sap, which they can consume in prodigious quantities

.

Full article HERE

One third of Britons cannot identify trees

2009-03-03T12:12:00.004Z

A third of Britons cannot identify the nation's most famous types of trees, according to a new study.
Researchers found that when it comes to telling the difference between an English oak or a sycamore, many of us are stumped.

One in 20 people questioned could not name any of Britain's common trees.

Even the horse chestnut, which has produced conkers for generations of schoolboys, is a mystery to nearly seven in ten people, said the study by UK firm Forest Holidays.

It took a mixed sample of 250 adults and showed them pictures of 10 of Britain's most popular types of tree and asked them to name them.

Full story HERE

To be honest i suspect it's a lot more than a third.

Sometimes crime does pay

2009-02-28T11:56:00.001Z

Here’s an island prison that’s about as distant in principle from Alcatraz as is it in location. Bastoey Island, about 45 miles south of Oslo, hosts some of Norway’s worst offenders in what is effectively an eco-village working holiday camp. Instead of the traditional barred cells, prisoners, including murderers, rapists, drug dealers and thieves, live in separate, unlocked houses on the island. Although only one and a half miles from the mainland, prisoners are reluctant to escape, lest they get returned to the typical maximum security unit and lose the privilege of serving their time where they’re learning valuable skills, as well as gaining respect for themselves, each other, and the environment.

The island prison uses solar panels, is almost self-sufficient with food from its own organic garden, and operates a strict recycling system. This is an interesting experiment in eco-therapy — where reconnecting offenders with nature may well also help develop a noble sense of purpose, that in turn helps them reconnect with society.

NightVision Headset Hack

2009-02-26T23:13:00.000Z

Yet another fire starting trick

2009-02-26T23:03:00.000Z

Laser Flashlight Hack! - video powered by Metacafe

Rabbit shot with homemade air gun

2009-02-26T22:38:00.001Z

WTF

2009-02-26T17:41:00.004Z

I have uploaded a txt file containing rapidshare links for loads of survival videos, i felt uncomfortable posting all of the links here so download the txt file and use at your own discretion.
I have already bought all of the listed DVD's so i have not downloaded these, i also didn't upload them just giving you the links.
Txt file HERE

Fela Kuti

2009-02-24T16:30:00.003Z

I'm stuck in the house today with the dreaded man flu but it gave me the opportunity to watch the Ginger Baker in Africa dvd i bought ages ago. Here's a scene from it.

If you like Fela Kuti be sure to track down this fantastic album

Amazon.co.uk Review
Never has there been a more appropriate Red Hot tribute than this one dedicated to the music of Afrobeat founder Fela Kuti, the Nigerian legend who died from AIDS-related complications in 1997. The artists and groups heard here, nearly 40 all told, cover the musical spectrum: hip-hop (Blackalicious, Roots), jazz (Roy Hargrove, Archie Shepp); soul (Sade, D'Angelo), Afrobeat (Tony Allen, Femi Kuti), world music (Baaba Maal, Jorge Ben), electronic music (Mixmaster Mike, Money Mark) and rock (Nile Rodgers). They have come together to raise money for the 25 million Africans now infected with the AIDS/HIV virus. Red Hot efforts often pair different artists together on the same song, and this album features many once-in-a-lifetime collaborations. Fela's music has been refashioned and mixed together here according to the styles of the artists, rendering several of the 20 songs barely recognisable in comparison with the originals. But such is the strength of Fela's music that even such singular-sounding artists as Macy Gray and Dead Prez get into the Afrobeat spirit of things. --Tad Hendrickson

Woodabe

2009-02-24T15:33:00.002Z

Also on disk 6 is the Woodabe - Herdsmen of the sun documentary and Lessons of Darkness, both worth tracking down and watching.

Throat Singing

2009-02-24T15:23:00.003Z

I'm glad this is on youtube, it's from a Werener Herzog short documentary film called Bells From The Deep (on disk 6 of his superb box set HERE).
I find quite funny and fascinating.

The Eagle Rising Digital Library

2009-02-24T14:55:00.001Z

There's a good collection of self sufficiency and outdoor books over at eaglerising.org

Lanny Henson vid

2009-02-21T13:27:00.002Z

Lanny Henson has posted another great video on his channel showing you how to make his version of a Alcohol Beverage-Can Stove, go check it HERE

2009-02-21T13:20:00.000Z

Is there a virgin forest in your neighborhood?

2009-02-21T13:03:00.001Z

Is there a virgin forest in your neighborhood? - remnants of old-growth forests - includes related article on identifying remnants of virgin forests - Tree Facts.

There may well be, according to this tree-ring researcher, but it probably won't be calendar material.

Some things in the natural world overwhelm you with power and grandeur. If you've stood on the Hurricane Deck beneath the Bridal Veil at Niagara Falls, if you've confronted the full-size African elephant near the front entrance of the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian in Washington, DC, if you've leaned against the railing and gazed into the Grand Canyon, you know the truth of that statement.

Full article HERE

Activists slam Finnish paper maker for logging 'virgin forest'

2009-02-21T12:58:00.001Z

HELSINKI (AFP) — Environmental groups on Thursday blasted Finnish paper maker Stora Enso for logging old growth forests in northern Finland, insisting the unique trees should be protected.

Environmental groups Greenpeace, Suomen Luonnonsuojeluliitto and Luonto-Liitto said they had found that some trees more than 300 years old had been logged in Finnish Lapland in the north of the country and shipped to Stora Enso's pulp mill in Oulu.

The logged forests, also known as old growth forests or ancient woodlands, are owned by the Finnish state.

"It is unbelievable that at a time when forestry companies have slashed their production sharply, untouchable forests are logged," Risto Mustonen from Luonto-Liitto said in a statement.

Old growth forests are often home to rare, threatened and endangered species of plants and animals, making them ecologically significant.

Full story HERE

2009-02-20T19:31:00.000Z

Dersu Uzala

2009-02-20T15:14:00.005Z

moviemail currently have a Akira Kurosawa sale on and amongst all his classics is his film Dersu Uzala which is only £9.99 and worth every penny so grab yourself a real bargain, you wont regret it. (You also get a free monthly magazine promoting world cinema dvd's and classic films)

Filmed in 70mm on location in the peaceful vastness of the Siberian ice desert, this is one of Kurosawa's most beautiful films as well as a tale of great humanity. It is based on the turn of the century journals of Tsarist officer, Vladimir Arseniev who meets and befriends the hunter Dersu Uzala, who in turn teaches him to survive in the wilderness. An academy award winner from 1975.

imdb

Land freed for 1,000 allotments

2009-02-20T13:21:00.000Z

The National Trust is releasing enough land for up to 1,000 allotments, on some of the most famous country estates in Britain.

The land will be available for individuals or community groups in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The release will be organised through the Landshare website, which matches growers with available land.

Full story HERE

Grizzlies reveal 'fancy footwork

2009-02-20T13:18:00.000Z

They may look slow and clumsy, but underwater cameras have revealed that grizzly bears can perform some fancy footwork when a meal is on the cards.

A BBC team followed the bears as the annual salmon migration got underway.

They filmed them using their huge feet to deftly kick dead fish from deep pools into shallower water.

This behaviour, caught on camera for the first time, meant that the grizzlies could grab the fish without the bother of getting their ears wet.

Full story with video HERE

Extinct Bird Found, Photographed & Then Eaten

2009-02-20T13:06:00.003Z

This rare Worcester's buttonquai, thought by scientists to be extinct, was recently photographed in the Philippines by a TV crew and then sold for food at a market. Over at Cryptomundo, Loren Coleman summarizes various news reports on the matter. From Cryptomundo:

Found only on the island of Luzon, Worcester’s buttonquail was known solely through drawings based on dated museum specimens collected several decades ago...

Wild Bird Club of the Philippines President Michael Lu asked a question that naturally came to my mind: “What if this was the last of its species?”

He told the Agence France-Press news agency that it’s unfortunate that the locals aren’t more conscious of the threatened wildlife around them.

More HERE

Climate change threat to woodland

2009-02-20T13:04:00.000Z

Climate change could be the "last straw" for rare woodlands in the far north of Scotland already damaged by overgrazing animals, it is claimed.

Full story HERE

Plants 'more important than ever'

2009-02-20T13:02:00.000Z

Plants have never been as important to the environment, the director of Kew Gardens has said, ahead of the London conservation site's 250th anniversary.

Full story HERE

Climate shift 'killing US trees'

2009-02-20T12:56:00.000Z

Old growth trees in western parts of the US are probably being killed as a result of regional changes to the climate, a study has suggested.

Full story HERE

Backpack Gourmet PDF

2009-02-19T23:05:00.002Z

Uploaded a copy of Backpack Gourmet in PDF format, the name should give you an idea what it is about.

Grab it HERE

Rare John 'Lofty' Wiseman Video Recoded

2009-02-19T22:39:00.002Z

Demonoid Torrent

I posted a link to the rare video HERE but that was a 4.02GB file so some guy has recoded the video to a 600Mb avi file.

This is an AVI (done with xVid codec) of a torrent uploaded here as a PAL DVD

The original file was a video_TS folder about 4 gigs in size and not playable on most American DVD players

The avi rip is just over 600 megs and converted to NTSC.

Many thanks to the original uploader

The original description reads:

"Survival techniques demonstrated by an expert with a 26 year career in the SAS,as a soldier and Survival Instructor.His books are considered a must have for everyone interested in this matter and are quite respected for no nonsense content and instructional value. The image quality is not the best since it was taken from vhs and is a bit old."

Carbon footprints - bringing tracking into the 21st century

2009-02-19T01:01:00.005Z

www.myfootprint.org

This quiz estimates the size of your ecological footprint
The Ecological Footprint Quiz estimates the area of land and ocean required to support your consumption of food, goods, services, housing, and energy and assimilate your wastes. Your ecological footprint is expressed in "global hectares" (gha) or "global acres" (ga), which are standardized units that take into account the differences in biological productivity of various ecosystems impacted by your consumption activities. Your footprint is broken down into four consumption categories: carbon (home energy use and transportation), food, housing, and goods and services. Your footprint is also broken down into four ecosystem types or biomes: cropland, pastureland, forestland, and marine fisheries.

2009-02-19T00:48:00.000Z

iLiKETRAiNS - Terra Nova

2009-02-18T18:16:00.001Z

Vessels - Yuki

2009-02-18T17:57:00.003Z

Lascaux - The Prehistory of Art

2009-02-18T13:38:00.003Z

MVG Torrent

General Information
Arts, History Documentary published by Arte in 1995 (Extra from 1944) - English, French, German, Italian, Spanish Multilanguage narration

Lascaux is the most beautiful and the most lavish of all the adorned prehistoric caves . But is there really such a thing as prehistoric "art" ? Who were the painters of Lascaux ? How to explain the striking stylistic unity of certain clusters, or the contradictions between similar figures that may be painted in different periods?

