BEC: Cave Dwellers traverse Padden and Connelly creeks 9/17/16

Each spring and fall, the Boys Explorers Club groups meet at the Connelly Creek service site to work to restore a section of Happy Valley Park that was used as a garbage dump for a time and that was (and, to an extent, still is) overrun by invasive, non-native plants. This abuse of the land degrades the creek that runs alongside the park, so we've been working for several years to remove Himalayan Blackberry and beat back the Reed Canary Grass that has crowded out the healthy flora along the creek. It's good work, as is obvious when you look at before and after pictures. There's more to be done, but we're making steady progress (motto: slow is fast and fast is slow).

This comes to mind because for our outing last Saturday we traversed Padden Creek from Bellingham Bay to the Connelly Creek service site (Connelly Creek feeds into Padden Creek). We mimicked the salmon that formerly traveled up the creek in greater numbers than do today, and that we hope will find their way back again in greater numbers in the not-to-distant future. Along the way, we spent time examining and discussing the daylighting project completed last year by the City of Bellingham to replace the section of the creek that had been diverted into a tunnel many years ago with an open air stream bed that will be a big part of restoring the salmon run. We thought about how our work and the city's project are complementary projects, and indeed how all things are connected (motto). When the salmon figure out they have their stream back, they'll swim up to the newly restored section of Connelly Creek! How great is that? 

We began at the beginning by checking out the estuary where Padden Creek empties into Bellingham Bay. Estuaries are critical ecosystems in which life thrives as in no other habitat. The brackish water where fresh and salt water meet and mix teems with life. For salmon, it is the place where they spend time adjusting to and from salt water, a process called smoltification.

Just like that, fall made an appearance for our outing. As we gathered, the wind gusted and it rained heavily. We were wet throughout the morning, but caught a break when the afternoon proved drier if not sunny.

Padden Creek runs through Fairhaven Park, where we took a break from our focus on its importance for the salmon to explore a little.

Oh yeah. We also played games in the park. Luckily, the rain eased enough for us to shed a layer or two.

The park shelter provided a dry spot for lunch. Several boys were unable to join us for this outing, but finding a lunch buddy was still a piece of cake...or a cheese stick, I guess.

The floor in the shelter was just slick enough for an impromptu game of drag the mentor....

New to me was the labyrinth not far from the shelter. The boys examined the star at its center and followed its maze-like pattern. A hidden gem in Fairhaven Park! 

While examining the city's daylighting project, we realized that just behind the creek was the Bellingham Co-housing community, so we talked a bit about responsible resource use and the role of an approach such as co-housing, or car sharing and the like might play in decreasing a person's impact on the land.






We finished our hike at the Connelly Creek service site where the boys were relieved to hear we weren't going to haul bark and dig out blackberry roots! Here's hoping they also were impressed by the complementary projects designed to improve the salmon run.

We took more pictures, of course. Enjoy! We next meet on Saturday, October 15th, from 10:00 'til 3:00. We'll be exploring the Rock Trail, which you'll get to via Cleator Road. This will be a significant outing for the Cave Dwellers, as a highlight of the hike is the caves in the side of the rocks to be examined. If memory serves, six explorers in a cave is the record. Outing details here.

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. 

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!

The Cave-Dwelling Hairy-Legged Vampire Bats (formerly Raccoon Kits) challenge Arroyo Park

The Raccoon Kits have a new name - They are now the Cave Dwelling, Hairy-Legged Vampire Bats! Say that 5 times fast! The mentors will no doubt refer to them as the Cave Dwellers for short. Last Spring, the boys decided they weren’t kits (babies) any longer, having been an Explorers Club group for 2 fall and 2 spring seasons. They had recently found a cool cave on Galbraith Mountain. You can imagine how it developed from there.

After deciding this in our opening meeting, we proceeded the “back way” from the N. Chuckanut trailhead parking lot in search of salmon inChuckanut Creek. We’re the Explorers Club - why take the established trail when you can explore your way to your destination, right? Well, the trail soon splintered into bushwhacking, following the creek in search of a place to cross so we could pick up that established trail. Funny thing, our beloved November storms have worked their magic; our “bridge” (log across the creek) was under fast moving water so we couldn’t even contemplate crossing there. We searched further, picking through thick underbrush that included WAY too much Devil’s Club, but the only other crossing we considered we decided was unsafe. So, after an hour or so of our “shortcut”, we were faced with a somewhat gut-wrenching decision. Do we press on, further stretching our edge to conquer this unexpectedly challenging route? Or is it wiser to retrace our steps to the trail we know will lead us to our goal, the salmon struggling upstream? Tim and I didn’t plan this into our outing outline, but we welcome any opportunity to work with the explorers to deal with the unexpected. In this case, we employed the STOP (Stop, Think, develop Options, make a Plan) model for handling difficult situations in the wild. Strung along a hillside while peering through the underbrush, we quickly discussed our two options and decided to turn back. The Cave Dwelling, Hairy-Legged Vampire Bats were disappointed, but showed they’re earning the name change as they reacted with good spirit to our decision.

