A Tribute to Mors Kochanski

Mors Kochanski passed away on December 5, 2019 at the age of 79 years.

Mors – what can I say about Mors that hasn’t been said before by a great many people and said well?

Mors Kochanski was probably the best “Outdoor Living Skills” instructor in North America! He was an RCAF Survival School instructor, was with the Canadian navy, an Assistant Professor at U of A for many years, a writer, illustrator, magazine publisher and so much more. He taught survival skills to the RCAF, British SAS, Arctic Flying Nurses, Native trappers in northern Saskatchewan and an unending list of Primitive/Bushcraft/Survival students from Canada, USA, British Isles and Sweden to name just the major ones. He taught outdoor bushcraft skills to school children, teachers, adults and most importantly from our perspective, Junior Forest Wardens. Indeed, he was referred to as the “Patron Saint” of JFWs. He wrote the JFW “Woodstravel Guide” just for us. Yea!

While he has authored many manuals, pocket books, craft books, etc., his Northern Bushcraft (now called just Bushcraft), first published in 1987, is (to me) the definitive work. It is the only resource book listed in the JFW Saw, Axe & Knife Safety program. His long association with Karamat Wilderness Ways has ensured his lasting legacy, through Karamat and his many YouTube videos.

Mors was many things but at heart he was an unparalleled teacher who could span all age groups and instill the wonders and bounty of Nature in us all. He taught us not to survive, but to thrive in the great outdoors! He was our Yoda!

Mors had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and was a voracious reader. The “Library” building at his place has thousands of volumes on a wide variety of subjects.

He has left us an ongoing legacy of which I will only mention one; the Mora Knife was one of his trademarks and with it he taught us knife skills (LIFE SKILLS!)

He has now left to continue his journey and I hope it contains a little wood smoke, Mora knives, tin whistles, and boughs for the ground-to-air signal fires.
I’ll leave you with one of his many sayings, “Mother Nature doesn’t care if you’re having a good time.”

His name will be added to the JFW “In Gratitude” memorial which hangs in the Hall at our Jumping Pound Camp.

Walk well.

 – Brian McBride, Eagles Club, Calgary

Bob Skarra, Red Deer Woodchucks Founder

It’s been a hard week for the Junior Forest Warden Family and all it’s members with the passing of 2 great and very experienced long time members. I met Bob Skarra back in 1983 at the Red Deer Sportsman show when he was at a booth talking about all the great activities, skills and camps that “Wardens” could do.  I was only 9 years old and had no clue how much impact Bob would have on shaping my life during the years with the group.  Bob Skarra was a co-founder of the Red Deer Junior Forest Wardens back in 1980, he wanted a club that his son and daughter could attend as a whole family.  Bob was a “take the bull by the horns” kind of guy and would lead by example, he always wore his uniform proud and made us all understand that it was an honour to wear our red shirt.  I remember still to this day when he presented me with my Bronze badge and welcomed me as an official warden.  Bob was a big man (well to a 9 year old anyways) I remember shaking his big gentle hand and looking up at him and his big grin knowing that I wanted to be just like him.  Bob also helped with the idea, and construction of “Warden Hall” at Camp Alexo out by Nordegg so the youth would have a place to go and enjoy the great outdoors.  I attended a building weekend with Bob at Camp Alexo and I remember how he worked with us kids so that we could help in the build, he always wanted the wardens included.  That same weekend we got snowed in and couldn’t leave till Monday and I remember Bob saying the “you have to find the bright spot in the situation” and so we went cross country skiing in the newly fallen snow.  Another time out at Camp Alexo and it snowed again and my old Ford couldn’t make it up the hill and Bob was out in his yellow Toyota and pulled me up the hill (I didn’t think it would do it) and he said it’s not the size that matters but how much heart you have.  Bob had a passion for the Junior Forest Warden program and all the cool hands-on things that we could do, but most of all was his excitement at teaching the Wardens and watching them succeed. 