The images themselves can only astonish and provoke questions. Lascaux furnihes evidence of refined knowledge and skill, which reflect a much more capable and complex prehistoric civilisation that we have yet imagined.

The technology put to use in this film - computer graphics and special effects - facilitates a deeper investigation of the images. While comparing several hypotheses and expounding on the latest theories, the film also provides an encounter with a mythical, unfathomable site that continues to fascinate us.

EXTRA Days long gone The Discovery of the Lascaux caves

A Roger Verdier film

Days long gone was the first film about the discovery of Lascaux by children from the village of Montignac. The village school teacher appears as himself in this short film, shot in 1942.

In the Dordogne of World War II, equipped with candles and pocket torches, the children stumble upon the most fabulous cave paintings of the Old Stone Age. This exeptional and unprecedented document was made a year after the discovery of Lascaux.

Technical Specs

Main Movie
- Video Codec: DivX6
- Video Bitrate: 1641 kb/s
- Video Resolution: 624x464 (1.34:1)
- Video Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Audio Codec: AC3 - 5 language tracks
- Audio Bitrate: 192 kb/s, monophonic CBR 48000 Hz
- Runtime Per Part: 60 min
- Part Size: 1,123 MB (or 1,150,806 KB or 1,178,425,620 bytes)
- Ripped by jvt40

Extra
- Video Codec: DivX6
- Video Bitrate: 1633 kb/s
- Video Resolution: 624x464 (1.34:1)
- Video Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Audio Codec: AC3
- Audio Bitrate: 192 kb/s, monophonic CBR 48000 Hz
- Language: French
- Runtime: 12 min
- Part Size: 150 MB
- Subtitles: English , German , Italian , Spanish
- Ripped by jvt40

Stone Age Columbus

2009-02-18T12:59:00.005Z

MVG Torrent

History Documentary hosted by Jack Fortune and published by BBC broadcasted as part of BBC Horizon series in 2002 - English narration

Who were the first people in North America? From where did they come? How did they arrive? The prehistory of the Americas has been widely studied. Over 70 years a consensus became so established that dissenters felt uneasy challenging it. Yet in 2001, genetics, anthropology and a few shards of flint combined to overturn the accepted facts and to push back one of the greatest technological changes that the Americas have ever seen by over five millennia.

The accepted version of the first Americans starts with a flint spearhead unearthed at Clovis, New Mexico, in 1933. Dated by the mammoth skeleton it lay beside to 11,500 years ago (11.5kya), it was distinctive because it had two faces, where flakes had been knapped away from a core flint. The find sparked a wave of similar reports, all dating from around the same period. There seemed to be nothing human before Clovis. Whoever those incomers were around 9,500BC, they appeared to have had a clean start. And the Clovis point was their icon - across 48 states.

"The best way to get beaten up, professionally, is to claim you have a pre-Clovis site"

Michael Collins, University of Texas

An icon that was supremely effective: the introduction of the innovative spearpoint coincided with a mass extinction of the continent's megafauna. Not only the mammoth, but the giant armadillo, giant sloth and great black bear all disappeared soon after the Clovis point - and the hunters who used it - arrived on the scene.

But from where? With temperatures much colder than today and substantial polar ice sheets, sea levels were much lower. Asia and America were connected by a land bridge where now there's the open water of the Bering Strait. The traditional view of American prehistory was that Clovis people travelled by land from Asia.

This version was so accepted that few archaeologists even bothered to look for artefacts from periods before 10,000BC. But when Jim Adavasio continued to dig below the Clovis layer at his dig near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he found blades and blade cores dating back to 16,000BC. His findings were dismissed as erroneous; too astonishing to be credible. The Clovis consensus had too many reputations behind it to evaporate easily. Some archaeologists who backed Adavasio's conclusions with other similar data were accused of making radiocarbon dating errors or even of planting finds.

"The first migration was 20,000 to 30,000 years ago"

Douglas Wallace, Emory University

Decisive evidence would have to come from an independent arena. Douglas Wallace studies mitochondrial DNA, part of the human chromosomes that is passed unchanged from mother to daughter. It only varies when mistakes occur in the replication of the genetic code. Conveniently for Wallace's work (piecing together a global history of migration of native peoples) these mistakes crop up at a quite regular rate. The technique has allowed Wallace to map the geographical ancestry of all the Native American peoples back to Siberia and northeast Asia.

The route of the Clovis hypothesis was right. The date, however, was wrong - out by up to 20,000 years. Wallace's migration history showed waves of incomers. The Clovis people were clearly not the first humans to set foot across North America.

Dennis Stanford went back to first principles to investigate Clovis afresh, looking at tools from the period along the route Clovis was assumed to have taken from Siberia via the Bering Strait to Alaska. The large bifaced Clovis point was not in the archaeological record. Instead the tools used microblades, numerous small flint flakes lined up along the spear shaft to make its head.

Wallace's DNA work suggested migration from Asia to America but the Clovis trail contradicted it. Bruce Bradley stepped in to help solve this dichotomy, bringing with him one particular skill: flintknapping and the ability to read flint tools for their most intimate secrets.

He spotted the similarity in production method between the Clovis point and tools made by the Solutrean neolithic (Stone Age) culture in southwest France. At this stage his idea was pure hypothesis, but could the first Americans have been European?

The Solutreans were a remarkably society, the most innovative and adaptive of the time. They were among the first to discover the value of heat treating flints to increase strength. Bradley was keen to discover if Solutrean flintknapping styles matched Clovis techniques. A trawl through the unattractive flint offcuts in the storerooms of a French museum convinced him of the similarities, even though five thousand kilometres lay between their territories.

The divide was more than just distance; it crossed five thousand years as well. No matter the similarities between the two cultures, the possibility of a parallel technology developing by chance would have to be considered. More evidence emerged from an archaeological dig in Cactus Hill, Virginia. A bifaced flint point found there was dated to 16kya, far older than Clovis. Even more startling was its style. To flintknapper Bruce Bradley's eye, the Cactus Hill flint was a technological midpoint between the French Solutrean style and the Clovis points dating five millennia later. It seemed there is no great divide in time. The Solutrean flint methods evolved into Clovis.

"[Stone Age] people crossing the Atlantic would be perfectly normal from my [Eskimo] perspective"

Ronald Brower, Inupiat Heritage Center, Barrow, Alaska

If time could be discounted, Bradley's critics pointed to an obstacle that was hardly going to go away: crossing the Atlantic Ocean in small open boats. How could Stone Age people have made such an epic journey, especially when the Ice Age maximum would have filled the Atlantic with icebergs.

Dennis Stanford returned to his earlier hunch, looking for clues among the Arctic Eskimo peoples. Despite the influx of modern technologies, he was heartened to discover that traditional techniques endured. Clothing makers in Barrow, Alaska, recognised some Solutrean bone needles he showed them as typical of their own. The caribou skin clothing the Inuit still choose to wear could equally have been made by people in 16,000BC. And for Eskimo peoples the Arctic is not a desert - but a source of plentiful sea food. If the Solutreans had the Clovis point it would have made a formidable harpoon weapon to ensure a food supply. Would modern Eskimo ever consider a five thousand kilometre journey across the Atlantic?

The answer it seems is yes - they have undertaken similar journeys many times.. Most encouraging was the realisation that Inuit people today rely on traditional boat building techniques. 'Unbreakable' plastic breaks in the unceasing cold temperatures whereas boats of wood, sealskin and whale oil are resilient and easily maintained. The same materials would have been available to Solutrean boat builders. Even if the Stone Age Europeans could make those boats, would it survive an Atlantic crossing?

"DNA lineage predominantly found in Europe got to the Great Lakes, 14,000 to 15,000 years ago"

Douglas Wallace, Emory University

Stanford believes the boats' flimsiness is deceptive. With the Atlantic full of ice floes it would be quite possible for paddlers in open boats to travel along the edges, always having a safe place to haul out upon if the weather turned in.

All this evidence was still essentially circumstantial, making the Solutrean adventure possible not proven. Douglas Wallace's DNA history bore fruit once more. In the DNA profile of the Ichigua Native American tribe he identified a lineage that was clearly European in origin, too old to be due to genetic mixing since Columbus' discovery of the New World. Instead it dated to Solutrean times. Wallace's genetic timelines show the Ice Age prompted a number of migrations from Europe to America. It looks highly likely that the Solutreans were one.

The impact of this new prehistory on Native Americans could be grave. They usually consider themselves to be Asian in origin; and to have been subjugated by Europeans after 1492. If they too were partly Europeans, the dividing lines would be instantly blurred. Dr Joallyn Archambault of the American Indian Programme of the Smithsonian Institute offers a positive interpretation, however. Venturing across huge bodies of water, she says, is a clear demonstration of the courage and creativity of the Native Americans' ancestors. Bruce Bradley agrees. He feels his Solutrean Ice Age theory takes into consideration the abilities of people to embrace new places, adding, "To ignore this possibility ignores the humanity of people 20,000 years ago."

Technical Specs

Video Codec: DivX 5.0
Video Bitrate: ~1000 kB/s
Video Resolution: 640x480
Audio Codec: MP3
Audio Bitrate: 96 kb/s 44100Hz
RunTime Per Part: ~49 min.
Number Of Parts: 1
Part Size: ~350 MB
Subtitles: English
Ripped by digital distractions

America's Stone Age Explorers (2004)

2009-02-18T12:46:00.002Z

MVG Torrent

Information
Original PBS Broadcast Date: November 9, 2004

Ever since unusually ancient and deadly spear points were found near Clovis, New Mexico in the 1930s, many archeologists have believed that this type of weapon originated with the first settlers of the New World, who supposedly migrated from Asia at the end of the last ice age. In "America's Stone Age Explorers," NOVA reports new evidence that challenges this widely held view.

The hunt for clues takes NOVA to sites of stunning discoveries in western Pennsylvania and southern Chile; to southern France, where Stone Age artifacts have been found that resemble the famous Clovis points; to the high arctic to learn the techniques that may have been used to cross the ice-encrusted Atlantic 17,000 years before Columbus; and to a remarkable find in central Texas that may hold the key to who invented the Clovis technology.

The distinctive design of a Clovis point (see The Fenn Cache) is perfect for killing big game, making it a Stone Age weapon of mass destruction. The Clovis point may even have been behind the extinction of large ice age mammals such as the mammoth (see End of the Big Beasts). Clovis points have been found at archeological sites throughout North America, and for decades these sites represented the oldest accepted evidence of human presence in the New World.

