Silver Salmon's Larrabee Coast Traverse 6/10/17

The Silver Salmon have outdone themselves! This traverse began with a revisit to our navigation skills and snake discovery, if that's any inkling about how our day unfolded.

This outing requires focus and a switcheroo from our usual It's All about the Journey motto, as we needed to get to Wildcat Cove on schedule. If not, we would be stuck on the sandstone face of "The Bump", a particular rock formation that juts out into the bay that is only accessible when the tide is less than 3 feet. We had to organize our six hour day so we would have enough time to navigate our route, play together, explore the beach, eat, and get to our destination. And, bam! Silver Salmon rocked this outing! They stretched their edges, widened their circles, practiced skills, demonstrated bravery, communicated their needs and supported each other when needed. This mentor is so proud of their growth this season overall.

We gathered at the Clayton beach parking lot and happily and loudly welcomed each other, widening our circle to include each person. Re-connecting as a group is sometimes an awkward process, and play helps dissolve the social divide. Opening circle was like herding squirrels due to our excitement, and then we looked at a tide table and the map to plan our day. A quick visit to the toilet resulted in finding a slithering of Garter snakes, so that was exciting! Handling snakes so you don't get pooped on is an exercise in gentleness and calm and is not about holding them, but rather giving them a continuous surface to move on. Ask your Explorer how to do so. We used lots of hand sanitizer after!

We began our journey down the trail with the need to make a decision about our route, as soon as the trail forked. We stopped to share information about the trail, and then the mentors stepped out of the circle so the Silver Salmon could make a group decision. We don't vote when making decisions in Explorers Club, we instead use Collaboration and Compromise as our guide. Which is a longer process to engage in, but it's vital to the group dynamic. Working through personal frustration and individual wants (let's go!) for the benefit of the group can be challenging. Turns out, this group discussed their options, listened respectfully to each other's opinions and made a decision based on the information and we were on our way in less than five minutes. Nice work, girls!

We hiked the trail down to the railroad tracks and found the infamous rope swing. Yoikes. We had a full S.T.O.P. discussion about why Explorers don't just jump on this swing and go for it. It looks so fun, right?

Here's a situation where the risk very much outweighs the fun. Do we know how long that rope has been hanging there? Is that rope designed to hold weight and be used for this purpose? Do ropes degrade? We considered a long list of "what ifs" and decided if the rope broke, it would be a seriously detrimental experience for everyone. So, we messed around with the rope swing, using it as a messenger service across the creek and such, but it wasn't actually sat on by any Explorer. We watched an adult who decided the swing looked like fun, so we gave him some unsolicited opinions about why that was not a smart idea, ha! We admit it was tough to watch a grownup swinging on this contraption, and not join in that fun. Ah well. we survived our disappointment and had lots of fun in this forested creek gulley. We found a big salamander/newt in the waterfall section of the creek and tracked a shrew for a surprisingly long while. We evolved into our usual wild animal selves; coyotes, cougars and wildcats,  happily exploring the creek, mud and our lunches and playing together in small groups for a couple hours like we do. The Silver Salmon love to play!

And then just like that, it was time to boogie to Larrabee! Now the challenge began. We saw "the Bump" from our rock outcrop near Clayton, and that was our goal. Our first opportunity for focus was to slide down a slick rock face with guidance from Lauren. Plop, plop, plop, with barely a hesitation, Silver Salmon slid right down.

The mentors found that our traverse was going to be trickier than we had previously experienced during this outing. The tide was a bit higher than the prediction, so we didn't have the option to walk along the sandy shore with minimal rock scrambling. It was going to be a scramble across those big boulders, the whole way. So with a sense of urgency, we began our journey.

Was it challenging? Yes. We needed focused awareness on our every step. Some rocks were slippery with decomposing seaweed and unexpectedly shifted under our weight.

Navigating The Bump was the most challenging as the trail is very narrow along the rock face. The margin for error was small and the opportunity for a dunk is high if you're careless. It's key to go slowly and carefully, putting the Slow is Fast and Fast is Slow motto into practice here. The Silver Salmon handled themselves like champs, taking good care of themselves and each other. When there was talking, it was to encourage each other. One thing we discuss often is what being brave means. The Silver Salmon's definition for being brave is 'being scared, and doing it anyways.' We think bravery is not a feeling, it's being persistent and having perseverance to move through a perceived obstacle.

