Bushtreck Boosh takes adventure to the next level

A hiker, camper and outdoor enthusiast since a very young age, Jordan Boucher recently took his adventures to the next level. Approximately three years ago he began filming for his YouTube channel 'Bushtreck Boosh'.

It may take anywhere between four and twelve hours of footage to produce one of Boucher's videos while out hiking. A short hike to a lookout may require only four hours, but getting into an overnight hike can require between six and 12 hours.

The challenge is having enough batteries or SD cards.

For his first few videos he used his cell phone. Then he upgraded to his current DSLR and action camera system.

Once filming is complete, the most time consuming process of editing and creating the video begins. 

Most people don't appreciate the amount of work and number of hours that go into even a short video because it all takes place behind the scenes.

"Most of my videos now, take 12 to 30 hours of editing time before the finished product is put together. While originally I could edit my videos on a phone, I now have to edit on a desktop computer due to the longer length of my newer content," Boucher said. "Editing software is very heavy on a computer, and I would suggest using a computer with plenty of RAM to anyone who wants to get into the hobby. I use a program called 'PowerDirector', which seems to have everything I need."

"Sometimes for a sunset or a campsite setup I'll place a couple of action cameras around and let them record a time lapse while I film with my DSLR camera. Other times I'll setup my DSLR camera to film a time lapse - if I'm not feeling so talkative," said Boucher.

 About 14 years ago, Boucher worked as an interpreter in Lake Superior Provincial Park giving tours of the pictographs at Agawa Rock, leading folks on weekly nature hikes, presenting evening programs at the Agawa Bay amphitheatre and informing visitors about the park's features, conditions and rules.  

"I like to think that the experience that I had there made me who I am, today,"  he said.

In January this year, Boucher learned of an interpretive course being offered this spring from a friend with the Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy.  It was to be two full days in the classroom. This started the ball rolling on how he could better blend his parks experience with his YouTube videos.

"I had invested in my video gear, outdoors gear and vehicle maintenance for the past three years, all for the sake of improving my videos. But I hadn't actually invested in myself. Maybe it was time," said Boucher.

As May and a pending layoff approached, he began thinking about his next step moving forward. He jumped at the opportunity when he was again contacted and reminded about the course which by then was switched to Zoom for five days, with the majority of the fees covered.

"I took the Apprentice Interpreter course through the Interpretive Guides Association. The course doesn't touch on survival skills or group management, but rather communication skills. It helps guides develop their group presentation skills to make their outings more organized, relevant and entertaining. The course was partially paid for by the Lake Superior Watershed Conservancy, to help get more guides in the area and promote tourism."

"My girlfriend Brittney is big into the outdoors too, and she has been on quite a few adventures with me. Usually she is in the videos and helps with a few shots, but my last video she was working the camera for most of the shots. There wasn't a single tripod used in filming that video and it made it much quicker for setup and take down, plus with Britt's experience behind a camera I was able to focus more on giving a virtual tour of the trail," said Boucher.

"I have been noticing more and more misuse of campsites, trails and day use areas the past couple of years. A lot of it has to do with how popular a spot is, and that's normal. But, with the rise of social media and geotagging, places that were once quiet can become popular very quickly. That's why as an outdoors creator I have a responsibility to the locations that I film."

"When I first started my channel I had less than 100 subscribers. I soon found that if I made videos about specific locations, I would sometimes find a larger audience. As my channel grew I began thinking about what would happen if one of those videos made it big, and I decided to abandon location themed content for a more adventure/cooking themed content."

"Now I have a couple thousand subscribers and I think I can do more, I want to teach people about nature, I find it fascinating and I think understanding helps foster respect. I'm not sure if I will completely change my format, but there will be more of this stuff coming up. My YouTube channel is always evolving and growing, and I like to think that it's because I'm learning along the way."