If there was a question about effective ways to connect twenty-first century boys to their natural environment, it was quickly answered on the first day of our Red Squirrel Kits camp. Our opening circle, during which we discuss our ideas for the day and assign jobs (Medicine Man carries the first aid kit, Knowledge Keepers carry plant and animal field guiles, etc.) was punctuated with requests for games. There is great power in games played in the forest and along the shore. The boys are physically active, the games teach the dynamics of life in the wild, and they’re fun!
In December of 2013, the city of Bellingham purchased roughly 82 acres of wooded land, added 29 acres of
adjacent parkland, and created a “hundred-acre wood”. “From the squishy mats beneath the forest to the banks of small swampy ponds everywhere, wetlands at this site hold and filter lots of water,” Wendy Scherrer, former director of the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), once described the setting. “Soggy places, the cedars and firs, the cottonwoods and willows, the mosses, rushes and cattails and shrubs help moderate storm runoff and absorb floodwater. The site is a sort of big natural reservoir for Padden and Chuckanut creeks—nature’s kidneys.” It was into this jewel that we ventured on that first day of camp. Eleven eager and energetic boys endured our opening meeting with admirable restraint, then literally ran into the forest for Hungry Hungry Martin, Hide!, and Spider’s Web.
After a few hours of high energy activity, it was time for lunch and some free exploration. Whereas the games elicit the gut-level release that can accompany time spent in open spaces, free exploration (and the sit spot - more on that in a moment) offers the possibility of deep nature connection. We encourage our explorers to slow down, to notice the small details that reveal so much. In this
case, their exploration revealed a hornet who stung the youngest of our group, which took some of the wind out of those sails. It also highlighted our Explorer Mentor Apprentices (EMAs), two of whom we were fortunate to have volunteering with us for the camp. Max and Jordan are long time members of one of our oldest Explorers Club (EC) groups. Max was quick to sit with our patient, treat his wound and sooth his anxiety, demonstrating and living our goal of connecting with the land and each other. Jordan would prove his worth later in the camp.
Time for our sit spot. A prized tool of nature connection, the sit spot involves, well, sitting in a spot for a while, alone and quiet. After a few minutes of quieting, the senses kick into high gear; the sound of the birds, the feel of the breeze, the speckling of the sunlight through the trees, the feel of the bark against which you find yourself leaning. Along the beach, you might taste the salt air. The boys take to this activity in different ways. At this age, there is the predictable fidgeting (although a few of this group was asking for the sit spot on days 2 & 3!), while those more experienced can be seen drifting off to a special psychological place.
A game of Cougar Stalks Deer on our way back to the trailhead and our time in the hundred-acre wood drew to a close.
Monday’s game play was a hard act to follow, and our games on day 2 weren’t flowing with the same vigor and excitement until mentor Steve found a treasure while playing a game taught to the group by one of our explorers. Boys explorers groups visit Lake Padden often for the magical forest to explore, the inviting lake to
swim, and the space to play games. The game our explorer taught us involved hiding in the ferns and trees until found, then running to escape capture. While hiding, Steve used his owl eyes to spy a bird skeleton in the underbrush. When he returned to our “base camp” with his find, even those explorers who had lost interest in our games became laser focused. The question was pure naturalist study: what kind of bird was this and how did he meet his demise? The bones and feathers were examined and the nature guide consulted. Theories were put forth and photos snapped. The interest and energy level of the group rose in moments.
It’s simple, really. As mentors, we work to encourage nature connection through facilitated exposure to all nature has to offer, but as with any endeavor, interest can wane and attention wander. Steve’s discovery became the point where mystery, interest, energy and attention converged...a teachable moment.
As we were reminded on this day, these moments can happen at any time as long as we follow where the
land and the boy’s interests take us. The skeleton was still on the minds of several of the boys when we worked our way down to the lake for a swim to end the day. We no sooner splashed into the lake than we spied several ducks swimming near the shore and had the answer to our investigation. The tail feathers were a good match for the ones Steve found with the skeleton. The victim was a Mallard duck.