The Woodchuck club was like a second family to Bob and I can’t image how much time he volunteered to make our club such a huge success.  We still hold Bob’s values of what makes a club successful still to this day, family involvement, community parenting, every family has to contribute, the four pillars and the uniform.  Bob was also a co-founding member the JFW Alumni and helped at numerous national camps and primitive skills camps.  I always thought of Bob as larger then life and with his passing it makes me realize how precious our time is here and he would want us to share that time with each other and the outdoors.  Bob, you will never fully know how you inspired me in life to be better at what I do, to be honest and true to myself, fellow wardens and to pursue my dreams whatever that might be and just be the best that I can be.  We will miss you and your presence will forever surround those who knew you in the Junior Forest Warden Family.
There will be a memorial service for Bob Skarra December 15 in Red Deer at the Holiday Inn Chalet Westerner Park from 1-3pm, if you can attend please wear your red shirt as it would mean a lot to him.

- Cody Howitt

A Tribute to Bob Skarra

Bob Skarra passed away on December 7, 2019

Bob was a JFW icon. He and two other fellows founded the Red Deer Woodchucks JFW club in 1980. At that time there were some problems dealing with the regional rep from Forestry, so Cliff and Dorothy Tetz (founders of the Eagles club in 1976) gave Bob some assistance, so in some respects you could consider the Woodchucks a brother/sister club. The Woodchucks have thrived for the last 39 years and are a very progressive and dynamic club. Some of the earlier members are still active: Don and Linda Shantz (wood carving, drum making and other hand crafts), Tom and Jan Blunden (Alumni Association, who have organized the Alumni Winter Skills and McKenzie Crossing Summer Family camps.

Many of you may have been to Camp Alexo (PT Cruiser Camp, etc.). Bob was instrumental with the Woodchucks building the “Warden Cabin” there, which some of you may have stayed in.

In his career he has taught hundreds of Wardens at the club, regional, National Camps and with the Alumni Association. Bob’s willow chairs were a hallmark project for the Alumni summer camps at Chambers Creek, and later at McKenzie Crossing.

I have had the privilege of working with Bob on many of these occasions. It was enlightening, inspirational, educational and most importantly, it was FUN!  Bob had a great sense of humor. He was a big man, had a big laugh and a big heart.

I won’t attempt to list all his endeavors and awards but two stand out. He was a great believer in the family values of JFW, so in April of 1994 he and Phyllis McBride co-founded the Alumni Association so the adventure could continue. His greatest award (reward) was the Wardens themselves. Indeed, Cody Howitt was one of Bob’s Woodchucks and is now the Assistant Chief Warden for Alberta.

He has left us now to continue his journey and I hope along the way it involves ice fishing for Burbot.

His name will be added to the “In Gratitude” memorial for outstanding contributions to the JFW organization. This memorial is mounted in the Hall at our Jumping Pound camp.

Thanks, Bob.               

- Brian McBride, Eagles club, Calgary

Video: Tom Roycraft in Conversation with Mors Kochanski

Mors Kochanski interviews his friend and mentor, Tom Roycraft, in this insightful video.  They discuss, among other things, the origin of many of the skills and techniques that have become standard JFW practice.
Definitely worth a listen!

Sadly, Tom and Mors both passed away in 2019.  They have left us an enormous legacy of wilderness skills. 

Opinion - The Three R’s of Junior Forest Wardens

The Three R’s of Junior Forest Wardens

“What is the philosophy of JFW?” This is a question not often heard. It is more common to hear asked, “What are the ‘aims of the Junior Forest Wardens’?”, as this is contained in the Pledge, which every new member learns by heart soon after joining. Indeed, the Pledge, Code, Watchword and Motto are central to the Junior Forest Wardens philosophy, and deserve their place of prominence at every camp and club gathering.

There is another element, deceptively simple, yet profound. It is not often spoken of, so it would not be surprising if you have not heard of it. It ought to be, though, because it is the very heart of all that is good about Junior Forest Wardens. It is the ‘3Rs’.

"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle?" Nope, not those 3 R’s. "Replacement, Reduction, Refinement?" Not those either. "Readin’, wRitn’ and ‘Rithmetick?" "Rapid, Reliable, Repeatable?" Not even those.  

