Roosevelt Elk Calves navigate Whatcom Falls Park

 Under drizzly skies Tim and I found shelter under the immense branches of a spruce tree in whatcom falls park. We didn’t have to wait long for the excited explorers to show up. It is always such a pleasure to see the boys excited no matter the weather, and their excitement is contagious enough to make me forget the weather as well. Happily we waited in the rain talking and sharing stories from our Winter season. Soon we had all the Explorers and headed into the woods.

Without fail the huge stone bridge that crosses Whatcom creek stops every group that goes over it. We hung our heads over watching the mesmerizing splash of water hitting rocks. We spied several birds flitting along the fringe of water and air. We made our way toward the slope that ran down toward the creek. Before making our way out onto the rocks that skirted the creek we stopped the boys to have a quick conversation about the hazards of going close to the creek on a wet day such as this. The boys raised each others awareness to the fact that the rocks were slippery from the rain and that we should not get too close to the edge or move too quickly while on the rocks. Sometimes all it takes in these moments is to slow the boys down enough to make good risk management decisions based on their own observations.

 We scrambled up a steep hillside and moved off trail and into the thick undergrowth where the Roosevelt Elk Calves are most at home. At the top of this hill the boys were immediately drawn to the giant root ball of an upturned Douglas Fir. The tree had left a deep depression in the grown with the roots reaching a good ten feet above this hole. Quickly the Roosevelt Elk Calves began laying sticks on the roots to create a fort. Though not quite a fully insulated and waterproof earth shelter like we had made in our fall season it was cool to see the boys using the same basic skills we had learned with shelter building to turn this root ball into a fort.

The boys continued to work on the fort; laying bark shingles over it, creating doors and other features, and using their creativity to turn this upturned root into a very cool fort. Afternoon like this where the whole group is collaborating on one project and using their creativity and imagination are truly magical to witness.

The Fort construction reached it’s peak so the group shifted gears. The Earth skills focus for our season is Navigation and particularly navigating without the aid of maps or compasses. This skill is an empowering one and can allow us to travel deeper into the woods we love to explore. The boys gathered as Tim and I began to explain Songlines (an old navigation technique) to the boys. We split into two groups intending to each make up our own songline then share ours with the other group in hopes of retracing eachothers steps.

After about twenty minutes we met back up ready to take navigate each others songlines. It was a great activity full of laughter and fun. Some of the Songlines the boys made up were very poetic with rimes and clever word choice to describe the landscape. Parents, next time you are out hiking with your Explorers ask them to teach you how to do a songline you will be both impressed by their navigation skills as well as their ability to rhyme and creatively explain their environment.

After the Songlines we gathered to have our closing circle and share our thanks and apples. The Roosevelt Elk Calves did a great job collaborating and making group decisions it has been really great to see this group grow together even in the course of just a few seasons. As always thank you explorers for your continual energy and curiosity and thank you parents for your support every season. Make sure to check out our photo galleryfor more pictures!

Exploring Whatcom Falls Park with the Roosevelt Elk Calves

The Roosevelt Elk Calves assembled at Whatcom Falls Park wearing their rain gear and ready for the day. As we circled the group basked in the warmth of the sun. The Explorers were anxious to get going but Mentors encouraged them to take one more moment in the sun. As we draw closer to the winter, we never know if it’s going to be the last sunshine we will see until spring. Being true Washingtonians the Explorers started to get too hot with all their layers on and made the decision to retreat to the shade of the forest. The group headed into the woods to have an opening meeting and to play a game calledHungry Hungry Martin.

Hungry Hungry Martin is played by one Explorer taking on the role of a martin while the rest of the group are squirrels. The squirrels try to escape the martin’s teeth by touching a specific tree. As we searched for the perfect tree to play the group came across a large Douglas Fir tree that had scattered the ground with cones. We picked a few of them up and explained to the boys how much we can learn by looking at the different cones of trees. In this cone the Mentors could tell what type of tree it was from and who was living in it. As we examined the cone I told them the story of the mouse escaping the forest fire by hiding in the Douglas Fir bark. As a group we can get to know the diverse forest ecology by using stories to help us make sense of and identify our surroundings.

