The Barred Owls traverse Whatcom Creek; 9/18/16

The Barred Owls traversed Whatcom Creek on Sunday, from below Civic field to Bloedel-Donovan park. In doing so, we got up close and personal with 2.2 of the 4 miles that the creek covers from Lake Whatcom to Bellingham Bay. After Saturday's rain and clouds, we were thankful to see lots of sun and temperatures warm enough to temp many of us into the creek, not once, but twice!

Whatcom Creek is emblematic of Bellingham, as the place where the native Lummi fished for hundreds of year before European settlers saw the advantages of settling where the creek empties into the bay. We focused on Whatcom Falls Park, where the stream loses much of its 350' elevation loss. 

David Sobel (an education writer who has contributed to the philosophy of place-based education) said: "If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it." Mentors Joey and Brian (and wonderful Explorers Club Apprentice Logan) set the table for this nature connection by guiding the group through forest and stream; this beautiful place did the hard work. 

The allure of the creek was strong. We hadn't gone very far when the boys decided they needed to get down to the water. 

A little further down the trail found several boys in the cold water.

After our first dip, we found a forested spot for games of Hungry, Hungry Marten and Spider's Web. We also played several rounds of Hide! Looks like this explorer needed a break from the fun.

Cooking up some mischief!

Check out the dappled sunlight. What a glorious day!

It took a few tries, but we found the swimming hole we were looking for!

Why crawl along the long spanning the swimming hole? Because it's there, of course!

They were interested in the dam that regulates the creek's flow. We were interested in the lineup of packs along the rail.

Wild Whatcom isn't alone in feeling that it's about the journey, not the destination (motto). And Sunday's outing was living proof. We packed effort, laughter, excitement and appreciation of the land into a scant 2.2 miles. The Barred Owls are in a good place right now. The boys enjoy each other's company; they approach our outings with energy; they welcome new members openly (as they did on Sunday) and they care for and help each other. Thanks for affording us the opportunity to work with them through Boys Explorers Club.

We took more photos, of course. Our next outing takes place Sunday, October 16th at North Galbraith Mountain. It should be a perfect time to focus in on our skill for the fall - shelter building. We look forward to seeing you then.

Barred Owls make a splash at Squires Lake - 6/4/16

Spring is nature's way of saying, 'Let's party!' Robin Williams

It was almost like we had a few different outings last Saturday at Squires Lake. Early on, the group struggled to make decisions. Then a little somewhat fractured time as several boys explored the creek bed draining from the beaver pond while others had lunch or worked at re-engineering the flow of the water. Then, well, let's leave that for a minute....

The decision making was challenging. Should we take the longer, potentially more interesting ridge trail or stick to the more direct but hillier lakeside route? Our multiple decision circles alternately featured collaboration, conflict, impatience and compromise (see Mottos - Collaborate and Compromise). Oh, and there were sticks...more than a few sticks. Our tribal elder earned his stripes this day! 

Compromise won the day as they decided to take the lake route to the beaver pond and the ridge trail on our return. 

Re-engineering

Before long, we dropped into the creek bed as a more interesting route to the beaver pond. The going proved tricky; before long, we stopped to rest, have a bite and explore.

Decision-making takes a lot out of a guy

A scouting party reported that the beaver dam wasn't in place, so we decided to turn our attention to the lake. A short walk later, we arrived at a great swimming spot and the energy level went through the roof! 

SPLASH!

So much wildlife!

The relevant motto here is Connect and Protect. "If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it." –David Sobel

And love the lake they did! This is pure Mark Twain/Norman Rockwell stuff!

We wrapped by talking a little about our spring season. We found the Rock Trail interesting - love those caves! - but wanted the space to play more games. Our hike to Lizard Lake was rewarded with carving practice and more cave exploration, but it was quite the hike! Our service outing showed once again that hard work is necessary to care for our environment, and last Saturday the lake was just pure fun. We're grateful for the many places to experience nature’s splendor and to practice behaviors that will soon define us as 21st century men.

