“I said to get a bent lever stick. No one ever listens,” Barry Keegan grins, sighs and reaches for the bent stick I should have seen for myself. He hands it to me.
I’m kneeling in mud, trying to balance the elements of what is known as a Figure-4 trap. I’m juggling a forked stick, a length of hand-made cordage and a rock that I pray doesn’t land on me. Barry, as if hearing my thought, places a stone underneath the large rock to keep it in place.
Barry is an instructor at Hawk Circle. More accurately, he is an inspiration, a champion and an advocate. Barry loves finding new ways to build a shelter, get fire by friction, or fine-tune a trap. Barry’s creative mind and physical coordination make him a true master of Bushcraft. He doesn’t waste a move. He always gives more than he needs to - and more than any other participant. Without his added muscle-power, my classmates and I might not have had a roof or insulation for our winter survival shelter. With insufficient snow for a quinzee, we had to build another kind of shelter, which took more work than any of us realized.
I’m still struggling with fire by friction, but after nearly four hours of arranging sticks, string, rock and bait, I managed to “get it” with traps. I got about 5 minutes to celebrate. I promised Barry I would set at least 20 more traps to begin to learn. Respect is a large part of learning.
The red squirrel that found my black walnut crumb bait irresistible, had enough wiggle room to dig his way out of the mud. Barry’s amazing intuition kept the squirrel from escaping. Injured ankle and all, Barry leaped on the rock. This long, lean man’s weight was too much for the red squirrel.
I took the red squirrel’s life, so I could learn a lesson; I intended to waste nothing. After I questioned every one at Hawk Circle - fellow students, interns and instructors alike - each person assured me I could successfully skin the red squirrel, tan its hide, eat its meat, and even have a beautiful skull to study.
Sensing my worry about tanning a hide, Barry not only wrote the instructions on the classroom board, but he called that night, after class, to ensure I had all the information I needed.
What makes Barry Keegan a mentor is not only that he is good at what he does, but that he enjoys his work. He’s never too tired, too bored or too frustrated with a student to create an opportunity for success. I saw him put himself out for my fellow students as much as he did for me.
Barry Keegan is not a workaholic. He just looks at what he does as another opportunity to play, with the added benefit that he becomes more efficient and effective every time he takes action.
At first, I was jealous when you told me about your upcoming adventure. Now, I’m amazed. I don’t long for it as I did, what with the cold and discomfort I see here, but I do stand in awe of what you chose to do in the cold of early January!
Comment by Angela Parker — January 30, 2008 @ 6:40 am
[...] Wilderness Survival and Earth Skills Mentor: Barry Keegan [...]
Pingback by WriterByNature.com » Draft: How to Make Survival Toothpaste | Creative Content for Your Nature Endeavors — January 30, 2008 @ 6:29 pm
Thanks for your comment, Angela. There is a huge difference between choosing and being thrust into a survival situation.
Despite learning new and helpful skills, the basic lesson in survival is what you think about will impact your level of physical comfort. Conserving energy is like money in the bank in a survival situation. My classes provided information that I know is likely to work.
If I invest a bit of time practicing these skills, my chances of conserving energy while meeting my basic needs for shelter, water, fire and food improve significantly.
Now, if I could only figure out how to help people cope with “Nature Deficit Disorder.”
Comment by jj_murphy — February 1, 2008 @ 6:56 am
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Pingback by WriterByNature.com » Tanning a Red Squirrel Hide Using a Dry Method | Creative Content for Your Nature Endeavors — February 11, 2008 @ 5:07 am
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Pingback by WriterByNature.com » How to Make a Figure-4 Deadfall Trap | Creative Content for Your Nature Endeavors — February 21, 2008 @ 7:23 am
[...] Comments WriterByNature.com » Wilderness Survival and Earth Skills Mentor: Barry Keegan | Creative Cont… on How to Make a Figure-4 Deadfall TrapWriterByNature.com » How to Make a Figure-4 Deadfall [...]
Pingback by WriterByNature.com » How to Make a Pine Bark Basket | Creative Content for Your Nature Endeavors — February 24, 2008 @ 7:04 am
[...] and resources at the farm. For now, I’m sticking close to Sister Carole, who is the Barry Keegan of [...]
Pingback by WriterByNature.com » Working the Land at Harmony Farm CSA | Creative Content for Your Nature Endeavors — April 23, 2008 @ 7:48 am
[...] I am blessed with an amazing range of nature educators. Some are dedicated to teaching. Others do not even know they are teachers, but their impact rivals that of Barry Keegan. [...]
Pingback by WriterByNature.com » The Value of Nature Educators | Creative Content for Your Nature Endeavors — May 13, 2008 @ 2:53 pm
Will be back to check on your blog…
Comment by Survival Bill — June 24, 2008 @ 10:42 pm
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