Mystery solved and explorers refreshed from a dip in the lake and Tuesday’s outing was at an end. The question on the mentor’s minds related to how well these young boys would do on a third consecutive day of exploration. The answer surprised us.
He was so eager, we just had to let him try it! Wednesday found us hiking down to Clayton Beach, along the shore of the Salish Sea. As we’ll find out in a bit, the beach is a wonderland of fun and discovery, but we would be remiss to walk right past a great Spider’s Web spot, so we stepped off trail to play one last game for our camp. This time, thanks to his insistence, one of our explorers played the spider. (For younger boys new to the game, a mentor or EMA usually plays this role.) The “flies” managed to capture the food source despite the excellent job done by our spider and we were off to the beach.
The tide was in when we arrived, which meant we needed to keep to the rocks or walk in ankle-deep water as we explored along the beach. Tough spot for young boys, wouldn’t you agree, having to scamper along on the rocks to avoid the surf? Or, wade through the surf to avoid the rocks? We had several takers for each route and it was the rocky option that provided the setting for EMA Jordan to strut his stuff. As a few explorers edged along a rising crease in the rocks, Jordan asked an outstanding mentor question, “Have you thought about how you’re going to get down from there?” The boys looked up to where their path was taking them, considered their options, and reversed course. Jordan had ensured their safety while prompting the boys to think through their situation and decide on their best option. Outstanding work!
The next few hours involved swimming, rock climbing, “surfing” down a large sand dune, exploring for
creatures in pools of water left behind by the receding tide and general lazing in the sun. Of course, a game was also in order; this time we played Otter Steals Fish on the beach. When it came time for our third and final sit spot of the camp, we were delighted to encounter a group from the Girls Explorers Club. Luckily for the mentors, at this age such a meeting isn’t what it might be for older explorers, so the sit spot went off without a hitch as the silent islands broke the sun’s reflection off the water.
Is it possible to be tired and energized at the same time? As the boys gave thanks In our closing meeting, they touched on the power of place we experienced in our 3 day camp. The nurturing hundred acre wood, the refreshing Lake Padden and the inviting and challenging Salish Sea, all within a stone’s throw of our homes, offer a deep dive into the connectedness of our natural world.
In December of 2013, the city of Bellingham purchased roughly 82 acres of wooded land, added 29 acres of
adjacent parkland, and created a “hundred-acre wood”. “From the squishy mats beneath the forest to the banks of small swampy ponds everywhere, wetlands at this site hold and filter lots of water,” Wendy Scherrer, former director of the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), once described the setting. “Soggy places, the cedars and firs, the cottonwoods and willows, the mosses, rushes and cattails and shrubs help moderate storm runoff and absorb floodwater. The site is a sort of big natural reservoir for Padden and Chuckanut creeks—nature’s kidneys.” It was into this jewel that we ventured on that first day of camp. Eleven eager and energetic boys endured our opening meeting with admirable restraint, then literally ran into the forest for Hungry Hungry Martin, Hide!, and Spider’s Web.After a few hours of high energy activity, it was time for lunch and some free exploration. Whereas the games elicit the gut-level release that can accompany time spent in open spaces, free exploration (and the sit spot - more on that in a moment) offers the possibility of deep nature connection. We encourage our explorers to slow down, to notice the small details that reveal so much. In this
case, their exploration revealed a hornet who stung the youngest of our group, which took some of the wind out of those sails. It also highlighted our Explorer Mentor Apprentices (EMAs), two of whom we were fortunate to have volunteering with us for the camp. Max and Jordan are long time members of one of our oldest Explorers Club (EC) groups. Max was quick to sit with our patient, treat his wound and sooth his anxiety, demonstrating and living our goal of connecting with the land and each other. Jordan would prove his worth later in the camp.Time for our sit spot. A prized tool of nature connection, the sit spot involves, well, sitting in a spot for a while, alone and quiet. After a few minutes of quieting, the senses kick into high gear; the sound of the birds, the feel of the breeze, the speckling of the sunlight through the trees, the feel of the bark against which you find yourself leaning. Along the beach, you might taste the salt air. The boys take to this activity in different ways. At this age, there is the predictable fidgeting (although a few of this group was asking for the sit spot on days 2 & 3!), while those more experienced can be seen drifting off to a special psychological place.