Click here for the rest of the photos from our outing.

Thanks from your mentors for your support through the spring. Hope to see you in the fall!

Daredevil's Club, Storm Wolves, and Barred Owls Help Clean Up Connelly Creek

Meeting at our new park and ride drop-off location the Daredevil’s Club were finally all present for their last service outing as a group. With plenty of sunshine to accompany us, we walked over to the service site to take inventory of what had been done by previous groups, what was left to do today, and how we would make the most of our time. We also talked about the importance of setting a good precedent for the younger groups, and leading by example and emphasizing safe tool usage, proper technique, and strong work ethic. At first it took the group a little while to get going, but after taking a quick snack break and drinking down some water the Daredevil’s kicked it into gear and got down to business.

As the Daredevil’s Club finished constructing a make-shift fence around a recently discovered bees nest the next group, the Storm Wolves, arrived. After taking some time to walk through the service site with the Daredevil’s Club the Storm Wolves had no hesitation and jumped right into cutting back the blackberries and digging up root balls. It was great to see these two groups get together after both groups found plenty of enjoyment discovering one another’s shelters during previous explorations this season. Each group continued developing the other’s shelter, one at Galbraith and the other at Clayton Beach, and created some pretty impressive structures despite having never met the other group (until now!). As the outing progressed the groups intermingled and found that they actually had quite a bit in common. Watching the Daredevil’s Club working alongside the Storm Wolves, the mentors took note of their maturity and impressive role modeling. Coming from a group that can sometimes get side-tracked with goofiness, these older Explorer’s really stepped up today and were very impressive.

While the Daredevil’s Club and Storm Wolves were making solid progress, everything was kicked up a notch when the Barred Owls showed up. After getting a demonstration on proper tool usage from the Storm Wolves they get right to work. Talk about a bunch of motivated Explorers! Half of the group took on the extensive bramble of Himalayan Blackberry that has been choking out a willow grove for years while the other half grabbed shovels, began digging up blackberry root balls, and clearing out an old drainage ditch. This by no means is easy work and the whole day the mentors never heard a peep of complaining out of any of the Explorers.

With lots of solid work getting done the service site began to transform. The once tall Reed Canary Grass lay flat, stomped down by Explorer’s feet. The ground churned from shovels digging up massive clumps of blackberry root. The willow grove once choked out by blackberry finally stretching out to absorb the sunshine that was previously getting all sucked up by the broad leaves on the climbing vines of blackberry. Despite not having any mulch today, the site has been prepped for the next group to get a thick layer of mulch down. Vast tunnels have been slashed through the massive blackberry bramble allowing the Explorers to divide and conquer the remaining patches the formidable thorny plant. Not only did these boys fill numerous garbage bags full of Himalayan Blackberry, but they did a great job of taking the next step towards really establishing the natural stability of the Connelly Creek service site.

With the Padden Creek Daylighting Project well underway downstream all of our hard work is suddenly taking on a new perspective. Not only are we working towards eradicating invasive species alongside Connelly Creek, creating natural habitat with native species,  and developing a self-sustaining native habitat, but we are creating a piece to the proverbial puzzle. With salmon able to swim up Padden Creek for the first time in in over a century the Explorers are creating an optimum habitat for them to return to Connelly Creek to spawn and continue their prolific and dynamic influence on our region. For now it may seem like hacking at blackberry and shoveling mulch, but the impact these boys are having on their community is one that will last for years to come. One of the Explorers on this outing actually mentioned this and said he dreams of one day being able to pull a salmon out of Connelly Creek with his hands. Now that is a vision we can all appreciate and thanks to all the hard work from the Daredevil’s Club, Storm Wolves, and Barred Owls that dream may one day become a reality. 

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!

Have you ever been given a fire?

