Page 56 - Jeffersonville Journal Visitors Guide
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the woods. Turning what would be a survival situation into self- reliance, turning getting lost into an extended vacation. It is your responsibility as an outdoorsman to learn how to use the gear you have before you step into the woods. All the gear in the world won’t help you if you don’t know how to use it.
their web site: www.rootnroost.com. They offer a work exchange CSA program that gives everyone an opportunity to learn, grow and vitalize their lives.
The best piece of gear you have is your brain. Stay calm and prioritize. What comes first in the situation you are in? If it’s cold and raining, you’ll need shelter. If it’s raining, you already have water. If you are in the desert, both shelter and water are equally important. If it’s getting dark and it may rain or grow cold, you need fire and shelter.
Joseph and Nuné also teach about a few basic plants, that grow in our area, you can eat while out for walk on the trails or in need of some short hand first aid. A simple trick to remember is that the cure usually grows near the harm. For example; Jewelweed grows near poison ivy and stinging nettle. Local resident, Nathanial Whitmore, a Master Herbalist, is an excellent source of information regarding wild edibles in Upper Delaware Valley including the funguses. Find him at his web site; www.nathanielwhitmore.com
Remember the Rule of Three:
• Three Weeks without food.
• Three Days without water.
• Three Hours in cold or extreme heat.
• Three Minutes without air.
• And Three Seconds in Lava or Outer Space.
Good health and long life comes from the produce Mother Nature provides. Familiarize yourself with local plants regarding their medicinal uses and edible proprieties. Keeping your allergies and medications in mind. Many plants have multiple uses. Joseph and Nune recommend that you buy a book with color illustrations that identifies the entire plant and its uses. Peterson Field Guides are a great place to start, but there are many good options available. Find one that is clear and easy to understand.
“If you’re not always prepared, you’re never prepared.”
In a self-reliance situation you should never waste calories by hunting for squirrel and rabbit. Instead setting traps conserves energy. This can be done while you gather plants, firewood and prepare a shelter. The same thing can be said for fishing, instead place simple snares and drop lines.
If you are interested in what Bold Archery Design has to offer and want to learn more about their work their web site is; www.boldarcherydesign.com
If you are interested in naturalist survival skills, the Sullivan County Long Beards are a tremendous recourse of grandfather wisdom untapped in our community. They are a positive influence on children, individually and with much emphasis on family through active involvement. They work to instill a love of all things outdoor. Their youngster division, JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics, and Sportsmanship) holds events, sends children to DEC camp and offers scholarships.
Naturalist Horace Kephart said, “The instinct for the free life in the open is as natural and wholesome as the gratification of hunger and thirst and love. It is Nature's recall to the simple mode of existence that she intended for us”
Long Beards also advocate good land stewardship to provide habitat. Their members are volunteers dedicated to these causes. You can find out more about at; www.sullivancounty- longbeards.org or by calling their President Butch (Earl) Kortright (845) 292-4325.
Another strong source of land stewardship and homestead skills as Sean and Cheyenne Zigmund at Root N Roost Farm in White Sulpher Springs. They are excellent teachers of everything homesteading. Sean and Cheyenne can be contacted through
54 Jeffersonville Journal • 2016-2017


































































































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