Night Exploration @ Whatcom Falls Park: 12-3-16

"To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. 
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight. 
And find that the dark too blooms and sings, 
And is traveled by dark feet and dark wings."

Indeed, we discovered some of the magic and mystery of both the turning time of twilight and the dark after dusk, by exploring sans light but with the support of one another. 

Rather than share the customary narrative of our time together, we thought we'd give you a sneak peek into some of the behind-the-scenes work we do to prep for our outing days. We always spend thoughtful time crafting a place-based curriculum for each outing. While we do print and bring these outing plans, we operate on the 50/50 principle: part of the outing honors the plan, and part of it always honors the teachable moments and girl-led explorations. Sometimes the ratio is 80/20, other times 10/90. Being fully present means being flexible and aware. So, without further ado, below was our plan for this outing. We followed much of it, and followed other in-the-moment learnings and inclinations for the rest. Perhaps it can be a starting point to conversations with your explorer!

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Materials to bring: headlamps - candle lantern - cups, cocoa, stove, pot - extra layers (fleece, rain jackets), objects for “Blindfold Caterpillar”, long rope

3:50-4:00 Girls arrive! Buddy up and do a be prepared check on one another.

Mentor 4:05-4:20 Arrival game: BAT & MOTH (bandanna)

4:20-5:00 Opening Circle

• Mentor - Reflections on last outing, Shelter Building? Tell LuLu about it

• Outing plan - We’ll be exploring along Whatcom Creek, setting out together to "know the dark" and discover its many gifts. We'll reflect on our dominant sense of sight and then prepare to activate other senses as we move together from dusk to dark, the sound of Whatcom's noisy waters always by our side.
  
  

• Mentor- Does anyone remember what “Whatcom” means?  The Place of Noisy Waters. The creek comes from Lake Whatcom, which originally was called The Tear of the Mountain.

• We are diurnal animals - we’re mostly active during the day. What senses and skills do you think diurnal animals need to be particularly strong to be active in the daylight? Sense of sight, hearing, camoflauge so not seen and eaten, speed… What other diurnal animals can you think of?

• Mentor-  What are some names for THIS time of day? Twilight, Dusk. Also called Crepusculur (Latin word for twilight).  It’s the turning time, the no longer and the not yet. Where else in life does this come into play, “crepuscular” times of life, when we’re straddling two worlds, time periods, experiences?Being on the cusp of childhood and adolescence, someone who is dying but not yet passed, straddling seasons (like right now, fall to winter), being engaged but not yet married, being in between when making a decision. Crepuscular also refers to the time just after dawn.

• Mentor - What are some crepuscular animals? Brainstorm! Skunks, fireflies, deer, dogs, cats, rabbits, jaguar, rats, tigers,  bear, moose, some bats, hamsters, bobcats. This is a safe time for them to be active, to either avoid their predators or to find their prey. Most big cats are crepuscular… why is that? They have vision that improves as it gets darker while their prey’s vision decreases.

The time of day an animal is active depends on a number of factors. Predators need to link their activities to times of day at which their prey is available, and victims try to avoid the times when their principal predators are at large. The temperature at midday may be too high or at night too low, so for many varied reasons, crepuscular activity may best meet their requirements by compromise. Some creatures may adjust their activities depending on local competition.

There’s a very smart reason for picking these dimly lit in-between hours to be active: crepuscular critters are avoiding predators. Many predators are most active at the peak hours of daylight and darkness, so animals like rabbits which are a prey species for countless carnivores, are active during twilight hours when predators are already tired from a night of hunting, or are just waking up. Plus, it’s tough to see during these hours, a fact that gives prey species an added edge in hiding from or escaping predators.

In hot areas, there’s another reason for crepuscular activity: it allows animals to be active when the temperature is most reasonable. Desert animals can escape the heat of midday and the chill of midnight by being active at dawn and dusk instead. And some species may shift from being nocturnal or diurnal to being crepuscular due to environmental factors such as competition with other species — for example, some owl species may be crepuscular to avoid competition with other raptor species — or disturbance from human activity.

