3-10-17 Service Day at Woodstock Farm

The Pikas joined the Red Foxes this past Friday for a day of service at our adopted site, Woodstock Farm! The group gathered in the muddy parking lot of North Chuckanut Trailhead before loading onto the bus for a short ride to the service site.

At our Opening Circle, we checked our preparedness, as the weather called for a day of low temperatures and potential rain. We also talked about why we are serving today, and reviewed another motto, Our Cups Overflow. The Pikas agreed that people are not the only ones whose cups can be empty, and that today we would be filling the cups of the the plants and animals who visit and inhabit Woodstock Farm, as well as the beautiful bay beyond.

After a silly check-in, we prepped the tools, dropped packs, had a quick snack, and then spread out to do trail clean-up, dig out invasive blackberry and holly, and pull grass away from native plants.

With a good chunk of service done and many native plants left free to breathe and grow, it was time for lunch! The two groups rejoined on the bluff where we ate, chatted, and had a "vegetable off" competition. We played a giant game of Spider's Web all together and then it was time to get back to work! The girls pulled plants and cleaned up the site for a while longer until the sun began to set and the evening light beckoned us to the views. 

Enjoy the shared slideshow from the day here!

Mottos especially alive today:
Be Prepared
Our Cups Overflow
Safety First
Widen Your Circle
Walk Your Talk
You See It You Own It
Attitude of Gratitude

Night Exploration in Sehome Hill Arboretum 2-10-17

The Pikas gathered for a very special exploration. We came ready to don our nighttime senses and connect with our crepuscular and nocturnal friends while exploring... in the dark!

The girls came with an obvious excitement and energy for the day. We began our day with silly games and bounding laughter, which didn't cease for the whole outing. Our opening circle focused on preparing ourselves for exploring in the darkness, engaging in solid conversations about trust (How do we hold trust? How do we trust each other? How do we trust ourselves?), preparedness, and safety.

From there, we were ready to move up the Sehome Hill arboretum. The sun had already set by the time we were leaving opening circle, so we made quick work up the hill to the watchtower. We spent the majority of our evening there, reaching the tower just as darkness was setting in. We ate dinner and shared our own stories from our winter explorations. Soon, we were shocked by a magnificent moonrise peeking through a sliver of clouds. All of the Pikas were deeply captivated by the moon, and we spent a significant amount of time oohing and aahing.

From there, we moved into telling stories about the variety of constellations that are most present in our winter nighttime sky. The Pikas sat enraptured by the stories (which had glow in the dark constellations, so cool!), and continued to ask for more and more.

Soon enough, it was time to set down the trail, and we did so in a more quiet, Edge Stretching way without headlamps. We embraced the quiet and dark walk down the path towards campus, getting some time to reflect silently about our experience.

We closed our day with a circle of gratitude, wherein we expressed deep thanks for the many blessings of our adventure together. A memorable experience for the Pikas for sure!

To view a slideshow from our day, click here!