Plenty to Harvest in the Snow at Lookout Mountain

The Roosevelt Elk Calves arrived to Lookout Mountain on a snowy Saturday. With plenty of energy buzzing around the group as they hurled snowballs at one another it was difficult for the mentors to gather enough focus on developing a game plan for the day. After some time the group’s energy settled down and we decided to hike back in to check on our old debris shelter, continue developing our definition of what harvest means, learn some new harvesting techniques, and maybe even play a game or two!

Gathering snow for a snowball

  Hitting the trail we hiked by snow covered Sword Ferns appreciating the peacefulness the white blanket brought to the forest. Passing by a familiar location the boys remembered jumping down a hillside on their last outing and just had to do it again. While letting the boys play for a bit, the mentors paused the game and had everyone take note of the impact they were leaving on the hillside. Lucky for us we were off the trail, not near a stream or water source that could be further impacted by erosion, and the impact we had wasn’t going to damage any of the trees or plants nearby. That being said, we made sure to take note of what sort of impact a group of Explorers can truly leave, and decided to be more mindful in the future before getting lost in play and disregarding the trace we may be leaving.

Hope you brought your boots!

Heading deeper into the woods we stopped to look at an old deer skeleton the mentors knew had been decaying just off trail for the past few months, then set off for the location of our old debris shelter. Once we arrived we settled in and began exploring, playing games with friends, and working on the debris shelter. But before we got too lost in what we were doing we gathered up for a decision making circle where after ten minutes of goofing around, the mentors really called upon the boys to tap into their ability to focus and make a decision. The Explorers were reminded that one day they would be grown up and in charge of making the big decisions that impact our society and environment. With the pep talk out of the way the group got it together and we were off onto the rest of our outing.

What remains of a young deer. Chewed off ribs and nose of skull suggests feeding by coyotes.

Working on the debris shelter

 After romping around a bit more through exploration and free play, the outing naturally transitioned to learning about harvesting fire materials. First the Roosevelt Elk Calves learned what Western Hemlock was and how to identify it. Next we found where we could find dry, dead hemlock branches for our kindling. Finally, we found a small, dead tree still standing and well off the damp ground to saw into smaller chunks and then baton with our knives into manageable firewood. This all took up the rest of our outing and with a quick closing circle where we gave some thanks and ate some apples we were finished for the day. Hiking out the mentors appreciated the way this group rallied to focus and make the most of our time together. They transitioned seamlessly from play to focused learning and skills building and demonstrated an ability to get it together when asked of them. We will make sure to remember this for the future as this group continues to dig into the Art of Harvest and what harvest, and our relationship to the natural world, means to them. 

Learning how to use a limbing saw to cut up sections of the dead tree

Full bundle of Western Hemlock branches for kindling

 For more photos form our outing check out the photo album!

Roosevelt Elk Calves Harvest from the Past at North Galbraith

Meeting up for the first time since winter break, the Roosevelt Elk Calves gathered at North Galbraith Mountain Trailhead eager to explore the varied landscape. Heading out, we trekked down the trail toward the bike jumps and our still standing debris shelters from the fall! Taking a break to inspect our handy work with the debris shelters and cruise along the bike jumps, we gathered up for an opening circle to discuss our plans for the day. Not only did we have an Explorer from the Jumping Mice on a make-up outing, but we also had a volunteer from Western who was tagging along to gather video, photos, and do some interviews to put together a short film for Wild Whatcom. It was rather amusing for the mentors to see how little effect having a paparazzi along for the outing had on them. Perhaps they were just too immersed in exploring, free play, and getting outside with their buddies.

Getting a good run on the bike jumps

After our opening circle, we dropped down into the recently deforested section of Galbraith Mountain where we took some time to absorb the transformation of this location. Once a Boys Explorers Club stomping ground where many a game of Spider’s Web and Life and Death in the Forest had been played, the landscape had been completely transformed with heaps of debris piled high and only a few Big Leaf Maples standing sporadically upon the landscape. Not only did this offer a great opportunity to observe the different ways humans interact with the natural world, but it also offered up a bounty of downed Western Red Cedar, Big Leaf Maple, and many other harvestable materials. We even had a great opportunity to check out a massive widow-maker where the top of a maple snapped off and got snagged on a lower section of the tree. 