And finally.....YES! We reached our destination with just enough time for a snack and closing circle. Apologies for the delay in our return, this group's circle around sharing connections and acknowledgements for each other was something we couldn't quit. :)

Here's the link to our photo album of the day. And check out Holly's AMAZING granola bar recipe below (Holly got several requests for this recipe after the girls chowed down on them during one of our traverse snack breaks)!

Thank you, Silver Salmon. Great work practicing your skills this season! Here they are, being ferocious! Or laughing at each other's ferociousness!

Granola bars

Preheat oven to 325
Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper (this is KEY!)

In large mixing bowl, mix wet stuff:
~1 ripe mashed banana
~1/2 c nut butter or sunflower butter
1/2 c sweetener (sugar or maple syrup)
Big blob of molasses
Big dash salt
Hearty dash of cinnamon (to taste, whatever you prefer)

Then add dry stuff:
3 c  Rolled oats (not quick)
1/2 c  Shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 c  Raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 c  Raw sunflower seeds
1/2 c  Ground flaxseed/hemp hearts
~1/2 c roasted unsalted peanuts or other nuts
~1/4 c  Chia seeds
~1 c  dried fruit (dates, cherries, apricots, raisins)
~1/2 c or more Chocolate chips
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

Note: anything marked with a ~: I don't really measure these items, I just put enough in so it looks like a good ratio when mixed. These are optional items, use what you've got and experiment.

Mix it all up until thoroughly moistened and smoosh evenly onto parchment covered cookie sheet. Press the batter down hard (use a rolling pin), or your bars will be crumbly. Bake 25-30 minutes. Sometimes I leave them in the oven for a while after it's off so they get really crunchy. Cut when cool. Store in airtight container.  Enjoy!

Point Whitehorn Exploration: 5/21/17

After gathering and waiting for all of our Silver Salmon to arrive, we hopped on the bus and headed north! It was the first sunny day it what felt like years, so we were eager to explore the fascinating forests and beautiful beaches of Point Whitehorn. 

Some highlights from our joyful day of exploring:

* Connection through check ins on the bus, each one sharing what they're passionate about, what's challenging for them, what goals they have, what annoyances, and more.

* Applying the EC Mottos All Things Are Connected and Turn Problems into Possibilities as we understood how Point Whitehorn came to be a reserve: it was purchased by the Whatcom Land Trust with funds given after the Olympic pipeline explosion - a leak of gas delivered from the Cherry Point refinery right next to the reserve... gas that is made for our use. We reflected on the conundrums of resource extraction, delivery and use and source and end point pollution, and how we're all involved in this dance... as well as in the dance of connection and protection.

* Learning about the Sitka Spruce: where it grows (coastal rain forests), what people use it for (musical instruments, beer, airplane wings, basket weaving), the largest one in the world (on the Olympic Peninsula), the sacred Golden Spruce (in BC, sadly cut down in an act of vandalism).

* Learning about the importance of diversity, in life and in forest ecosystems. Seeking and finding biodiversity in this sitka spruce forest including meeting a new slime mold, a phototoxic invasive (cow parsnip), and a parrot!

* Arriving at the beach and exploring widely: exploring in the water, discovering what was just below the surface, investigating tidepools, opening shops to trade all sorts of beachy goodness, and creating nature art.  It was so nice to see all the Silver Salmon completely engaged in play with each other!

* Understanding that most of the rocks on this beach were glacial erratics, granite left behind when a giant glacier receded.

* Playing a great game that emphasizes connection and gratitude for each other: Secret Admirer!  We drew names out of a hat and then were tasked with delivering gifts, notes, and appreciation all day. The Silver Salmon went all out and bonded with each other in such a sweet way!

* Completing a sunny and restoring Peaceful Place strewn along the beach amongst the driftwood and boulders.

* Finding that the hours had flown by and that we really didn't want to leave that magical beach! So much so that we were 20 minutes late to pick-up (sorry parents!).

* Practicing an Attitude of Gratitude and Acknowledgements of each other on the bus. So much to be thankful for: the sun, the sea, anemones, one another, Whatcom Land Trust, family, rocks, nature's calming medicine. 

Check out the photos from the day here!

EC Mottos especially in use today:

Safety First

We Not Me

Attitude of Gratitude

All Things Are Connected

Be Here Now

It's About the Journey, Not the Destination

Art of Fire Building at Cornwall Park: 2/19/17

Silver Salmon, or should we say Silver Squirrels? Although the vote was an overall ‘NO’ to an official group name change, this squirrelly bunch joined the Cornwall Park squirrels with their boundless excitement, playfulness and lively energy. Our day of exploration at Cornwall Park began fairly cool, but thankfully all the Silver Salmons arrived full of excitement and readiness to gain some fire building skills!