Many archeologists therefore concluded that hunters equipped with Clovis technology were the first settlers of the Americas and that they probably arrived from Asia at the end of the Ice Age about 13,500 years ago, when lower sea level allowed hunters to cross a land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska. But there is growing evidence that humans were in the Americas long before the Clovis hunters (see Before Clovis).

One of the best known of the possibly pre-Clovis sites is called Meadowcroft, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, Jim Adovasio of Mercyhurst Archaeological Institute has been excavating artefacts well below the geological layer that corresponds to the Clovis period, although many archaeologists dispute his evidence. "A lot of people ... think that this is not only a repudiation of a well-accepted dogma, it's a repudiation of themselves," Adovasio says.

Another promising pre-Clovis dig is Monte Verde in southern Chile, where archaeologist Tom Dillehay, formerly of the University of Kentucky, has made an unusually rich find half a world away from the Asian land bridge route. Also joining the debate are scientists using DNA analysis of current populations of Native Americans to look for clues of their ancestry—again with intriguing but controversial results.

One team even proposes that the first Americans came from Europe, not Asia, based on the similarity of Clovis points to the weapons of the Solutreans, who lived about 17,000 years ago in what is now southern France and northern Spain. If the Solutreans ever crossed the Atlantic, they may have traveled like today's Eskimos, who make long journeys skirting ice floes in watertight skin boats, hunting arctic game as they go.

Archaeologist Michael Collins of the University of Texas at Austin has an even more startling theory. The theory is based on his excavations at Gault, Texas, which show evidence of a more complex Clovis culture than ever imagined, including a diet that spans the food chain, evidence of a sophisticated trade network, hundreds of types of tools, and possibly the earliest example of art in the Americas.

"Where did Clovis come from?" asks Collins. "The longstanding notion of the rapid spread of Clovis across the continent has been taken to mean the spread of a people across the continent. An alternative might be that the spread of Clovis is actually the expansion of a technology across existing populations—analogous to the fact you can go anywhere in the world and find people driving John Deere tractors."

In other words, the Clovis point could be the first technological breakthrough in the Americas, invented by people who had long been resident here—and then adopted by their neighbours, who knew a good thing when they saw it.

Oskar Speck - The last true great adventurer?

2009-02-18T00:47:00.009Z

A couple of friends of mine are canoeing from Wales to Ireland in the summer which reminded me of the incredible journey of Oskar Speck who paddled in a folding kayak from Germany to Australia by himself with no support in 1932. He left Germany to head for Egypt to find work but later changed his mind on the way and decided to go see the world. He travelled 50,000 kilometers and after 7 years and 4 months in 1939 he finaly arrived on an Australian Island where he was instantly arrested as a suspected enemy foreigner but his story didn't end there.

His equipment consisted of a compass, two small sails and a paddle. He apparently headed for Australia goaded by comments that he hadn't tackled a 'real' ocean crossing.

They all clung to me like leeches. Strong hands clutched my hair. With the strength of despair I tore one hand free from them and strove to pull the hands from my throat. My clothing — I wore only a sarong in those tropic nights—was torn off in the struggle. With strips of dried buffalo hide some of them tied my legs and hands, while others looted the kayak. By the hair, they dragged my trussed body some yards across the sand. They constantly kicked me. They picked me up, carried me a short distance, then dropped me a few yards from the water. To understand the terror of my position, naked and bound as I was, you must understand the ecstatic frenzy of those natives. They were used to the white man as master. Here was a white man in their power—and they were drunk with that power. Sometimes a gibbering, ecstatic native would hold his gleaming machete only a few millimetres from my throat. It was clear what he wanted to do.

You can read his full amazing story in his own words HERE. Part2 Part3

Also HERE

I believe there is one or two documentaries made about him but i think they were Australian and now sit in some archive down under. I'm very surprised that there has been nothing done by the BBC on him.

What an incredible man! What an incredible journey! What an incredible story! A real "Boy's Own" which deserves to be told and retold a thousand times - which is exactly what I hope to achieve by telling you about it.

HD Bundy's Last Great Adventure (2001)

2009-02-18T00:19:00.003Z

Demonoid Torrent

Movies : Documentary : HD 720p : English

Bundy's Last Great Adventure (2001)

Information

Bundy's Last Great Adventure follows the out-of-retirement journey of a 2-foot gauge locomotive (popularly called 'Puffing Billys') from its current home at the Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum in Woodford over 2,000 kilometers of track to the banks of the Daintree River in Far North Queensland, Australia.

Shot in stunningly beautiful countryside in tropical North Queensland, from the sub-tropics in the south to the lush tropical wilderness of Far North Queensland this 'tiny-but-tough' loco journeys through breathtakingly beautiful locations that are truly world-class. Spectacular landscapes, amazing wildlife, rural lifestyles and some outrageous characters, and of course it's not short of a yarn or two. In the mist-shrouded mountains, rare rain-forest birds cry out all around us. The scenery we encounter is amongst the most beautiful on earth, and includes World Heritage rainforest, waterfalls, mountains, tropical jungle, and wildlife found nowhere else in the world. We take time off to explore as much of it as we can.

This is 'Bundy' country!

'Bundy' is a small, cantankerous steam locomotive, which was built in 1951 in the Bundaberg Foundry, and served as a 'sugar-train', hauling cane from farm to mill. Years ago, when Australia's sugarcane industry retired the last of the small steam trains known as Puffing Billys that should have been the end of it. But something about those cranky, independent- minded iron beasts, especially one called Bundy, got right under the skin of a small group of cane-train enthusiasts - members of a locomotive preservation museum.

And now they're back to fulfill a dream.

Technical Specs

Video Codec: x264 (2-pass) MPEG-4 AVC
Custom Matrix: Yes (Prestige)
Average QP: I=18.41, P=20.43 & B=22.13
Video Bitrate: 6000 KB/s
Video Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video Resolution: 1280 x 720
Audio Codec: AAC
Audio BitRate: 192 KB/s 48KHz
Audio Channels: 2 Ch
RunTime: 00:43
Framerate: 25 FPS
Number Of Parts: 1
Part Size: 1.85GB
Encoded by gavin63
Subtitles: No TV Cap
Source: HDTV

Release Notes

* This is x264 codec and HDTV so not compatible with stand alone DVD divx players
* I recommend using VLC or Media Player Classic for playback
* There is a little blocking in a few scenes tried 3 separate encodes with different settings

Tropical North Queensland

2009-02-18T00:09:00.003Z

Demonoid Torrent

Movies : Documentary : TV Rip : English
Tropical North Queensland

Information

Take a journey through tropical Queensland's magnificent heartland - the sun-blessed coasts and whispering emerald rainforest of the wet tropics world heritage area.

Screenshots

Technical Specs

Video Codec: XviD MPEG-4 codec
Video Bitrate: 2188 KB/s
Video Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video Resolution: 720 x 400
Audio Codec: MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3)
Audio BitRate: 192 KB/s (CBR)
Audio Channels: 2 Ch
RunTime: 00:44
Framerate: 25 FPS
Number Of Parts: 1
Part Size: 744 MB
Encoded by: gavin63
Subtitles: No TV Cap
Source: DVB

NG Naked Science - Surviving Natures Fury (2004)

2009-02-17T23:15:00.005Z

Demonoid Torrent

Movies : Documentary : TV Rip : English

National Geographic Naked Science - Surviving Natures Fury (2004)

Information

We have no natural defences to the deadly extremes offered up by nature. Lightning bolts, excessive heat, severe cold, water, hail and wind are all examined for their respective threats to the human body.

Technical Specs

Video Codec: XviD MPEG-4 codec
Video Bitrate: 1917 KB/s
Video Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video Resolution: 688 x 384
Audio Codec: MPEG-1 Layer 3 (MP3)
Audio BitRate: 160 KB/s (CBR)
Audio Channels: 2 Ch
RunTime: 00:50
Framerate: 25 FPS
Number Of Parts: 1
Part Size: 744 MB
Encoded by: gavin63
Subtitles: No TV Cap
Source: DVB

HDTV BBC Natural World - Queen of Trees (2006)

2009-02-17T22:49:00.002Z

Demonoid Torrent

Movies : Documentary : TV Rip : English
HDTV BBC Natural World - Queen of Trees (2006)

Winner of the best nature documentary award 2006
Information

On a riverbank in Kenya, Africa, a seemingly ordinary giant fig tree and the tiny fig wasp differ in size a billion times over, but neither could exist without the other. Their extraordinary relationship is a marvel of co-evolution, a marriage which has lasted for millennia. It forms the basis of a complex web of dependency that supports entire ecosystems, providing food for thousands of creatures, from elephants, giraffes, and fruit bats, to forest hornbills, monkeys, insects, and fish. Each individual fig is a infinitesimal microcosm of life: a stage set for birth, sex and death, in which the tiny fig wasp players battle against predators and parasites to fulfil their mission, which is to pollinate a tree whose flowers bloom inside its fruit.

An intimate and unbelievably detailed portrait of the fig wasps and their world is made possible by the patience and skill of two remarkable film-makers, who employ the magic of ultra-macro photography and high definition cameras to tell a wildlife story which has never been told before. It is one of the most amazing stories in the natural world a tale of intrigue and drama, set against grand Africa and its wildlife.

Technical Specs

Video Codec: XviD MPEG-4 codec
Video Bitrate: 4706 Kbps
Video Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video Resolution: 1280 x 720
Audio Codec: FAST Multimedia AG DVM (Dolby AC3)
Audio BitRate: 448 KB/s (CBR)
Audio Channels: 2 Ch
RunTime: 00:52
Framerate: 25 FPS
Number Of Parts: 1
Part Size: 1.87 GB
Encoded by: gavin63
Subtitles: No TV Cap
Source: HDTV

Notes

This is BBC Natural World not the PBS release
Torrent name has been changed but the file name has not.