• Mentor  Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the night. Examples of nocturnal animals? Owls, cats, ferrets, rodents. Nocturnal animals are usually more vulnerable to predation, so keeping active only during the night makes them somewhat "invisible"(mice). Nocturnal predators usually have a sensitive sight and/or do not rely on visible light to see(infrared vision). They can also have very well developed senses of smell and hearing.These animals are usually appropriate for pet owners who stay up late, and are ready to provide for them then. Usually you could only stay up late if you wake up late, which is quite a common trend. So a small number of these animals may prove to be surprisingly appropriate pets for some! (more info about different nocturnal animals at bottom of plan).

Mentor -  What skills and senses (adaptations - explain what this is) are strong in crepuscular and nocturnal animals? Excellent hearing (notice cat’s and deer’s big ears),  eyes more sensitive to light, sense of smell (rat has the best smell of any animal, except the African elephant. Rats possess 1,207 olfactory receptors, whereas dogs, often employed as scent trackers, have only 811)

• While we can’t take on those senses in one night, adapting ourselves with the skills of jaguar, bat, owl, we can learn to be comfortable in the night, even though our dominant sense is dimmed. Vision is just one way of knowing - dimming it opens up to other ways of knowing.

Take a stand up break from discussion and play the ADAPTATION GAME using nocturna/crepuscular animals (if it’s too dark at this point, play this next time or go to an area with more light and play it)

REGROUP and finish council:

Mentor Stretch Your Edge. Because we’re losing/dimming our dominant sense by exploring at night, it might bring up some edges that you didn’t know that you had. We will work through them together and as a group…

Mentor  Briefly explain Comfort Zone - Challenge/Growth  Zone - Panic Zone using concentric circles with ropes, backpack, or on paper. Best to do it on the ground so kids can step into each zone when mentor gives examples. Eg. “Place your foot in the zone that is a match for you with this scenario”: 1. Backpacking overnight (most feet go in comfort zone), 2. Backpacking for 10 days (some stay in Comfort Zone, most move to Growth Zone, others to Panic), 3. Backpacking for 4 months. Mentor can go on with many examples, eg picking your nose, getting on an airplane, exploring at night in the pouring rain, dissecting a frog, building a house, etc… etc…

ASK: How can we support each other moving into Challenge Zone? How can we LIBK if our edge is stretched too far (or we want to stretch it more)?

What are the risks of hiking at night? How can we lessen those risks? Buddies. LIBK. S.T.O.P Risk Assessments. Helping maintain body safety and heart safety. Use owl eyes. Howl if separated from group! Mentors: keep group close together

Before we go: Engage in a short discussion about introverted/extroverted tendencies and the space that gets filled by Raven voices, and how the Deer Ears in the group need an open space in order to step into it. Remind to consciously leave that space open - respecting the pause; in some case, Ravens may wish to use their voices to invite Deer Ears into that pause to contribute. Also mention Wolf Communicators, those who straddle between Ravens and Deer.

EXPLORE 5:00-7:40

Participant-led exploration along the creek trails - let’s see what emerges!

-As dusk becomes dark, stop and read:

* To Know The Dark (W. Berry) Read with feeling

“To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.

To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,

and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,

and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.”

*What does this poem mean to you?

*Why are we not using lights tonight? What do you see in the dark when you travel with light? How does it affect your night vision (experiment with this)? When we let our eyes adjust to darkness, we can actually see better, more comprehensively!

- Dinner Find a sweet spot for this. Use candle instead of headlamps.

• Explain why pirates wear patches: http://mentalfloss.com/article/52493/why-did-pirates-wear-eye-patches

• Consider reading the Wolf’s Eyelash. Tie this into inner wisdom, & motto Let That Quiet Voice Inside Be Your Guide. http://goldenillustration.deviantart.com/journal/also-The-Wolf-s-Eyelash-by-C-P-Estes-227709608

POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES

Facilitate 3 activities where sight will be taken:

1. Trust walk with mentors using a rope. Allow time for them to experience w/o sight the way of the creek
2. Trust walk split group, “Blindfolded Caterpillar” (sit group in circle with bandanas & pass nature/non nature sensory items around circle, about 10 items)
3. Buddy Trust walks

GAMES - Sleeping Miser / Firestalk / Silent Drum Stalk (if we find an appropriate spot)

Peaceful Place by creek (15-20 minutes + debrief by candlelight)

7:00-7:15ish Walk back to starting point

7:20-7:50 PM Closing Circle need about 25 minutes for Closing Circle this last day of season

How has it felt to be without your most dominant sense? What lessons has nature and the darkness taught you that you’ll take home with you tonight?

