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!

Outing to Little Squalicum Beach: 6-18-16

This last outing of the season was one full of wet weather, waves, wonder, imagination, and play, as girls wove images of the past history of Squalicum Beach into the present, following the ways of the native people by using nature as their school, their playground, their sanctuary. 

We gathered with a joke about how we were going to get wet today, beach or no beach! The Silver Salmon arrived ready for the weather situation, and today was sort of exceptional in that department. Quick shout out for your good preparedness work! It was vital to have extra warm layers packed in plastic bags and extra rain jackets today. Joined by a new-to-us mentor Lauren, we caught her up on all our spring outings and shared the character and strengths of this particular group. The Silver Salmon are proud of their strong service ethic, their ability to engage in imaginative play, their ability to widen their circles of friendship and love for mud. They also take the Mottos of You See It You Own It and Leave No Trace to heart and are strongly compelled to pull invasive plants and pick up trash wherever we go. 

Literally Building Bridges, Not Walls :)

We used their capacity for imagination to think about what the asphalt parking lot of the Technical College looked like 150 years ago. We talked about native peoples hunting, crafting, harvesting, playing in what was once a forest populated with giant trees, wildlife, wetland, salmon stream, all beside a pristine shoreline. The story went on to span the past 150 years, with new people and new harvests, and the invention of things such as creosote. A factory that made this tarry substance was located just upstream from Whuh-kwal-luh-whum, and a landfill covered the wetland. The forest, stream, and sea were altered by human actions, made unsafe by years of pollution and resulting in a Superfund cleanup from 2009-11.  

We then walked through this story, noticing evidence of all its elements: native plants (some from GEC girls!) grown big and tall, the Oeser creosote plant with its tall smokestack rising above the hillside, the stream finding balance, litter that speaks of the continued need for a Leave No Trace ethic, the toxic purple arms of non-native Poison Hemlock, and a beach still full of the tools and toys of the native people that once inhabited its shores. We grazed upon the just ripening Thimbleberry, much to the girls delight. It took us AGES to reach the beach because of all our snacking. : )

Thimbleberries!

When we reached the beach, we immediately sprawled out in all directions to explore in the cold "Junuary" rain. These girls practiced their resiliency, their personal edge, their inner fortitude, problem solving skills, their shelter building skills and sense of play. We set about making a suitable base camp as a shelter from the rain and relentless wind. Keeping busy hauling driftwood and building our log cabin inspired structure kept us active and warm, and unleashed some creative energy into decorative elements. A tarp roof and umbrellas were engaged and all in place just in time for the rain to quit. :) 

Shelter Building!

On to sheer exploring! Here is where the Silver Salmon shine. They got busy playing imaginative games, selected solo exploring time, a mud mishap, making friends with visiting dogs, and lots of work on self directed building projects. Then the girls found a 4 foot diameter cement culvert that Squalicum Creek flowed through. Who knew you could have so much fun in a drain pipe? Full boots and lots of laughs ensued and we spent the rest of our time here racing Pooh Sticks down the current and building bridges downstream. These girls love to work on projects together!

Watching over the
drain pipe play

Mud Mishap!

As our time together came to a close, we decided upon a non-traditional end of season activity. We stood in circle to share our attitude of gratitude for an element of nature that each girls has really connected with this season. The suggestion came to send this element (rain, ivy, mud, ferns...) a prayer and a wish, and send it out to the world via the creek. After a reflective Peaceful Place thinking about connection and building Wish Boats, we sent them down the creek, with some assistance from each other to clear the way.  

Words of the day?  It's raining berries, boats and bridges! 

Photo link here. 

Explorers Club Mottos especially alive today: Be Prepared. Safety First. Attitude of Gratitude. Turn Problems into Possibilities. Get Dirty! Expect the Unexpected. It’s About the Journey, Not the Destination. All Things Are Connected. You See It, you Own It. Leave No Trace. 

Exploration & Navigation Skills Day at the Stimpson Reserve: 4-17-16

Many Explorers Club groups have visited the Stimpson Reserve and traveled remarkably short distances around the 3 mile loop, caught up as we usually are in our motto It’s About the Journey, not the Destination. When one walks with Explorers’ eyes, there is an incredible abundance to observe in just a short stretch of trail.

