Lisa is one of the founders of the Woodsmoke School of Bushcraft and Wilderness Survival, based in the Lake District, in the north west of England. Lisa apprenticed with Ray Mears in the late 1990's and early 2000's before going on to set up Woodsmoke together with Ben McNutt in 2001. Lisa’s 20 years of instructing bushcraft has also led her to travel to, and lead expeditions in remote environments, where she has always held a particular interest in the traditional ecological knowledge and land-based skills of local and Indigenous peoples.
The central question that has driven Lisa’s curiosity and anthropological interest has been to ask - ‘how do cultures, both past and present, live at home in various natural ecologies. And, how can that inform our own past, present and personal relationship with the natural world?’ In 2006 Lisa’s interest in anthropology and ethnobiology led her to enroll in a master’s degree in ethnobotany offered by Kent University in conjunction with Kew Gardens. Lisa obtained her MSc in 2008, gaining a ‘distinction’ for her final thesis on British wild plant foods. Lisa followed this by reading for a PhD in anthropology/ethnobiology at Kent University’s School of Anthropology and Conservation, which she completed in 2016, gaining her doctorate. At the same time Lisa continued in a supportive role in Woodsmoke, while raising her young son. Dr Fenton’s research area was ‘Bushcraft and Indigenous Knowledge Transmissions’, her work examined the relationship between Bushcraft and indigenous knowledge.
Lisa’s research was supervised by the distinguished anthropologist. Prof. Roy Ellen and comprised an historical review, an examination of ethnographic literature, field work in multiple locations, including Sweden the UK and the USA, in addition to interviewing professional Bushcraft instructors and surveying those who use Bushcraft as part of their outdoor leisure pursuits. Case studies of several iconic aspects of Bushcraft including the figure-4 deadfall trap and fire-by-friction were used to explore a number of themes in the contemporary Bushcraft world.
Lisa joins us in Gottröra to provide an insight into her academic and professional work and the unique perspectives she’s gained from her research. Lisa’s presentation ‘Bushcraft: A history of ideas with a modern relevance’, will examine some of bushcrafts’ historical foundations and transformations, and its emergence as modern recreational and educational practice, while highlighting some of its underlying themes and philosophies.
Lisa is currently working on her forthcoming academic publication – ‘Modern Bushcraft and Traditional Environmental Knowledge: histories, principles, cultures and practices’. She also holds a lectureship at the University of Cumbria (Ambleside, the Lake District), where she lectures across undergraduate and postgraduate degree programs in the department of Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies. Lisa is now working towards setting up the first Masters Degree program of Ethnobiological Studies in Wilderness Bushcraft.
It is an honor for us to have Lisa present during this year's festival. We hope all of you will join us listening to Lisa Fenton, August 25th-27th Bushcraftfestivalen 2017, Gottröra Sweden.
Speech hours during the festival:
Saturday August 26th: 17.00
Sunday August 27th: 14.00
Book your tickets to the Bushcraftfestivalen 2017 by clicking HERE.
På Svenska