Revisit Comfort Zone - Challenge/Growth  Zone - Panic Zone and ask them to show which zone they were in before the outing, imagining the outing and night exploring, and which zone they’re in now about night exploring.

Web of Life Activity (Everyone standing).
Today, we’re going to appreciate all the aspects of Nature we connected to this spring through our EC Motto: All Things Are Connected (explain this motto a bit, and the web of life – everything is connected to everything else. So everything we do affects other things).

Remember outings this season (for each outing BRAINSTORM on everything we’ve connected to, directly or indirectly. Everyone pick one thing – different from others - that we connected to this season (again, you don’t have to have had a direct experience w/ it to have connected to it). Have girls go around in a circle and say what they are.

Leader holds ball of string and passes it to someone else and speaks of their connection. Following girls say what they are, and pass it to the next person, who says what she is and that she’s connected to the thing before, eg “I’m alder and I’m connected to salmon”. On it goes, till later girls are saying everything before, eg “I’m nettle and I’m connected to banana slug, rose hip, water, deer, fir tree, salmon, alder.” Last person (who also started) names all the things she’s connected to.  String, criss-crossing, makes the Web Of Life.

Point out that when one thing is affected in this web, all other things are affected, and that humans have a particularly strong affect on the web (due to their adaptations of complex brain and opposable thumbs!). GEC is a big project about strengthening the web (everyone can pull on their part, making the web stronger), but some human actions and choices can really weaken the web (make all parts of the web weak and limp). Suggest that each girl keep one hand on the web while putting the other on the shoulder of the girl next to them. We're also about strengthening the web of connection between each other, practicing collaborative decision making, respectful communication, and building a circle of trust. Again, what GEC motto does all of this reflect? All Things Are Connected

* Words of the Day? Knowing the Dark, Welcoming the Water

- Aimee

Service at Woodstock Farm: 11.19.16

Four GEC groups contributed joyful purpose to our shared service day, taking pride in our new role as caretakers of Woodstock Farm.

At our gathering meeting, we learned about the history of this place and the role of generosity and forward conservationist thinking that led to its preservation. Thanks to Cyrus Gates, his family home and land has been gifted to Whatcom County for all to enjoy - Mr. Gates also had a strong hand in protecting Larrabee State Park, Arroyo and Fairhaven Parks, Sehome Arboretum, and the Mt. Baker Bulb Farm (since turned into Bellis Faire Mall due to a legal loophole).

We brainstormed on who the users of the park are: humans, yes, but also raven, salmon, chipmunk, raccoon, weasel, mouse, heron, slug and so much more. We talked about why a park needs caretakers for all these stakeholders, and what occurs without people lending a hand to manage trails and terrain. Since our gathering area was adjacent to a stand of alders, thimbleberry and salmonberry, overrun by invasive blackberry, the girls quickly understood how invasive species take over native ones rather quickly.
Then we were off on a very short trip by bus to our destination just up the road. The next few hours were spend collaborating in purposeful work, removing invasives with care and attention, singing and talking while we worked.

At one point in the day about 50 of us were spread out across a section of trail; pulling, digging, laughing and chatting. What a fun thing to witness!

If you have not been to Woodstock Farm, take the time for a short visit.  The old homestead is owned by the city of Bellingham.  It is a beautiful site and you can wander around, take in the views south across Chuckanut Bay, or explore the grounds.  Wild Whatcom has been partnering with Bellingham Parks and Rec for many years, engaging in service alongside other volunteers from our community.  This season marks the first season for the GEC in having a permanent site, adopted by us with the purpose of providing unlimited opportunities for stewardship.  Our first project has been to clean up a trail leading south from the top parking area.

Our groups included middle schoolers through fourth graders, so it was an opportunity not only to work, but interact with older girls.  Some of the older girls stepped up to lead and work alongside the younger gals.