The Three R’s of Junior Forest Wardens are: Responsibility to Myself, Responsibility to Others, and Responsibility to Junior Forest Wardens and the Environment. There is a lot packed into these three short phrases.

If I am responsible to myself, then I ought to take care of my possessions, take care of my health, and feed my body with good food, my mind with knowledge and good stories and my soul with the arts and especially with experiences of the natural world. Furthermore, I will find that the consequences, for good or ill, of every word I utter and of my smallest action is my responsibility alone to bear. 

If I am responsible to others, then I will accept and treat each person as my equal. I will respect their property and their persons, and I will honour my commitments. I will try to be helpful, supportive and unselfish. I will be kind, and will consider the needs and the happiness of others as being equally important to my own.

If I am responsible to Junior Forest Wardens, then I will take it seriously, learn all I can from the opportunities presented, and work to build up my club and help it flourish. I will extend this caring attitude to the place where I live, and be a supporter and builder of my community.  I will pass along the high ideals of JFW to others, and try to lead by example. (Junior Forest Wardens provides an unparalleled chance to gain some important knowledge, attitudes and life skills that we can use for the betterment of everyone).

Similarly, if I am responsible to the earth and the environment, then I will try to understand the profound importance of the natural systems that make life possible. I will learn all I can about the earth, and from it, and I will - as often as possible - immerse myself in the natural world, of which I am inextricably a part. (We belong to the earth, it does not belong to us). I will apply the concepts learned in JFW, and work to protect the earth so that none of its intricate marvels are marred or diminished. It is indeed “a great entail, and we have no right…” ...you know the rest!

The 3R’s have a corollary: Respect for Oneself, Respect for Others, Respect for the Earth. Showing respect, being respectful, being respectable, commanding respect - these are all marks of character. Developing good character is the worthy pursuit of a lifetime. The great Chief Warden, Ernst Klazus, exemplified these principles. His life’s work was, in part, to learn to live in harmony with the earth and with others. His legacy is an invitation to live seriously, joyfully, respectfully, responsibly and purposefully. Ernst embodied the 3R’s of JFW. 

Of course, our modern, fearful, litigious society makes other documents necessary, such as risk waivers and codes of conduct. While essential to the functioning and protection of an organization, they are not the heart of it. A code of conduct, like any code, can only prescribe minimum standards, or limits on behaviour. It is a useful guide, but it cannot inspire. 

The 3Rs, in their simplicity, are powerful. They are the very opposite of arrogance, of carelessness, of cruelty, greed and waste. They are mirrors to examine ourselves in, and simple yardsticks with which to measure our individual and collective growth as humans. They are a worthy philosophy for life, they are suitable for daily (outdoor!) meditations and they can help us avoid the meaningless pressures and trivial distractions of our cluttered and noisy civilisation.

The 3Rs don’t send us to war. They won't have us pursue wealth or power or fame.
They send us out to plant trees.

by Neil Marsh (with thanks to former Assistant Chief Warden Brian McBride for the inspiration)

Build a Kicksled!

Ever heard of a Kicksled?  

(And would you like to build one?)

Kicksleds are likely a Swedish invention, and have been around for a century or more in the Scandinavian countries and Finland.  In Canada, however, they are almost unheard of.  Not any more!  The Meadow Lake Woodlanders will lead the way to a bright new kick-sledding future!

Commercially-built kicksleds are lightweight, and usually fold for storage.  Here is a sample, in the picture on the right: 

Basically a chair on runners, they look like a cross between a dog sled and a scooter.  They aren't meant for heavy loads, but are a quick, maneuverable means of getting around on packed trails, city streets and parks.   Scoot down to the store for a few bags of groceries, or load up the toddler and go for a jog!

The Woodlanders JFW club inherited a large number of assorted used skis (large, small, cross-country, downhill). Most were not suitable for their original purpose, but the club was loathe to throw them out.  What to do?  Build kicksleds, of course!

Step 1:  Look for a model.   Luckily, our friend Bridget has her very own genuine Finnish kicksled.  She and her family brought it over one evening to demonstrate.  We took careful measurements, and tried it out!

Step 2: Experiment with prototypes.  We build a couple of rough-and-ready mock-ups, just for ideas.

Step 3: Turn the club loose!   Each family was given a challenge: Take a pair of skis, and build something fast and fun.
The results have been inspiring, and cover a wide spectrum of approaches, such as:

• Simple but effective: Bolt a Coleman chair to a pair of skis (bonus: folds for storage!)
• Basic joinery: Build a rigid frame out of 2x2s, use the fabric from an old camp chair as the seat
• Rustic: An impressive willow chair on skis
• Elaborate: Bentwood chair, attached to skis using the original bindings

We hope this catches on, and we will certainly us our new sleds a lot this winter. We also have lots of old skis left - many more kicksleds to come!

The Passing of a Wilderness Living Legend

Mors Kochanski

By Terry Garrett, Chief Warden of Alberta 



Many of you in Junior Forest Wardens heard that a wonderful friend to our program, Mors Kochanski, passed away on December 5th. Over the years, Mors taught courses at many of our events: National Camps, Regional Campouts, Club activities, Leader’s workshops, and many more.  He spent most of his life developing, improving and sharing his vast knowledge of survival and bushcraft skills with everyone who was interested in a course or wanted to share space around a campfire with him. He had many occupations over the years - Associate Professor at the U. of A., outdoor living instructor and author to name a few.

His involvement with the Junior Forest Warden program started many years ago (even before my time).  As well as teaching us a variety of courses at various events, he also wrote the Junior Forest Warden Woodstravel Guide for our program.  This little red binder was well read from cover to cover by everyone who wanted to spend time in the wilderness.  He also developed a set of “little booklets” that were perfect to stick into your pocket and take with you while you were in the outdoors – just in case you forgot how to do something.  His Bush Craft and Northern Bush Craft books (which he dedicated to his wife) were also huge successes. Then several years ago, he felt that he needed to update and add to the information in the JFW Woodstravel Guide, so in 2013 he wrote Basic Safe Travel and Boreal Survival Handbook, in which mentions that this book was originally compiled for the benefit of the Junior Forest Wardens. He told me he added lots of illustrations and about a hundred pages of information.  All these books and more are available from Karamat Wilderness Ways.  Mors had so much information to share; I am glad he put a lot of it into print for us to enjoy, read, re-read and share with others.

Around a campfire Mors was a fountain of knowledge and always had good stories to share or tips to make you time in the outdoors more comfortable.  He often told me not to buy expensive outdoor equipment for teaching young people in the bush – you will lose too much gear that way.  Instead he would always tell me about hot deals on great simple tools that he would pick up at the Dollar Store.  I followed his advice, never lost any equipment and still use them to this day.

He often referred to himself as the plastic and tarp survival instructor.  Mors indicated that some instructors from other parts of North America thought his techniques were a little unusual since he didn’t use just natural materials. He was always well respected for his ideas and taught all over Canada, the United States and Sweden. I am sure there were more places but those are the only ones that I can think if off the top of my head that we talked about. Thanks to his shelter building techniques, I have never slept cold in the outdoors. Though we didn’t spend a lot of time together as he was always in demand, I valued the time we shared and admired his vast knowledge.

One day I was visiting Connie & Ingo and while we were having supper, they said Mors was working on a movie as a survival consultant.  So, we called him for a chat.  When asked what famous actor he was working with he said “someone named Leo”.  Mors obviously was not a person who was star struck, as it turned out to be Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie The Revenant.  When I think about it, it makes me smile.

In recent days I have been reading lots of blogs with tributes to Mors and how his teachings had an impact on their lives.  They are all suggesting that since everyone can not gather in his memory, to share time around a campfire (smoke or woodsmoke they called it) to tell stories in remembrance Mors.  This sounds like a great idea for our clubs to do on their next outing. As long as we continue to share the stories and skills, the legend of this great wilderness living instructor, Mors Kochanski, will not be forgotten by our Junior Forest Warden family.

In closing here is Mors Kochanski’s credo:
“The bush is neutral.  It is neither for nor against me.  My comfort depends on what I can do for myself and how much I know about using the bush materials around me.  Becoming angry, depressed or unhappy does little to help me in my situation.  I will try to think positive thoughts and find ways to be thankful for what I have.  When I am not sure of what to do I will stop, relax, and think out the situation before I act.  I realize moving about when I do not know where I am or where I am going will make it more difficult for others to find me.  My concern at this moment is to make myself comfortable for tonight.  I shall shelter myself from wind, rain, or snow and build a fire to warm up.  I will not let fear or panic rule my mind as this only works against me.  The bush is inert.  It is incapable of doing me harm.”  – MORS KOCHANSKI, Credo from Pocket Handbooks.

Read more about Mors: http://masterwoodsman.com/2016/mors-kochanski/

Winter Outreach 2020

COOL ACTION ADVENTURES!

Register now - Space very limited!

When: Feb 14-17, 2020

Where: Athabasca Falls Hostel

Who: Adventurers, Challengers, Leaders, Alumni and Parents

This is an invitation to all Adventurers, Challengers, Leaders, Alumni and Parents to join the Outreach Committee for a fun and challenging weekend participating in the 2020 Winter Outreach. This year we have put together a great program in the Athabasca Falls Hostel in Jasper National Park.

The program of activities will include ice climbing with Rockaboo at Tangle Falls! We also plan to do some basic mountaineering skills, snowshoeing and maybe even the Maligne Canyon Ice Walk (cleats provided!). We will also have a guest speaker for Sunday night, Loni Klettl, who was raised in Jasper as a child of a park warden, then became an Olympian, and still resides and works in Jasper and is the head of the Jasper Trail Alliance.

The Outreach Committee would love to have you join us! For more information please contact Terry Garrett at terry.garrett@ajfwa.ca or phone 780-963-7183 or Roger Madaire at roger.madaire@ajfwa.ca or phone 403-869-1941.

COST: $285.00 per participant. This would also make a wonderful Christmas gift – the gift of adventure! Register on-line without delay! This adventure could be used for your Duke of Edinburgh Awards program. Participant Information packages will be provided after registration is complete.

Payment Options: $285.00 Online via Paypal (credit card) *at time of registration only; club cheque or e-transfer to Treasurer@ajfwa.ca

**Your registration is not confirmed until full payment has been received and payment must be received prior to the event date. NO payments will be taken at the event.

Cancellation Policy: The Outreach Coordinators reserve the right to cancel or amend the Outreach program based on weather, availability of guides/instructors or unforeseen events. If the program is cancelled, refunds will be issued. Cancellations by a participant before January 31, 2020 may be subject to a 20% non-refundable fee. NO refunds will be given on cancellations AFTER January 31, 2020, unless for medical reasons, at the discretion of the Committee and AJFWA Board Policy.

2020 PT Cruiser North

Registration opens January 10, 2020!

Click here to register on January 10th

Or visit the AJFWA Website or the AJFWA Online Store.

When:    March 6 - 8, 2020
Where:   Camp YoWoChAs

This is a chance for our youngest JFW members from Northern Alberta and beyond to get to know one another through games, challenges, and old-fashioned winter fun! Learning new skills, playing in the snow and making friends, warm accommodations, yummy meals and entertainment are all included.

OPEN TO PATHFINDERS, TRAILBLAZERS and their Member-PARENTS or GUARDIANS! (NOTE: please register only 1 parent per family)

2020 PT Cruiser South

Click here to register now!

Or visit the AJFWA Website or the AJFWA Online Store.

When:    Jan. 24-26, 2020
Where:   Camp Alexo, near Nordegg (70 km west of Rocky Mountain House)
Theme:  Discovering the Wild!

This is a chance for our youngest JFW members from Southern Alberta to get to know one another through games, challenges, and old-fashioned winter fun! Learning new skills, playing in the snow and making friends, warm accommodations (bunk-room arrangements), yummy meals and entertainment are all included.