Our planned skills work for the outing was our final shelter building exercise for the fall, but the explorers had done their work for the day with all that bushwhacking so the mentors scratched that element of the plan and presented a second decision as we had lunch - proceed straightaway to a game of Spider’s Web or check out the salmon and then play the game. This time, we were sitting comfortably along a creek not far from the trailhead, so Tim and I simply asked our Tribal Elder for the day to lead the decision process toward consensus. Most of the Cave Dwellers wanted to hike to the salmon run first, but we had a dissenting opinion. Following our flow of asking for input, discussing pros and cons, putting it to a vote and resolving differences to reach consensus, the Tribal Elder managed the process with little input from the mentors, another sign of maturation that supports relinquishing the group’s original name.

Our new course set, we hiked the “regular” trail to Arroyo Park where we were excited to see several salmon struggling against the swift-moving creek on their way to spawn. A few Cave Dwellers wanted to catch a fish but were thwarted as their prey’s focus on that next jump drew him/her away from the muddy shore. I wouldn’t have put money on all the boys coming away without getting soaked in the stream, but that is just how it turned out.

A mental check of our plan (current version!) prompted us to move back up the trail in search of a proper Spider’s Web course. We found our spot and set up the playing field as rain began to fall. Contrary to the weather forecast, we had sidestepped rain to this point. Hundreds of dripping ferns and numerous fallen trees provided so much cover for stealthy flies that the spider had lots of trouble identifying them, but that didn’t stop him from calling us all out repeatedly. Several of us got close, but none close enough as the rain intensified.

The outing had an odd emotional flow to it. We were excited to finally select a name that spoke to our shared experience and the explorers’ growing capabilities; our bushwhacking was first thrilling then disappointing; watching the salmon was humbling as they followed their instincts with all their energy; the game of Spider’s Web was a bit unsatisfying as we got “this close” to the prize only to be turned away. You could say it was a little slice of life, I guess. Through it all, though, the Cave Dwellers embraced change and faced both the good and bad with maturity beyond their years. 

Our Fall schedule concluded with this outing. The mentors are looking forward to more fun and growth come Spring! Check here for the rest of the photos from our day. 

Join us for the Co-op's Community Shopping Day - Saturday, November 21. Shop for Thanksgiving – or just grocery shop at either Coop and 2% of total sales that day will be donated to Wild Whatcom.

Raccoon Kits ponder a name change

The last time you found yourself stranded in the woods, searching for whatever you could find to help you survive the night in the cold and rain…and you found a shoelace in your pocket, I bet you didn’t think to cut it up and leave “bread crumbs” to mark your trail! Or how about using it to hang your food where a bear couldn’t get it….or, get this, as a shoelace, should one of yours fail!

Each of these ideas and several more were generated out of a survival activity we did on our Fragrance Lake outing. The Raccoon Kits were divided into three groups: each group was given a shoelace and asked how they might put it to good use in a survival situation. Other ideas: secure the frame of an earth shelter; build a snare to catch dinner; create a bow drillkit to make a fire, and more. Very resourceful!

Resourcefulness is a key characteristic when in survival mode. Keeping a cool head is one of the most difficult things to do in that situation; the Raccoon Kits showed the capacity to think on their feet. I, for one, was surprised and pleased at their responses.

The reason we  were able to put the boys into small groups for this activity was that we had an embarrassment of riches when it comes to group leaders. Wyatt is a student in Environmental Ed. at Western and joined us as a volunteer mentor as part of his course work. Jordan and Adrian are part of the Vespula Veterans, one of the oldest Boys Explorers Club groups. They were along as Explorers Club Mentor Apprentices (EMAs). Tim and I scrambled to make the best use of all that help!

Our opening circle was highlighted by an examination of a deer carcass discovered by the ever watchful mentor Tim. Each explorer was offered the chance to bring home a bone. Then on to the outing. Of course, the best way for Wyatt to learn about our program was to participate, so we immediately hooked him into games of Cougar Stalks Deer and Hide! as we hiked along the Interurban trail and onto the Fragrance Lake trail. A quick study, he was soon to be spotted diving into the ferns at the sound of “HIDE!” 

