“Excellence and care guide every quiet step Mark Warren makes; to follow him teaches unique, wonderful truths about one’s connection to the Earth and its inhabitants. “ –Rhyse Bendell, Medicine Bow summer camper and student “Mark leads the modern reader along the almost forgotten paths of wood lore, natural medicine, and self-sufficiency. “ –Emily Ghiz, baker and Montessori teacher In this third volume of the “Secrets of the Forest” series, outdoor educator Mark Warren opens the door to experiences with wildlife such as: · how to stalk animals of the wild without being detected by their keen senses. This discipline addresses posture, clothing, diet, de-scenting, and “soft-walking,” the ultra-slow-motion technique that falls below the radar of wildlife’s peripheral vision. · how to read individual tracks and multiple gaits of specific animal species. · how to convert animal skins into rawhide and leather for crafts and clothing. · how to differentiate species of snakes and, in the process, demystify their often misunderstood intentions. The second half of the book is dedicated to games. Its main purpose is to ensure that young ones (under an adult leader) simply have fun on an outing and will want to return to nature for another adventure. Some of these games come from Native American traditions, but many are new and range from “high-action” to “pensive around the campfire” kinds of activities. This volume contains more than one hundred fifty original adventures.

This is the Australian edition of a games book for parents, teachers, childcare workers, Cub Scout leaders, home-schooling families, and anyone else who supervises or entertains children. The book contains 339 activities, and is divided into three main sections: physical and mental, life skill, and educational. The physical and mental games are for fun and fitness, and can be enjoyed at birthday parties, family get-togethers and weekend outings. The life skill games are designed especially for Cub and Brownie Leaders, and include map and compass reading, knotting, first aid, home safety and outdoor cooking. The educational games include fun activities in maths, English, science, history, geography, foreign languages, art and music. Teachers and home-schooling families will find this section instructive, stimulating and very unusual. The games are suitable for 7 to 17 year olds, and some of the activities will stretch the minds of even the cleverest teenagers.

This reference book contains over 300 games, and is designed to help parents and other adults who supervise and entertain small groups of children. The book is divided into three sections: physical and mental, life skills, and educational. The physical and mental games are for fun and fitness, birthday parties, family get-togethers, and rainy days indoors. The life skill games teach children map and compass reading, first aid, outdoor cooking, home safety, campcraft, knotting and other handy things to know. These activities are designed to encourage independence, resourcefulness and self-confidence in young people. The educational games include fun activities in maths, English, science, history, geography, foreign languages, art and music. Home-schooling families and teachers will find this section instructive, stimulating and very unusual. The games are suitable for 7 to 17 year olds, and some of the activities will stretch the minds of even the cleverest teenagers.

In the second volume of the Secrets of the Forest series, Mark Warren addresses a wide range of what an outdoorsperson needs to know about fire such as: how to create it from scratch using three different methods (hand drill, bow drill, and fire-saw). which species of trees and dried winter weeds make good candidates for a fire kit. where to find tinder that can combust. how to construct a fail-proof pyre by mixing fast-burning fuel with dense hardwood. how to sustain a fire for the long term, including how to safely store a smoldering fire that can survive for several days. The second half of the book is dedicated to storytelling and ceremony. Its main purpose is how to design stories that augment whatever lessons a teacher has in mind. Such stories can familiarize students with the fine points of archery, canoeing, tracking, stalking, and other crafts or skills. Borrowing from Native American traditions, Warren introduces dozens of ways for young outdoorspeople to build self-esteem and a deep connection with the forest. This volume contains more than 100 original activities.

In this first volume of his Secrets of the Forest series, nature educator Mark Warren explains how to identify and use 100 wild plants as food, medicine, and craft. He also covers “primitive” survival skills, from building a shelter, to purifying water, making tools, traps, and snares. With more than 200 original hands-on activities, the book is a step-by-step guide for teachers, scout leaders, outing clubs, and wilderness programs, and anyone interested in the outdoors and forgotten skills. Hikers who want to carry less gear and become more self-reliant by using what the forest has to offer, will find tricks in these pages to lighten their loads. Outdoor rec professionals will expand their knowledge of their natural surroundings to share with their clients. And parents who seek a closer relationship with nature for themselves and their children will learn to become active, adventurous participants in the forest, rather than just occasional visitors. Volume 2: The Art of Creating Fire and Storytelling and Ceremony Volume 3: Eye to Eye with Animals and at Play in the Wild Volume 4: The Art of Archery and Lake to Whitewater Canoeing

In this fourth volume of the “Secrets of the Forest” series, outdoor educator Mark Warren describes the details of how to make and operate the tools that hurl projectiles toward a target including: · “firing” techniques of a sling, spear, atl-atl, bow and arrow, throwing knife, tomahawk, and blowgun. · a comprehensive lesson in the art of archery that includes the direct, lob, and clout shots, as well as shooting at a moving target. · primitive precision methods of creating your own Cherokee self-bow and rivercane arrows. · cementing projectile skills through a gamut of games and challenges. The second half of the book provides lessons on tandem canoeing, beginning on a lake or pond and evolving to whitewater. The pre-education of paddling starts on a creek with a self-made model boat to understand the dynamics of moving water. On the lake, using a full-sized canoe, paddlers learn how to take control of their craft. Once on current, paddlers are introduced to the never-relenting march of moving water, a phenomenon that must figure into every river maneuver, from planning routes by “reading” the water, eddy turns, lateral ferry maneuvers, peel-outs, hovering in place, and running rapids “dry,” to river-rescue of capsized boats and “swimmers,” and the joy and instruction of slalom. This volume contains more than two hundred original adventures.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.