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!