ADVENTURE
CLOSE TO 85 PERCENT OF SURVIVAL COMES DOWN TO YOUR MIND
Fortunately , there ’ s a small but committed group of professional educators dedicated to taking the fear out of being lost in the wilderness . Unlike the apocalyptic preparedness approach of self-identified survivalists , the discipline of wilderness survival , from an outdoor educator ’ s perspective , emphasizes the teaching of practical skills to help people survive a night or two lost in the woods .
The patron saint of outdoor education in Canada , Mors Kochanksi , passed away late last year , but his reputation as a subject matter expert will remain for years to come . In his best-selling book , Northern Bushcraft , he set out a rational and practical framework for surviving in the wilderness . Published in 1988 , it ’ s considered by many to be the bible of survival to this day .
One of Kochanski ’ s disciples , Bruce Zawalsky , studied under the master at the University of Alberta . The founder of the Boreal Wilderness Institute ( BWI ), an organization dedicated to outdoor education , Zawalsky is a passionate advocate for wilderness survival training . He ’ s written his own bestseller , A Guide to Canadian Wilderness Survival , and hosts a monthly podcast on the topic .
“ As we get a more urbanized society , these skills get lost ,” Zawalksy explains . “ Only five years ago , when I was running outdoor education courses for teens , only one out of four people knew how to light a match .”
As incredulous as that sounds , we should stop to consider that , over the past decade , Canada ’ s rural
26 six star magazine
Top photo : tourismsquamish . com ; bottom : Paul Bride - tourismsquamish . com Opposite page , top photo : Gaëlle Leroyer , Tourism Québec ; middle : Tourisme Baie-James / Hooké , Tourism Québec ; bottom : © Ian Robertson Photography - tourismsquamish . com