More Awards
2005 European International Wildlife Film Festival, Liden
Delegates Choice

2006 FIFA Int. Film Festival
Best Scientific Film

2006 29th International Wildlife Film Festival � Missoula
Best Television Programme

2006 Peabody Award
George Foster Peabody Festival

2006 Shanghai International Television Festival
Best nature film - Magnolia Award

2006 BANFF International Festiva;
Best High Definition film - NHK President's award

2006 Telluride Mountainfilm festival
Grand Prize

2006 Telluride Mountainfilm festival
Public choice award

2006 16th Festival de l'oiseau
Special Jury award

2006 NATURVISION International Festival, Germany
Best Cinematography

2006 Matsula International Festival
Grand Prix - Best of Festival

2006 TELENATURA - International festival, Spain
Best of Festival

2006 TELENATURA - International festival, Spain
Best Cinematography

2006 Wildscreen Finalist
Animal Behaviour, Music

2006 WAGA International Festival, Poland
Grand Prix - Best of Festival

2006 SONDRIO festival, Italy
Best of Festival

2006 SONDRIO festival, Italy
Public choice award

2006 Festival de l'Image et Science, France
Grand Prix - Best of Festival

2006 Moondance 2006
Sandcastle award

2006 Wild & Scenic environmental film festival
John de Graff environmental award

2007 2nd International Science film Festival
Best of Festival

2007 Ecovision 2007
Best Environmental Documentary

2007 Asia Wildlife Film Festival
Best Cinematography

2007 Asia Wildlife Film Festival
Best script-writing

2007 New York festivals
Best of Festival - documentary

2006 Explorers Club - International Festival
Best of Festival

2007 CINE awards
Golden Eagle Award

2007 US Int. Film & Video Festival
Golden Camera - 1st Place

From The Heart Of The World - The Elder Brothers Warning [1991]

2009-02-17T19:36:00.001Z

Demonoid Torrent

Movies : Documentary : VHS Rip : English
From The Heart Of The World - The Elder Brothers Warning [1991]

Video: XViD 432 X 320
Audio: 80 kbps VBR MP3
Runtime: 1:26:31
Source: VHS

A BBC TV production in association with the Goldsmith Foundation.

The Kogi are an indigenous people living in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of northern Colombia, in South America.

They are the only civilisation to have survived the Spanish conquests and to have kept their individuality. They are perhaps the only indigenous people in the world who, because of the particular nature of their surroundings, have been able to keep themselves apart and sustain their culture inviolate. And not only that.

The one anthropologist who managed to study them in the 1940's and 50's concluded that though they are similar in some ways to the other Indian peoples around the Caribbean, northern Central America and south to the Andes, there are such profound differences that "in the end the Kogi stand alone".

They have survived to this day, keeping their traditions and relying upon, and looking after, the mountain environment. They believe it is their duty to look after the mountain which they call "The Heart of the World". They call themselves the Elder Brother and refer to the new- comers as the Younger Brother, who they believe is destroying the balance of the world.

In 1990 the Kogi decided they must speak out to the rest of the world. They had survived by keeping themselves isolated but they decided that it was time to send a message to the Younger Brother. They could see that something was wrong with their mountain, with the heart of the world. The snows had stopped falling and the rivers were not so full. If their mountain was ill then the whole world was in trouble.

Yakoana - The Voice of Indigenous Peoples [1997]

2009-02-17T19:29:00.000Z

Demonoid Torrent

Movies : Documentary : VHS Rip : English
Yakoana - The Voice of Indigenous Peoples [1997]

Video: XViD 448 x 336
Audio: MP3 80 kbps VBR
Source: VHS
Runtime: 1:00:15

This enlightening documentary was filmed at The First World Conference of Indigenous Peoples held in the jungles of Brazil one week prior to the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. The conference participants chose a Brazilian Indian to represent them. His observations about the wisdom indigenous peoples have to offer the world is juxtaposed with commentary and celebrations by native peoples from every continent.

Tribal leaders from Australia, Africa, Brazil, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Philippines speak out about their struggle to sustain their rights and their way of life in the face of incredible difficulties. Around the world two tribes per year become extinct. Multinational corporations continue to destroy the forests where they live and their sacred environments. Many nations have concocted clever schemes to make these peoples into minorities through legislation. Others have silenced them by confining them to prison.

Some of the ideas in the 109-point Earth Charter are discussed in this documentary by Anh D. Crutcher, including the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination and to live in harmony with Mother Earth.

Where the Spirit Lives (1989)

2009-02-17T19:17:00.002Z

Demonoid Torrent
Movies : Drama : VHS Rip : English
Where the Spirit Lives (1989)

Source: VHS
Video: XviD 384 x 288
Audio: 80kbps VBR MP3
Runtime: 1:37:23

In 1937, a young First Nations (Canadian native) girl named Ashtecome is kidnapped along with several other children from a village as part of a deliberate Canadian policy to force First Nations children to abandon their culture in order to be assimilated into white Canadian/British society. She is taken to a boarding school where she is forced to adopt Western Euro-centric ways and learn English, often under brutal treatment. Only one sympathetic white teacher who is more and more repelled by this bigotry offers her any help from among the staff. That, with her force of will, Ashtecome (forced to take the name Amelia) is determined to hold on to her identity and that of her siblings, who were also abducted.

Movie review: Where the Spirit Lives

The movie, "Where The Spirit Lives" is centred around a young Indian girl whose name Amalia and brother by the name of Abraham, taken from their home and forced into a Christian school to learn English. At first, the two were defiant and unwilling to participate. They were however, fortunate enough to have a fresh teacher with morals and kindness still intact. This did not change for awhile and they tried escaping, but as soon as they learned their parents had gotten sick and past away, they had nothing left, which lead to the acceptance of a new life. Thing's went well and the English language was learned, and the little girl was even going to be adapted by an up scale older woman. Until, they found out their parents were still alive and looking for them, and the church had lied to them. Finally, the time was right and the two left for home with the blessing of their teacher.

It's sad to think that the United States was actually ran like this. To force young children into learning English, instead of accepting their own culture and language. Their is plenty of communication that can happen without forcing the whole tribe to convert to the "American way of life." This was a good film that centred on those who were afflicted the most, the children. It depicts the religious attitude and way of thinking through the school where they attended and the faculty that supported the movement. It also gives you a look at the harsh conditions, with the beatings and solitary confinement, the children had to endure. These force full actions did seem to work with some of the children, but there was defiantly a tipping point.

I would recommend watching this movie to those who are curious about the harsh realities of our government and how they used to treat people, even indigenous people, who would not conform to the English culture. There is conflict, some drama, and a little bit of action tied into this movie throughout. It's an interesting film that dose not really have any drag. Just a well thought out and entertaining movie.

Seasons of a Navajo (1983) [Tribal reservation lifeway]

2009-02-17T19:02:00.003Z

Demonoid Torrent

Movies : Documentary : VHS Rip : English
Seasons of a Navajo (1983)

Source: VHS
Video: XviD 512 x 384
Audio: 80kbps VBR MP3
Runtime: 57:07

Seasons of the Navajo follows a year in the life of Dorothy and Chauncey Neboia, an elderly Navajo couple and their extended family who live on the vast Navajo Reservation. Their story, produced as a film in 1984, introduces information about Navajo kinship, descent systems, gender and age roles, ecology, philosophy, religion, domestic space, child life, and economics. Visually rich, the documentary shows the widely varied ecological zones of the Navajo territory. It also presents social interaction among clan members and within a variety of environments and seasonal changes. Extended narratives in the Navajo language and performances of Navajo music and rituals bring a vivid aural dimension.

Man in the Wilderness

2009-02-17T18:17:00.007Z

Demonoid Torrent
Man in the Wilderness (1971) VHSRip

In the early 1800's, a group of fur trappers and Indian traders are returning with their goods to civilisation and are making a desperate attempt to beat the oncoming winter. When guide Zachary Bass is injured in a bear attack, they decide he's a goner and leave him behind to die. When he recovers instead, he swears revenge on them and tracks them and their paranoiac expedition leader down.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067388/

Based on a true story about survival in the wilderness and revenge.

Overview
Director: Richard C. Sarafian
Writer: Jack DeWitt (writer)
Release Date: 19 December 1971 (Sweden)
Genre: Adventure | Western
Tagline: He was left for dead. He would not forget.
Plot: In the early 1800's, a group of fur trappers and Indian traders are returning with their goods to civilisation...
Plot Keywords: Very Little Dialogue | Bear Attack | Blood | Expedition | Grizzly Bear
User Comments: Savage Compassion
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Color (Technicolor)
Company: Limbridge

Richard Harris ... Zachary Bass
John Huston ... Captain Filmore Henry
Prunella Ransome ... Grace Bass, Zachary's Wife
Percy Herbert ... Fogarty
Dennis Waterman ... Lowrie, Assistant Hunter
Henry Wilcoxon ... Indian Chief
Sheila Raynor ... Grace's Mother
Norman Rossington ... Ferris the Surgeon
James Doohan ... Benoit

1.2 GB (1.0 GB), duration: 1:45:03
Video : 864 MB, 1150 Kbps, 29.970 fps, 352*240 (4:3), MPEG 1 (VCD)
Audio : 168 MB, 224 Kbps, 44100 Hz, 2 channels, Mpeg-1 audio Layer 2

Free Ray mears series

2009-02-17T17:41:00.003Z

The entire series of World of Survival and Bushcraft for free to watch or download on veoh the only draw back is you have to install their web player if you want to watch the whole episode but it's free so it cant be bad.
I didn't try to download the video before i installed the web player so you may want to try that if your suspicious of installers like this. I use firefox and a video saving plug-in like Video Download Helper, it saves videos 99% of times.
Anyway, i know it's quite an old link but for those who have not seen the series they are worth watching, not very informative or an in-depth how to thing but still a pleasure to watch.
If your a fan of Ray Mears then check out his official fan site but whatever you do dont mention Bear Grylls on the forum
:)

Thats not a tree it's an up-side-down broom

2009-02-17T16:58:00.001Z

If you need to brush-up on your tree id skills then this site should help you with the more common trees found in the UK

Some free PDF's

2009-02-17T16:48:00.003Z

www.naturedetectives.org.uk has some great free PDFs to download aimed at kids or even 'noobs' they are worth a look. Print some off next time you have kids with you on a trip to the woods.
The whole site is great for kids who have an interest in nature.
Highly recommended.

Grouped by season, these ID sheets provide a simple aid to getting to know common trees, flowers, butterflies, birds and insects. The sheets are designed for beginners, but some are also helpful for more advanced identification needs, for instance distinguishing between winter twigs.

How The West Was Lost

2009-02-17T12:33:00.005Z

Demonoid Torrent

Some guy has kindly transferred his collection of this series from VHS onto his PC to share, i downloaded out of interest. Its about different native Indian tribes and their side of the story of how the lost their homeland to the Americans.
The sound is slightly out of sync on the first one but not unwatchable. This isn't a feel good series as you might expect but interesting to watch (and sad too).
I think this was first shown on Discovery in the early 90's but it's hard to find any info on this series, Amazon.com market place has a few of the VHS tapes for some of the episodes and the sound track but it's not on DVD

01 Navajo - A Clash Of Cultures.avi 479.89 MB
02 Cheyenne - The Only Good Indian Is A Dead Indian.avi 480.92 MB
03 Seminole - The Unconquered.avi 473.36 MB
04 Nez Perce - I Will Fight No More Forever.avi 481.54 MB
05 Apache - Always The Enemy.avi 481.46 MB
06 Iroquois - Divide We Fall.avi 481.43 MB
07 Cherokee - The Trail Of Tears.avi 478.58 MB
08 Lakota - A Good Day To Die.avi 481.17 MB
09 Lakota - Kill The Indian, Save The Man.avi 782.81 MB
10 Dakota - Let Them Eat Grass.avi 479.93 MB
11 Modoc - Death Will Come Soon Enough.avi 481.54 MB
12 Ute - The Utes Must Go.avi 481.43 MB
13 Five Tribes - As Long As The Grass Shall Grow.avi 481.56 MB

Les Hiddins

2009-02-16T17:08:00.003Z

Old Les was in an episode of Victoria's Empire with Victoria Wood, i downloaded the episode and cut out the bit he was in, sorry about the screen aspect but that's how the original file was and i'm no good with recoding etc (it took me 2 days just to grab this bit without ending up with a massive file size). Anyway, Les is doing what he does best and giving Victoria Wood a taste of wild Australia, shame it wasn't any longer.

