Exploration at Lake Padden with the Barred Owlets

Often in life, it's when we begin to think we know what's best that we're ripe for getting taken down a notch. Such was the case during the Barred Owlets' Nov. 16 exploration outing at Lake Padden Park. And, in this instance, it was the mentors who were reminded to let go of "the plan" when nature or Explorers inspire.

But, I'm getting ahead of myself. It was a cold, clear, beautiful day when we gathered at the dog run area of the park. We began with a game of Balance of Nature. Each Explorer began the game as a Barred Owl, a mouse or as grass. The owl preys on the mice, the mice eat the grass and the grass decomposes the owl when it dies. Cycle of life. So, the owls chased the mice, the mice chased the grass and the grass chased the owls. When an explorer was tagged, he became a member of the group that tagged him. After a few minutes, we called STOP and counted the owls, mice and grass. Interestingly, there was just one mouse! We talked about what happens in the wild when the population of mice (or other element of the cycle) diminishes. We then played again for a few more minutes. Amazingly, at the end of the second round, all 10 explorers were mice! Now we saw how dynamic the interplay can be.

Following the game, we held our opening meeting. It was a short meeting this day due to the fact that some of the materials for jobs were unavailable to us. Originally, we were going to skip having jobs for this outing, but the boys suggested we could do several of the jobs without the missing materials. It was great to see their interest in contributing to the well being of the group. So those jobs that were available were assigned and we headed off to check out the trail map. 

A few of the boys were excited to visit a "fort" they knew of. A look at the map revealed that said "fort" was in the opposite direction to the mentor's planned route. So we had a decision to make. The boys talked it over and decided to check out the "fort", to the consternation of "they who knew" (mentors). If you listened with all your senses, you probably would've sensed a silent "but, but…" from both mentors. Luckily, the coyote spirit took over just in time and the mentors followed the boys along the stream to a thicket of salmonberry bushes (the "fort", I think) and, to everyone's surprise, ice on the stream! 15 fun-filled minutes later, and to our relief, no immersions in the icy water, and the Barred Owlets had a true Explorer's Club experience to remember and retell at future gatherings. For their part, the mentors were reminded to stay humble and trust the boy's instincts.

Now the time was right to hike into the trees and hike we did. On the way, we played a few games of HIDE! and explored the cavity at the base of a fallen tree. Coyote den? Probably not - too big. Further along the trail, we had another decision to make; this way to a promising Spider's Web location or that way to search for an earth shelter that had been constructed by an older Explorer's Club group.The boys decided we had time to do both and to begin by looking for the shelter. 

Up and over a ridge we climbed in search mode, with our efforts quickly rewarded. The shelter was well-constructed, but incomplete. So, while some ate lunch, others piled leaves on and tossed leaves into the shelter to provide a dry, warm place to spend a night or ride out a storm.

This operation soon morphed into multiple activities: shelter building, lunch, exploration and "hanging out". Before long, it was time to engage in that time-honored Explorer's Club game - Spider's Web. In this game, the designated spider guards the food source while the rest of the Explorers, or "flies", try to capture it and return it to its home base. Stealth and camouflage are key strategies for the flies, while constant attention serves the spider well. We had interesting terrain for the game, with the earlier summited hill on one side and a gradual drop off on the other. In the middle - many fallen trees to provide cover but also present obstacles. The spider chose to stay in the middle. I can only speak for myself, but this was challenging for the flies (of which I was a proud, but ineffectual member). I tried going down the incline and around behind to no avail. I tried climbing the hill and circling around that way…caught again. I was trying to navigate down the center when the game ended. 

The sun, already low in the sky, was now dipping toward the horizon. Time for our closing meeting, which was delayed briefly as Steve demonstrated fire by friction, much to the fascination of a band of young boys eager to learn more and try it themselves. In due time.

Our closing meeting, a time to give thanks and share apples, was also a time to reflect on the group's first season together. Our thoughts ranged from our first outing at Whatcom Falls Park, where the boys first played HIDE! and Spider's Web and finished the outing swimming in Whatcom Creek, to our service outing at Connelly Creek, spent beating back Canary grass and uprooting blackberry bushes, to the heaviest rain of the season at the start of our exploration of the 100 Aker Wood, to the joy of discovering the icy stream at Lake Padden. Through it all, the boys got to know each other and the mentors, learned about Explorer's Club traditions and values, connected with the land, and contemplated all they had to be thankful for.

As with any group, it hasn't always been smooth sailing. Eight and nine year old boys overflow with physical energy that at time is poorly directed. Feeling, and sometimes bodies, are hurt. But the Barred Owlets are game to improve and surely embraced this opportunity enthusiastically. They're forming into a group with shared values, goals, experiences and memories. Steve and Brian are eager to pick up with these boys in the Spring to continue their journey of growth, maturation and connection.

For more pictures from the outing please visit the Barred Owlets photo gallery.

The Barred Owlets Explore Whatcom Falls Park

The Barred Owlets arrived at Whatcom Falls Park for their first Exploration ever! It was nice to see that so many Explorers in the group already had either explored with us on a summer camp or was a little bit oriented with the Boys EC culture. Saying goodbye to our parents and circling up we played a round Name Tag to get acquainted. After the game the mentors took a little time to introduce the Explorers to our circle style council and talk about its importance within our group. In the Boys EC our circle is scared. A circle is the space where we can work out our differences, Speak Our Truths, andCollaborate and Compromise. Our circle is a place for inclusion and somewhere to belong to. On our outings we strive for interdependency amongst our group members and we act on consensus through shared leadership. This model of interdependency amongst peer’s roots from the interdependent relationships we see in our larger community in our outings.  

