Foothills Explorations Camp #3 - August 15-17, 2016

Our August 15^th-17^th Foothills Explorations Camp was, for a majority of our group, their first experience with our Boys Program Exploration Camps. As a mentoring team we are thankful to spend time out on the land learning what it means to be an Explorer and embracing all the powers and challenges that comes with the experience.

Common themes throughout our camp were:

·       Core routines of circles, sit spots, games, and naturalist activities.

·       Engagement with group processes and our motto ‘collaborate and compromise’.

·       Opportunities to unplug and decompress through extended free play and self-directed leadership.

·       Time spent learning to use the three tools of the circle in the group decision-making process: our ears to listen to one another, our eyes to bring our focus towards what was going on in the circle, and our hearts to share our truths and encourage one another

·       Learning to play with honor and integrity

·       Having fun and building friendships

·       Deeply connecting with the some wild spaces just outside of Bellingham

Below is a day-by-day snapshot of our week together. For more pictures from the Foothills Explorations Camp please visit this photo album. Thanks again for your support and participation in the program.

Monday, August 15^th – 100 Acre Wood

We began our week together exploring a track of wild land right in Bellingham’s own backyard. Once we had all arrived the group said goodbye to the parents and headed into the woods to get to know one another by playing a name game. Looking around the circle the boys asked who the older kid was in the group was. Jordan introduced himself and explained that he was part of a program called the Explorers Mentor Apprenticeship Program and would be joining them for the duration of their camp to better understand what it means to be a mentor.

Once we were acquainted the mentors asked the boys to sit for what would be the first of many circles during our three days together, and explained that in order to explore safely we need to bring our focus towards our plan for the day and orient ourselves to our current location by asking a few important question.

Together we asked each other: What are the hazards of this location? What animals might we find? How should we treat our fellow group members? What can we do to respect the place we’re in? What do you do if you get lost? What is our plan for the day?

By the end of our meeting the boys were ready to move. The group hiked along until we arrived at the first junction in the trail. The boys stopped, unsure which way to go.

 Circling up the mentors let the group know that it was up to them to decide which way to go. Our mentors call this process circular leadership and it is vital to the boy’s co-creation of their experience in the program.

With some collaboration and compromise the group decided to follow the North trail. Arriving at another junction the group quickly realized that the 100 Acre Wood is a maze of unmarked trails and that there would be a lot of decisions to make. Around the next bend the boys discovered a great location to learn a game called Hide! This game came with the opportunity for the boys to learn the basics of what our mentors call the Art of Camouflage.

After lunch the mentors felt the need to move, so we played a few rounds of a game called Cougar Stalks Deer down the trail. In the game there is a deer that has to try and out navigate the cougars using stealth and stalking. The cougars can approach the deer, but if they are seen moving they get sent to the back of the line.

The boys struggled with the challenge brought up by what would be one of our major themes for the week, playing with honor. In our Boys Summer Camps we learn to engage with others in games by giving each other our best in the spirit of healthy competition. Consequently we learn to hold to the rules and live with the game’s outcomes. The group struggled with the difficulty of being called back to the end of the line over and over again.

Feeling our group cohesion tanking we ended our game and grabbed our packs in route to Hoag’s Pond on the other end of the park. Along the way we feasted on the ripe blackberries and inspected the sap bubbles on a downed Grand Fir.

Arriving at the pond the boys explored the Pond Lilies in search of frogs and Salamanders. By the time we made it halfway around the loop trail it was time to do an activity that would be a core routine for our camp, a Sit Spot.

Together we went over the five S’s of a Sit Spot: Safe, Still, Silent, Solo, and Senses. Spreading out along the trail the boys got quiet and listened to the Marsh Wren and Red-Winged Blackbirds in the Cattails.  Calling the group back together for a closing meeting the boys were asked to describe one thing they heard on their sit spot and share on thing they were thankful for in a practice we call our attitude of gratitude.

Tuesday, August 16^th – Lake Padden

Arriving at the baseball field the boys were excited for another day of exploration.

In our opening meeting we went over the same questions we had addressed the day before and the boys struggled to find the focus to be present in the circle. After twenty minutes we had our plan and broke our circle to play a round of Cougar Stocks Deer in the tall grass along side the field. The boys insisted that Jordan be the deer and with some great teamwork the cougars chased the deer up into a tree and he became cougar breakfast.

Heading out on the South Lake Padden Trail we played a few rounds of Hide and snacked on some food. A few of the boys were concerned that we were eating too soon in the day but the mentors encouraged the boys to eat when they were hungry.  In our program the boys learn to listen to their bodies and respond to their basics survival needs of food, shelter, and water.

Peeling off the trail in a nice open section of the forest the group came across a very poorly built Earth Shelter. Circling up the group asked each other if they could amend the pan for the day and spend some time building shelters. With a bit of group process and facilitation from the mentors the boys decided to work on shelters for a few hours, then play games and eat, and finally end the day swimming at the lake.

The boys formed three groups and got to work on some shelters. Together they learned to only harvest downed materials for building and experimented with different materials and structures.

After an hour and a half of solid focus they stopped to hydrate and eat some lunch. Once we were fueled up the boys went back to working on their shelters, but the mentors asked them to hold to the plan they had created. The group toured each shelter while the mentors critiqued their work.

Before we headed to the lake the mentor wanted to play one last game called Fox Feet. In the game a mentor blindfolds himself and sets his keys in front of him. The boys have to use their best sneaking abilities to retrieve the keys, but if the mentor hears them and points at them they have to start over.

The boys did a great job using their Fox Feet to move quietly, but again struggled with the weight of being called back. The mentors encouraged the boys to play with honor and asked the group to think back to earlier request to play an advanced game called Spider’s Web. The mentors told the group that if they were able to show that they could play with honor throughout the day there would be a perfect place to play the next day at Clayton Beach.

With great attitudes the boys worked through the challenge and made a strong finish to the game. As we were packing up the boys unintentionally aggravated a Bald- Faced Hornets nest and two of the boys got stung. Ouch! On our way to the lake we searched for a plant called Broadleaf Plantain. Successfully locating it the boys chewed up the leaves and spit them into the bee stings. Slowly the pain diminished and the boys did a great job staying calm.

Arriving at the lake the boys spent the rest of the time swimming and covering themselves with grey clay they found on an eroded bank. We circled up on the grass and gave thanks to close our day.

Wednesday, August 17^th, Clayton Beach

Arriving at the parking lot of Clayton Beach the group quickly circled up for an opening meeting. The mentors noticed the boys were becoming more used to the process. Going over our questions for the day the mentors pointed out two safety issues of this location: crossing Chuckanut Drive and the railroad tracks. We would need to bring our best group focus to safely navigate these hazards.

Once we were safely across the road the mentors led the group to one of their favorite spots to play Spiders Web. Circling up the boys learned the rules of Spider’s Web. The goal of this game is for the Spider to capture all the flies on the web before the flies get the food source and bring it back to their base. The boys struggled to focus during the explanation and mentor reminded them of the responsibility and focus needed for an advanced game.

Our first round lasted for a half an hour and ended with a team of boys crawling through the Sword Ferns and using a relay system to bring the food source back to the base.  Asking to play again the boys wanted to have one of them be the spider instead of one of the mentors. The mentors agreed, but only under the condition that the group played with honor and had two spiders. The group agreed and the game commenced. After fifteen minutes the spider’s won and an argument ensued. Circling back up at our packs the mentors revisited the rules we had agreed upon and our commitment to accepting the outcome of the game with grace and humility.

Heading down the trail we passed through an arroyo of Red Alder, Sliver-Beaked Hazelnut, and Salmonberry before crossing the tracks. Stepping out onto the beach the boys scattered everywhere and the mentors called the group back in to set some boundaries. For over an hour the boys climbed the sandstone and explored the shoreline and tidal pools. Through their exploration the boys found gastropods, crabs, calms, seaweed, and sand dollars. As we explored a North wind kicked and the boys played in the wind waves. 

This free exploration time was a powerful moment for the mentors to realize that sometimes we need to step out of the way and let the boys follow their inspirations and discover what the land has to teach.

Gathering back up on the rocks the mentors encouraged the group to move down the beach because the tide was coming in and it would be much easier to travel on the beach than to navigate the rocks at high tide. We traversed down the beach until we came to a nice sandy spot. Sending the group out on their last Sit Spot the boys laid back on the sand and listened to the sound of the waves against the shore and Bald Eagles calling out as they scanned the shallows for Sculpins. It was a powerful moment of connection for the boys.

Coming back in the grouped circled for our last attitude of gratitude. Sitting on the beach with the Chuckanut Mountains at our back and the Salish Sea on our horizon the boys gave thanks for: wind, water, food, Earth Shelters, free exploration, the friends they had made throughout the camp, the Salish Sea, for Spiders Web and Hide, and for the opportunity to spend three uninterrupted days out on the land with each other. What a great close to our three days together. 