After a short climb, we located two elements that would be important for our outing. First, a good spot to practice building shelters. The land at this bend in the trail features a large “nurse-boulder”, if you will, a muddy pit that one of the shelter teams put to good use making mud packs to secure their shelter, a ditch to explore, and lots of downed branches to use in shelter frames. Second, we came across the two Raccoon Kits who, after arriving a little late, managed to get in front of us on the trail, only to be U-turned after a hiker indicated to the rest of us that she had seen a few boys and a dad looking for a group of eager explorers. (Do you get the sense there was lots of positive energy on the Fragrance Lake trail on Sunday?)

Our work revealed that these boys have learned the process of shelter building, but that the sense of urgency and focus that are required in an actual survival scenario can be in somewhat short supply when we’re practicing. This is common for young boys and may also have something to do with the size of the groups. Six explorers and an EMA can sometimes get in each other’s way and can make for duplicated and confusing task organization. In a few weeks, we’re going to continue this effort and plan to work with smaller groups. We’re also going to bring water to pour onto the completed shelters as a test of their worthiness. Should be interesting.

Our work completed, we played a quick game of Hungry, Hungry Martin, then circled up to give thanks in our closing meeting. I can’t think of a better way to illustrate to a volunteer the values we hold dear in Wild Whatcom and Boys Explorers Club than to invite him to join us in this treasured tradition. We slow down after all that energetic play and work to share apples and voice out loud something for which we are truly grateful. Just as your sons are resourceful about using a shoelace in the wilderness, they’re often thoughtful and insightful about the gifts they’ve been given. 

Before “packs on” for our hike out, we continued our discussion about a new name for our group. You might have heard me say that kits are babies. Last spring, I suggested to the group that they’re no longer one of the younger groups so they might want a new name, perhaps one that captures an experience they had as a group. They’re interested in a name that has something to do with caves because they found a cool cave at North Galbraith in the spring. I’ll present a few final options to them when we get together for our last outing of the fall, on November 14. 

Click here for more photos from our Fragrance Lake outing.

Raccoon Kits Show Short-Tailed Weasels How It's Done at Connelly Creek

There was no better way to welcome October than with a great service outing. The Raccoon Kits, Short Tailed Weasels, and even a Girls Explorers Club group, The Fiddleheads, teamed to form a young, yet formidable foe for the Himalayan Blackberry and Reed Canary Grass. The girls got things going by showing up early, getting a walkthrough from Steve, and breaking up to tackle the various tasks at our Connelly Creek service site. First was tending to the new trees and shrubs that were planted during the Spring season, making sure they had a fresh mulch ring and were properly staked out to prevent any unwanted trampling. Second was to get going on spreading mulch and expanding upon all the hard work from last season. Last but not least; the blackberry removal team. Everyone was working hard when a rascally bunch of boys showed up.

Kicking off the service outing for the boys were the Raccoon Kits. Not only was it a surprise that they were going to be the eldest group today, but mixing in girls too?! Despite the lofty expectations set upon this young group to introduce proper tool usage to the Short Tailed Weasels, demonstrate a strong work ethic, and be role models, they took it in stride and flourished. After a slow start due to the necessary introductions to the Short Tailed Weasels of where our service site is, what we’re doing here, and why we are doing it, everyone jumped right into the work. The Raccoon Kits were eager to get to hacking back the blackberries and digging up the massive root balls. As for the Short Tailed Weasels, they kicked off their illustrious service careers with a classic; shoveling mulch.

As the hours ticked away, the girls departed after putting in some tremendous work. Left to their own devices, the Raccoon Kits took this opportunity to attempt to unearth a massive root ball. It took the whole group, but eventually they got it, and in only a few hours erased years of growth by the Himalayan Blackberries. Not even wanting to stop for lunch, the Raccoon Kits showed an outstanding drive and superb work ethic that impressed all the mentors present.

For the Short Tailed Weasels, they also had a strong day of work, however it was broken up by a little more play, jokes, and even experimental cooking. As they dug into the mulch pile they noticed the vast warmth that was imitating from within due to the decomposition process. Just as mother crocodiles incubate eggs in large mounds of debris, some of the explorers decided to test the warmth with a chunk of cheese (which completely melted) and a container of apples (still to be decided on cooking effectiveness). After all was said and done the Short Tailed Weasels had some fun, but finished strong by moving the majority of the mulch that was left by the parks department for us to use. Not a bad start for their first service outing.

As the torch has been passed from group to group, tending, nurturing, and caretaking Connelly Creek has become a Boys Explorers Club Legacy, a legacy that is now fortunate enough to add Girls Explorers Club and the Short Tailed Weasels alongside the veteran Raccoon Kits. Mulch was moved, blackberries battered, roots were wrangled and there was even enough time for some laughs to be shared as well. What a wonderful day and strong beginning to our service work at Connelly Creek.

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos in our Photo Gallery!