Townsend's Chipmunks Delve into Shelter Building

The Townsend’s Chipmunks kicked their fall season off at North Galbraith Trailhead with a full outing of shelter building! Welcoming a few new members to the group, we were all present and accounted for and hit the trail. Cruising down past the dirt jumps we followed a logging road back to search for a long time favorite spot of past Explorers Club groups who built shelters that withstood the test of time. Immediately it became apparent that the logging operation to clear the forest had stepped things up. As far as we could see there were vast swathes of cleared trees, brush piles, and sporadic Big Leaf Maples left standing all alone. For most of the group, they had never seen this place before so it was all new to them. However, for the mentors who had spent many outings playing in these woods sharing countless memories of shelter building, games of Life and Death in the Forest, and unforgettable outings with groups now graduated into the Four Shields program, it was a little tough to swallow. After trying to get our bearings on the freshly altered landscape we gave up our search for the shelters of past Explorers and decided to start fresh.

Taking a turn down a new bike trail, we found a nice clearing under some cedar trees to have our opening circle. Before we could even begin, we started unearthing a variety of small bones from within the layer of duff and decaying leaves on the ground. Dropping everything and beginning a mini excavation we discovered a dozen or so bones; vertebra, limb bones, and even a skull! Our C.S.I. skills determined it must have been a medium sized rodent like creature with large hind legs. Perhaps you or your Explorer may have a guess? After sanitizing our hands we got back to our opening circle where we welcomed a few new members to the group and discussed our Earth Skills Focus for the season: The Art of Shelter Building! But before getting into any skills work, we needed to get some play time in so we revisited the rules for HIDE and played a few rounds. The new group members were impressively good at hiding for newbies to this game and it was a sure sign that they were in the right place.

With some games out of the way, we jumped into skills work. Starting with mini-shelters is a great way to grasp the basics of structural design without using too many resources or taking too much time. We learned about “Y-Sticks” and how they can interlock to support a “backbone” in a tri-pod like structure. Placing more sticks along the backbone we add enough “ribs” to round out the skeleton of our shelter (perhaps the skeleton we found was a sign of things to come!). Next we can add a layer of brushy material that will support the insulating layer of debris. The debris layer is often overlooked as the last step, but usually takes the most time to get sufficient amounts of debris like downed leaves, old sword fern, duff, or anything else you can find to insulate and water proof your shelter. With the basics under our belts we felt ready to re-locate and build a full scale shelter together as a group.

Before we could head out, we had to decide if we wanted to take the left or right fork in the trail. In most groups it would be easy; just vote! But not in Explorers Club. Instead of using a majority rules method, we make sure to take the time to work together as a group to collaborate, compromise, and come to a consensus. This often means spending a long time in circle, but many indigenous cultures based their societal decisions around consensus decision making instead of a majority rules model. With a consensus, everyone can believe in the decision and come together as a unified group to act upon the decision together as a whole. We ended up having one Explorer not want to budge despite everyone else in the group wanting to go the other way. In this situation we remind the group of our motto; “We not Me” and talk about the many ways a compromise may manifest itself. Despite the struggles that the Townsend’s Chipmunks had today learning how to collaborate, compromise, and come to a consensus, they showed great progress and all took away a fresh perspective on how to come together as a group and make a decision that makes everyone happy. It is important that we learn how to collaborate effectively and begin understanding what it means to compromise one’s personal desires for the greater needs of the group. Just imagine how differently our current election process might look if we all had to collaborate, compromise and come to a consensus! Now that would be a sight to see.

Back on the trail we trekked along until we found a good location for a shelter. Abundant resources nearby, a reasonably flat area to construct the shelter. We were closer than would be ideal to a Big Leaf Maple and an old snag, but for the sake of our outing, we discussed why not to build near deciduous trees and widow makers that drop their limbs in wind storms. With that out of the way we found a couple sturdy Y-Sticks and a solid backbone and got to work on getting ribs and latticing for our shelter. Running short on time we didn’t get around to piling on all the debris, but for our first attempt at a full size shelter we felt pretty good about the fruits of our labor. With just enough time left to have a closing circle to share some gratitude and munch on apple slices the mentors were impressed at the thoughtfulness and focus this group brought as each Explorer shared something they were thankful for with the rest of the group. Hiking out through the logging land, back to the dirt jumps, and finally arriving at the parking lot, a posy of dirty Explorers with smiles on their faces was a welcome site for the parents. For some Explores this was their first outing and what an outing it was. Shelter building, skeletons in circle, and plenty of exploration. I would call that a successful way to kick off our fall season.

