Arriving at the shore of Connelly Creek, the Roosevelt Elk Calves were greeted by the warmth of the sun and the lure of the creek. For Beaver the sound of running water is thought to trigger dam building behavior: felling and arranging trees and saplings near the source. For the explorers the sound of Connelly creek triggers an unstoppable need to explore the banks, jump the span, and test out rain boots. By the time all the boys had arrived the energy to venture into the service site was immense!
We held a brief opening meeting to help Mentor Greg (who was finally free from illness) with the names of the new explorers. After finishing we were greeted by a member of the Daredevils Club who told us that as we walked the trail in we would be “ambushed”. To ambush a group in explores club we typically hide close to a trail and see if we can remain unseen. The challenge for the Roosevelt Elk Calves was to see how many explorers they could spot who were hidden. After finding only a few, we gathered with the older boys to learn more about the service work we would be doing that day.
Our tasks for the day were as follows: trim reed cannarygrass, dig blackberry roots, and lop away blackberry stems... AND get to know the Daredevils Club, who were older than us and were willing to help show us the ropes. But before we sprang into action, it was important to get a good idea of the big picture. Steve showed our combined group two locations on the site. One was the result of ten years of work. The reed canary grass was nearly non-existent; trees established; shrubs producing flower and berry; Anna’s hummingbirds soaring joyfully through the landscape. The second was our actual work area, which now has seen two years worth of work. Already, this site has been remarkably transformed, and there is still work to do. By looking at the first location, we had a good idea of what the landscape would turn into.
Mentors Matt and Dave took the Daredevils Club over to the service site to begin working while the Roosevelt Elk Calves had lunch and a tool safety talk with Greg and Steve. Greg took a moment to share how learning to use the service tools safely and treat them with respect was the first step of the journey to the art of carving.
After some lunch the Explorers joined the Daredevils Club who were waiting to help the Elk Calves get started. By the end of the day we had cut back the reed canary grass, dug out several garbage cans full of Himalayan Blackberry root, and removed a lot of garbage from our service site. Our overall goal this spring is plant some native shrubs to help shade out the canary grass, and mulch down the blackberry. The work that the boys do bringing this boarder of Connelly creek back into balance is noticed and appreciated by the neighbors of the park, who often come to see the work we’re doing and share their thanks.
Thanks for your great work, Explorers!!! You did a wonderful job, and the land is grateful. Parents, thank you for supporting these Explorers and for giving them the chance to serve the land with us. Don’t forget to check out pictures from our outing in the photo gallery.
Our next outing is on May 18th at Arroyo Park, Steve and Greg are already looking forward to exploring that fantastic spot with all of you!
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