John McLoughlin chats to bushcraft expert Ray Mears about his new tour Born to Go Wild and the most pressing environmental issues.
Bushcraft expert and woodlore god Ray Mears has graced television screens for two decades, bringing his unique brand of survivalist philosophy to the public. Despite the success of danger-dodging personalities like Bear Grylls and the proliferation of stinging nasties on sites like YouTube, Mears remains true to his original vocation: demonstrating the beauty of the natural world while sharing genuine ancestral knowledge. “The tour is in two parts,” he starts, “next year I will have been teaching bushcraft for 35 years so I want to reflect on the most important elements of the subject. The first is about respecting the past, and the skills of the past. I want to talk about fire and its importance to humanity. Hopefully we will make fire on stage!”
There’s often a spiritual side to his work, will we see that in his show? “I don’t want to give it all away but there is a philosophical side to fire that we need to understand, and it helps to define who we are as a species. I want to reflect on how clever our ancestors were, because even a hundred years ago anthropologists were writing about our ancestors, and about existing cultures on our planet still living original lifestyles, as hunter gatherers and savages; what you’ve got to realise is these societies of the past have everything from wastrels to people with the intelligence to be CEOs of today’s world. People who are scientists today, these same psychological traits existed in past cultures as well. They laid a foundation of knowledge, and it’s important to look back with respect to our forebears.”
Ray has recently spent a lot of time in Australia, what has he been working on? “I’ve been making some programmes for ITV about wildlife and the wilderness in Australia, and I guess in the last two years I’ve made fourteen short films there. They’re fun to make, and difficult too as we have only two full days to make them. That’s very challenging, particularly when you’re looking for wildlife, and we managed it because we’ve got an amazing team with very good field craft and I think actually it shows what somebody going to Australia can do for themselves. I saw quite a few animals you consider dangerous but the thing is most of the animals in Australia are innocuous – they won’t harm you unless you provoke them.”
A noticeable aspect of Mears’ work is that he’s never been interested in overplaying the danger of the environments he visits. “I get really irritated with so many programmes which pump up the dangers to the point where people will believe it and not go, which is a shame because actually it’s good to go to these places as it broadens your mind. Also, when you go somewhere where there’s a risk, it makes you feel more alive.”
The conversation then moves on to environmental issues, and Mears discusses what he considers the most pressing issue. “I think our most pressing issue is the loss of biodiversity. When I’ve been making films what’s in the front of my mind is habitat, and each human being in their lifetime should work in some way to increase their local biodiversity. If everybody did that we’d make a massive difference because ultimately we as a species are dependent on a chain of other species – and they all need places to live.”
Any tips for budding young Welsh adventurers? “Wales is on your doorstep, which is the most amazing landscape. You’ve got wonderful coastline and broad leaf forest, and incredible uplands; you’ve got everything right there. Never put off until tomorrow an adventure you can have today. Smaller adventures can lead to larger ones. Don’t be shy, and try things which are new and strange to you. Take full advantage of your youth! There are things which are harder to do as you get older.”
Ray Mears: Born to Go Wild, St. David’s Hall, Cardiff, Thu 19 Oct. Tickets: £25. Info: 029 2087 8500 / www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk