The scent of wood smoke hung in the air as members of the Grade 4 Survival Skills Club crouched over small fires they had built themselves. Using flint, steel and magnesium rods instead of matches or lighters, the students patiently sparked kindling they had split weeks earlier from larger pieces of cedar. When the flames caught, they leaned in with delight to roast marshmallows — the reward for their persistence.
For Junior School Outdoor Education teacher Jamie Pope, lessons like these are about far more than lighting fires. They help students develop patience, focus and respect for the natural world — qualities that are as valuable in the classroom as they are outdoors.
“Survival skills aren’t just about fire and shelter,” Mr. Pope told his students. “They are about creativity and respect — using what is around you in a thoughtful way.”
After the fires were safely out, Pope gathered the group to introduce something new. From a bundle of tall, dried stalks, he pulled out a plant many had never seen up close before: fireweed.
“This is one of the first plants to return after a forest fire,” he said about the bright, pink-flowered symbol of renewal that also happens to be a favourite of bees.“People who keep honeybees often move their hives to where fireweed grows. That is how we get fireweed honey.”
The students quickly learned that fireweed has many other uses. The soft white fluff at the top of the stalks makes excellent tinder, easy to light with a spark, and inside that fluff are hundreds of seeds.
“If you see any fluff around, let’s plant it” Pope instructed students. “We can tuck it into the soil here, and maybe next year we will have our own fireweed growing that we can use again.”
From Backyard to Classroom
The fireweed used in the lesson came straight from Pope’s backyard.
“My wife is a biologist and we planted it at home,” he said. “But I had no idea until recently that you could use the bark like this.”
He showed the students how to peel the bark into long, fibrous strips — the first step in making cordage, or natural string. Next week, the club will learn how to twist the fibres together, using tension in opposite directions to make a strong strand.
“If you are ever in a real survival situation, a lot of the time it’s actually boring,” he said, highlighting what it means to use energy wisely. “You are sitting, trying to conserve your energy, so you might as well do something useful. Making cord keeps your hands busy and your mind focused. It’s sort of like a fidget — once you start, it can be hard to stop.”
Learning from the Land
The Survival Skills Club has given Junior School students a chance to explore practical outdoor skills while also nurturing curiosity and creativity. Through activities like fire making, shelter building, archery and compass navigation, they are learning how to navigate, adapt and thrive in the natural world.
That same curiosity is guiding Pope’s own practice. A recent faculty workshop on ethnobotany — led by Dr. Nancy Turner, Professor Emerita at the University of Victoria, and Elder Kim Recalma-Clutesi (Ogwi’low’gwa) of the Qualicum First Nation — inspired him to weave plant knowledge into his lessons. His discovery of fireweed cordage grew from that experience, connecting students to the long tradition of using local plants for food, fibre and medicine.
As the Survival Skills Club wrapped up for the afternoon, the courtyard was filled with the smell of smoke, laughter, and the quiet satisfaction of a job well done. Soon, the seeds they planted — both in soil and in imagination — will begin to grow.
Junior School Survival Skills Club
Junior School Survival Skills Club
Junior School Survival Skills Club
Junior School Survival Skills Club