The Dragonflies are such a hard working bunch and it is joyful to watch.  There was also a definite pull to waving at cars as they zoomed past on Chuckanut Drive.  Many would honk and this gave the girls a burst of energy.  I think we should have posted a sign declaring that we were all there doing volunteer trail work...then the honks would have been in true encouragement of that service.   Maybe that's what people sensed.

Thank you for the strong sense of connection and commitment to GEC and to doing service that you have instilled in your girls.

I have no more photos to share unfortunately.  I love service days because I love physical work...so I had a hori hori in my hand the entire time!  - Rebecca 

Shelter Building in the 100 Acre Wood: 11-18-16

Welcome to "The Magpie Motel"! Around the corner you'll find "Fort Sticky Stick," "Pile O' Leaves" and down yonder lies "The Fox Den". an unnamed but well-constructed dwelling.  A new subdivision has been developed in Fairhaven, using sustainable "green" construction methods and materials. No, these state of the art residences are not for sale, BUT! they are open for viewing in the Hundred Acre Woods. The talented architects and construction crew? The Dragonflies!

We began our day in opening circle discussing the realities of wilderness survival, reviewing the Survival Rule of Fours (ask your daughter what the four survival priorities are and in what order... and ask her why deep breathing is so important in a survival situation). On this day we focused on the survival priority of shelter, learning how imperative a properly insulating shelter is for surviving even a single night in the woods. We discussed the many ways and reasons one can become cold: conduction, evaporation, convection, and radiation (see if your gal remembers and can explain these four types of heat transfer). 

Our first focus was to put on shelter eyes, traveling up the trail and seeking nooks and crannies that could be or become a shelter for different sizes and types of animals. After a snack and shelter story from Tom Brown, we took a cue from the squirrels, who build nests with sticks and insulate them with leaves, and let their designs inspire our own natural shelters, which were built in the classic "debris hut" style. Our community dwellings sprung up from the forest floor, and within a few hours we had four deluxe shelters! On this super cold day, building shelters kept us warm, and that was a big bonus.  With the bit of time remaining, we took a home tour of each shelter, assessing each on their ability to withstand wind and rain, retain body heat, and remain safe from any nearby blowdowns. 

Finally, we engaged in a group challenge activity that utilized teamwork and a "We, Not Just Me" attitude. It was lovely to see the Dragonflies really work together, letting all voices be heard (and they came up with a way to solve this puzzle that no group before them had thought of!). 

Next time you take a walk through the Hundred Acre Woods, see if your own "shelter-seeking eyes" can detect these artfully constructed debris huts- they are truly impressive, and almost invite one in to spend the night...

Our words of the day? Go Ask the Squirrels!

You may view the slideshow from our day here. 

EC MOTTOS that came into play today: Many Hands Make Light Work, All Things Are Connected, LIBK, Be Prepared, Get Dirty! Leave No Trace

Exploration to Cherry Point 9-25-16

The Dragonflies' first outing of the season was full to the brim with connection, learning, and exploration.  As girls arrived, we studied various objects placed on a bandanna: a shell, heron feather, bottle of seawater, litter, water bottle, jacket, picture of a cruise ship, stuffed toy otter, and tried to figure out how all of these things were connected.  The girls were quick to catch on- all of these things compete for the resources of the ocean ecosystem, whether that be for transportation, survival, as a garbage and sewage repository, for views, or for home.  With those connections and impacts in mind,  we hopped on the borrowed bus, 'Tom the Beluga' (thanks Explorations Academy!), and headed north for a day on the shores of Cherry Point, a spot that could provide us with some answers... and some more questions... and mostly an example of how the questions and answers exist more in the grey areas than in the black and white.  

Our goal for the day was to understand the story of Cherry Point in a deeper way through exploration and discussion.  This expansive bay is home to herring, red tailed hawks, sea stars, crabs, gulls, and salmon, and is also the proposed site of the Gateway Pacific Terminal.  Here are some highlights from our sunny day on this beach that feels the tug and pull of many users:

• Getting stuck on a forested road en route to Cherry Point by a looong train pulling many cars full of oil, coal, grain, and other resources.  Good thing there wasn't anyone behind us, and we could back Tom the Beluga all the way up to the main road! 