Neither had I, but, as the saying goes, there’s a first time for everything. A very nice family was at the Lizard Lake campground when we arrived on Sunday. They had a fire going as they enjoyed some quality time together. We were into our carving session when they were ready to leave: they asked if we would like them to leave the fire burning for our use rather than extinguish it as they would normally do. Of course, ask a group of explorers if they want to inherit a fire and it’s easy to guess their response. So, we were given a fire. Only thing is, we already had a packed agenda for our Lizard Lake exploration, so the fire was a double edged sword: a nice addition and a plan wrecker!

Perhaps the word "incline" was a clue?

We’re nothing if not adaptable in Explorers Club, and the boys had been putting up with more triangular, or directive, leadership than usual as we pushed to get up the hill, so the fire was a welcome serendipitous moment. It also helped us warm up a little on a cool, drizzly Sunday.

We had begun our adventure by boarding Moose, Wild Whatcom’s “other” trusty bus. A half hour after departing Cascades Montessori Middle School, we met to hand out jobs and get a preview of the day’s plan which was, in a word, UP. After an easy stroll on a logging road, we turned in to the Alternate Incline trail and started up. An edge-stretching hour plus later, ten bedraggled explorers and two huffing/puffing mentors welcomed the site of Lizard Lake in a steady drizzle. 

Boys with knives!

While the Barred Owls devoured their well-earned lunch, mentor Brian reviewed the important safety rules for carving. Then, blood circles clearly established, the boys set to work creating chopsticks. Carving is a skill that provides a direct connection to the land. Many of us have torn the paper off a pair of chopsticks at a restaurant; how many have harvested the wood and used our hands to fashion a personal, unique tool?

It was while we were working on this project that our neighbors offered us the unplanned diversion. Several boys switched to tending the fire while a few explored the lake shore (fortunately, no one fell into the lake) and others kept at their carving. After the hard work of climbing that hill, it felt good to give the explorers a choice of activity.

We still had one more thing planned that we were confident the boys would enjoy and there was that long walk back to the bus, so the mentors were mindful of the clock. We called for the fire to be extinguished, the explorations wrapped up and the knives sheathed. Packs on, we headed up again for the short, but challenging approach to the caves. 

Formed when several large boulders tumbled into a jumble of now moss coated invitations to

scramble and tight spaces into which to squeeze, the caves provide an instinctive release for the child

How many are down there?

passions into which the mentors try to tap. To understand what we mean by child passions, think back to the things you enjoyed doing as a child such as listening to stories, catching little critters, pretending, or sneaking. These simple, instinctive activities can spark unbridled joy and connection. Climbing boulders and exploring dark caves were accompanied for the next half hour by exhilarated calling to a friend - “Hey, look at this!” - and trepidatious expression of daring and apprehension.

We weren't much faster going down the hill

All too soon, he struck out for the bus, a few long, slow miles distant. I was mistaken in assuming the hike down the trail would go more quickly and easily than the approach hike. After all, I thought, it is downhill! So, we took a few rest breaks on our journey out. It was during one of those breaks, when several boys decided to continue work on their chopsticks, that one of the boys sustained a very small cut from his carving knife. All things considered, one small slice when 10 explorers carve is an exceptional result!

We arrived at the trailhead at just about 4:00, which would’ve been great had we not still had a half hour bus ride ahead of us. Parents and guardians, many thanks for your understanding. I’m sorry for the delayed return.

As BEC mentors, we try to stress a focus on meeting the boys at the intersection of their interests, their skills, and our plan for guiding them as they grow in their confidence in and connection to the natural world. When we find that sweet spot, we try to “stretch their edge” by moving them from their comfort zone to their learning zone without moving all the way to their panic zone. We definitely challenged them with this hike. Some were able to respond fully; others seemed to feel overstretched. We’ll adjust as we continue to work to level set.

Click here for the full set of pictures from Sunday’s outing. Thanks again for your understanding of our late return. I’ll try to see that doesn’t happen again.