OPEN TO PATHFINDERS, TRAILBLAZERS and their Member-PARENTS or GUARDIANS! (NOTE: please register only 1 parent per family)

This event is to be held at Camp Alexo, and you will be staying in open-floored cabins with bunk beds that hold roughly 20 or so people each. Registrants are NOT assigned individual rooms; however, if you have a preference as to room-sharing (ie. single-sex only), please indicate in the comments section of your registration page and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

2020 A/C Conference Committee Application

It’s that time of year again … that time you’ve all been waiting for ... it’s …

A/C Conference 2020

Camp Alexo - April 3 to 5, 2020

Would you like to take part in planning this year’s conference?

Gain valuable experience in learning how to plan an event?

Make new JFW friendships or build on already established friendships?  

If you do, please fill out the Committee Application form (see link below).

Deadline for Committee Applications is December 15, 2020.

Committee members must:

1. participate in periodic conference calls
2. help their Committee (Sessions, Registration, Entertainment & Communication or Site & Security) complete their tasks in preparation for and at the Conference
3. be prepared to be at Camp Alexo by mid to late afternoon or early evening (depending on your Committee) on Friday, April 3rd, 2020

There are two ways you can be a part of planning A/C Conference:

1)    Be a COMMITTEE CHAIR

We are looking for Adventurers/Challengers who are able to take on a lot of responsibility
and have the time to plan an event of this size. You won’t be doing it on your own though! 
Each Committee Chair will have Assistants to help share the workload.

2)      Be a COMMITTEE ASSISTANT

Not able to commit to being a Committee Chair but still want to take an active role in helping
out with the Conference?  Then, put your name down as an Assistant. You will be working
as part of a team in helping the Committee Chair.

Apply Now by clicking on the following link for the online application:  

A/C Conference Committee Application (link updated Dec 5/19)   

FIRST CONFERENCE CALL - SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, 2020 at 7:00 PM

If you have any questions, please email or phone:

Ingrid Shepherd 1-403-740-5046   

Treva Piekema 1-780-718-5420  

committee.acconf.mentors@ajfwa.ca

Long Lake Equipment Sale

AJFWA was recently required to remove equipment from the Long Lake Education Centre.  This equipment is currently being stored in St. Albert and needs to be disposed of as soon as possible.  A list and photos of the equipment was sent to the regions and clubs for review on November 11th.  

Click here for:     Long Lake Equipment List      Long Lake Equipment Photos 

Also being offered for sale is a trailer:  Trailer Photo #1          Trailer Photo #2

• U-haul dual axle car hauler extended to 15 foot deck with approx 20 foot overall length 
• Decking in poor condition and would likely need replacing for any real use 

To facilitate a quick turnaround, the equipment and trailer are being offered to all regions, clubs and individual JFW members for purchase on the following basis:

Pricing and Terms

• Items with a fixed price will be sold on a first come / first serve basis.   The prices have been set at comparable used price values or lower.  
• Items marked as "free" will be given on a first come / first serve basis.
• Items marked "offers" will be open for bid for a one week period from the start date indicated below.
• If you are interested in the telescope, send your expression of interest.  Again, priority will be given on a first come / first serve basis.
• Roger Madaire is handling the sale of the Clipper Voyager Canoe and trailer.  

Payment & Pick up

• Payment must be made to AJFWA by etransfer prior to pick up.
• Items will not be released until payment has been confirmed.
• Items can be picked up in St. Albert (address will be provided) on the following two weekends:  November 29 to December 1 and December 7 to 8.  Also, arrangements can be made for pick up the evenings of December 2 to 6.

Dates & Submissions

• First come / first serve opens at 9:00 a.m., Saturday, November 23, 2019. 
• Bidding for those items marked "Offers" will close at 9:00 a.m., Saturday, November 30, 2019.  
• Submit offers/bids/requests for all items, except Voyager Canoe and trailer, to Christian Brenholen at christianbren@shaw.ca.  
• Submit all offers/inquiries regarding the Voyager Canoe and trailer to Roger Madaire at roger.madaire@ajfwa.ca.
• All enquiries should be directed to Christian or Roger, as applicable.