• Exploring and playing all along the beach.  The group Collaborated and Compromised to decide how they'd like to spend the day.  A few girls wandered down the beach with Stormie, and came back with stories of blackberry face painting, stone identifying, and what you can learn from nature when you listen.  The rest of the group set up base camp with Lauren, played many games, went swimming, and refreshed their carving skills.  Throughout this time of exploration and play, the girls found deep connection with what exists presently at Cherry Point. By connecting with a place through imaginative play, the Swallowtails created a lasting bond with this special place that has been slated for some dramatic change. 

  

  Playing a favorite DF teambuilding game: Ants on a Log

• Revisiting the Earth Skill of Carving.  We brought the chopsticks and other carving projects that the girls started way back in the Spring, as well as the Chuckanut sandstone the girls had gathered from Clayton Beach.  This is a skill that can always be practiced- all you need is a sharp locking knife, a piece of wood, and some time and space to focus on your handiwork.  Safety First!

• Discussing the impacts of coal and the realities of our coal usage.  As we ate lunch, we discussed coal: what is it (plants in a changed form), why do humans want it (energy!), what journey does it take from the ground to the Puget Sound and Salish Sea. What role does Cherry Point play in the coal drama? As we sat with the weight of all we had seen and learned about the past, present and future of Cherry Point, we came to the empowering realization that change, though it can be a mixture of many feelings (including mad and sad), is something that we each can play an active role in and help direct. In EC we work to Build Bridges Not Walls, and this means finding peaceful and meaningful ways to live out personal truth through our actions. This looks different for each person, and we brainstormed concrete ways for each of us to Be Part of the Solution in meeting both nature's needs and human needs and desires. We discussed ways to minimize our impact through present-free birthday parties, donations to charitable organizations, or reducing the amount of plastic "stuff" we buy and do not need (reduce, reuse, recycle, and refuse).  

  

  The beautiful Sea Witches of Cherry Point!

• Acting out the Web of Life present at Cherry Point!  We became the plant life (over 161 species at CP), the micro-organisms and macro-invertebrates, the herring and smelt, grebes, eagles, salmon, orca, and humans. This improvisational skit prompted us to muddle through and discuss the gray areas of the local environmental drama surrounding this beautiful stretch of beach, as we contemplated the connections between the clothes on our backs, the iPhones in our pockets, the coal in the train cars, the plans for changing the beach at Cherry Point to a shipping terminal, the herring in the bay, the eel grass they swim in, the nearby oil refinery and aluminum smelter, runoff from farms and homes upstream, the eagles and orcas' needs, and more. 

Chipmunk (as a herring) feeling
the effects human usage at Cherry Point

• Connecting with the other-than-human communities even deeper with a game of "Oh Herring!"  The Dragonflies met this critical thinking exercise with curiosity, passion, empathy, playfulness, and grace.

• Gazing out at the gulls feeding, watching a family go crabbing, imagining the herring swimming beneath the sea's surface, feeling the sun on our face, the wind on our cheeks, and taking in the vibrant, diverse beauty of Cherry Point during a long Peaceful Place.  

  

  Madrone sharing a poem
  she wrote during Peaceful Place

All in all it was a day full of exploration, discovery, connection, contemplation, and joyful sunshine-soaking with this wonderful group of girls (who are bonding more and more), and those sentiments were summed up by all in our closing Circle of Thanks. Laughter and songs rang out of the bus windows as we drove back to Bellingham – another day lived fully, beautifully and with purpose in the company of inspiration and connection-making. 

Check out our photos from the day here!

EC Mottos that came into play today: All Things Are Connected, Safety First, You See it You Own It, Leave No Trace, Widen the Circle, Build Bridges Not Walls, Collaborate and Compromise, LIBK, Connect and Protect.

Outing to Point Whitehorn: 6-5-16

After receiving nettle we had harvested almost a year ago, we piled onto the new bus, Merkel, to reacquaint ourselves to the practice of making nettle cordage and to each other, since we missed many members of our group at the last outing.  Stories and laughter rang out as we headed north towards Pt. Whitehorn! 