Les Hiddins from Nomad Of Soul on Vimeo.

2009-02-14T16:53:00.000Z

Godspeed You Black Emperor - The Dead Flag Blues

2009-02-14T14:36:00.003Z

A dark and moody track from one of the greatest unsung bands that are sadly no more.
The video is made by a fan.

Courses of interest in Chichester

2009-02-12T15:45:00.003Z

The Weald & Downland open air museum has been running some great courses for quite some time and this year is no different, be sure to check out the full list of courses HERE
There's flint Knapping with John Lord
Prehistoric cooking lessons
Longbow making
Wild flower walks
Free food courses
Bronze sword casting
Bat walks
Fungi walks
Coracle making
All sorts of herbal courses
and plenty more but can be quite pricey so it's case of choosing wisely, most of these courses are active more than once throughout the year and happen every year.

Buckshot Wilderness Survivor DVD's

2009-02-12T14:41:00.003Z

**DOWNLOAD** Demonoid Torrent **DOWNLOAD**

Here's a collection of Buckshot's DVDs

Wilderness Survivor Volume 5 DVD 3.45GB
+Hunting & Trapping In The Fall: A 4 Day Survival Trip.
+How to use a come-a-long to get unstuck.
+What provides the most food trapping or hunting ?
+How to clean Ruffed Grouse and Beaver in the Field.
+How to make a Water-Proof Shelter using a tarp.
+How to build a Reflector for your fire with a special guest that was taught by the US Army Survival Training Course.
+Winter clothes, most reliable lantern and much more.
Approximately 1 Hour 44 Minutes

Wilderness Survivor Volume 6 DVD 3.39GB
Buckshot spends the night out in the wilderness. He makes a camp in the snow. He shows how to start a fire in the snow. How to trap & snare food in the winter and much, much more.
This Survivor Video shows how to survive in the Winter. Here are some of the things covered in this video.

+How To Trap & Snare Food In Winter
+How To Start A Fire In The Snow
+How To Survive If You Are Stuck In The Woods All Night
Approximately 1 Hour 44 Minutes

Wilderness Survivor Volume 7 DVD 3.92GB
If a terrorist attack happened in your area what would you do? In Survivor 7 you will see a made up scenario of a terrorist attack and what to do in the first few hours.
+How to deploy the large and small gill net.
+How to take care of your gill nets after using them.
+Learn how to cut up bass so they cook up finger licking good.
+Make a homemade sun food drier that has a dual use.
+A great kerosene lantern that give off as much light as a 60 watt light bulb and much more
Approximately 1 Hour 45 Minutes

www.buckshotscamp.com

REMEMBER
IF YOU LIKE IT BUY IT

Edible Wild Plants III

2009-02-12T13:18:00.007Z

**DOWNLOAD** Demoniod Torrent **DOWNLOAD**

Edible Wild Plants lll NEW! DVD
Field Guide to 150 Useful Wild Herbs and much more!

CONTENT: TWO HOURS! FOUR PROGRAMS! Co-author Dr. Jim
Duke and Jim Meuninck take you afield identifying, harvesting and cooking
edible wild plants. Learn Native American and pioneer uses as well as
Chinese medicinal uses. Discover how to make healthful herbal teas.
Make "berry delicious desserts". Video identifies poisonous plants and
poisonous look-alikes.
"The Forager's Dozen" one of the two new programs simplifies plant
identification by isolating 12 plants that are found almost anywhere, are
delicious and nutritious. With excellent recipes and insightful tips this one
hour segment is most valuable.
· Discover how to identify and prepare 100 edible wild plants.
· Learn to identify poisonous plants and poisonous look-alikes.
· Uncover Native American, Chinese and Pioneer medicinal uses.
· Step by step recipes on camera, easy to follow.

Cooking Tip: Saute cattail shoots in two tablespoons of Italian
salad dressing. Served on a bed of edible tulip petals,
garnished with edible pansies, chive blossoms, arugala flowers
and shunkiku (Japanese chrysanthemum petals).

1.The Forager's Dozen (2008) - See above
2.Whoops! (2008) - A few recipes
3.Edible Wild Plants (1990) - You may already have this one, it's been on torrent for ages, it's the one that shows you how to cook cattails, anyway, this one is in DVD quality.
4.Trees Shrubs Nuts & Berries (1990) - Identification and cooking tips.

You can buy this DVD HERE for only $9.95 Thats only £7 (not including P&P) for 4 educational movies about wild food - IF YOU LIKE IT BUY IT!
www.herbvideos.com

FLOR DE CAPULÍ (anillo Qowaskayki)

2009-02-12T12:58:00.000Z

Rare John 'Lofty' Wiseman Video

2009-02-11T19:00:00.004Z

Here's a torrent for an extremely rare vhs video from Mr Wiseman. It covers the same subjects as his new DVD i.e P.L.A.N, he is being interviewed by an American dude in a studio with cut scenes of John out in the field applying his skills. This was made in 1990 (round about then) and i believe it was a 2 video set (i could be wrong though). I payed £20 for a copy on ebay ages ago, it took me ages to find.
Anyway, this has been converted to DVD format hence the large file size (4.02GB). If you have any problems downloading this (lack of seeds) let me know as i have converted my copy onto the harddrive so i can create a torrent if needed.
I also have his new dvd but i'm only willing to post torrents of rare, hard to find and out of print stuff. The commercial stuff you can easily find yourself either on the web (legal or ilegal) or in shops, also, the indipendant video makers rely on the income of their DVD's to keep them doing the things we like to watch so if you like any of the DVD's i post then please buy them (links will be provided).
I am into trading Dvd's privately, get in touch if you want to do swaps etc
TRY BEFORE YOU BUY

John “Lofty” Wiseman should need little introduction, but for those who are new to survival, it would be difficult to believe that there is a serious survival training specialist in the world today who hasn’t read and learned from John “Lofty” Wiseman’s 'The SAS Survival Handbook'. First published in 1986, translated into 18 different languages and having sold approximately 2 million copies, it is undoubtedly the seminal written work on survival skills. Since the book's release, Lofty's work has shaped the way survival training is done the world over and through it he has taught and inspired many of today's experts who follow in his footsteps.

'John likes to feel wood in the morning'

Eat the weeds videos

2009-02-11T16:07:00.004Z

Demonid has a torrent of most but not all of the Eat The Weeds videos as found on youtube. You cand save the youtube vids yourself (.flv format) or download these which are in th avi format (more compatible with mobile video players).

Green Deane from www.eattheweeds.com shows how to find, harvest and prepare wild edible plants native to Florida and many parts of North America. Warning: never eat any wild plants without checking with a local expert first.

01 Why Learn About Wild Foods.avi 19.82 MB
02 ITEMIZING edible wild plants.avi 18.42 MB
03 Crepis Japonica False Hawksbeard.avi 11.77 MB
04 Wild Lettuce Sow Thistle Lactuca.avi 19.13 MB
05__Wild_mustard_greens.avi 16.12 MB
06__Peppergrass__Lepidium_Virginicum.avi16.07MB
07__Pokeweed__Phytolacca_americana.avi 15.54 MB
08__Sassafras___Mulberry.avi 17.57 MB
09__Making_Hard_Cider.avi 19.69 MB
10__Rumex__Sorrel_.avi 18.79 MB
11__Thistle.avi 15.50 MB
12__Chickweed__Stellaria.avi 16.67 MB
13__Plantagos__Plantains.avi 14.60 MB
14__Henbit__Lamium_amplexicaule.avi 13.01 MB
15__Spiderwort__Tradescantia.avi 20.07 MB
16__Cactus__Opuntia.avi 14.96 MB
17__Amaranth.avi 19.64 MB
18__The_Daylily.avi 14.62 MB
19__Smilax.avi 17.85 MB
20__Lichen__Cladonia.avi 18.12 MB
21__Spurge_Nettle.avi 16.41 MB
22__Duck_Potatoes.avi 14.69 MB
23__Pennyworts.avi 18.70 MB
24__Wekiva_River.avi 19.06 MB
25__American_Lotus.avi 19.78 MB
26__Yucca_filamentosa.avi 17.92 MB
27__Chickasaw_Plum.avi 62.78 MB
28__Bananas.avi 50.84 MB
29__Elderberries.avi 61.83 MB
30__Yellow_Pond_Lily.avi 44.27 MB
31__Jelly_Palm.avi 64.16 MB
32__Wild_Grapes.avi 64.27 MB
33__Homemade_Vinegar.avi 40.87 MB
34__Maypop__Passion_Flower.avi 61.94 MB
35__The_False_Roselle.avi 54.31 MB
36__Spotted_Beebalm__Horsemint.avi 54.70 MB

Explosions In The Sky - Six Days At The Bottom Of The Ocean

2009-02-11T15:45:00.002Z

A bit of music to listen to while i edit away
A stunning live track from EITS - post rock rocks!!!!

Ray Mears 1st book Download

2009-02-11T14:17:00.005Z

The Survival Handbook: A Practical Guide to Woodcraft and Woodlore
Is available on Demonoid as PDF file 27.10MB and is a very good scan of the book.
This book is his first and considered to be his best but is out of print so it's good to see it available for those who don't wish to pay over £50 for a copy.

EDIT:I have uploaded the PDF here for a more direct and faster download, I may do this for other books as torrent can take an age to download.

Sort Of Dunno Nothin' - Peter Denahy

2009-02-11T14:04:00.000Z

One year in 40 seconds

2009-02-11T13:35:00.002Z

A HD version of the famous vid by Eirik Solheim

Deer Droppings for Fire Making and Pitch Glue

2009-02-11T13:00:00.000Z

Great dvd rental site (USA ONLY)

2009-02-11T11:09:00.004Z

For all you American viewers this site offers a gold mine of dvd's for rental from the likes of Thomas J.Elpel, Hoods Woods, Buckshot, John & Geri McPherson and others. Wish we had something similar here in the UK.

Trans canada video update

2009-02-11T11:03:00.003Z

The brothers Marshal have uploaded a higher quality uncut version of their trans canadian canoe trip on the vimeo site. More details HERE

Brothers Marshall Trans-Canadian Canoe from Drew Marshall on Vimeo.

I've been trying to get a track list of the music used in this video, there's Chocolate Jesus: Tom Waits
A song for our fathers by Explosions in the sky (in fact a lot of Explosions in the sky but still don't know the opening track)

Bushcraft pc game

2009-02-11T11:01:00.002Z

Bushcraft - Firemaking from Alex Dixon on Vimeo.

Hello

2008-07-31T19:16:00.001+01:00

Back from the dead, time to tidy up this blog and add more content and hopefully more free info.

Ray Mears goes walkabout

2008-04-21T09:09:00.003+01:00

In Ray 'lets commercialise bushcraft' Mears new series he meets up with the legendary Les Hiddins AKA Bush Tucker Man in Australia which has to be worth seeing.
The series is scheduled for May in the UK, no doubt it will be on torrent as each episode is shown.

The usual book tie-in is set for release any day now and expect to see some expensive tat from Australia on RM's web site

Foxfire

2008-04-20T22:20:00.005+01:00

Foxfire 1-6 can be downloaded from this site
I'm downloading one now so i cant tell you if its worth downloading from here just yet.

Well i had a look, this comes with a prog that restricts me to x-amount of viewings forcing me to buy it from them if i want to keep reading it. I was hoping that because of the large file size, the book will have crisp images and neater txt but it's just poor scans of an old book.
I'm better off with the smaller sized torrent download

The only alternative is to buy the expensive originals that pop up on ebay which i would like but just not an option at the mo

Internet Archive

2008-04-20T22:11:00.002+01:00

Internet Archive

Try typing survival, bushcraft, wilderness, aboriginal etc into the search box for more freebies

Ye olde Lonely Planet Booke

2008-04-20T21:09:00.003+01:00

The problem with ebooks is that you have to stare at the screen to read them, I much prefer the the traditional paper format that i can read in the comfort of my bed, sleeping bag or sofa, i also love the smell of books, new and old, but the problem with paper books is they are rarely free and i like free stuff especially free knowledge so thats where ebooks have a use in my opinion, a paperless way to spread free useful knowledge (who would buy an E novel? 400 pages of discomfort - no thanks).
Anyway, found this free online book that can be viewed in different formats and hopefully is worth staring at the screen for (I had a look at the txt version but the DJVU and PDF versions are scanned from the original book). It's written in Olde English where the letter f was often used instead of the letter s (i wonder if if this is the case if i find the word suck), it's 392 pages of discomfort but looks very interesting.

VOYAGES and TRAVELS Throughout The OLD and NEW World (1708)
A general history of all voyages and travels throughout the old and new world, from the first ages to this present time, illustrating both the ancient and modern geography, containing an accurate description of each country, its natural history and product; the religion, customs, manners, trade, [etc.] of the inhabitants, and whatsoever is curious and remarkable in any kind. An account of all discoveries hitherto made in the most remote parts, and the great usefulness of such attempts, for improving both natural and experimental philosophy; with a catalogue of all authors that have ever describ'd any part of the world, an impartial judgment and criticism on their works for discerning between the reputable and fabulous relaters; and an extract of the lives of the most considerable travellers, made English from the Paris edition

Read it here

Green Pete Knife Making

2008-04-19T12:23:00.004+01:00

www.greenpete.co.uk

You can download a dvd or watch on youtube his great tutorial on how to make your own knife saving you possibly hundreds on a nice fancy knife from elsewhere. In my opinion it's how he makes the knife that really makes the tutorial great, a trip to a scarp yard and a few basic diy tools is all that's needed (and somewhere to do it). If i had of seen this the last time i tried to make a knife then i would of been in possession of a great looking knife instead of the abortion that i use now.

Celebrating Birch: The Lore, Art and Craft of an Ancient Tree (Paperback)

2008-04-18T23:03:00.004+01:00

There's a new book out over on Amazon all about birch, looks quite interesting. may just buy it next week and try my hand at reviewing it.

Product Description
If you think of birch as simply a wood to work with, think again. For centuries, this legendary tree has been vital to the survival of mankind and is celebrated by cultures around the world. In this stunning salute, the North House Folk School will delight your curiosity with the fascinating history and myths of the birch while sharpening your woodworking skills with 15 beautiful projects that include carved ornaments, turned bowls, bark baskets, and more.

More ebooks to download

2008-04-16T22:18:00.003+01:00

Demonoid is back up which is great news as it one of the better torrent sites out there, anyway, here is a link to posting offering all sorts of great survival books most of which i have not come by before so grab them while you can i have added a couple of invite codes (needed to sign up).
LINK

Invites:
i4s4t0vd39z3rlcjv5tpiwlzwcvz4imej358
akn6u3zea2p3o94mil6an7giw20dznq9b31f

email me if the above invites have been used and i will send you your own personal code if needed. I think the torrent can be found on pirate bay as well - no need to sign up there.

List of books in torrent (ignore the links, just the usual marketing bullshit on the web):

11 Steps to Survival - Canada Emergency Measurses Organization.pdf	929.36 KB
Aids to Survival.pdf	684.03 KB
Be Your Own Bodyguard - Peaceful Paths.pdf	149.08 KB
Bushcraft (Canadian Scout Manual) - PO 403.pdf	1.56 MB
Camp Life in the Woods and the Tricks of Trapping.pdf	12.55 MB
Captain Dave's Survival Guide.pdf	218.38 KB
Citizen's Homeland Defense Guide I - The Art of Survival.pdf	612.34 KB
Citizen's Homeland Defense Guide II - The Art of Survival.pdf	958.35 KB
Civil Preparedness Guide - FEMA 1-10.pdf	209.93 KB
Combat Survival and Evasion.pdf	5.76 MB
Common Sense Guide to Being Prepared - Time Magazine.pdf	100.70 KB
Dangerous Plants and Animals/Dangerous_Animals.zip	19.61 KB
Dangerous Plants and Animals/Dangerous_Fish_and_Mollusks.zip	397.86 KB
Dangerous Plants and Animals/Dangerous_Plants_(GIF).zip	66.55 KB
Dangerous Plants and Animals/Dangerous_Snakes_(GIF).zip	53.07 KB
Dangerous Plants and Animals/Injurious Plants GTA 08-05-055.pdf	124.49 KB
Dangerous Plants and Animals/Precautions_with_Snakes.pdf	104.56 KB
Disinfecting After the Flood.doc	140.87 KB
Don't Leave Home Without Your Brain.txt	19.28 KB
Essential Underground Handbook (P M L Publishing).pdf	1.48 MB
Extension Agent's Handbook for Emergency Preparation and Response.doc	1.58 MB
Fieldcraft - B-GL-392-009-FP-001.pdf	2.03 MB
Food and Water/Cookbooks/Emergency Food Preparation.pdf	147.43 KB
Food and Water/Cookbooks/Enjoy Yeast Breads - FN283.pdf	1.52 MB
Food and Water/Cookbooks/Field Cooking Nutrition.rar	26.91 KB
Food and Water/Cookbooks/Quilt Inn Country Cookbook.pdf	560.93 KB
Food and Water/Cookbooks/Recipes Tried And True (1894 Cookbook).zip	66.41 KB
Food and Water/Disinfecting After the Flood.doc	140.87 KB
Food and Water/Emergency Food Prep.zip	31.26 KB
Food and Water/Emergency Water Treatment & Sanitation Handout Pages .rar	5.97 KB
Food and Water/Emergency Water Treatment.htm	15.62 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Backyard Rabbit Keeping - Ann Williams.rar	63.10 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Container_Herb_Gardening.zip	42.56 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Gardening_Classic_-_How_to_Grow_and_Prepare_Tomatoes.pdf	338.67 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Gopher_Repeller.zip	30.88 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Greenhouse_Gardening.zip	16.75 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Growing_Barrels_of_Potatoes.zip	60.24 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Natural Chicken Feed.txt	431 bytes
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Saving Seeds 2.txt	213.70 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/Successful_Gardening,_Vol._1.pdf	413.03 KB
Food and Water/Farming and Gardening/The City People's Book of Raising Food - Olkowski.txt	343.41 KB
Food and Water/Fishing.zip	34.61 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Canning Butter.rar	1.97 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Canning Hamburger.rar	1.91 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Drying_Foods.pdf	126.69 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Emergency Food and Water Supplies.rar	7.45 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Emergency_Water_Supply.pdf	162.32 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Family Food Security.zip	19.61 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Food Storage Cooking School - FN503.PDF	1.27 MB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Guide to Food and Water Storage.rar	12.39 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/How Much to Store.rar	2.30 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Providence Cooperative Prudent Food Storage Ver 3.zip	137.90 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Providence Cooperative Stored Food Pests FAQ Ver 1 (TXT Format).zip	12.95 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Providence Cooperative Water Treatment FAQ Ver 2.2 (Word Format).ZIP	32.29 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Prudent_Food_Storage_FAQ.zip	122.59 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Salt Cureing Meat.rar	4.29 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Start Your Food Storage on $10 a Week by Alan T Hagan Issue 59.rar	69.77 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Storing Flour.rar	1.24 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Storing Grains in Buckets.rar	1.53 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Storing Honey.rar	2.98 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Storing Water in 2-Liter Bottles.rar	2.19 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Survival Meat Preserving - Part 1 - Pemmican.rar	2.56 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Survival Meat Preserving - Part 2 - Jerky.rar	2.38 KB
Food and Water/Food and Water Storage/Waxing Cans and Boxes for Storage.rar	2.21 KB
Food and Water/Food_Procurement.zip	1.21 MB
Food and Water/Implements/Backpack_Stove_-_How-To.zip	105.57 KB
Food and Water/Implements/Building a SmokeHouse.rar	3.29 KB
Food and Water/Implements/Dutch Oven.zip	21.59 KB
Food and Water/Implements/How_to_Build_an_Outdoor_Fire.zip	71.01 KB
Food and Water/Implements/Water_Proof_Matches.pdf	46.17 KB
Food and Water/Portable Food.rar	31.37 KB
Food and Water/Recipes/125 Jerky Recipes.zip	37.77 KB
Food and Water/Recipes/Acorn Soup.rar	5.01 KB
Food and Water/Recipes/Baking Bread - The Beginner's Guide.rar	24.43 KB
Food and Water/Recipes/Bread Recipes.zip	57.41 KB
Food and Water/Recipes/Bread, 500 Recipes for Making.zip	147.16 KB
Food and Water/Recipes/Cornbread & Hot Water Cornbread.rar	1.64 KB
Food and Water/Recipes/Culinary Herbs.zip	111.26 KB
Food and Water/Recipes/Hard Cider, Quick Recipe.rar	2.28 KB
Food and Water/Skinning_And_Dressing_Rabbits.pdf	78.65 KB
Food and Water/Wild Rice - Gloria Belcourt.rar	10.57 MB
Free_Hot_Tips_on_Survival_by_Ex-Green_Beret_Don_Paul.pdf	109.07 KB
Handbook_of_Knots_&_Splices_-_Charles_Gibson.pdf	1.22 MB
How to Prepare for Any Disaster.pdf	1.34 MB
Ignore this.txt	18.58 KB
Injurious Plants GTA 08-05-055.pdf	124.49 KB
Mormon Emergency Preperation.pdf	820.93 KB
National Security Emergencies.pdf	627.28 KB
Out-of-Home Defense.txt	12.46 KB
Pioneering Knots and Lashings.pdf	1.88 MB
Providence Cooperative Survival FAQ - Threat Analysis.txt	22.03 KB
Read me!.txt	99 bytes
Risks & hazards - A State by State Guide - FEMA196.pdf	12.59 MB
Shelter/Building_Shelters.zip	564.39 KB
Shelter/Debris Hut Construction.rar	130.67 KB
Shelter/Emergency Shelter Factfile.htm	18.24 KB
Shelter/Granddaddy of All Underground Storage Areas.pdf	100.08 KB
Shelter/Shelter.jpg	33.43 KB
Shelter/Tent Plans.zip	704.16 KB

