Cave Dwellers "rain" over Stimpson Family Nature Reserve 3/11/17

In our opening meeting, we talked about carving, but
our outings don't always go as planned.

There are several consistent, or “core”, routines that we practice during outings and encourage our Explorers to do on their own. Giving thanks is a good example…we give thanks and share apples at the end of every outing. Questioning and tracking are skills we work on regularly and address more intently when we focus on Tracking and Bird Language. It may seem sometimes that we’re a bit lost or without a destination; we’re actually Wandering, following where our curiosity leads. Each of these is a core routine that we incorporate into our time with the Explorers as appropriate (sometimes what we end up doing isn’t in the plan because the mentors seize on a chance to practice a core routine!).

Wildlife observation is one of the many potential benefit of a
nature based contemplative practice such as a sit spot. 

The Sit Spot is a core routine that we employ more often than some others. This is quiet time alone (but always within “crow call” distance) in a natural setting with no purpose other than to connect. The usual way we connect is through sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. In fact, Senses is one of the 5 S's of a Sit Spot. The others? Solo/Silent/Safe/Still. With the younger boys, we ask them to sit for about 10 minutes. The Cave Dwellers are more capable so we set the time at 15 or 20 minutes. 

A big thanks to the Stimpson family for setting aside
this wonderful site.

I bring this up now because your Explorers sat in a steady rain at Stimpson Family Nature Reserve on Saturday. They gazed through the raindrops at the moss covered logs and irregular pattern of growing circles on the surface of Geneva pond, all the time showing an impressive interest in deepening their relationship with the natural world surrounding them. I was proud of each of them.

Trying to fit close to a dozen boys under a tarp
to carve brings new meaning to the term
"blood circle". We decided against testing it!

Our skill for the spring is carving; our intention was to begin work on carving projects that will run throughout the season. However, the rain got the better of us. The tarp shelter that mentor Tim constructed wasn’t large enough to accommodate a cadre of boys with knives! Likewise, the thought of carving in the rain was unappealing and potentially unsafe. So, in the spirit of following the inspiration provided by the weather, we played an awesome game of Spider’s Web and several rounds of Hungry, Hungry Marten. 

The rain didn't deter the Explorers from playing Spider's Web
and Hungry, Hungry Marten, seen here.

A few boys were bothered by being cold and wet, but all persevered. Soaked to the skin and more than a little muddy, our hike out felt a good bit longer than the walk in. Again, these boys showed resilience and persistence. We were quite late (sorry about that), but left the Reserve a little more connected than when we got there.

The rest of the photo gallery is a portrayal of boys and rain and boys and rain….

We next venture out on Saturday, March 25th, from 10:00am-4:00pm. Note that this is an *EXTENDED OUTING*. We're going to hop in one of Wild Whatcom’s trusty buses and motor out to Racehorse Falls, a beautiful site and a great place for a Sit Spot!

Cleator Rd closed? No prob. - the Cave Dwellers explore Clayton Beach instead! 5/22/16

We began blindfolded and finished up as the incoming tide threatened to soak our circle of thanks. Sure, we didn't get to go to the Rock Trail, but the Cave Dwellers didn't let that stop their fun. Spider's Web, a serious discussion of vandalism, beach exploration, carving practice and games - check out our packed 5/22/16 Clayton Beach outing!

It's true. We blindfolded your Explorers when we sent them out on a sit spot to begin our Clayton Beach outing last Sunday. When you remove sight, hearing is often heightened. And since we wanted to focus on bird language, we decided blindfolds would help the boys listen for the five voices of birds - song, companion calling, aggression, juvenile begging, and alarm. We followed that quiet moment with a game of Spider's Web.

Before heading off to the beach, we talked about the recently tagged graffiti on the beach rocks. The boys were quick to pick up on positive activism as a healthy way to deal with this sorrowful situation. Know that several of the boys would like to volunteer with a cleanup crew, should one materialize (Turn Problems into Possibilities - Mottos). 

The Cave Dwellers were eager to carve. Mentor Tim demonstrated safe knife use and even showed a few techniques to save time and improve the finished product. Our motto for this is Safety First. Click here to review our safe carving video.