BEC: Spring, 2016; Barred Owls 2/28 - Rock Trail

No shortage of rocks

The Rock Trail trailhead was shrouded in fog on Saturday morning when Steve and Brian met the Branch Hoppers for their outing. So, when Conor and Brian arrived on Sunday morning, we were surprised at the difference a day can make. In fact, we had to shout over the energetic wind during our opening meeting. Fortunately, as we had anticipated, the wind abated to almost calm once we ventured down the trail. 

Lest we get ahead of ourselves... introductions. The group has been together for several seasons, but change happens and we saw that in three new faces as we gathered: Mentor Conor rejoined us after volunteering on our Teddy Bear traverse and Henry and Jaxon filled spots vacated by explorers who resolved their schedule conflicts in favor of other activities. Though new to our cohort, these boys have had experience with Explorers Club through Summer and Winter outings, so their assimilation into the group was very quick indeed!

....or stairs!

Introductions, jobs and a review of the particular hazards of this exciting trail addressed, we struck out onto the trail. The Rock Trail is relatively new, having been completed in 2014, thanks to the efforts of members of the Washington Trails Association. Less than 2 miles long, it more than makes up for its modest length with an array of awesome geology captured in the large chuckanut sandstone formations and boulders the size of jitney buses. The immense energy released when the earth’s plates move, registered at times as earthquakes and creating mountains, valleys and the like, is not lost on the explorers. Of course, the cool caves found in the cliffs tend to dominate their short-term interest! You can learn more about the geology about which we marveled here. And, learn more about the Washington Trails Association here.

The trail itself is steep, as evidenced by the multiple sets of stair steps built into the hillside right at

the beginning of the hike.  The mentors heard more than a few tongue-in-cheek comments about elevators from explorers on the way back up.

Not an optical illusion

After our initial descent, we encountered the sandstone walls for the first time. It feels like you’re walking next to an office building; the rock wall rises that dramatically. And there are even windows! Well, caves, but that’s even better! The day’s record was six explorers in the largest cave (unverified claim - I personally counted 5 at one point, but wasn’t privy to the sixth). The development of the caves occurs on a very different timeline than the geologic refashioning pace we’re accustomed to contemplating. Had you taken a photograph of the face of the rock wall the day your explorer was born and compared it to those in our photo gallery from Sunday’s outing, you’d readily see differences! The caves are growing before our eyes, the result of algae interacting with the course stone. This is a whole different sense of energy; the quiet, persistent action and reaction that goes on around us every day without our notice. Follow this link for more about how the caves form (the same article as the geology link above).

Further down (literally - down), the Rock Trail intersects with the Lost Lake trail. Following that trail around the lake opens up to very different adventures - the lake, a waterfall, pools of mud this time of year, and more. While still on the Rock Trail, though, the group gathered in a circle and our Tribal Elder led us in a process to decide whether to explore ahead or reverse course back up the Rock Trail. The unanimous sentiment was for returning to the caves to explore more and play games. About face!

We had to get creative for our games

The natural space to plays our games is not among the wondrous aspects of the Rock Trail, as we soon discovered. Spider’s Web would be very difficult in the steep terrain. Ditto Hide! without our usual ferns and bushes for cover. The Barred Owls are nothing if not creative, however. We decided to try a few games that don’t require as much expansiveness or as many hiding spots. Eagle Eye was a questionable fit in that it has similar characteristics to Hide! We tried it a few times; it’ll work better on our next outing. We also tried Where’s My Egg, which would work pretty well on the trail itself, but no-one knew all the rules. Again, we’ll do better next time. We managed a short game of Spider’s Web in the trees at the top of the trail. The wind was still blowing, but not as hard as at the start. 

Fear not - we located his head

Sunday was a day marked by new faces, a new group name (Barred Owls - we dropped the “et” denoting young), and a new trail. That’s a lot for one day. It was also significant for the energy that was apparent: wind, geology and explorers all demonstrated notable energy!

Brian and Conor will do our best to manage the changes and match the growing energy and interests of this dynamic group of boys. Click for more photos from our outing.