Some highlights from our joyful day of exploring:

* Connection through check-ins on the bus, each one sharing what they're passionate about, what's challenging for them, what goals they have, what annoyances, and more.

* Applying the EC Mottos All Things Are Connected and Turn Problems into Possibilities as we understood how Point Whitehorn came to be a reserve: it was purchased by the Whatcom Land Trust with funds given after the Olympic pipeline explosion - a leak of gas delivered from the Cherry Point refinery right next to the reserve... gas that is made for our use. We reflected on the conundrums of resource extraction, delivery and use and source and end point pollution, and how we're all involved in this dance... as well as in the dance of connection and protection. 

* Remembering our last outing to this area, and all the stakeholders and impacts on Cherry Point waters: the farmers upstream (manure and pesticides); the nearby houses that impact waters with dogs, fertilizers, car washing and oil changes; the salmon, herring, orcas, and myriad birds; the proposed shipping terminal; the refinery; AlCOA smelter; fishermen, and more. 

* Learning about the Sitka Spruce: where it grows (coastal rain forests), what people use it for (musical instruments, beer, airplane wings, basket weaving), the largest one in the world (on the Olympic Peninsula), the sacred Golden Spruce (in BC, sadly cut down in an act of vandalism, but feeling hopeful for its saplings that now grow where it was felled). 

* Learning about the importance of diversity, in life and in forest ecosystems. Seeking and finding biodiversity in this sitka spruce forest (the plant list we brought along was an indicator that there's a lot growing here!).

* Finding and eating handfuls and handfuls of salmonberries!

* Arriving at the beach and exploring widely: exploring in the water, discovering what was just below the surface, investigating tidepools, burying each other in the sand, creating sand channels, finding a whale bone(!) catching flounders, and completing the log walk challenge! It was so nice to see all the Dragonflies completely engaged in play (play is so healthy for this age!) led by their curiosity and exploring spirits. 

* Understanding that most of the rocks on this beach were glacial erratics, granite left behind when a giant glacier receded. 

* Completing a [Kinda] Peaceful Place on a now crowded beach!

*Gathering for an extended Closing Circle that included that an insightful and engaging discussion on Multiple Intelligence Theory, which emphasizes that there is more than one way to be smart.  We all agreed though that smart Explorers help each other to recognize and build on their 'intelligences'!

Using our legs to create
the Web of Life!

*Reflecting on the connections we made with nature, the community, and one another, we closed our day and the spring season by building the Web of Life, celebrating our motto All Things Are Connected as we wove the web.  The Dragonflies web was very unique though as we used our legs to represent the forgotten ball of string to form the web.  We discussed the human actions that make the web weaker (like oil spills, overfishing, clearcuts) and reflected on what makes the web of life stronger (ocean clean-ups, selective logging, planting native plants, reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and so much more).  We celebrated our role as explorers who are working together to strengthen the Web of Life.

* Practicing an Attitude of Gratitude on the bus. So much to be thankful for: the sun, the sea, crabs, flounders, driftwood, nettle, one another, the land trust, family, rocks, nature's calming medicine. 

Attempting the Log Walk Challenge
(using only the driftwood to traverse the beach)!

* We returned back to our starting point with the understanding that our group may not look the same come Fall 2015, due to a variety of commitments, and expressed that GEC is Challenge By Choice – though we'd love to see this group stay the same, we want to honor each girl for choosing how she spends her time. 

For the rest of the story, check out the slideshow!

Our Words of the Day: Salish sea, sand, logs. Turning Problems Into Possibilities!

EC Mottos especially in use today:

* Safety First

* Turn Problems Into Possibilities

* Attitude of Gratitude

* All Things Are Connected

* Be Here Now

* Expect the Unexpected

Larrabee Coast Traverse: 5-7-16

The Dragonflies gathered on Saturday at the Clayton Beach parking lot to embark upon an Explorers Club rite of passage: The Chuckanut Coast Traverse navigation challenge! Before leaving the parking lot we reviewed different methods of navigation: our intuition and common sense, local knowledge, map, compass, and oriented ourselves with landmarks to the north, south, east, and west. We considered potential hazards and how to mitigate them, understood variables that might affect our progress (personal pace, the tides, weather, unexpected circumstances), and then set out west to follow a stream and seek the shore. 