Traveling through the deforested landscape

Checking out the widow-maker and learning about its impact on the tree

Moving through the deforested land we dropped down to a creek where the forest was preserved to keep the stream safe from erosion. This sliver of untouched forest was the perfect spot to settle in and talk for a bit about The Art of Harvest; our focus for the spring. The Roosevelt Elk Calves demonstrated their growth as a group while they sat in a circle and had a conversation about what we harvest, how we harvest, and what the term “harvest” means to us. The mentors made a point to not provide a definition of harvest, rather let the group develop their own definition of harvest. This was a great example of the maturation of this group as they each shared unique perspectives on what harvest can mean and even dove into ethics of harvest and how it varies from person to person (unprompted!). With our discussion wrapped up it was time to transition to a group decision making process to determine how we would spend the rest of the outing.

Building a bridge during free play

As the Tribal Elder took over, the Explorers took turns sharing how they wanted to spend the outing. They collaborated, compromised, and came to a consensus. Kicking things off with some free play and exploration, we later relocated to a denser section of forest to play a few rounds of Spider’s Web. In addition to all this fun play, the mentors channeled their own inspirations to harvest from the disturbed landscape to create a bow drill kit and an atlatl. Testing out the atlatl quickly caught the attention of the group and all the boys wanted one of their own. Scouring the landscape we found many downed branches of Big Leaf Maple that created perfect launchers, while the fresh sprouts protruding up from the stumps of logged Big Leaf Maples offered perfect straight, long, and flexible darts to be flung. The atlatl is an extremely primitive tool that spanned the gap between spear and bow. Basically operating like a tennis ball launcher used to play fetch with dogs, the atlatl extends the length of arm allowing one to fling the dart a greater distance.

Counting the rings to determine the age of a Western Red Cedar

Running out of time the Roosevelt Elk Calves scrambled to finish up their atlatls, before closing circle. We set aside the much distracting tools we just created in order to bring our full focus to our circle of thanks. Passing around the apple slices the Explorers were all very grateful for the good weather, plenty of play and exploration, and how the group followed their inspirations to create atlatls. With just enough time left, we trekked back to the trailhead pausing briefly to assemble an atlatl flinging competition. The boys lined up and all launched their atlatls down the logging road to see who could fling their dart the furthest. A fun moment for the Roosevelt Elk Calves, no doubt, but for the mentors, seeing a posse of boys carving atlatls and flinging darts together felt like taking a step back in time. One can only imagine how many times that same process had taken place thousands of years ago. Boys growing up, learning how to use atlatls, playing games in the forest to hone sneaking skills, discovering new ways to harvest and utilize natural materials like cedar bark to make tinder bundles and Licorice Fern to make medicine. Not only did we have a blast today, but we stepped into a time machine and connected with the roots of humanity. What more could one ask for on a Saturday afternoon?!

Ready, aim, fire!

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

REC Shelter Building at North Galbraith on 9-18-2016

As the weather cools and leaves turn brown and brittle, the thought of a cozy place to hibernate grows in our minds. Shelter - one of the necessities of all life, from anthills to estates, to protect creatures from predators or the harsh elements. Today, the Roosevelt Elk Calves had the opportunity to practice shelter building at North Galbraith.

On this crisp, bright day, we decided to hike in for opening circle. Along the way we found a cluster of bike jumps where we let the boys run out their morning energy, but it came to an abrupt end when one of the boys twisted his ankle. After wrapping his ankle, we decided as a group not to travel further down the trail; so we circled up where we were and planned our day.

Sunlight filtered through the tent-like curtains of western red cedar surrounding us as we talked about shelter. All animals need it, and many plants do as well. They find it in the forms of holes and burrows, thickets, snags and logs, river rocks, and constructed houses like beaver dams or apartment complexes (and even tents). The question we wanted to explore today was, How do you make shelter from debris in the forest? We chose to start small and go from there.

We talked about the progression of layers in a shelter: the “skeleton” of sticks, a lattice “skin” of twigs or vines, and “fur” of leaves and duff. The boys began by each making their own faerie shelter (sized accordingly) out of any earth materials they could find. Each one was intriguingly unique.

