BEC: The Cave Dwellers listen for bird language at Squires Lake

Spring is sprung; the grass is riz. 

I wonder where the boidies is. 

The boid is on the wing. 

Don’t be absoid; the wing is on the boid.

Afraid I can’t take credit for that piece of fine poetry (although I do hail from Brooklyn, and the poem is apparently sometimes called the Brooklyn (or Bronx) National Anthem…note the accent - “boid” rather than bird). Regardless, it springs to mind (pardon the pun) as I reflect on the Cave Dwellers’ outing on Sunday. It was a fine spring day indeed as we started up the short climb to Squires Lake. 

Relating bird calls heard during our sit spot

The poem also relates because the Cave Dwellers’ skills focus for this season is tracking and, wait for it - bird language! So, after handing out jobs, the mentors launched right into a sit spot with a request that the boys listen for bird chatter. And, despite the fact that I asked them to do that within spitting distance of a small waterfall that dominated the aural scene, several boys returned to our circle relating what they’d heard from the trees and skies. The mentors incorporated their reports into an introduction to the five “voices” of bird language - Song, Companion Calling, Juvenile Begging, Aggression and Alarm. Click here for more information on this fascinating topic. 

A different approach, this idea of having a sit spot early in the outing. Of late, I’ve been planning them for toward the end of the outing so the boys can reflect on what had occurred that day. A decent idea, but time often slips away and we lose this valuable “Core Routine”. So, this time we tried doing it early. It went well.

Tracking Squires Lake wildlife

With our new awareness of our feathered friends fresh in our minds, we set out around the lake toward the beaver pond at the south end. Before long, we found ourselves in game mode. A few games of Hide! to get the stealth meter surging and we were ready for Spider’s Web. Unfortunately, as it turned out, Spider’s Web was not ready for us. Our first attempt was under way about 15 minutes when our spider was alerted to the fact that we were playing on private property, not the park land we assumed we were occupying. A little embarrassing, perhaps, but also an opportunity to model for the boys one of our values as represented by our mottos - “Walk Your Talk”. The motto focuses on acting with integrity, on letting that quiet voice inside be your guide to doing the right thing. So mentor Brian had a brief conversation with the property owner, explained that we were unaware we were on her property, apologized and led a retreat to find a more suitable location. 

Along the way, we stopped to examine the wildlife in the lake. Well, some of it was wild - the garter snake the boys found, however, was quite dead. Not so for the frogs, tadpoles and chattering birds we observed. Squires Lake is a natural wonderland that rewards those who take the time to slow down to take it in. 

The lure of a complete game of Spider’s Web drew us back off-trail (in the park this time) and down a short but steep embankment. What appeared at first glance to be a good Spider’s Web course proved to be anything but after we examined the area more closely and discovered multiple areas of standing water. I guess the drop in the level of the land should’ve tipped up off to the likely presence of water. 

Poor creature - dead!

This was another opportunity to put a time-honored Explorers Club motto into action - “Turn problems into possibilities” - what may look like a problem can transform into a possibility. So the mentors introduced a new game (not sure of the name) that involves a blindfolded explorer who has a “prize” to protect. When other forest creatures (explorers) attempt to creep close enough to steal the prize, the protector listens for signs of their approach and points to the source of the sounds. It is eye-opening to see how well a boy can listen when he can’t see and he has something of (perceived) value to protect. In fact, none of the boys was able to capture the prize. 

Connecting with nature and group-mates

More significant than the outcome of the game to me was the way the Cave Dwellers handled the disappointment of not playing their favorite game. They were resilient; they were flexible; they were understanding and open to trying something new and different. All signs of individual and group maturation. This group has been together for several seasons now; they appear to get along well and can rally as a group to make the most of their situation. You should be proud of your explorer.

We have more photos here. Our next meeting is a service outing at Connelly Creek on Saturday, May 14th, from 10:30-2:30pm. Note the new drop-off/pick-up location described on the group’s site here.

First outing of the season! Check. Steep hike and clouds? Check. Mud and games of Spider's Web? Check, check.

The Cave Dwellers kicked off their Spring Season at Pine and Cedar lake. On a typical overcast spring day basking in the tall oaks and pines all around them, the boys gathered in bountiful energy! After a brief introduction and meeting the new Mentor, Bobby, the Cave Dwellers scurried into the woods. 

We could tell spring was upon us. All our senses were aware of the smells, sights and the feel of the mud below our feet. The beautiful and aptly named salmon berry is just starting to show it's bright pink flowers. Nature has just started the rinse cycle of mother nature's washing machine and before we know it will be ready to dry out in the summer heat. 

This season the boys are studying the art of tracking and bird language. Spider's web is in fact a great way to embody what it is like to be an animal traveling through the landscape in the pursuit for food and ultimately survival, or maybe that's just our excuse to play it all the time! (If you do not know the rules, ask your explorer, it's a favorite) Bobby was chosen as the spider in a challenging spot for the fly's. After finding more mud then the food source it was time for a snack for the mind and the body. 

Tracking how creatures navigate through the landscape has always been part of life. From finding the paths of Buffaloes to getting to the nearest Starbucks, we navigate our landscapes everyday and invariably leave signs and behavioral patterns in our wake! After talking about tracking and how we can use keen observation to follow any creatures navigation through the landscape it was time for an activity. This awesome group is starting to learn the more time it takes for the mentors to speak the less time there is for games. Our activity plan was for our EMA (Explorers Mentor Apprentice) to run with a stick dragging behind up the trail. After giving him a head start and he was out of sight, the rest of the team would then follow that track and find him! Simple and easy? Not so much. The trail was hard packed and didn't show tracks, there were rocks and also many other  tracks. This provided a great learning opportunity. Imagine that stick was your food source, your family is relying on you to track it through many difficult terrains. The mentors and boys are excited to continue to learn this art and teach it!

We concluded our day with an intense game of  Hungry, Hungry Martin. This was a great opportunity to let go of the deeper focus required for tracking and just get lost in play. Our hike down was wonderful, just us on the trail and so many stories to share. On a day learning about tracking I was left thinking about how trails, man made or those left by our animal friends, always lead us exactly where we need to go. To a lake, to a peak, to a shower or to someone who we want to tell everything about our wonderful day to. 

Keep on Exploring! Happy trails. 

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our day here!