At our gathering circle, we discussed signs of spring and tapped into our olfactory sense. The girls inhaled the sweet smell of cottonwood and learned about the benefits of cottonwood balm (a product we will make in a couple of seasons). In addition to this, we recognized and applauded the conservation efforts of the Stimpson family who gave these woods to natural world (rather than to some other use, like an amusement park or housing development). We practiced using a compass to determine which direction we’re going, as well as talked about the value of natural landmarks to orient us. For example: Water means West! Baker means East! Then, we hit the trail and immediately began noticing signs of spring: the sticky buds of cottonwood, nettles, Salmonberry blossoms, and the sounds of many different species of bird staking out their territories. We encountered nurse logs that told the story of death giving life, a few fungal friends, and trees that bore evidence of pileated woodpecker and red breasted sapsucker activity.

Throughout the day we continually revisited our theme of navigation and orientation. How do we decide which way to go? What direction is North/South/East/West? How can we use landmarks to help us? How can we listen to our "inner compass" and how can it guide us? We also discussed the different ways we can use our awareness to orient ourselves on the land. One of the ways the aboriginal people of Australia used to do this was with Songlines, oral poetic “maps” that they believed were “footprints of the ancestors”. After discussing the Songline concept, the girls split into two groups and set off in different directions to create their own poetic Songline descriptions to notate landmarks. In this way, each group made a “map” of the path they had taken to give to the other group to follow. At the end of the map they would find where the other group hid an item. For example:

Walk through the house of Mr. and Mrs. Douglas (2 Douglas Fir trees)

Watch for medusa's hair (a root wad with its long spindly roots)

Climb over the mini-Rockies (a clump of small boulders sticking up out of the trail)

Girls creating a songlines map

The landscape came to life as we practiced this ancient form of orientation and mapping! Each group successfully found the hidden bandanna, and we discussed how this type of navigation is both an art form and really helpful.

The SHREW!

After our mapping activity, we spent some time just exploring. And wow, we encounter so much tiny wildlife when we slow down! We found frogs, searched for salamanders, watched a shrew mole, discovered 3 kinds of ferns, Rattlesnake Plaintain, Trillium/Wake Robin and Vanilla Leaf. 

Playing, frog catching and exploring on the banks of a pond surrounded by moss-carpeted trees and under the warming sun added a welcome sense of joy to the day.

Frog and salamander hunting

We experienced nature around us in a whole new way, using all of our senses and powers of orientation to become fully captivated by the cedar trees, the streams, mud, moss, trillium, and one another. 

Our words of the day? Fluffy, Frogs, Friends

Photos here: https://goo.gl/photos/VGxxLk2ohTGhjKpy8

Mottos especially in use today: Widen Our Circle, It’s About the Journey Not the Destination, Attitude of Gratitude

Service with Greenways 3-5-16

Silver Salmon had a stellar day of sunshine and warm temperatures for our service work with Greenways. As we gathered in the parking lot, there was a hum of excitement in seeing one another again after being apart for several months.  Our check-in involved each of us throwing the die and sharing (at least) as many adventures as the number that we rolled; with many of us sharing more!  We had a good discussion about what service is;  and what each of us would bring to our serving.

Then we headed to find Rae and learn our jobs for the next few hours.  We had a special task right away:  the portable tent needed to be taken down before the "Mary Poppins effect" made it fly away, requiring many hands...and well, we had many hands.  Awesome coordination, ladies!

Loaded with bags and tools we walked a short distance to a trail near Cemetery Creek.  There we spent the rest of the day pulling ivy, working with tools, playing by the creek, snacking, and sharing in some serious deep belly laughing. The Silver Salmon brought their usual dedicated selves to this service work and showed awesome determination in their task of freeing the trees! The sunshine and warm temperatures kept luring us to the creek and shady groves to lounge, snack and play in the water, though. Just saying, it was a beautiful day.

Araya bagging the goods

Tatiana LOVES pulling ivy!

The creek provided some fun play as well

So, parents please ask your daughter about how she "showed up", with what kind of attitude.  And if she was able to keep that going.  Ask about the pesky "old growth" ivy crawling 25 feet high in the trees, the creating of islands, and the hauling bags back up the hill. Ask how to play drop and drool, and we dare you to challenge Gracyn to that game. She's a champ. Ask about Walking our Talk, LNT, Our Cups Overflowing, and Widening our Circle.

This should explain the belly laughing!

These girls. They have strength of character in spades. And determination to do it themselves. At least when it comes to completing a project! They looked like wee dirty Santas while trying to balance and haul these big, heavy, awkward sacks of ivy up the hill to the Parks Ops office. They refused help of any kind.

To see the rest of the online album from our photos of the day, click here.

Words of the day:  Ivy, river, mud, drool!