Wiggly creature - click to watch 

The tide was low when we arrived, making for nice beach combing. EMA Jordan led an exploration of sea life such as this Sand Dollar...(I'm pretty sure that's his hand!). Motto - Lose Your Mind and Come to Your Senses.

Blindfolded again! This time one Explorer sits surrounded by rivals intent on stealing his treasure (Sand Dollar) while he has to detect their creeping approach using only his power of hearing. This game rewards stealth and focused listening.

It wouldn't be a Clayton Beach outing without some serious rock scrambling. Our earlier discussion of the graffiti seemed to cushion the shock factor for most of the boys. 

Poof! There goes Spring! The mentors perceive a growing affiliation within the Cave Dwellers, providing a foundation for increasing self-reliance and nature connection through fun, engaging outdoor activities. That is certainly our hope and objective. 

We look forward to seeing you in the Fall (and, perhaps, over the Summer). Click here for the rest of the photos from our outing. 

The Art of Water with the Raccoon Kits

Sunshine greeted the Raccoon Kits at they arrived at the edge of Arroyo park for their final outing of the season.  These boys have been through tremendous weather this season and a hearty dose of sunshine was well deserved!  Mentors Greg and Brian were eager to take advantage of the perpetually wet Chuckanut Mountains to show the boys some of the Art of Water. 

After gathering up we hit the trail and quickly discovered that as a group of 12 we were taking up a lot of room on the trail and needed to focus on some travel etiquette.  A spontaneous game emerged where the boys and the mentors tried to spot other trail users first.  If the boys spotted the runner or mountain biker first then they collected a point and if the mentors saw them first then they got the point.  After about fifteen minutes it was clear that Brian and Greg had underestimated their opponents and were losing badly!

A quick stop for lunch along Chuckanut Creek provided much needed energy.  And it was time to look deeper at the Art of Water.  Living near a temperate rain forest it is easy to take our abundance of water for granted.  We looked closely at the creek and despite its clear running water it is not clean enough to drink.  The Raccoon Kits offered up lots of different ways of cleaning water: Filtration, boiling, chemical purification.  We also realized that all of them required some tools.  Boiling requires a pot and the ability to make a fire or operate a stove.  To filter water you need a filter and the skills to disassemble, clean, and reassemble the filter.  Chemical processes require the chemicals and a careful understanding of how they work!

After our lunch stop we followed the path across the bridge and began to climb up the steep sides of the Chuckanuts.  These mountains are literally carved from sandstone and as such they seem to absorb a tremendous amount of water.  It has not rained significantly for a couple of weeks and still the mountain is draining water.  Our hike took us through different zones of plants, which can be extremely helpful in locating water.  In a wet place like Arroyo Park there is literally moss everywhere, but Salmon Berry, Devil’s Club, Skunk Cabbage, Giant Horse Tail, and sedges are all good indicators that there is an abundance of water in the soil and may indicate a nearby wetland or stream.

Our pace perfectly matched an important explorers club motto “It’s about the journey, not the destination” .  Our loose goal of getting to Chuckanut falls was fading as we climbed logs, scrambled up glacial erratics, and played hide.  The mentors were pleased to let the boys roam the forest and investigate the myriad of interesting and unusual things around them.   As we climbed up through the forest we realized our time was slipping away and before long we would need to have our closing meeting. 

At a gentle shelf in a mature Douglas-fir grove we invited to the boys to do a sit spot among the ferns and towering trees.  Greg prompted them to reflect upon their first year of Explorers Club as the Raccoon Kits and all the adventures they have had.  The boys sat quietly for about 10 minutes and when they finally heard Greg’s crow call (our signal to gather) we were ready to have our closing meeting.  We looked back at our Fall and Spring season and shared our gratitude’s for the forest, explorers club and each other.  Greg informed the boys that they had truly accomplished an important milestone because now that they had accomplished their first year, they would no longer be the youngest group in the fall.  This news seemed to give them some additional strength and after gathering up all of our things we headed back down the switch backing trail and eventually to the parking lot where we were met by eager and smiling families.  Thank you Raccoon Kits!  This has been such a great year.  You have begun an exciting journey and there is much look forward to.  Thank you for a strong finish to our season and we look forward to seeing you around in town and on the trails this summer!