Presto! The Barred Owls change an exploration into a traverse at Lake Padden

We haven’t lacked for weather this fall, have we? Wild Whatcom’s first day of outings this season was cancelled and the outings rescheduled due to high winds and the storms have been pretty persistent since. Sunday was no different. With a high wind warning for mid-afternoon, we decided to play it safe and switch from our planned exploration to a traverse to the Lake Padden dog park area, which would put us in easy striking distance of an open field away from forest hazards should the winds come early. We also recruited the explorers to track the weather. Awareness of the vicissitudes of our natural surroundings is a key component of self-reliance in the outdoors.

With our senses heightened, we strode confidently into Lake Padden park (from Galby Lane) and circled up for our opening meeting. The Barred Owls (note that we’ve dropped the “et” because we’ve been at this for a while now - no longer babies) have come a long way from last fall when we were just learning how to respect each other in our meetings. Remember the five finger contract? We barely find the need to invoke it anymore. Always more work to do, of course, but the mentors are grateful for the progress these boys have made. 

OK, jobs assigned and caution about the weather expressed, we were off to decide on a spot to practice our skill for the fall - shelter building. I trust the reader is well aware that when we work on a skill the mentors aren’t just interested in a shelter or a spoon carved from a fallen tree. Along with the aforementioned self-reliance, we look for traits such as problem solving (motto - Turn problems into possibilities), teamwork (motto - Many hands make light work), careful effort (motto - Slow is fast and fast is slow), focus and more. The Barred Owls are interested in moving on to carving, as most groups are at about this age. So Joey and I talked with the boys about the behaviors we’re looking for as we consider their readiness for that activity. 

We’re going to have to work on our stump speech, because their effort was inconsistent at best. Not surprisingly, some boys’ work was more disciplined than others. We all learn and develop at our own pace. Overall, however, our assessment was that the Barred Owls, as a group, aren’t ready. Brian (Joey’s off to Nicaragua for 12 - 18 months to teach, travel and explore) will look for signs of improved readiness when we reconvene in the spring; progress can happen rapidly at this age.

With the shelter built, we had some lunch (with a watchful eye on the wind), then moved down the trail to be closer to the dog park area and the open field. Along the way, we found an intriguing spot to play that Explorers Club favorite, Spider’s Web. In another example of the Barred Owls’ progress, we were able to resolve a conflict concerning who would be the spider thanks to some nice work by our tribal elder and a quick Rock, Paper, Scissors match. 

Spider’s Web is about stealth and resourcefulness. The spider guards the “food source” while the flies (everyone else) try to capture it and return it to the web. On our selected course, the food source was uphill from the web, which provided the spider with a high perch from which to call out the flies. After a few trips back to the web, the flies had to raise their game by selecting new routes, moving more stealthily, and possibly collaborating with fellow spies. 

Then something interesting happened: the spider changed identities. I’m not sure how that happened or why, but half way through, the spider and one of the flies switched roles. Hmmmm. Curiously, the rest of the spies just played on as if it was the most natural thing! The game ended when the muddied flies managed to return the food source to the web.

It was after two now and still little wind. It was beginning to dawn on us that we were going to make it through without having to dash for the field! After hiking the rest of the way down, we circled up again for our last meeting of the season. We gave thanks, said “So long!” to Joey and talked about where we might want to go in the spring. The allure of the Salish Sea was evident as both Clayton Beach and Teddy Bear Cove were suggested. 

As I see it, the Barred Owls have moved through the Forming and Storming stages of group developmentand are now Norming as they mature and internalize the Boys Explorers Club culture. It’s been rewarding to watch them morph from a collection of rascally individuals to a loosely formed cohort. I’m looking forward eagerly to their continued evolution and their emergence as a Performing team.

Click here to look at the rest of the photos from our traverse.

Also, note that we have a schedule of outings in the winter in which your explorer might have an interest. Have a peaceful holiday season. I'm looking forward to seeing you in the spring.