Make sure to check out the rest the photos from our outing here!

Lookout Mountain Exploration

The sunshine was already warm as the Townsend's chipmunks gathered for their final outing of the Spring season. June can be such a mixed bag of weather; sun one day and full on rain and cold temperatures the next. I felt lucky to have such a nice day for our exploration of Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve.

With the hot weather we all decided it best to hike a short ways into the forest's canopy and cooler temperatures for our opening circle. A small grassy patch along the side of the trail presented as an excellent spot for the circle. We dropped packs and began to the customary tradition of deciding on jobs and making plans for how to spend our outing. Most of the boys were ansy in the circle and held little focus on the decision making process; thus dragging this circle into a long and slightly arduous process. After a few debates the group at last laid a framework for the day; hike into the woods first to play games, then explore the falls.

Our trail threaded it’s way through thick stands of salmonberry and elderberry with punctuations of tall alders and a few coniferous species. Once we were a good way into the forest we had the boys split up into two groups for an activity called a Song Line This is a traditional tool used for route finding used amongst many indigenous people. (Ask your son to explain it to you. This is not only a fun activity in explorers club but  also a great activity on a family hike!). The two groups parted ways in separate directions to create a song line.

Once back together the groups took turns sharing their song lines and letting the other group try and follow it back to a bandana. Each group ended up being successful in finding the bandana, but not without a few wrong turns along the way. It was really great to see the boys working as a team to decipher the clues and problem solve their errors. In the debrief we talked extensively about the various components to a song line and how we could improve in the future.

With the afternoon upon us it was time to make the trek up to the falls. I could go on and on about the playful energy of the boys, the enthusiasm with which they explored, the curiosity at all the things they found, their courageous leaps from one rock the the next, their numerous discoveries, or how their laughter filled the whole ravine, but I will leave those stories to them. I will say that when I think of Explorers club it is moments like these at the falls that come to mind.

Our closing circle was excellent; the boys showed an amazing amount of growth from the way that they had conducted themselves in the morning circle. Everyone was focused on listening to what their peers had to say and gave some very heartfelt gratitude for the day. It was pleasure to explore with your boys and spend time in such an amazing spot! Thank you Townsend’s Chipmunks for your growth as a group and growing maturity as individuals, we look forward to future adventures with you!

Towsend's Chipmunks Explore Along the MIghty Nooksack

The Townsend Chipmunks met at Cascade Montessori on a rainy day for their first outing using the Wild Whatcom bus. Now that this group has been exploring the various parks and forests in and around the greater Bellingham area, the mentors decided it was time for these boys to get out into a little more of a wilderness setting. Loading up the bus we cruised out Mt. Baker Highway to the Deming Homestead Eagle Park located alongside the mighty Nooksack River. The inside of the bus buzzed with excitement and enthusiasm as we made our way east and soon we had arrived.

Unloading our packs the boys quickly took shelter under the trees beside the parking lot to escape the dreary drizzle. Holding our opening circle among the shelter of the trees we had a bit of trouble focusing and forming a circle. It seemed everyone was rather excited to get out exploring and a bit distracted by the rain. Finally getting into a circle the mentors made sure to cover a few important things that popped up during our first few minutes on the land. Nothing to serious arose, but it was important to discuss two topics in particular: respectful interpersonal communication and how to properly dress for rainy weather. Reviewing a few topics of conversation we discussed some techniques to help avoid conflict and escalation and improve interpersonal communication among ourselves. We often forget about the emotional side of risk management, but managing emotional risk can be just as important as managing our physical risk. Speaking of physical risk, the mentors noticed a couple boys who were wearing denim jeans in the cold, drizzly weather. Remembering the old saying “cotton kills” we discussed what we could do to help us stay warm; primarily this means keeping cotton dry or even better, not wearing cotton at all. Getting rain gear on was the best we could do, but next exploration the best way to avoid this scenario is just leaving the cotton at home if it is looking like it may rain that day.