Finally, the mentoring team would like to thank the parents and families of the Raccoon Kits.  We couldn’t do this important work with out your support, and we deeply appreciate your trust in us as we work with your sons.  There are some photos from the outing posted as well please have a look!

Raccoon Kits: Foundations of Service

What a great day to be outside! Under sunny skies and a warm southerly wind, Raccoon Kits met with Mentors atop the famous Sehome Arboretum to learn the Foundations of Service in Explorers Club. We welcomed Nick, who volunteered his afternoon with us, and together we tromped into the forest open to anything that arrived for us. 

Five minutes into our hike we were faced with a challenge-- which way should we go? Seemed like a great chance for Alden to take charge as the Tribal Elder and help the group facilitate a decision about going towards the road or taking “the trail to nowhere.” Why Alden? He was in the front of the group at the time!

Christian led the group as front scout and Avi settled into the back scout position. Sandwiched by responsible Explorers, we walked downward toward the deer sleeping areas. Because we had a hard time finding a big enough flat space to hold opening meeting, eventually we doubled back and came BACK towards the road to a place conducive for our meeting needs.

Boys were quick to volunteer themselves to have jobs for the day: Chase B and Elliot were the Knowledge Keepers, Mason and Chase N were our Earth Keepers, Gunnar was the Hunter Gatherer, Finnegan served as Medicine Man, and Rowan held the important paperwork as the TTTPP. Levi was being funny in his refusal to volunteer so he was dubbed the Court Jester for the day. He took the position seriously and made us all laugh on a couple of occasions! Please ask your Explorer about his job and what he did for the group.

Upon finding ourselves back at the cave, we saw that there was service to be done. Bigleaf Maples abounded with a lot of ivy growing up their sides. Raccoon Kits were quick to identify that ivy can crawl up trees, adding extra weight and even growing over the trees’ leaves. In order to help the trees grow, we had to kill the ivy.

This is an interesting concept to teach. What is an invasive species? What is a weed? What plants are “good” or “bad”? In Explorers Club, we have a hard time distinguishing good from bad. The example we shared was about Himalayan Blackberries. Considered an invasive species or a weed, boys were also quick to share they enjoyed eating the berries! With the good/bad line somewhat cloudy, we brought up another perspective to shine some light on the situation: Balance.

Mentors shared about balance in an ecosystem. Plants that we consider “invasive” may simply be out of balance. Though they grow fine in the Pacific Northwest, we also champion the original or native species. So, though our service, we work to restore the balance of the ecosystem so that the natives can flourish without being overwhelmed by the invasives. Balance is the aim, not destruction or killing of “bad” things. As such, the Irish Ivy, commonly mistaken as English Ivy, lost its hold on our Sehome deciduous population as Explorers learned how to remove it.

When we finished up our work, Nick shared with us a great autumn pastime: catching falling leaves! Boys took tumbles and dove for falling leaves and “helicopter seed pods” as the wind loosened their hold on the trees.

Then the most special thing happened. Matt shared his sit spot with us. We journeyed toward that sacred ground and Matt showed the Raccoon Kits where he has spent nearly four years studying the natural world. We all saw and climbed into the dry and cozy debris shelter where Matt has spent the night outside. Then we sat captivated, eating our snacks, as he shared a story about the raccoon family that came to visit him in the very spot we were sitting! Thank you Matt for getting to know this land and bringing the Raccoon Kits to share the space. It is a special opportunity that will inspire us all to respect the power of our sit spot.

We raced back uphill to have our closing meeting. With an Attitude of Gratitude, we gave thanks and shared apples together. Then we sleuthed our way back through the forest and through the final sandstone cave to meet our parents who welcomed us with open arms.

Explorers thank you for such respectful attitudes and strong service ethics you formed today. It was inspiring to see you working to restore balance to the Sehome Arboretum. Also, the way you explored, played, and listened at Matt’s sit spot was truly inspiring for us Mentors.

Parents, thank you for encouraging these Explorers in their nature connection journey. Your support of the Explorers Club is important and we appreciate it very much.

Please look at more pictures from this outing in the photo gallery. And make sure to have the boys bring enough warm clothes and rain gear (and maybe even a Thermos with warm drink or soup!) for the next outing at Whatcom Falls Park on November 2nd. Have a great month!