After an easy-going collaborative decision-making session, we got our bodies warmed up with a few rounds of Fox Tail Tag. Once the squirrelly spirits got their chance to shine, we honed in our attention to FIRE. What is fire? Where is fire? Where does fire come from? How can you feed your fire? Well, after some deep philosophical conversations we gleaned that fire is Sun, fire is Energy, fire is Soul and Inspiration… Needless to say the Silver Salmon were excited to transform their skills and energy into fire! 

The girls showed their patience and supportive attitudes as we all took turns practicing getting a spark from flint & steel. After just 2 rounds, everyone had successfully made a spark! And that was enough to spark our enthusiasm for gathering fuel. But first we each contributed to our ”tinder bundles” by unwinding a piece of cordage to mimic the flammable seed hairs of Cattail plants. Before heading out, we heard loud and beautifully clear the calls of Red Tailed Hawks soaring high above...

We set out in teams to gather all the necessary fuel sizes for our fire: dry tinder, kindling, and squaw wood. As we explored the underbrush of tall Western Red Cedars, budding Indian Plum, and thickly barked Douglas Firs, we searched long and hard for dry materials that we could gather while still

Leaving No Trace. We learned about the magical fire wonders of fat wood - resin impregnated heartwood - that is often found in stumps, and focused our search for this fire fuel treasure. A few dry Western Hemlocks provided the perfect kindling we needed! Silver Salmon worked together identifying and collecting the ideal fuels.   

On our walk around the park we practiced some S.T.O.P. as we navigated around other park users that were engaging with flying objects. Our mentor Holly shared some wonderful insights on differentiating Cottonwood trees from Maples, and a few even got to collect Cottonwood buds, perhaps for some future Salve making. (Spring is near!) A few resin coated Douglas Firs caught our attention along the way. The concentration and determination for getting that resin on a stick was astounding!

As we found our way back to the shelter, the time came to bring our materials together and build a fire! (After, of course, feeding our own fires with a well deserved lunch break!) The nest was built with the collective tinder bundles and a tipi shaped squaw wood house was set - with the opening facing the wind- to receive the nest once it was lit. We all took turns with the flint and steel, again practicing great patience with ourselves, support for each other, and reverence for the fire to come. And before we knew it….FIRE!
 

While we all took turns tending the fire, a few games of Spider’s Web were played, a few clever squirrel traps were set, a few stories and fire-starting tricks were shared… and what better way to the end the day than with fire roasted apples with cinnamon and butter! 

Explorers Club Mottos especially alive today:Widen Our Circle
Safety First
Leave No Trace
Attitude of Gratitude

Service for Blue Skies for Children: 12/4/16

On this unusual indoor service day, we take a rest from exploring outside and instead explore the connections between us and some of the younger members of the community; this day our service was located at the Blue Skies for Children’s office. After a quick check-in and briefing about the project, the Silver Salmon seemed ready for a day of service and action!

During service days, we take the time to remember how our needs are being met and how we can help meet the needs of other people. We reflected on our motto, Our Cups Overflow and decided we definitely had more than enough spilling over our own cups. This is our EC philosophy of service: those whose cups spill over have the joy and responsibility of sharing with others whose cups aren't quite full. Then we learned all about Blue Skies For Children's mission, and how they help "fill the cups" of hundreds of children in Whatcom County. It was lovely to see how well the girls understood that mission, and to witness their emerging commitment to do what they could to contribute to it.

The commitment on this day was to stamp, label and stuff thousands of envelopes. As we talked about direct service vs. indirect service, the Silver Salmon girls saw how this indirect contribution of labeling envelopes to potential donors could allow many children to be assisted by BSFC.

All service projects require some degree of persistence – it is work, after all. But somehow the Silver Salmon successfully made work into play. This time was a great way to catch up with some of the girls on their lives, something we often don't have time for on outings. We shared our interests, upcoming events, and lots of goofiness!

In Explorers Club, we aim to create a culture that expresses the attitude of writer Rabindranath Tagore: "I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy." Our project involved a different kind of tenacity than usual: there was no inclement weather to work with, no hard-to-pull weeds, but rather, lots of repetitive tasks. But Silver Salmon never seemed to tire of it; they took a short lunch break (after Holly and Lauren had to convince to actually stop and eat lunch!), and were determined to finish the job we had come to do. This is integrity in action, following our EC motto Walk Your Talk.