Cascadia Explorations Camp #2 August 8-12, 2016

Our August 8^th-11^th Cascadia Explorations Camp was an experience rich with connection, team building, group process, exploration, skill building, challenge, and joy. As a mentoring team we are thankful to spend time out on the land with your boys and to embrace all the powers and challenges that an experience like this brings.
Common themes throughout our camp were:

·       The boy’s increased desire to immerse themselves in it natural world through sit spots, games, and naturalist knowledge.

·       The group’s commitment to engage with group processes and our motto ‘collaborate and compromise’.

·       Opportunities to unplug and decompress through extended free play and self-directed leadership.

·       Time spent learning to use the three tools of the circle in the group decision-making process: our ears to listen to one another, our eyes to bring our focus towards what was going on in the circle, and our hearts to share our truths and encourage one another

·       Opportunities to learn how to recognize the needs of the group and weigh them vs. ones individual needs

·       Experiences that brought our group into the present moment

·       Learning to play with honor and integrity

·       Having fun and building friendships

Below is a day-by-day snapshot of our week together. For more pictures from the Cascadia Explorations Camp please visit this photo album. Thanks again for your support and participation in the program.

Monday, August 8^th – 100 Acre Wood

We began our week together exploring a track of wild land right in Bellingham’s own backyard. Our first day was one of culture building, setting the frame for the week, and coming together as a group.

Once we had all arrived the group headed into the woods to get to know one another by playing a name game. The mentors asked the boys to form what would be the first of many circles during our week, explaining that the group needed to think about some vital questions before we embarked on our journey.

Together the group asked each other: What were the hazards of this location? What animals might we find? How should we treat our fellow group members? What can we do to respect the place we’re in? What do you do if you get lost? What is our plan for the day?

Our meeting ran a long and the group struggled to pay attention to all the mounting questions as they were excited to start exploring. Once our minds were set towards the day we wandered the maze of unmarked trails until we arrived at a great location to learn two games, Hide and Tree Tag. Both of these games are great for getting to know basics of what our mentors call the art of camouflage and some of out native trees. The group played rounds of Hide and Tree Tag for hours, stopping only once to explore the hallowed out root system of a Douglas fir and to hunt for frogs in the adjacent wetland.

The group’s inspiration led them to discovering an Ensatina Salamander and a Bald-Faced Hornets nest! After finding the salamander the boys were very gentle observing it and returning it to it’s home under the Douglas Fir. However the hornets were not, stinging one boy and sending the rest running. It was certainly a great reminder for the group to keep their awareness while exploring.

After lunch the mentors felt the need to move, so we played a few rounds of a game called Cougar Stalks Deer down the trail. In this game there is a deer that has to try and out navigate the cougars using stealth and stalking. The cougars can approach the deer, but if they are seen moving they get sent to the back of the line.

The boys struggled with the challenge and it brought up what would be one of our major themes for the week, playing with honor. In our Boys Summer Camps we learn to engage with others in games by giving each other our best in the spirit of healthy competition. Consequently we learn to hold to the rules and live with the game’s outcomes. The group struggled with the difficulty and being called back to the end of the line over and over again.

The Mentors put a pause to the game and asked the group think back to earlier in the day when someone asked to play a game called Spider’s Web. The mentors told the group that if they were able to show that they could play with honor throughout the week there would be a perfect place to play the game on Thursday at Clayton Beach.

We ended our day with a sit spot as we listened to a Pileated Woodpecker excavate a cavity in a dead Western Red Cedar. Circling up we gave some thanks with our attitude of gratitude and reflected on the day.

Tuesday, August 9^th – Lake Padden

Arriving at the baseball field the boys said hello to our guest mentor for the day, Sarah Lane, who informed them that she was Wild Whatcom’s newly hired Schools Coordinator. The mentors let the group know that is was important that they modeled the group culture they learned at the 100 Acre Wood because Sarah was joining to learn about what we do in our Boys Program.  

Holding our opening circle we went over the same questions we had mulled over the day before and deepened our leadership by volunteering for a job for the day. The mentors explained that the group’s jobs would represent different functions of an expedition team.

Although it would take too long to explain all the jobs in this blog, our Mentors would like to highlight one very important job that played a big role in our day. This job is called the Tribal Elder. The role of the Tribal Elder within the group is to help the group make decisions by facilitating the group process.

Arriving at our first junction in the trail the Tribal Elder circled the group up for an important decision. Our plan was to take a long trail loop around the South side of Lake Padden and the boys needed to decided whether they wanted to do the up hill first or last.