On our Explorations each Explorer is given a job, which helps the group function. Recognizing that the group was ready to move the mentors handed out the first job, the Tribal Elder. The role of the Tribal Elder within the group is to help everyone make decisions. Since We Are All Leaders in the Explorers Club the mentors asked the boys which way we should head. Going around the circle it was clear that the boys had many opinions on which way we should go. After some group process and facilitation by the Tribal Elder the boys decided to head towards the bridge and then loop around to Derby Pond on the way out. It’s powerful to watch the Explorers learn to work as a group and let go of their individual wants and accommodate the feelings and ideas of others.

Crossing the bridge in Whatcom Falls the Explorers marveled at the waterfall and Sandstone cliffs. Once we were in a safe spot the mentors called the group in to teach them a very important Explorers Club game called Hide! To playHide all an Explorer has to do is call it out. Once he calls Hide the rest of the group has thirty seconds to find a place where they are hidden from the seeker but can see him. Then the seeker tries to find as many hiders as he can, eventually holding up a number on his hand and those who were not found can come out of their hiding place and whisper the number in his ear to let the seeker know that they could see him. Hide is not only a fun and challenging game, it also helps the Explorers learn the Art of Camouflage. The more they experiment with blending into their surroundings the more they start to recognize how patterns, colors, and shapes are connected in the forest. These connections are an essential tool as the Explorers deepen their skills in tracking and naturalist observation.

After a few rounds of Hide the group was in need of lunch. Finding a nice spot along the trail the group ate as Brian shared some naturalist knowledge about Barred Owls. There is much to be earned from the Barred Owl in the way of awareness, camouflage, and stealth. Brain explained that owls have excellent peripheral vision and this helps them hone in on prey. Practicing our Owl Eyeswe spread our arms out as far as we could see while looking straight ahead. Recognizing that this animal form could help them in Hide and other games the Explorers were eager to learn more. Brain also taught the group Deer Ears. Deer’s have large bowl shaped ear that can turn to face the direction that they hear movement. These sensitive ears can pick up even the slightest movement or bird alarm in the forest.  Cupping our ears with our hands we turned to face Whatcom Creek and found that the sounds of the rushing water was amplified ten fold. Taking our hands away from our ears we could barely hear the water.  In the landscape, no matter how big or small, everything has a lesson and a skill to teach if we pay enough attention.

Heading out from our lunch spot we navigated off the beaten path and followed a deer trail. It was exciting to watch the Explorers track the deer’s movement. Crawling over fallen trees and pushing through Sword Ferns the group ended up at to prime location for games. It was an edge to be off trail for a few Explorers. This was a great chance for the mentors to talk about navigation through the forest and the importance of always being aware of our surroundings and the cardinal directions. Circling up the Mentors explained the rules to what we believe to be the greatest game, Spider’s Web.In this game one person is the spider and the rest are flies. The goal of the flies is to try and find the food source and bring it back to their home without getting captured and put into the spider’s web. This game combines the stealth and camouflage skills of Hide with elements of capture the flag. Brian was the spider in the first game and it proved to be quite a challenge. In the end the flies were able to retrieve the food source and get it back to their base. The game of Spider’s Web lasted for over forty-five minutes and once we were done we circled up to decide how to best use the last hour and a half of the outing. Coming to another collaborative group decision the boys decided to play another round for a half hour and then navigate back to the creek for what could be the last opportunity to swim until next summer.

For the next round of Spider’s Web we decided to have two spiders and the challenge of this adaptation proved to be a point of contention for the group. After twenty-five minutes of a very frustrating game for some, we circled up to try and work out some issues. The group was arguing over who had won and whether or not the game was fair. Going around the circle we gave everyone a chance to share and be heard and in the end the mentors shared that it did not matter who won and lost what really mattered was that we had clear agreements on the rules before starting, challenged ourselves even when the task seemed daunting, and played the game with honor and courage.

We ended our day by swimming in the creek. Some of the boys crawled over a log that spanned the creek while others navigated up stream, trying to balance on rocks as the current pulled them in the opposite direction. Calling the group in for a closing meeting, the boys didn’t want to get out of the water. We held them to the time management decision they made earlier. Our closing meeting is a chance to debrief our day and to give thanks as a community. Practicing our Attitude of Gratitude the Explorers gave thanks for the ability to explore such a wonderful patch of land, for games and challenges, for the beautiful weather, for friendship and comradery, for wild places to swim, and for the opportunity to work together. The Barred Owlets are forming as a group and doing a great job wrestling with the new challenges that come with the Boys EC’s group culture. Dealing with those tough processes like: how do we Collaborate and Compromise, respect each other’s physical and emotional space, make each other feel safe and welcomed, and hold to the agreements that we make as a group? The Mentors are thankful for such a warm and sunny outing at Whatcom Falls. We look forward to many future explorations with the Barred Owlets, rich with exploration, adventure, and group process. 

For more pictures from the outing please visit the Barred Owlet’s photo gallery.