One of the EC mottos that often stands front and center on our exploration days is: It's about the Journey, not the Destination. This liberates our curiosity to lead us in rambling, wandering, circuitous routes, often encountering gems of discovery that may have remained hidden had we moved with a more goal-oriented intention. Today however, we practiced the opposite technique for the sake of challenge, and we set the goal to make it to Larrabee in time to meet the parents while juggling variables of route-finding, safety, weather, and tides. That is not to say that the day was without gems of discovery... they abounded as we made our way north along the shoreline.  We followed a stream beside which GEC began many years ago (and one girl renamed it "Spirit Stream") and scrambled down to Anemone Point.  Along the shore during this low tide day, we encountered many species of eye-popping anemones; sea-hewn tunnels, ledges, and nooks in the sandstone; starfish of varied colors; crabs of varying sizes; tide pool communities; large boulders that challenged us in satisfying ways; and a cave large enough to fit us inside!

Our route was learning-packed with discussions about the 10 Essentials; deconstructing and understanding mistakes people have made with navigation and preparation; guiding one another with up-front and leading-from-behind support; wondering which is more powerful, humans or nature (this was a really interesting conversation with compelling conclusions); considering the impacts of our actions on the Earth and the next seven generations; learning about the re-naming of the Salish Sea, and how other regional places have been named, and heart skills of empathy, understanding and listening to one another. 

Our words of the day? Diverse Traverse!


You may view the slideshow from our day here. 

Explorers Club Mottos especially alive today: Be Prepared; Safety First; Stretch Your Edge; Challenge By Choice; Collaborate and Compromise; Widen The Circle; You See It, You Own It; We're All Teachers; Expect the Unexpected; LIBK (Let It Be Known); We Not Me

Service with Washington Trails Association: 3-12-16

Mentors here at Wild Whatcom are connection lovers. And we're not talking about the internet, but rather the connection that happens in realtime, between humans interacting with their physical environment. This type of connection was really strong during our service project last Saturday with the Washington Trails Association (WTA).

The WTA builds and maintains trails over the entire state of Washington, and their volunteer trail maintenance program is among the largest in the nation. They log more than 105,000 volunteer hours statewide each year, and over 2500 volunteers giving back to the trails they love.

We started our day with tape stuck to our backs with various native flora and fauna written. Unable to see which creature, plant, bird we were, many questions were asked to guess the critter on our back. We then gathered around in council and met Kathy, Arlen and John, who have taken many a day out of their busy schedules to Walk Their Talk and work to create and improve trails all over western Washington. 

After learning about how to safely handle the multitude of tools provided, we grabbed shovels, Pulaskis, saws, clippers, and hoes, capped our eager heads with some fancy hard hats and made our way to the trail we were to work on (we learned that girls with hard hats and tools grow about 3 inches in pride and confidence). We split into groups to become blackberry cutters, ditch clearers rock haulers, drainage designers, and mud muckers. Girls worked so hard and impressed everyone who passed and interacted with them. Truly. They were determined trail renovators and their energy never flagged. After a short break, one said to the others, cheerfully: "Let's get back to work!" When John suggested he make repeated trips to the beach to haul buckets of heavy gravel, these girls would have none of it - they would manage that themselves, thank you kindly! Others were so intent upon getting all the winter leaves off the stairs that they had to be cajoled into breaking for lunch. The ditch designers got down in the dirt and mud to excavate hidden and clogged drainage systems, and design and create new, more effective ones. All along the way, the WTA volunteers acted as our teachers, guiding us in instruction and supporting our efforts with smiles and stories. These older, seasoned WTA volunteers are open-hearted, generous in their teachings, and made this day one of beautiful connection between young and old, tool and task, girl and group, and the empowerment of giving back to nature.

Our lunch break on the beach led to explorations that ended in a "service project within a service project", with the girls freeing about 35 oysters caught in an abandoned trap.

As our time together came to a close, we gave heartfelt acknowledgements to one another for our attitude and efforts. A truly wonderful and inspiring day!

Our Words of the Day? Ditches, Drains, Mud and Motivation!