Although it may not make you an expert like Les Stroud, the Survivor Skills programs being offered at provincial parks around Saskatchewan could provide some useful knowledge when it comes to spending time outdoors.
Buffalo Pound Provincial Park has been hosting a series of informational sessions about important skills to have while hiking, camping, or just enjoying nature.
Things kicked off on July 5 with a touch of the basics, before moving on to how to start a fire and how to build a shelter.
The fire-starting how-to will return on Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m., showing fire-starting methods like flint and steel wool to get a blaze going.
On Aug. 10 at 2 p.m., the Survivor Skills session will be giving directions on how to use a compass and a GPS system when navigating in the bush, trails, or prairies — although the session itself will feature more games than aimless wandering. This will take place in the Elm View area of the park.
The next two sessions include a run-down of the plants common to the area, which ones are edible, and which are useful for medicinal purposes, on Aug. 16 at 6:30 p.m. The final week will move on to recognizing signs of nearby animals, such as track or dropping, and what to do if you encounter certain wild animals on Aug. 23 also at 6:30 p.m.
Organizers have also added another session of the series on Aug. 24, with a to be determined topic — they'll likely choose the most popular session and run it again. This will take place at 6 p.m., followed by the performance by hoop dancer Terrence Littletent.
All of the upcoming sessions take place at Pinecone Place, the new structure down in the Maple Vale Campground area of the park, with the exception of the session on Aug. 10.
This particular program is new this year, but features age-old skills that have come in handy for many in the past. Wilderness survival is a great set of knowledge to have for those long hikes or tenting trips, and also a great way to get to know Buffalo Pound’s wildlife.
The Survival Skills series is also part of a stamp program that Buffalo Pound has going on. Every person who attends one of the sessions gets a card, and a stamp proving they attended that particular session. Collect them all, and there may be a prize at the end.
Buffalo Pound has a number of other events scheduled, and a full schedule of programming can be found on their website.