Even amidst all the silliness and fun we had, this group put their best self-management skills to work and learned that Slow is Fast. With great focus, they sticker-ed, stamped and stuffed a huge number of envelopes and donated 24 hours of time (3 hrs x 8 girls)!! Filled with a sense of determination and resolve to have the biggest impact possible in a finite amount of time, they even stamped and labelled an additional round of envelopes up until the very last minute! They really left an impression, and received sound gratitude from Julie, Blue Skies' Executive Director.

Showing off all of our hard work!  We stuffed, labelled,
and stamped ALL of these envelopes!

The laws of physics mean that when one's cup is emptied to fill others' cups, that cup becomes more empty. But the Silver Salmons' experience defied physics: they all could easily state that their cups were more full by helping to fill those of the BSFC kids.

Check out our slideshow from the day here!

EC Mottos especially alive today:

Our Cups Overflow

Walk Your Talk

Collaborate and Compromise

All Things Are Connected

LIBK (Let It Be Known)

Widen The Circle

Woodstock Farm Service Day: 11/20/16

In the past few weeks, a new personal motto has come up for one GEC mentor: The Antidote to Apathy is Action. Taking action can also help alleviate frustration and anxiety, and generally helps one feel purposeful. 

The Silver Salmon are known for their strong service ethic and had the chance to work alongside another hardworking GEC group, the Sea Stars.  These two groups contributed joyful purpose to our shared service day, filling SIX bags full of invasive plants!  We are certainly well on our way to being positive, impactful caretakers of our new service site.

At our gathering meeting, we learned about the history of this place and the role of generosity and forward conservationist thinking that led to its preservation. Thanks to Cyrus Gates, his family home and land has been gifted to Whatcom County for all to enjoy - Mr. Gates also had a strong hand in protecting Larrabee State Park, Arroyo and Fairhaven Parks, Sehome Arboretum, and the Mt. Baker Bulb Farm (since turned into Bellis Faire Mall due to a legal loophole).

We brainstormed on who the users of the park are: humans, yes, but also raven, salmon, chipmunk, raccoon, weasel, mouse, heron, slug and so much more. We talked about why a park needs caretakers for all these stakeholders, and what occurs without people lending a hand to manage trails and terrain. Since our gathering area was adjacent to a stand of alders, thimbleberry and salmonberry, overrun by invasive blackberry, the girls quickly understood how invasive species take over native ones rather quickly.

Then we were off on a very short trip by bus to our destination just up the road. The next few hours were spend collaborating in purposeful work, removing invasives with care and attention, singing and talking while we worked. Worms were admired, baby fir trees were transplanted, connections were made within and between GEC groups.

Each group shared some time on the bluff overlooking the sea, marveling at this extraordinary view that is normal for us here in Bellingham, and feeling thankful that Cyrus Gates had the foresight to set this bluff aside for all to enjoy. We also gave thanks for the Clark family for it's donation of Clark's Point to the Whatcom Land Trust, and the preservation of Chuckanut Island, now owned by the Nature Conservancy (but which was, long ago, a 13th birthday present for Cyrus Gate's son!).

Other gratitudes shared included the company of one another, the chance to serve, Explorers Club, trees, the Salish Sea, connections, generosity, and people who understand that all things are connected.

Enjoy the slideshow from our day here! 

Medicinal Plants 10-9-16

Silver Salmon met on the east side of the 100 acre wood for a day of exploring medicinal plants. The energy was high; lots of excited sharing and connecting.  Lauren introduced our day of medicinal plants by inviting some of the girls to look around for any plants they knew had medicinal properties.

A handful of plants sat in the middle of the circle; sword fern, bracken fern, a cottonwood leaf, a ball of lichen, and cedar leaves.

We discussed the many uses of plants and how our lives depend on them!

Don't worry- this charcoal tattoo was consensual!

With this knowledge in mind, we headed into the forest in search of a home base.  Collectively we decided on a spot that afforded good game playing, had nice places for peaceful place, and had a flat area to spread out our tarp.

We would eventually need the large area for a group project, but first! lunch and games.

After a few rounds of Medicinal Plant tag (ask your daughter how this version differs from Decomposition tag!), we settled into our project for the day:  making salve.   We got out all our supplies: stove, wax, pot and spoon, cottonwood buds soaked in oil, and containers for the salve.

Then we went to work making salve and putting it into the containers.

All the fascinating things were present:  fire, how to share jobs, fine hand work, carefully moving around the tarp so as not to spill all the liquid salve, and questions about how exactly cottonwood buds became that jar of liquid.

After making a few dozen little containers of salve, we needed to move once again.

