Sustainability

Sustainablity is at the heart of what we do at Into Wilderness.
we believe that bushcraft can help connect our clients with the natural world and appreciate our role as human beings on planet earth. By interacting with nature and learning from a bushcraft perspective, we can understand more about  how our impact can effect the natural world. That's why we always practice and support sustainable bushcraft. 

Foraging code of conduct:
We only pick for personal use, picking only as much as the local ecology can afford without damaging the environment. 

We always positively identify all foraged wild foods before picking and do not encourage any clients to pick anything that we have not positively identified 100% or included in our activity. 
we  always forage with sustainability and the foraging code of conduct and the country side code in mind, we also adhere to the landowners discretion.
Our Sustainability and foraging code of conduct is always clearly outlined to all participants at the start of any event.
Wild foods are a key educational element in Into Wilderness events there for we do not encourage or practice commercial foraging.
The country side act says that foraging the four Fs is acceptable on common land or land where the land owners permission has been given.
The four Fs are : Fruit, foliage, flora and fungi.
For personal use and the use of our clients as part of a taster experience but not for commercial foraging purpose. Commercial foraging became popular in London where individuals were selling mainly fungi to restaurants, this is the exact unsustainable practice that gives foraging a bad reputation . 
Never pick wild foods that you can not positively identify without multiple sources of positive identification.
Some plants, fungi and other wild foods are deadly poisonous in the UK and there fore we suggest before picking a basket full of wild foods , hoping they are edible unwittingly picking rare or poisonous species, book a foraging day with an expert who will give you guidance.
Only pick for personal consumption...
The British mycology institute said never pick more than 1.7kg of fungi in one foray.
Fruiting body's of any fungi are just that, like apples on a tree the mushroom is just the fruit of the mycelium under the earth. Into Wilderness never encourages picking more than half the fruiting body's at one time ,this gives the spores of the fungi to reproduce .
This same rule applies to fruit too.

Into Wilderness hosts many Foraging wild foods events, the aim of these events is for  educational purpose. We are foraging experts and teach about wild foods and natural materials to give our clients a first hand experience of nature and sustainable living.
Seasonal wild foods are of up most importance to the wildlife that rely on these food sources as well as the ecosystems that surround them, that is why Into Wilderness aims to promote sustainability as well as encourage our clients to live closer to nature.
The Country side code only applies the the Uk, many countries have different rules regarding foraging.


 

Sustainable bushcraft:

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At Into Wilderness many of our events involve or are encompassed by Bushcraft and Primitive living.

The term bushcraft covers many activities from fire lighting to flint knapping.

Humans have been practicing many if not all of our activities for thousands of years, only in recent history have we been so disconnected from nature that we should put labels on these activities.

Practice sustainability when teaching bushcraft...

Moving though the forest and leaving little to no trace that we were there. Cooking over a fire involves more than carrying a disposable bbq in a rucksack or even a modern gas stove. By teaching how to practice bushcraft to our clients we aim to educate sustainable activity in wild places. We are often criticised for practicing bushcraft by people who know very little about what we do, or even make assumptions about what we might do. In reality, bushcraft is funder mentally key in teaching sustainable, education about the naturlal wold. Aboriginal people around the world live close to nature, and have far less impact than the average Joe working in a office.

Into Wilderness is a small business with a low carbon foot print.

We teach about the value of the forest, and from a bushcraft perspective we truly educate our clients about living with less. And in doing so we are enriched and our lives are full.

The land rights in Britain limits our Bushcraft capability, and while a business man in London can build housing on a green belt, we can not make a fire in the forest without hassle.

 

Fire lighting 

 

As fire lighting is a huge concern for many organisations we work with, we have included a detailed l description of our fire lighting policy. 

Fire has been a human invention for thousands of years. Homo habalis went without fire some 600, 000 years ago. Since then we have utilise fire to cook food, warm ourselves with and many other uses. 

At Into Wilderness, we teach safe, sustainable fire lighting. A fire brings our clients closer to nature, closer to our distant early ancestor's, closer to a simplicity that comes with living with nature. As well as an educational activity around the uses and management of many different types of fires the experience it's self teaches our clients to respect nature.

A small trail fire, keeping the flames no higher than the knees and raised in a pat to avoid scorching the earth is primarily what we do.

Burning our fuel to ash that can be easily distributed is key, and leaving no trace behind is especially important. Things to consider when making a fire include the weather, the immediate surroundings and the situation on hand. Being prepared is also key, and having ample water in hand to extinguish the embers and cool the ground is vital. 

Getting the land owners permission is a legal requirement, but also having a good knowledge of the local ecology is important.

Wildfires and ignorance or is it the other way around. 

Ignorance causes wildfires... 

By teaching our clients how to safely build and manage a fire prevents and educates unsafe fire lighting. It is clear, that ignorance around fire lighting as well as a distinct lack of care for the environment causes wild fires.