A game of Cougar Stalks Deer on our way back to the trailhead and our time in the hundred-acre wood drew to a close.
Monday’s game play was a hard act to follow, and our games on day 2 weren’t flowing with the same vigor and excitement until mentor Steve found a treasure while playing a game taught to the group by one of our explorers. Boys explorers groups visit Lake Padden often for the magical forest to explore, the inviting lake to
swim, and the space to play games. The game our explorer taught us involved hiding in the ferns and trees until found, then running to escape capture. While hiding, Steve used his owl eyes to spy a bird skeleton in the underbrush. When he returned to our “base camp” with his find, even those explorers who had lost interest in our games became laser focused. The question was pure naturalist study: what kind of bird was this and how did he meet his demise? The bones and feathers were examined and the nature guide consulted. Theories were put forth and photos snapped. The interest and energy level of the group rose in moments.It’s simple, really. As mentors, we work to encourage nature connection through facilitated exposure to all nature has to offer, but as with any endeavor, interest can wane and attention wander. Steve’s discovery became the point where mystery, interest, energy and attention converged...a teachable moment.
As we were reminded on this day, these moments can happen at any time as long as we follow where the
land and the boy’s interests take us. The skeleton was still on the minds of several of the boys when we worked our way down to the lake for a swim to end the day. We no sooner splashed into the lake than we spied several ducks swimming near the shore and had the answer to our investigation. The tail feathers were a good match for the ones Steve found with the skeleton. The victim was a Mallard duck.Mystery solved and explorers refreshed from a dip in the lake and Tuesday’s outing was at an end. The question on the mentor’s minds related to how well these young boys would do on a third consecutive day of exploration. The answer surprised us.
He was so eager, we just had to let him try it! Wednesday found us hiking down to Clayton Beach, along the shore of the Salish Sea. As we’ll find out in a bit, the beach is a wonderland of fun and discovery, but we would be remiss to walk right past a great Spider’s Web spot, so we stepped off trail to play one last game for our camp. This time, thanks to his insistence, one of our explorers played the spider. (For younger boys new to the game, a mentor or EMA usually plays this role.) The “flies” managed to capture the food source despite the excellent job done by our spider and we were off to the beach.
The tide was in when we arrived, which meant we needed to keep to the rocks or walk in ankle-deep water as we explored along the beach. Tough spot for young boys, wouldn’t you agree, having to scamper along on the rocks to avoid the surf? Or, wade through the surf to avoid the rocks? We had several takers for each route and it was the rocky option that provided the setting for EMA Jordan to strut his stuff. As a few explorers edged along a rising crease in the rocks, Jordan asked an outstanding mentor question, “Have you thought about how you’re going to get down from there?” The boys looked up to where their path was taking them, considered their options, and reversed course. Jordan had ensured their safety while prompting the boys to think through their situation and decide on their best option. Outstanding work!The next few hours involved swimming, rock climbing, “surfing” down a large sand dune, exploring for
creatures in pools of water left behind by the receding tide and general lazing in the sun. Of course, a game was also in order; this time we played Otter Steals Fish on the beach. When it came time for our third and final sit spot of the camp, we were delighted to encounter a group from the Girls Explorers Club. Luckily for the mentors, at this age such a meeting isn’t what it might be for older explorers, so the sit spot went off without a hitch as the silent islands broke the sun’s reflection off the water.Is it possible to be tired and energized at the same time? As the boys gave thanks In our closing meeting, they touched on the power of place we experienced in our 3 day camp. The nurturing hundred acre wood, the refreshing Lake Padden and the inviting and challenging Salish Sea, all within a stone’s throw of our homes, offer a deep dive into the connectedness of our natural world.
With the capable assistance of our EMA's and an active curiosity about the natural world from your explorers, this Red Squirrel Kits camp was a great experience. Thank you, parents and guardians, for your support of the program and for sharing your boys with us for this adventure. Check out the photo gallery for more glimpses into our time together.
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