Now that we had discussed the importance of respectful interpersonal communication and how to keep ourselves warm and dry we were ready for some exploration. Heading out we soon hit our first obstacle; a strong side channel impeding our access to the flood plains and beyond those the Nooksack. Traversing eastward we took notice of a few wooden boards someone had put in place to be used as a bridge to cross the side channel. One by one we crossed and found ourselves in a flat, mossy flood plain full of young Cottonwoods and head high Japanese Knapweed. The broad leaves of these plants made it difficult to see much more than fifty or so feet in any direction. Despite our proximity to the park and Mt. Baker Highway, we were immersed in a wild setting, off trail, and needing to find a way to the river. This was much different from what the Townsend Chipmunks had experienced in the past. The flat gravel or packed earth trails of the parks and forests around Bellingham make it easy to confidently trek off into the woods knowing there is a highly developed and heavily trafficked trail to guide us. Out on the flood plains all we had to go off of was an old footpath that looked to be used more frequently by deer and coyote than human. Yet the Townsend Chipmunks took off confidently down this trail. The mentors decided to let them get a bit of true exploration in and let the boys lead the way.

After a few minutes of trekking it became apparent the Townsend’s Chipmunks assumed the trail would take us right to the river. Putting full faith in this forgotten footpath was a reminder to the mentors that these boys are still honing a greater awareness of their surroundings and the ebbs and flows associated with moving through a wild landscape. One must take note of everything around them; the level of the land, the plants growing around you, the micro-climates you are passing through, the tracks of other creatures and where they may be going, the direction of the sun and the time of day, the sounds and sensations around us and off in the distance. There is so much to track and so much to pay attention to. Of course this was the Townsend’s Chipmunk’s first outing in a wild place like this, so after some trials and tribulations the mentors stepped in and refocused the group. We had hit a second side channel and it was time to pause and re-evaluate our situation. People were getting hungry, thirsty, and energy was waning. Despite a few Explorer’s motivation to press on, the group always comes first. We backtracked to a clearing and settled in to eat some lunch, drink some water, and make a new game plan to get to the river. One benefit of tracking is that not only can you follow tracks of animals and where they went, but you can find your own footprints and follow them back if you ever get turned around in the wilderness. We tracked our path back to the trailhead and the mentors took a route that they knew would take us down to the river. Despite a little frustration and confusion, this first taste of wandering in the wilderness was exactly what the Townsend’s Chipmunks needed. Not to mention anytime you wander off trail in the wilderness you are bound to encounter a little frustration and confusion from time to time.

Finally breaking out of the Cottonwood saplings we hit the sand, rock, and silt of the banks of the Nooksack. Immediately the boys found a bounty of tracks from canine to ungulate to avian. The Explorers scattered across the landscape pursuing the natural wonders that called to them. After we got through the initial excitement we gathered our packs and made it down to the river. Here we spent the next few hours lost in free play. Splashing in the side pools, discovering new tracks and natural curiosities, and even building a bridge over a side channel to a log jam, there was so much to do and so little time! The mentors found it deeply gratifying to finally see the Townsend’s Chipmunks out on a vast, expansive, wild landscape like this. It was exactly what they needed. As if to mark this moment the clouds burned off and the sun shone brightly for the last part of our outing. Drying out, except for those who decided to wade into the water, we were warm, dry and happy. Fulfilled by exploration and free play we headed home feeling rather satisfied with what we had accomplished. Although we still had to review how to listen respectfully in our closing circle, there was a great step in growth taken today by the Townsend’s Chipmunks. This group is really coming into its own and after a successful day in the expansive wild lands along the Nooksack they will no doubt have many more exciting explorations like this in the future.  

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from this outing here!