Special Forces Caching Techniques - TC 31-29A.pdf

65.55 KB

Dandelion poem

2007-11-15T01:47:00.000Z

I have an obsession with dandelions at the moment and in my search for knowledge I found all sorts of wonderful and interesting facts and recipes for this humble plant including this poem

To a Dandelion.

Blessings on thy sunny face,
In my heart thou hast a place,
Humble Dandelion!
Forms more lovely are around thee,
Purple violets surround thee,--
But I know thy honest heart
Never felt a moment's smart
At another's good or beauty,--
Ever at thy post of duty,
Smiling on the great and small,
Rich and poor, and wishing all
Health, and happiness, and pleasure,
Oh, thou art a golden treasure!

I remember years ago,
How I longed to see thee blow,
Humble Dandelion!
Through the meadows I would wander,
O'er the verdant pastures yonder,
Filling hands and filling lap,
Till the teacher's rap, rap, rap,
Sounding on the window sash
Dreadful as a thunder crash,
Galled me from my world ideal
To a world how sad and real,--
From a laughing sky and brook
To a dull old spelling-book;
Then with treasures hid securely,
To my seat I crept demurely.

Childhood's careless days are o'er,
Happy school days come no more,
Humble Dandelion!
Through a desert I am walking,
Hope eluding, pleasure mocking,
Every earthly fountain dry,
Yet when thou didst meet mine eye,
Something like a beam of gladness
Did illuminate my sadness,
And I hail thee as a friend
Come a holiday to spend
By the couch of pain and anguish.
Where I suffer, moan and languish.

When at length I sink to rest,
And the turf is on my breast,
Humble Dandelion!
Wilt thou when the morning breaketh,
And the balmy spring awaketh,
Bud and blossom at a breath
From the icy arms of death,
Wilt thou smile upon my tomb?
Drawing beauty from the gloom,
Making life less dark and weary,
Making death itself less dreary,
Whispering in a gentle tone
To the mourner sad and lone,
Of a spring-time when the sleeper
Will arise to bless the weeper?

Source: "Canadian Wild Flowers," by Helen M. Johnson.

2007-11-15T00:58:00.001Z

I have never before boiled dandelion greens. They smelled surprisingly like spinach while boiling and completely lost their bitterness in the process. They were so delicious on their own as a boiled green that I plan to continue harvesting them with vigor for what remains of the growing season and eating them as-is with a dash of salt and sprinkle of oil.

HORTOPITA

by Susan Campbell

If you are ever in Greece, you will see that bakeries offer Hortopita (Greens Pie) much more often than the famous Spanakopita (Spinach Pie). I think this gives them the flexibility to use whatever greens are available, including spinach no matter what the season.

Ingredients

2 lbs edible greens (untreated garden dandelions work nicely, but any leafy green at hand will do)
1 medium onion, chopped into a 1/4 inch dice
2 fat leeks, white, and light green parts only, cut into 1/4 inch slices and cleaned
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb feta cheese, crumbled between your fingers
1 package filo dough, thawed
Approx. 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Bring 1 quart of water to the boil. Add the greens in bunches. Cover the pot and bring back to the boil. Cook until tender (3-4 minutes ). Drain and as soon as the greens are cool enough to handle, squeeze as much water out of them as possible. A lot of moisture in the horta filling will make the bottom of the pie soggy. Place them in a large bowl. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan and add the onion. Once the onion is transparent, add the leeks and cook until everything is completely wilted. Add this to the spinach. Add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the feta between your fingers and add it to the vegetables. Mix everything.

Set up your work station with the 1/2 cup of oil, a pastry brush, a large, ovenproof dish (any shape or material) and the unrolled filo. Cover the filo sheets with plastic wrap to keep them from drying out. Brush the dish with a thin but even layer of oil. Brush a small amount of oil on the first sheet and lay it in the dish irregularly, with an angle sticking out of the dish. Proceed with the next oiled sheet and lay it with an angle sticking in another direction. Continue this way until you have used up 2/3 of the sheets and they are arranged with edges overhanging on all sides of the dish. Why? **See Below.

Place the horta filling in and spread evenly. Cover with more oiled sheets, this time folding over any and all corners and fitting them into the shape of the dish rather than letting them hang over the sides. Once you've used all the filo sheets, fold the uneven edges back on top of the pie and brush with more oil. This will make a shiny, brown finish once the pie is baked. Prick pie with a fork in several places to keep it from ballooning in the oven.

Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown with darker brown edges of some of the top pieces. Remove it from the oven, and let set for 30 minutes before cutting into squares.

** Just before you put this into the oven, you will fold these edges back on top of the pie to make a beautiful effect like crinkled-gift-wrapping. This also helps hide mistakes. Any broken filo dough, no problem, just layer it along with everything else and nobody will know!

Some traditional options: You may add up to 1/2 cup of fresh dill and/or parsley and/or up to 5 eggs to the horta filling.

Other options: Your choices of what else to add are limited only by your imagination. Some Greeks make this type of dish with any leftover vegetable.

(http://www.yougrowgirl.com/thedirt/2006/10/11/dandelion-hortopita-its-really-good/)

|
Robert McDowell's Herbal Treatments
24 December 2006

Herbal Help for Humans and their Companions

"Blissors not stressors",

The nervous system can take a battering at Christmas. This is a time of year that can be very stressful and difficult socially, travel wise and also financially.

When suffering from anxiety, depression or feeling tight and stressed you need to consciously focus more on "Blissors not stressors", address each one of the following areas to achieve a more balanced and happy life. Ultimately we have to remember to nourish all our senses. Creative activities and nature walks are some of the best ways to achieve this. Look at:-

Stress Management - yoga, breathing, meditation.
Exercise - gentle and daily.
Nutrition - Eat "SLOW" foods ie seasonal, local, organic, whole. Cut back on alcohol and coffee.
Social/ Spiritual - relaxing with friends and family, acknowledging beliefs and life philosophies.
Education - ongoing interest and motivation in learning.

Home Remedies - Dandelion.....don't go past the Simple Dandelion

Dandelions have a thick tap root, dark brown, almost black on the outside though white and milky within, the long jagged leaves rise directly, radiating from it to form a rosette lying close upon the ground. The leaves are shiny and without hairs, the margin of each leaf cut into great jagged teeth, either upright or pointing somewhat backwards. All parts of the plant contain a somewhat bitter, milky juice (latex), but the juice of the root being still more powerful is the part of the plant most used for medicinal purposes.

Young Dandelion leaves make delicious sandwiches, the tender leaves being laid between slices of bread and butter and sprinkled with salt. The addition of a little lemon-juice and pepper varies the flavour. The leaves should always be torn to pieces, rather than cut, in order to keep the flavour.

The dried Dandelion leaves are also employed as an ingredient in many digestive or diet drinks and herb beers.

Dandelion Coffee is a natural beverage without any of the injurious effects that ordinary tea and coffee have on the nerves and digestive organs. It exercises a stimulating influence over the whole system, helping the liver and kidneys to do their work and keeping the bowels in a healthy condition, so that it offers great advantages to dyspeptics and does not cause wakefulness.

Dandelion is very nourishing and high in vitamin A. It is a blood, kidney, and liver cleanser and tonic. Dandelion is useful as a diuretic and one of the best natural sources of potassium. This makes it an ideal balanced diuretic even with oedema related to cardiac conditions. Its cholagogue action makes it an ideal remedy for inflammation and congestion of the liver and gallbladder. Dandelion root has a significant cleansing action on the liver and stimulates bile production. It is also mildly bitter and a gentle laxative.

Dandelion's bitter taste stimulates bitter receptors in the mouth and by reflex activates the entire digestive tract and the liver. It increases the flow of digestive juices thereby improving digestion and assimilation and enhancing the appetite. Dandelion cleanses the liver by increasing bile production and flow through the liver. Thus giving support to the liver's work as the major detoxifying organ in the body.

Dandelion root is one of the best detoxifying herbs. As is works on the liver and gallbladder to help convert waste products it also assists the kidneys to remove the toxins through urination.

Pick and eat a young leaf as you walk past - each time!

(http://www.herbal-treatments.com/newsletters/herbal_newsletter_2006_12_24.html)

Ask your relatives if they have any experiences with the Dandelion. Remember that it originally came from Asia where it played an important role in both food and medicine. Arabian physicians, even before the year 1000, used this plant as a medicine. The Dandelion has not established itself in the wild in the Southern Hemisphere. Dandelions made their recorded appearances in Canada with the French in the 1700’s where it was used in salads and as a health remedy.

This plant also appeared in New Mexico, USA when Spanish people brought it over for a medicine and food source, they called it chicoria. Germans brought the plant to Pennsylvania in the 1850’s and used it as an early spring infusion of nutrition and vitamins. The English also brought the plants over to cure liver problems and other illnesses. Native Americans soon started to see benefits from the plants and started to grow them for the same uses as others. The plant is grown in India and is used mainly for a remedy for liver problems. Most recently the dandelion root is being grown and exported to Russia for use in medical remedies.

Interesting Facts

The word Dandelion comes from the French name for the plant dents de lion. This means teeth of the lion and refers to the jagged edges of the leaf of the plant.

The other French name for this plant is pis-en-lit, in English this means wet the bed. Dandelions deserve this name because their greens, when eaten, remove water from the body. So eating the greens could cause someone to well… you can guess the rest. Not recommend for a bedtime snack.

