Pikas Exploration of E. Arroyo 11-12-16

Our Pikas gathered for a day of major Exploring with a capital "E"! It was a dreary, soggy day, but the Pikas, as always, brought their energy and excitement! We started our day interviewing a partner on some things going on in her life and shared them with the group. It was an important skill in practicing our deer ears to make sure that we could represent our partner well enough. The Pikas are doing a great job at practicing contentious listening skills, which will only continue to serve them well in the future!

We then rallied down to the creek which was ABOUNDING with salmon! In my 7 years in Bellingham, I have never seen Arroyo Park so full of salmon. It was a joyous exploration as we watched the salmon struggle their way swimming upstream. Salmon are the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, and it became clear to all of us why! They represent perseverance, strength, and coming home; they fertilize our soil to support massive growth of our forested communities; they travel thousands of miles each year. Salmon are a true superhero!

After our special time with the fish, we moved our way up to the Hemlock trail, where we met the "Big Rock" (so aptly named by Explorers years ago). We spent some time climbing the rock, stopping to assist each girl Stretch Her Edge in her own special way. I heard kind, encouraging language, watched girls physically help each other up and down, and really embody the motto Safety First. It was a highlight of our day absolutely.

After a while, some girls continued climbing while others set out to build a teepee. We learned from fellow hikers about places to harvest the right branches for our shelter, and where to not harvest. The girls Walked Their Talk by hearing the hiker's request, and decided to harvest in another location. Before too long, they had built a fairly impressive shelter so quickly! We stopped for lunch, and then decided to continue up trail on the hunt for the elusive Chuckanut Falls.

While we hiked, we warmed our bodies, which was much needed, and before long, we came to Chuckanut Falls! We spent some time peacefully appreciating the rush of water over the precipice, and decided that we needed to head back down the trail to make everything we wished to do that day happen. The Pikas really Collaborated and Compromised to suit the needs and wishes of everyone in their group, which always makes mentors proud! We followed the girls as they flew down the trail, all the way to the "Magic Tree", another famous GEC spot in the Chuckanuts. We climbed the magic tree, appreciated her beauty, and sat by, on, and underneath her for a gloriously rainy Peaceful Place. From there, we finished our day with our Attitude of Gratitude, where we thanked so many things, but most of our appreciation was for salmon and the things that support salmon's journey. OH, and licorice root. We love that, too :)

Laoise's licorice bounty... enough for MANY cups of tea :)

The Pikas' are only continuing to bond and connect more! I am excited to see what 2017 has to offer for this fantastic group of independent, brave, kind, heartfelt girls.

-Hannah


To see a slideshow from our day, click here!

Larrabee to Clayton Beach Traverse 10-30-16

Twas the Sunday before Halloween when the excited and determined Pikas set out on a misty, mossy, spider-web filled adventure from Larrabee State Park to Clayton beach. It was a day of close observation and connection to the forest around us, staying true to our motto, It's About The Journey, Not The Destination. After catching up and discussing our day during Opening Circle, we began our journey towards Clayton Beach. We used all of our senses (including our sense of direction!) as we wound our way along a narrow path, collecting supplies for nature costumes, and stopping to observe the many majestic spider webs shimmering in the mist. Our day unfolded with lots of laughter, creative energy, games, and even a play as a finale to our wonderful day. Some highlights of our outing included:

Reconnecting with snacks and excited discussion about Halloween costumes during our Opening Circle on the Larrabee State Park stage.

• Stopping many, many times along the trail to observe the intricate spider webs, each one unique in its own way.

 

• Playing Spiders Web (how fitting!) after a snack stop along the trail. The bugs won every time!

Collecting giant maple leaves, fallen cedar bows, ferns, and twigs to wind into decorative nature costumes!

• Having lunch and a long Peaceful Place on the windy shores of Clayton Beach.

• Enjoying an incredible, spontaneous, somewhat improve Pikas play...the first annual and hopefully not the last!

• Collaborating and Compromising to choose our path back from beach. We ended up taking the Dragons Spine, a hidden gem of a trail off of the beaten path. 
• Voicing our Attitude of Gratitude under the bridge on our way back to the parking lot.

Our words of the day?

Spider Webs, nature costumes, moss, friends, and ferns!

Enjoy the full album of the day here.

Service at Woodstock Farm: 11-11-16

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

Four GEC groups contributed joyful purpose to our shared service day, taking pride in our new role as caretakers of Woodstock Farm.

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 between 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! 

Nettle Cordage 9.16.16

Our first outing of the fall season brought us together in Fairhaven Park.  It was a crisp fall day; a perfect display of the changes we experience in the fall season.  We circled together to check in and   welcomed two new members; Claire and Piper!

We had a busy skills day ahead so we headed off to our nettle patch to harvest some stinging nettle in the tall, fall form.  Several of the girls cut the nettles, then several would strip the stalks of their leaves.  These two tasks allowed for some edge stretching among the group.  I think we escaped with just a few stings.  Once we had a pile together we went in search of a spot to learn the skills of stripping the fibers away from the pulpy part of the stalk.

The girls ate lunch, and then had a chance to collaborate and compromise on a game while Lauren and I did some initial preparation of the stalks.

Finally we got to the stripping; a meditative type of activity, and a perfect way to enjoy this fine fall day.

Here are some photos of the girls doing this work.  We will now let the strands dry and then bring them on an outing in the spring where we will learn to make cordage.









No explorers outing is complete without some games; and we spent some time after the sitting work running around playing spider's web.  Alea taught us a fun way to identify your unique laugh....pictured below:

We spent some time in peaceful place; then gathered back together for sharing our attitude of gratitude.  Lauren, Alea and I are all grateful for the fun and curious energy of the Pikas!

See more photos here

Words of the day:  Stinging nettle, games, spiders and fun!

Service with Greenways along Whatcom Creek: 5-14-16

This past Saturday the Pikas, Silver Salmon, EMA's Iris & Klara, and volunteer, Lindsey all joined forces with Greenways to help maintain the Whatcom Creek in the heart of Bellingham City. Having gotten to know Whatcom Creek upstream, on Saturday we learned more about this special waterway’s history and the ways in which we can work together to preserve this river ecosystem that winds between buildings and streets. We talked about whose cups we fill with a service project like this, and girls offered the following ideas:

-We help nature and plants.

-We help humans because we all live better when we take care of the earth.
-We help the animals that live in this habitat.

After a rousing game of Who Am I? on the green behind the library, we met up with Rae at the service tent. The groups divided and went straight to work with clippers, loppers, pitch-forks, and a mission to remove Rose, Horse Tail, and Snowberry to name a few of the plants on our “weed” list. This assignment at first seemed strange: These were native plants we were removing from their rightful place! Rae, the Greenways coordinator, explained that these plants want to grow too big and tall for their small, pavement bordered patch of earth. The Pikas dove right in to their assignment, using their eagle eyes skills to spot plants slated for cutting, and great coordination to avoid getting poked by Rose thorns! This project proved a great opportunity for teamwork, and the girls collaborated to find, pull and collect 
all of the weeds in their path. During our work we discovered:

-Mushroom Mycelium growing throughout woodchips

-Worms, millipedes, and spiders
-An old flip phone buried in the dirt (unfortunately it no longer worked)

-How fun it can be to clip and rip plants out of the dirt!

The girls pushed through to finish pulling all of the plants they could and clean up their area, even as attention spans strained. They demonstrated true integrity in continuing to work, and exemplified the motto: Walk Your Talk. It was truly gratifying to stand back and look at our transformed area when our job was finished!

When the work party wrapped up, we descended back to the library lawn for a lunch in the sun, some hilarious headstand competitions and yogi sessions, and then GAMES GALORE!

We practiced our "MOOOS!" and got silly during a game of Tipping Cows, used our Owl Eye vision for a game of Owl tail tag, and became exceptionally sneaky as hiders and seekers during a few rounds of Spiders Web.

Our words of the day? Giving And Receiving Helping Ferns And Plants Live!

To view the full album of the day, click here.

Earth Skills: Edible Plants in the 100 Acre Wood: 4-17-16

What a jam-packed day – we were busy exploring and learning every single second of our time with the Pikas on Sunday! It is likely true that EC outings could take place just about anywhere – and even at the same setting for each outing – and we'd never run out of things to explore and discover. We rarely get very far in terms of distance, but we travel a great deal with regard to noticing and understanding the webs of connection all around us. This skills day exemplified that; we covered very little territory in the "100 Acre Wood", but we thoroughly explored the places we did go. And that's the point: it really is about the journey, not the destination, and about noticing what's all around us rather than passing through.

Topics we dug into on Sunday included:

• We wrapped our minds around the incredible fact that almost everything in our lives comes from plants (ask your daughter to explain how her raincoat is made out of plants!) and as the rain abated we were able to begin our harvest. Nettles, dandelion and licorice root were the ingredients in the fabulous forest tea we enjoyed. We understood that nature puts its focus in different plant parts each season, putting energy into roots, shoots, and fruits. We added the healthful dandelion and licorice roots into our tea, picked the shoots of nettles, and saw the summer-ripe fruits of Oregon grape in their flower form. We learned of the many uses for plants we see every day such as nettle, Western red cedar, Douglas fir: food, medicine, tools, shelter, clothing, toys... (each American uses the equivalent of a 100 foot fir tree in wood and paper products each year). We also learned about the personalities and partnerships of more seldom seen plants, like trillium, red Huckleberry, and Nootka rose.

