Cascadia Explorations June 20-24

On Monday everyone arrived bright and early at Hundred Acre Wood for their first day of summer camp. Our first challenge was getting together in a circle to go over some ground rules and discuss our plans for the day. This proved to be far more difficult than anticipated. As the girls group of first and second graders circled up in a few minutes, it took our group of boys nearly thirty minutes. Finally in a circle we discussed safety, risk management, and some Wild Whatcom culture like using a crow call to rally everyone together. Prepared for adventure we headed into the woods. Finding some good

material for shelter building we jumped right into building some debris shelters and exploring the landscape. We quickly discovered some red berries as well. Learning about how to “Meet-Before-You-Eat” we reviewed plant identification basics and met a few of or local plants like Red Huckleberry, Thimbleberry, and Salmon Berry. To finish our day we explored deeper into the expanses of the Hundred Acre Wood and found a great area for free play and learning about Stinging Nettle. Hiking back we met up with parents for pick up and closed the books on our first day of camp.

On Tuesday we met up at Lake Padden where we re-visited the importance of concisely circling up and covering our opening discussion before hitting the trail. We also took some time to play a name game and learn a bit more about everyone in the group. Getting up into the horse trails we hit our first junction and had to make a group decision. Pop quiz! The boys took a bit of assistance from the mentors, but with a couple reminders they circled up, collaborated, compromised, and came to a consensus on which way to go. This was pretty impressive for a new group on their second day, and allowed us to get

down the trail to learn a new game called “HIDE!” This game is great for learning the basics of camouflage. Ask your camper how to play! After a bit of free exploration we kicked it up a notch and learned “Eagle Eye” which is an advanced version of HIDE that involves a bit more stealthy movement through the forest. Finally we learned our final game, the infamous “Spider’s Web” which is basically a combination of HIDE and Capture the Flag. Again, I’m sure your camper would be glad to explain the rules! Finishing up our day we hiked back down to the parking lot and met the parents for the end of day two.

Wednesday, day three, we had a big day in store. Trekking down to Bakerview Beach we were greeted with a stunning view of tide flats as far as the eye could see. Taking it in, it was all we could do to make sure everyone had sunscreen and water shoes before running out into the expansiveness. In no time campers were digging channels between the tide pools making a “Venice 2.0” that had islands and dozens of interconnected canals. A few of the other boys decided to have a mud fight while others just

lounged on the beach crafting and conversing. After a few hours we rallied the group and trekked of to the delta where the Nooksack River outpours into Bellingham Bay. Stashing packs we waded through the river, discovered “quick sand,” and had a thoroughly good time splashing around for the rest of the day. Before we knew it we were out of time! Hiking back hurriedly it was all we could do to make it back after using up all our energy reserves playing under a warm Bellingham sun.

On Thursday it was time for a traverse. Meeting at Larrabee State Park we circled up before heading towards Clayton Beach. There must have been some tired campers after Wednesday, because everyone was a little loopy on a somewhat dreary and damp day. Progress with our focus and circling took a step back, but after a good talk from the mentors everyone started pulling it together and made an agreement to circle up and listen respectfully when called upon. Not only is this important for interpersonal communication, but in a risk management scenario having well behaved boys who can circle and listen is paramount. Hitting the trail we moved along and played a few games of HIDE followed by some lunch while exchanging jokes and riddles. Getting further along the trail we found a gorgeous ravine with a babbling brook, small waterfall, and tons of potential for exploration. Opening things up the boys scrambled up and down the ravine, splashed in the creek, and

scurried in the ferns. We decided to get a game of Spider’s Web together and let the boys organize it. Quickly it became apparent that this game was not going to work out, but how else to learn than from failure. No one circled, collaborated, compromised, or came to a consensus, yet somehow they “decided” on where to set up the game. After playing a game that fell apart and had campers complaining and blaming one another for cheating the mentors stepped in. Talking about our group decision making process, the mentors walked them through the process and within only a few minutes a game was set up that everyone was excited about and felt like they were at a consensus. Everyone seemed to really appreciate this demonstration in how a little leadership, individual focus, and working through the proper group decision making process can make a big difference. Following our successful game of Spider’s Web we scampered down to the beach for some climbing, rock skipping, and sea creature catching. What a way to cap off the day.

Finally our final day. On Friday we met at Bloedel-Donovan Park where we jumped right into some play. Gathering up we learned how to play “Fire in the Forest” which is a fun tagging game that is great for getting some wiggles out early on an outing. Afterwards we circled up to talk about a plan for the day and headed out to Whatcom Falls Park. Along our way we revisited our plant identification and learned about a few new plants and their medicinal properties; like Cottonwood whose sticky buds can be turned into a salve for antiseptic use. Following the trail we found a good swimming hole beside a bridge

that held all sorts of discoveries like; freshwater clams, animal tracks, and even crayfish that can be caught with a little camper ingenuity. After a nice lunch and a bit of swimming we packed back up and found a great place for Spider’s Web. We played a couple solid games of Spider’s Web and had a really good time putting our freshly honed sneaking and camouflage skills to the test. Finally it was time for our last closing circle. What a difference from the first day. These boys got in a circle, settled in and listened respectfully. We talked about what we did during the week and took some time to go around individually and share what we were grateful for from the week. Everyone had some very insightful tidbits and we all had a good time looking back on some fun memories. With our time coming to an end we hiked back to meet our parents one last time and capped off a full week of exploration with an incredibly positive note.

Make sure to check out the rest of our photos here! We have a ton more amazing pictures of our adventures that will be well worth your time to check out and even download to your personal computer.