            After playing a few rounds we had got a little of our squirreliness out and it was time for an opening meeting. Mentors handed out jobs while the group ate lunch and introduced our focus for the day, exploration. On our explorations the Mentors follow the interests of the boys and through circular leadership they guide the group. Greg and I then revisited the important jobs of the Front Scout and Back Scout; these Scouts keep the group together and scan for hazards while tracking where we have been and where we are headed. Since the boys seemed to be quite familiar with Whatcom Falls, the Scouts had a lot of work to do.

            Heading into the woods we crossed the bridge just west of the parking lot. We marveled at the water as it cascaded over the falls. While the Explorers enjoyed the falls Mentors shared the importance of recognizing and protecting our watershed.  The health of Whatcom Creek and its surrounding ecosystem is a direct representation of our health. One of the Explorers mentioned that if someone were to pollute the water in Lake Whatcom it would run right to his house. When we start to examine the land close to our homes we realizes thatWe Are All Connected.

            Mentors decided to challenge the group to see if we could get close enough to the falls to feel the mist on our face. We climbed down the steep embankment using the roots as hand holds and stopped about ten feet away from the falls. Normally Mentors would have each Explorer crawl one by one under the overhang so they could look behind the falls, but the flow of the waterfall was much higher than usual. Although we did not get to see behind the waterfall the boys learned a very valuable lesson about risk management. If the risk out weighs the benefits of an activity or action than it is not worth pushing forward. We examined the next ten feet and found a few major hazards. The rocks were very slippery and wet, part of the under hang was covered in water, and water was moving swiftly underneath the rocks adjacent to the falls. The group made a calculated decision not to proceed and scurried back up the embankment to the trail.

            As we debriefed on what had happened the Explorers started to look at the Mentors as though we were going to direct them to the next activity. Mentors responded by stepping out of the circle and saying, “What direction are we going?”.   Some of the group members started to shout out different directions and it was clear that we needed to make yet another group decision. Forming a tight circle the Tribal Elder led the group in a process of decision-making that will quickly become a culture for these boys. The Tribal Elder led the group in a few simple steps that can solve many issues. He first asked the group for their suggestions then identified the options and asked for a show of hands for the two choices. Once he tallied the vote he gave everyone a chance to speak their truth to better understand the two sides. Finally he presented the solution based off of the majority. What an excellent way to facilitate a group decision. After the Tribal Elder was done Mentors gave him one last leadership tool, always ask if anyone is not okay with the decision.  

            The path that the Explorers decided on happened to also be in the same direction as the Mentors favorite place to play a popular game. On our way there we played a few rounds of Hide and filled both of ourEarth Keeper’s bags with cans and trash.  The Explorers modeled being responsible for not only the trash they created, but all the trash that they came across using our motto, You see it You own it, as a reminder.  On our outings we cultivate an ethic of environmental stewardship and are constantly reminded of the work we are called to do.

            Once we arrived Mentors discussed the rules to the highly anticipated game called Spider’s Web. In Spider’s Web there is one spider and the rest of the group are flies.  The spider’s goal is to capture all the flies by using his awareness and stealth to send them back to his web. The spider in this game is very keen because he needs to balance keeping the flies on his web and catching the others who are trying to make it to their food source. The flies used their best forms of stealth and camouflage to evade the spider.  Mentors watched as the flies climbed, crawled and fox walked through a thicket of Oregon Grape, Sword Fern, and Red Huckleberry to obtain their food source only to fall victim to the fangs of the spider. The group played for an hour and a half straight until it was time to transition, what fun!

            We packed up and headed back towards the parking lot, however the outing was not quite over. As we passed the Mallard Duck pond the Mentors decided to introduce the Explorers to a practice that many of us engage in daily. The Explorers spread out on the land to do a Sit Spot.  When we spend time quieting our bodies and minds while connecting with the land we can begin to slow down and open our awareness. A Sit Spot helps us slow down enough to process everything that goes on within our lives.

            Once we heard the Crow Call we circled back up for our closing meeting. The group went around the circle and shared one thing they had seen or discovered while at their sit spot and something that they were thankful for. As we practiced our Attitude of Gratitude we shared a snack together, soaking in the moment and the sun. What an excellent day of adventure and exploration at Whatcom Falls Park.

You can check out more pictures from the outing in the Roosevelt Elk Calves photo gallery.