Try as he might the Tribal Elder struggled to keep the group on task and many of the boys dug their heels in and refused to compromise. In the end a few of the boys got frustrated and gave into the majority’s desire to tackle the hill first. The mentors explained to the group that their challenge of staying on task and listening to one another were both needed to play Spider’s Web.

Huffing our way up the trail the group stopped for a few water breaks with a couple of boys asking to turn around. The group grasped the nettle and pushed to the top. Taking out our lunches we spent a while decompressing and immersing ourselves in the terrain.

After awhile the mentors felt that we were loosing some cohesion, so we called the group together for another decision. The boys worked hard to decide the time limits and order that they would play a few games while taking into account that we would need to plan in time to have a sit spot and a closing meeting.

The boys played rounds of Hide and Cougar Stalks Deer through the tall stand of Cedar and Western Hemlock. Once the boys had their fill the mentors asked them to circle up to hear the rules of one last game. It could have been the time of day or our energy level, but the group was squirrely and struggled to listen to the rules of Eagle Eye.

Our game commenced and we had mixed results. A few boys played with focus, but a handful taunted the ones who were engaged and upset the flow. After two rounds the mentors called the game and circled the group up. It was time to redirect their energy for a sit spot, but not before calling attention to their need to take ownership over their own actions and treat others as they would themselves.

Crawling over nursing logs the boys plopped down in the moss and laid back, listening to the sounds of the Dark-eyed Juncos and Red-Breasted Robins foraging through the under brush. Our location in the ravine was quiet and our groups energy settled.

Climbing back up the hill to our packs we ended with a closing meeting and a circle of thanks before hiking out.

Wednesday, August 10^th - Nooksack River Delta

Each time the Explorers arrive at the Campbell’s house for a day on Bakerview Beach our mentors are reminded of the power of the Explorers Club community to rally together to provide our participants as rich an experience as possible. Through the generosity of the Campbell’s for the last six years more than 100 Explorers each summer have been able to access the Nooksack River Delta and the immense tidal flats of Bellingham Bay.

From the Campbell’s backyard the group stared out at a maze of sand bars that stretched all the way to Portage Island. Following the steps that led to the beach the group discovered two semi-permanent driftwood shelters. The group admired the architecture and made themselves at home.

Encouraging the group to move we headed north along the beach skirting the estuarine ecosystem that created by outflow of the Nooksack River. The boys were impressed by the scale of the wetland and salt marsh. The mentor explained that the vast networks of Bull Rush and Cattail provided excellent habitat for birds, fish, and mammals.

As we hiked a few boys got into argument over a car tire they had found, which escalated into shoving and tears. It was a powerful moment for the mentors to point out ways to recognize escalation and how to take ones personal power and leadership to defuse it.

Finding a basecamp next to one of the main channels of the river we ate lunch and listened to the Marsh Wren in the tall grass as we watched the Herons and Canada Geese congregate on the sand bars. 

This location is truly expansive and lent itself to following one’s inspiration. Wading through brackish channels baby Flounders darted away from our feet, answering our question of why the birds congregated on the sand bar. We followed the sand bars, which felt like tiny atolls in a vast ocean, ever further toward Lummi Spit. The sunshine would hit the shallow water just right, giving it a beautiful aquamarine color. It was a though we were in the tropics.

Calling the group back to basecamp the mentors stressed the importance of hydrating and applying another coat of sunscreen. Spreading out over the beach the boys took a sit spot. After fifteen minutes the mentors called the group back in. One of the Explorers asked why we had gone a sit spot and said that all he could hear was the wind through the marsh. The mentors told him this was just their aim.

We ended our day with a sensory activity on our way back to the Campbell’s. Each of the boys was blindfolded and told to use their other senses to navigate back to the beach forts. The boys stretched their edge while wandering the tidal flats. Occasionally they would have to wade through the water or navigate over a log, causing them to doubt that they were on the right course.

After twenty minutes in the dark the boys arrived at the beach forts. In our debrief the group gave thanks for their time at the delta and talked about using the sound of wind in the grass to figure out the direction to walk.

Thursday, August 11^th – Larrabee State Park to Clayton Beach

After our expansive day at the Bakerview Beach the group arrived at Larrabee State Park for a traverse to Clayton Beach. Sitting down for an opening meeting the group was quite squirrely and had trouble focusing. Feeling some inspiration the mentors brought a handful of bandanas for a game of Foxtails. Dodging and darting the boys pulled each other’s tails until they had burned off some much needed energy.