The Barred Owlets conquer the Teddy Bear traverse

BO 10/25/15  Teddy Bear Cove traverse - Blog

One of the things about my personal experience of parenting that most impressed me was the way each child morphs into several different kids over the course of growing into adulthood. Preschoolers are filled with wonder at the little things; eight to ten year-olds (in my experience) are the most joyous people in the room; adolescents are confused much of the time; teenagers are…well, you get the point. Trying to keep pace with, or heaven forbid, stay ahead of the changes is a demanding and rewarding aspect of parenting.

I learned that lesson again on Halloween when the Barred Owlets traversed from the North Chuckanut trailhead to Teddy Bear Cove. Joey and I fretted over how they would handle the bushwhacking, the hazards, the focus required to succeed in what we perceived as an outing that would be a stretch for them. How would they react to the sting of the dreaded Devil’s Club? Would fatigue wear on their spirits, causing them to snipe at their peers (or - aghast! - their mentors!)? Were we asking them to stretch their edges a little too far?

I’m thrilled to report that none of that happened. Rather, your boys dispatched this challenge with aplomb. Elation was the emotion most often expressed, as when we took time out from our hike to play not one, but two games of Spider’s Web. A sense of accomplishment was the sentiment voiced when the boys learned they had completed the most difficult part of the traverse. Disappointment found its way into their countenance only when they learned we needed to stop doing what we were doing because we needed to move on. Joey and I, and volunteer mentor Conor, were nourished by both the land and the boys on this rainy, then cool and cloudy, Saturday. It was an outstanding day - one for the photographic, inscribed and mental memory banks.

We started in the rain at the very familiar North Chuckanut trailhead parking lot. Rather than head into the Chuckanuts, though, we crossed Chuckanut Drive (the first of three times) and dropped into a wooded area not far from Bellingham Bay. In our opening meeting, the mentors stressed the hazards and challenges the day would present us, but assured the explorers that they were ready to handle them (truer words were never spoken, as it turned out). We then played a few games of Hungry, hungry martin. Sufficiently warmed and enthused by the games, we departed south and soon reached the end of the trail. As we discussed the best bushwhacking route - on the side of the hill or across the flats - I watched for hesitancy in the faces of the boys. We faced approximately 3/8 mile of off-trail hiking punctuated with downed trees to be vaulted, Devil’s Club to be avoided a la ‘Elastic Man’, mud to be navigated, and more. But no iffy expressions. In fact, if that sounds to you like an ideal day for a bunch of 10 year-old boys, you’re catching on to the zeitgeist of our outing. Nothing too scary on this Halloween!

We cleared through the scrubby patch in good shape and ahead of schedule, so we taught Conor how to play Spider’s Web and “allowed” him to be the spider for our second game. The flies had a good day on this ideal Spider’s Web course, with two victories. Following these games and some lunch, we resumed our search for the Woodstock Farm trails and were soon reviewing maps of the area to get a sense of where we were and what lay ahead. 

What lay ahead was our second crossing of Chuckanut Drive and connecting with the Interurban trail that would transport us to the point from which we were to descend to Teddy Bear Cove. A third Chuckanut Drive crossing and we were within striking distance of the cove.

The last manmade hazard before Teddy Bear Cove was the crossing of the train tracks, which happened without incident. At this point, one either goes north or south around a small mesa, if you will, as both directions lead to a beach or up to the flat-topped hill. We met at the top and determined we had time for free play. If you haven’t ever been to Teddy Bear Cove, I recommend you make time. Depending on the tides, there are two small to medium size beaches and the hill in between. The explorers played in the sand, found multiple routes up and down the steep hillside or just took it easy in a beautiful spot.  

Several boys, and all the mentors, took advantage of the view over the Salish Sea for our sit spot. Astounding is not too dramatic a term to characterize the location for connecting with the beauty and wonder of our natural neighborhood.

Back across the tracks and up the hill to meet our rides at the end of a spectacular outing. These boys have morphed since last year and I’m challenged to keep up with their ever expanding skills and desires in the outdoors.

Click here for more photos of our traverse.