The Dragonflies came together for their first outing of fall season as if no time had passed. How nice to be reunited after 3 months apart!
Our task today was to scout our a 60 acre property with the intention of considering educational possibilities - we wanted to think about biodiversity, different habitats onsite, and how a future school/retreat center/local nonprofits might utilize the land to learn. Ideas below in bold are some of what the Dragonflies came up with. We started our day with the Red Foxes to create a plan for how we would explore as much of the 60 acres of property as possible. We talked about the information we wanted to collect, how we could keep track of all this information, and how the explorers could use their perspective to help plans for the site.
After identifying our meeting spot on the grass as a future game grove / gathering area, the two groups split up and the Dragonflies made their way along the pastureland. The girls thought the small house alongside the pasture would make a great teacher house. The extensive fenced pastures seemed nearly ready for teaching and learning about animal husbandry: working with goats (milking), horses (learning to ride and as therapy), sheep (shear, spin, dye using plants on site, weave), llamas (already there!), chickens. The girls brainstormed on large garden possibilities as well.
Moving along, we noted that the large open field would be ideal for stargazing/astronomy, archery, compass work, shelter building, family camping, an orchard, beekeeping, and survival challenge obstacle courses.
The girls also agreed that "most of the school would be out here, not inside!"
As we walked, we noticed many native plants and trees, like native blackberry, rose hips, thimbleberry, big leaf maple, cottonwood, fir, cedar and more: the girls know these are great teachers in native plant walks, medicinal and food plants, willow basket making. We also noted possible future service projects, such as removing several invasive species we saw (and establishing all of the above projects!) and improving salmon habitat.
We left the field/farm area and wandered into the forest habitat, full of PNW natives, and soon came to the riparian zone with a healthy salmon stream. The girls embraced the stream with explorers' zest, discovering its mud and clay, little pools and fallen trees. They quickly identified the stream as a teacher of salmon and riparian habitats, including wood duck nest box building. We noted several wood duck boxes, and Aimee assumed (correctly) they had been erected by a GEC community mentor who would appreciate our checking them. So we did! What great lessons in data collection and wood duck habitat - the Dragonflies will be doing plenty with wood duck boxes in the years to come.
After a short stream side Peaceful Place we wandered downstream, loving it all on this fall day. We attempted to make it back to our starting point by following faint trails through the woods (trail building and repair was another project the girls envisioned), but made the collaborative decision after a time check to make our way back to the meadow and return that quicker route.
Our full scouting service day ended with comparing notes with the Red Foxes (having gone a different way, they found quite different things!), and a circle of thanks.
Check out the slideshow from our shared day here.