Spider's web was the chosen game and we had a few exciting rounds!  Ah, games are such an interesting way to get to know people.

As the afternoon passed it was getting close to ending and time for our peaceful place.   Our invitation was to really concentrate on one sense and observe all possible with that sense.  The girls each came back with tales of hearing wind and friends, smelling cottonwood, and seeing birds flit through the trees.

Overall, it was a great day of learning, playing, creating, and exploring!

Medicine Club Traverse: 9-18-16

Navigating the
Medicine Club patch

It was SO wonderful to spend this beautiful autumn day with the Silver Salmon! These girls brought their adventurous spirits armed with their abundant nature knowledge to successfully lead us on our off-trail trek down to the water and back, smiling all the while and filling the air with laughter.

There is a reason this is one of our favorite outings – it's jam-packed with all the best elements of an Explorers' day: route-finding, reasonable risks, the need for collaborative decision-making, unexpected encounters with natural elements (fields and trails, downed trees, water, mud, dense forest, myriad plants, etc...), a walk through a beautiful old farm, vistas of islands, and more. Below are some highlights of our day:

* Checking in with ourselves and our group as we Widen Our Circle to include new members of the Silver Salmon, Ruby, Billie, and Eva, and visiting Spotted Owl, Hailey!

* Immersing ourselves in the earth skill of Navigation all along our journey, pausing to establish cardinal directions, and repeatedly checking in with them ("Where do you think we'll end up if we keep going this way?" "Which way is the sea, and what direction is that?" "Which way is Mud Bay and what direction is that?" "Which way do you think we should turn to get to Chuckanut Drive", etc...), helping the girls practice navigational awareness all along the way. Later in EC, we'll tie this in to an awareness of life direction, paying attention to the choices we make that determine where we're headed.

* Learning about the wonders of Devil's Club (and renaming it Medicine Club, due to its innumerable uses): as blood sugar regulator, skin infection fighter, tattoo maker, lice controller, deodorizer, and much, much more. Like nettle, misunderstood Medicine Club has a bad reputation solely due to its effective defense mechanism. It asks for respect, and in return offers many methods of healing and support. In learning about Medicine Club, we also learn about people. Do we know any people with sharp, spiny aspects? Are we quick to judge them? Very likely they have many wonderful aspects, just beneath the surface, like Medicine Club.

* Doing S.T.O.P. risk assessments all along the way, traveling slowly and with awareness as we navigated through salmonberry, nettle, blackberry and "medicine club". We called attention to the different plants around us, and tested the girls' naturalist knowledge by asking them to identify many plants, to differentiate them from Medicine Club. Watching girls travel through this medicine club patch was inspiring; they were calm, focused, aware, and attentive as they walked through. A few girls were nervous about entering the patch at first, but with much support from their Silver Salmon friends, stretched their edge and were able to move through their perceived fear. This practice and habit of awareness is an important skill to cultivate, in forest travel and in life. 

* Making collaborative decisions all along the way, practicing the art of listening to everyone's opinion, then coming to consensus about what can work for all.

* Watching these girls explore and joyfully play in the receding tides and glorious mud of Chuckanut Bay. Goodness they had fun!  Some girls literally dove headfirst into the mud (check out the video of Gracyn in the photo album!) while others accessorized with mud face paint.

* Enjoying the pastoral peace at Woodstock Farm, and learning about the generosity of its founder, Cyrus Gates, who donated land for Larrabee, Arroyo, and Fairhaven Parks, Chuckanut Island, and many other green spaces in Whatcom County. Thank you Mr. Gates! And thank you too to the Mamosee people who occupied this land before, and who were the ultimate preservationists. 

* Playing a loooong and looovely game of Spider's Web!  We decided that Rebecca is the sneakiest bug, and EMA Ani is the best spider as she gave us many chances to escape the web. ;)

* Peaceful Place on a beautiful bluff overlooking the Salish Sea, blessed by the warm sunshine and the bright colors of our day.

* Thoroughly enjoying each other's company, stretching our edges, collaborating and compromising, and, at the end of the day, enthusiastically appreciating one another and all the gifts in our lives through a circle of thanks. Some things these gals are thankful for: trees, Explorers Club, medicine club, sunshine, mud, friends and family, one another, Cyrus Gates, games…

EC Mottos especially alive today:

* Safety First
* Be Prepared
* It's About the Journey, Not the Destination

* We, Not Just Me
* Leave No Trace
* Collaborate and Compromise

* Widen Your Circle
* Stretch Your Edge
* Challenge By Choice

* Get Dirty!