Refocusing for the traverse at hand we hiked along the trail to Clayton Beach looking out at the expansive views of Anacortes and the Salish Sea. While the boys hiked the mentors touched on a few natural history points along the way. Together the group looked at the colorful and smooth trunks of a Madrona that clung to the Sandstone cliffs reaching out for the light. We also took a moment to eat the Salal and Trailing Blackberries along the path.

Coming to the mid-way point of our trek the Explorers noticed a Bald-Faced Hornets nest along side the trail. Remembering our experience on Monday the boys looked around for an alternative route. Using their Fox Feet, the boys carefully skirted the nest, leaving it undisturbed. It was a powerful lesson that if we respect the rules of our environment and learn the habits and temperaments of its inhabitants, we can explore safely in almost any situation.

Before starting down the last section of trail to Clayton Beach the group followed a side path which led to one of the mentors favorite spots to play Spiders Web. This secret ravine is not only great for playing games, but was also a great container for free play. Our mentors often find that while in the field we seek to fill our time with as many activities as possible. The group roamed the Sandstone creek bed constructing miniature rafts to float the creek and discovered Red-Legged Frogs and Salamanders. It was a power moment for the mentors to realize that sometimes we need to step out of the way and let the boys follow their inspirations and discover what the land has to teach.

After lunch we circled up to learn the rules of Spider’s Web. The goal of this game is for the Spider to capture all the flies on the web before the flies get the food source and bring it back to their base. The boys did an excellent job listening to the rules and playing with honor. We must have played for two hours before mentors had to call the group in for a closing meeting. Giving some thanks the boys expressed their gratitude for the secret ravine and to experience the fruit of their labor with some long rounds of Spider’s Web.

Friday, August 12^th – Whatcom Falls Park

The boys gathered at Bloedel-Donovan Park and quickly headed for the shade of a few Ponderosa Pine trees. Circling up for an opening meeting the group looked tired from the full week of exploring together. Even though we were feeling low energy the group would have to grasp the nettle and make a plan for the day.

There were many opinions on how we could best use our time, but there was a unanimous call to find a good swimming hole along Whatcom Creek.

Through some collaboration and compromise the boys decided to head to the main falls to do some exploring, traverse the creek to find a swimming hole, and end the day with a round of Spider’s Web.

Heading down the trail we played rounds of Hide and watched the Bellingham Parks Department fell a dead tree. The fifty-foot tall tree came to the ground with a loud crash and the boys were very excited to witness it. They commented on how much skill was involved in the process of tree cutting and decided as disappointing as it was that much old growth was cut down in Washington, it sure took some talent and coordination to accomplish.

Crossing over the bridge to the falls the boys mentioned that the waterfall was much smaller than they remembered. The more time the boys spend on the land the more they begin to understand the seasons and preciousness of fresh water. The mentors reminded the group that all things are connected and had them track where the water was coming from. The group looked around observed how dry the woods were; making that connection that the water in the creek came from Lake Whatcom, which is filled by the Nooksack River and the run off from the surrounding watershed which was also dry.

Feeling the need for water we headed down the creek in search of the perfect swimming hole. It quickly became apparent that the boys were not ready to navigate the tricky terrain while carrying their backpacks. With a little luck we came around a corner and found the perfect swimming spot with an Osprey’s nest right above us.

The boys floated down the creek and worked on a rock dam that contained the swimming hole. Getting caught up in exploration the group traveled too far away from the mentors. The mentors had to travel down the creek to find the boys and called a circle together. The group worked to identify safe boundaries for creek exploration and went over the hazards again.

After two hours of floating and raft building the group reached critical mass and some interpersonal dynamics started to surface. Feeling the call to move we hydrated and lunched before climbing the steep embankment up to the trail. Following the creek we navigated through a patch of Cottonwood and Salmonberries, crossing the creek multiple times before arriving at the perfect swimming hole. We spent the rest of our day feasting on blackberries and letting the gentle current take us down stream.

With only an hour to make it back to the parking lot the boys stretched their edge and slogged back up the trail. The group was exhausted and wanted to give up, but the mentors told them that the only way to make it back was by putting one foot in front of the other.

Before the parking lot we pulled off to the trail to hold our final closing meeting and circle of thanks. The boys gave thanks for their time together, the amazing landscape of Bellingham and Whatcom County, for friendship and comradery, for food and water, and for expansive time spent out on the land exploring and playing games.