• Since our focus this day was how we use plants for food, we put on our "Owl Eyes" (a way of walking with awareness, using peripheral vision) and worked to spot plants that might be usable for food in this season. We paused to consider poisonous plants: we learned that edible and useful plants far outweigh poisonous ones in this ecosystem, but that it is very important to learn what isn't safe for our bodies. We'll continue to point out and discuss poisonous plants on future outings, but the girls learned to always "Be Sure You Meet Before You Eat!" and never put anything in their mouth unless one can be certain of the plant and its safety. From now on we will ask them to pass the ID challenge - to be able to absolutely, positively ID any plant to one of us before they're allowed to nibble.

• We taught ways to walk carefully in the forest, leaving no trace - we'll practice Fox Walking more on future outings. We also talked about how to harvest plants in a sensitive, respectful manner, introducing the "One in Twenty Principle".

• We harvested nettle, and learned just a few of its more than 100 uses. Many girls chose to Stretch Their Edge and take the Nettle Challenge, bravely allowing the plant to touch their bare skin as a way of practicing Challenge By Choice. We made nettle and licorice root tea and tried nettle pesto. We collected dandelions which cooked up into tasty fritters to round out our feast.

What a day filled with learning, connection, food, and fantastic collaboration between the Ospreys as they shared the work of harvesting, cooking, and celebrating our wild edibles.

Our Words of the Day? "Nettible licorice fritters"

To see a photo gallery from our day, click here!

Service for Bellingham Community Meals: 2-28-16

The Pikas reunited this past Sunday for a unique outing: we spent much of a windy and wet afternoon inside, aprons donned, to bake up a storm for Bellingham Community Meals. BCM is a group of volunteers that comes together once a month to prepare and serve a warm meal free to the community. The only thing that isn't prepared onsite is… DESSERT! This is where we put our energy, and the girls collaboratively counted, measured, stirred, whipped, beat, melted, poured…and cleaned!

Aviva and Iza getting sticky

After an introduction to our project, we explored questions like: Whose "cups" are we filling today with this project? What other needs are we meeting by helping with this community meal? What would happen in our community without these resources? The girls responded with thoughtfulness and compassion. We all agreed that filling others’ cups makes our cups more full. Today our goal was to help people meet the basic need of food. But going a step beyond this, the girls discussed how community meals meet other basic needs as well, like love, community, and connection.

The girls split into three groups, with determination to stir lots of love into the batter along with the other ingredients. The kitchen was a-flurry with egg cracking, whirling beaters and recipe checking. We remembered to go one step at a time, implementing our motto, “Think It Through Before You Do.” Soon our treats were baking and our mouths were watering, and we began a serious Leave No Trace kitchen clean-up.

After our hard work we ate lunch together. What fun it was to laugh and connect with each other while being dry and warm! Then we geared up and headed out for a mini-exploration of the Bellingham Co-Housing grounds. Ruby, one of our newest Pikas, lives with Susie at Bellingham Co-Housing, so she took us on a comprehensive tour, which wound us around buildings, by happy puppies and hot tubs, and eventually through an orchard to a wetland. We explored through the brush around streams, stopping to enjoy some stick and leaf boat races on the rushing water.

We arrived at Happy Valley Park with time to spare, and the girls giggled their way through many rounds of Bat and Moth and Sleeping Fawns. Our girls practiced echolocation, as the blind bat clapped for the delicious moths, who all were eventually eaten up by the moth. In Sleeping Fawns, the girls lied still in the grass (like, you guessed it, sleeping fawns..), as the silly, sneaky fox tried to get them to smile in their slumber. Some of our Pikas did a stellar job at keeping a straight face amongst all the silly banter and movement. Hannah, on the other hand.....


We could have kept exploring and game-playing for hours, but before our day came to an end, we had one last task to tackle: bagging the sweet treats! We headed back into the Community house and packed nearly 90 bars to share with others. We enjoyed a final Attitude of Gratitude in our closing circle, expressing thanks for our group, for filling up our "cups" even more, and for the humans who will enjoy our baked treats.

Our words of the day? "Baking for the community and marshmallow mud!"

Mottos especially in use today: Our Cups Overflow, Leave No Trace, Everybody Helps, All Things Are Connected, Widen Our Circle

Check out our photo album of the day here!