The dandelion first came from Asia but it now calls the entire planet home!

Each year fifty-five tones of coffee substitutes made from roasted Dandelion roots are sold in England, Australia and Canada.

The Dandelion provides an important food source to bees. The pollen from this plant helps bees out in the spring because it flowers early and the flowers continue through to the fall providing constant food. In fact no less then 93 different kinds of insects use Dandelion pollen as food.

The Dandelion seeds are important food to many small birds.

(http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/plantwatch/dandelion/fun_facts.html)

2007-11-11T06:14:00.001Z

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

By John McCrae 1915

My New Blog Site

2007-09-16T13:02:00.001+01:00

I felt the videos were a a bit too much here so i decided to set up a new blog dedicated to the free on line videos.
LINK:
Nomad Of Soul Web Videos

Books

2007-09-13T13:15:00.001+01:00

Just a few more, I've started on the big list which i will post here soon

Being Your Own Wilderness Doctor: The Outdoorsman's Emergency Manual E. Russel Kodet & Bradford Angier (0671785494)
Jack-Knife Cookery - James Austin Wilder (1929 ISBN:0936226951)
Your Own Resources - A practical book for the self-sufficiency people in Australia - Compiled by Michael Richardson ( 0868240060 / 0868240087)
Wilderness Cookery - Bradford Angier (1961)

Books Of Interest
A Last Wild Place - Mike Tomkies (0224022199)
Born On Snow Shoes - Evelyn Berglund Shore (1955ed / 0963651188)
Call Of The Wild - My escape to Alaska - Guy Grieve (0340898240)
Cottage Book, The - The undiscovered country diary on an Edwardian Statesman - Sir Edward Grey (0297607529)
Good Life, The - Dorian Amos - (1903070309)
Into The Wild - Jon Krakauer - (0385486804)
Into Thin Air - Jon Krakauer - (0330353977)
Seeking Robinson Crusoe - Tim Severin (0333905555)
Voyageur - Across the Rocky Mountains in a Birchbark Canoe - Robert Twigger (978-0297829812)

Magazines

2007-09-11T08:45:00.002+01:00

All descriptions are taken from the magazine's website.

Bushcraft: OUT OF PRINT (Only 6 issues were printed the 7th was PDF only)
Bushcraft, is an A5, high quality, full gloss magazine so it's easy to carry and it's going to last. Best of all - it's cram-packed with great content from experts and enthusiasts who just love the outdoors.

Bushcraft magazine is dedicated to life in the outdoors and obtaining all you can from it. Bushcraft is the art of confidence in the outdoors obtained through the study of age old skills and wisdom, enabling you to make the best use of modern technology without becoming dependent upon it for your enjoyment of the natural world.

Things have come a long way and over the coming months and years the magazine will grow and evolve. The input from you the reader, is hugely valuable in making it a great magazine and we welcome feedback so that we can keep the tweaking and refining process ongoing. The Bushcraft UK website and Bushcraft the Magazine will complement each other in a very real way, so that there's more information, knowledge and skills readily available to all.

This magazine is written for you, enjoy it.

Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine: (DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS ONE))
Interest in bushcraft is at an all time high, its profile being raised by the new availability of information and of course the Ray Mears television series. Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine is a valuable resource; enhancing your existing knowledge, teaching you new skills, answering your questions and keeping you up to date with courses and equipment suited to bushcraft use.

Throughout the pages of Bushcraft & Survival Skills magazine you will find Regular and Feature Articles on subjects such as Tracking, Knives & Axes, Foraging, Flint Knapping, Fire Lighting, Wood Lore and Surviving in the Wild, alongside 'How to...' articles showing you how to make your own kit and projects that use natures resources. There are Book Reviews, Course Reviews & Kit Reviews to help you select and buy wisely, Course, Schools & Store Directories telling you what's happening and when along with where to go for training and kit, Reader giveaways and Competitions enabling you to get hold of some great kit. Most important, is a chance for you to have your say! We welcome readers questions to put to our ‘Ask our Expert’ panel, send in your ‘readers letters’, articles and photographs, this magazine is yours, own it!

The Bushcraft Magazine: (VERY GOOD FOR A UK MAG)

The Bushcraft Magazine is the first UK magazine to deal with bushcraft as a subject in its own right. Covering a wide range of bushcraft topics from Arrow to Yarrow, it is printed quarterly.

Backwoods Home magazine: (NOT READ IT YET)

Want a more self-reliant lifestyle for you and your family? Backwoods home magazine can help you achieve it. Every issue is packed with solid, practical, hands-on information on a wide range of self-reliance topics. (Backwoods Home Magazine, E-Edition)

Backwoodsman Magazine: (VERY GOOD)

The Backwoodsman magazine is a bi-monthly publication dedicated to the preservation of Old Frontier living, primitive hunting and fishing, tool and weapons lore, and wilderness survival. Each issue is packed with information, projects and adventures associated with this unique period of North American history.

The Bulletin of Primitive Technology: (ONE OF THE BEST)

The purpose of the Society of Primitive Technology is: 1) to promote the practice and teaching of aboriginal skills; 2) to foster communication between teachers and practitioners; and 3) to set standards for authenticity, ethics and quality. The Bulletin is to serve as a means of accomplishing these goals.

Statement of Purpose: The primary activity of the organization is to promote the practice and teaching of primitive technology. Promotion entails both educating and informing any and all interested parties on a wide range of primitive/aboriginal life skills as well as setting standards for authenticity, ethics, and quality. Aboriginal life skills are defined here as those traditional technological skills which primitive peoples of any location, from the equator to the arctics, East to West, and of any time period, Paleolithic to post-contact, practiced or are still practicing, in order to perpetuate or to improve the quality of their lives. Generally this definition embraces pre-literate, pre-industrial lifeways, although some such traditional life skills may occassionally be found interwoven with advanced technological societies.

Because of a rapidly rising interest in primitive technology, among technologically advanced peoples, as a means of improving the quality of life on earth today, both advocationally and vocationally, the time came for an organization to be created to help mobilize this interest and promote the above activity. Accordingly in 1988, a proposal for an organization to be formed the following year was distributed to national leaders in the field. In November of 1989 a meeting of these leaders was held (at the Schiele Museum of Natural History in Gastonia, NC), a Board of Directors was created, and a society was formed. A statement of purpose was drafted and a means proposed for implementation of the society's goals. Since then, annual board meetings have been held each year at varying locations around the country to facilitate the maintenance of the society. To date, this has included incorporating with non-profit status and the creation of four publications, the Bulletin of Primitive Technology, the short-lived Primitive Technology Newsletter, and our books Primitive Technology I: A Book of Earth Skills, and Primitive Technology II: Ancestral Skills. The Board of Directors and its appointees are the ones responsible for implementing all of the above.

The principle purpose of the organization, therefore, is to try and help improve the quality of life of its members by providing access to the knowledge embraced by the field of primitive technology.

Earth Garden: (NOT READ IT)

Welcome to Earth Garden magazine, Australia's original magazine of
alternatives for country and city. Now in our 35th year!

Wilderness Way Magazine: (VERY GOOD)

In Wilderness Way , you will learn primitive skills that have been used for thousands of years, yet forgotten by our modern culture. Wilderness Way magazine opens a door to a simpler time and the techniques of how man lived. Inside you will find secrets to making friction fires, primitive shelters, plant cordage, atlatls (spears), birch canoes, teepees and much more.

You will learn techniques of falconry, using medicinal plants, flint knapping, animal tracking, food cooking and preservation, and primitive weaponry. You will read tales from the past; Rendezvous Era, Fur Trade Era, Indian lore and more...

Rush hour on a Russian Highway

2007-09-10T14:04:00.001+01:00

Have a look at this powerpoint presentation from Australianoutdoors, even those with Chelsea tractors would think twice. (you can download a free powerpoint viewer from Microsoft)

Survival IQ

2007-09-10T13:20:00.002+01:00

SurvivalIQ provides information, resources, strategies and techniques you need to know whether you're preparing for a back country camping trip or the Green Berets.

http://www.survivaliq.com/index.htm

2007-08-26T19:50:00.002+01:00

Freebies

2007-08-19T13:06:00.001+01:00

Have a look at BushcraftUK for a great selection of free PDF books
'The 10 Bushcraft Books' by Richard Graves
This document courtesy of David B. Macpherson provides an excellent introduction to the subject of tarp shelters. He provides a wealth of valuable and useful information on their use and construction, covering everything from the most basic immediate action shelter to sophisticated structures.
U.S. Army Field Manual, No. 21-76, Survival
Bowditch -The American Practical Navigator - Free PDF's to aid your navigational skills
Metsä - Forest - Skog - Wald - A DVD about Finland's sustainable forestry: forest resources, their use and management.
FM 55-501 Marine Crewman's Handbook - Some interesting stuff can be found within this.
U.S. Army Survival Manual FM 21-76 - Includes updated versions.
Free books on Nuclear Survival - I know, a little extreme, but you might learn something new.
Wild Food Plants - A site with vids all about wild food

Our Wild Indians - Colonel Richard A. Dodge - I was looking to see if a could find a cheap copy but then found it free in pdf format. This book is quoted in the excellent book 'Nature is your guide' by Harold Gatty (you can find this in the list below). Here's the quote "The old guide Espinosa, from whom I learned the the rudiments of plains craft, told me that when he was a boy-prisoner among the Comanches, and the youngsters wished to go on a raid into a country unknown to them, it was customary for the older men to assemble the boys for instruction a few days before the time fixed for starting.
All being seated in a circle, a bundle of sticks was produced, marked with notches to represent the days. Commencing with the stick with one notch, an old man drew on the ground with his finger, a rude map illustrating the journey of the first day. The rivers, streams, hills, valleys, ravines, hidden water-holes, were all indicated with reference to prominent and carefully described landmarks. When this was thoroughly understood, the stick representing the next day's march was illustrated in the same way, and so on to the end. he further stated that he had known one party of young men and boys , the eldest not over nineteen, none of whom had ever been in Mexico, to start from the main camp on Brady's Creek of Monterey (a distance of over 380 miles as the crow flies), solely by memory of information represented and fixed in their minds by these sticks."

2007-08-17T20:12:00.001+01:00

DVD's Of Interested.
Dersu Uzala (You cant go wrong with Akira Kurosawa) (here as well)
Black Robe (Amazon link)
Quest For Fire (Amazon)
Walkabout (Amazon)
Atanarjuat (Amazon)
Kon Tiki (Asda)
Anasazi - Hisatsinom: The Ancient Ones
Metsa - Forest - Skog - Wald
The Great Canadian Wilderness Series:
Across The Great Divide
Land Of Extremes
The Wild Shore
(check ebay for these, i got mine for a quid each)