Next, we divided the boys into two teams. Each team was captained by an Explorer Mentor Apprentice: boys in the eldest group, who have graduated from Explorer’s Club and are now practicing leadership skills with younger groups. Each team had to build a debris shelter in two hours. They were provided with two Y-sticks to start, and had to construct the rest of the shelters skeleton with their team. Once the skeleton looked solid, they collected hemlock twigs, dead sword ferns, and trailing blackberry for the lattice. Next, they covered the shelter with leaves and forest debris. The goal depth was fingertip-to-armpit length, but neither group quite made it. Regardless, the mentor assistants helped test the rain-proof nature of their teams shelter by laying inside while a full water bottle was poured over each. The first shelter let only a few drops through. The second mentor assistant, however, was completely drenched by the end! It was a great opportunity to talk about adjustments they would make in the future.

Before our closing circle, we played Spider’s Web. Our injured party helped by volunteering to be the stationary waver. Finally we hiked the short distance out and sent the boys back to their own family shelters with the newfound appreciation that their homes WILL keep out the coming rains.

Roosevelt Elk Calves Make All the Right Decisions at Lookout Mountain

The Roosevelt Elk Calves met up at Lookout Mountain for their final outing of the fall season. On a drizzly day, it was a perfect setting for the Explorers to finish up their season focused on shelter building. Hitting the trail after an opening circle, we trekked along the trail in search of a good location to build a shelter. Arriving at a hillside of small conifers the boys jumped right into free play scrambling around the hillside. We got together to revisit what to look for when selecting a shelter location; flat ground, abundant building resources, and potentially some canopy cover if you’re lucky. Realizing our current location wasn’t ideal, we ate some food, packed up, and headed out in search of a new location.

Opening circle, deciding how to spend our outing

Creating the skeleton of the shelter

Gathering shelter building materials

Backtracking with a renewed focus on finding a location that fit all our requirements we got back onto the trail and headed out. The mentors noticed the boys getting back into “hike” mode with blinders on, cruising down the trail at a fast pace. We made sure to slow down, take the blinders off, and start looking around taking in our surroundings and viewing the landscape through the lens of shelter building. Shortly after slowing down, we found a prime location to set up shop and get down to business. The mentors took a step back and let the Roosevelt Elk Calves work together as a group to collaborate and make a group decision on where to build their shelter. They showed tremendous cooperation working together to come to a consensus that everyone agreed upon. Next they decided on what type of shelter to build, and got to work. Gathering a bunch of young Alders that had fallen down in the wind, the boys engineered a leverage system using two trees in close proximity to wedge the long, skinny alders in between and torque to the side and snap the lengthy building materials down to a more manageable size. Their ingenuity and ability to work together dividing up tasks was rather impressive for a group of ten and eleven year old boys. It was truly a testament to all the time this group has spent together over the years. After the primary structure of the shelter was up, the mentors felt good about the progress and transitioned to playing games.

Continuing to add to our shelter

Breaking the small Alders down to size

Reviewing our work and discussing ways to improve the shelter

One last time, the group came together to collaborate, compromise, and come to a consensus on how best to spend the rest of the day. Deciding on a game of Spider’s Web, the boys ate some food, re-hydrated, and set up the game. Working their way down through a valley filled with Sword Fern, Devils Club, and small stands of Red Alder, the boys slowly but surely made progress retrieving the food source from under the watchful eye of the Spider. As the game wound down, the Flies proved victorious once again and it was time for our closing circle. 

Getting together for our closing circle

Hanging out and giving some thanks before hiking back to the parking lot

During our final outing of the season the Roosevelt Elk Calves demonstrated that they had taken the next step in their growth as a group. The group worked together, showing a tremendous ability to collaborate and come to a consensus as a group under the leadership of a peer in the role of Tribal Elder. They offered great respect to one another, were patient, deliberate, and concise in their efforts to reach decisions as a group, and all without any need for the mentors to step in and help. On countless occasions before, mentors have watched groups this age struggle to even come close to how well the Roosevelt Elk Calves worked together on this outing. With a brief respite for the holiday season, we are eager to get back out exploring with this group and see if they can prove once again that they are ahead of the curve when it comes to cooperative collaboration and group decision making. Not only is this a credit to the group, but also to each and every individual that makes up this awesome bunch of Explorers.

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