With snow having fallen the day before the outing, Red Tail Eyas reached the Arroyo Park trailhead prepared for any of the crazy weather that Spring was ready to dish out. They embraced the rain and were ready for a day of activities and connection.
Unfortunately, Mentors didn’t have the E.C. camera, so the pictures for this outing and blog posting are rather limited and not the best quality… please excuse us! Fortunately, however, the precipitation let up with every passing minute and only twenty minutes into our exploration, we were basking in sunshine! You know what it feels like.
Matt put us to the test immediately and engaged our observation skills. He picked out a blooming salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) and asked us a series of questions about the plant and its neighbors. It was a great way to sharpen our naturalist skills!
Leo eventually caught up with us and we had opening meeting down by the creek. Dave told the story of the Red-tailed Juvenile that Sam and his friends had found in Boulevard Park during spring break. He shared that it wasn’t a Red-tailed Hawk but actually a Peregrine Falcon, like Sam and his friends had said! That led our EMA, Kyler, from the Firestalkers, to share a story about an accipiter he saw in his yard last week and we discussed bird prey and predator strategies.
Explorers decided to use this new knowledge of raptors and hunting to create a game. It is still in the prototype version and remains nameless but it will take form in upcoming outings. Please ask your son if he remembers anything about accipiters or the “bird-killing birds.”
Our journey took us to the bridge at Arroyo Creek where we explored amphibian habitat. Though we didn’t find any slimy herps, we still had a chance to poke around in the forest and underneath logs. We even saw some young horses that quite obviously had never seen Explorers before!
Up the hill we went. We made it to the junction in the road and mentors warned us about the dangers in the area. One of the dangers had very sharp leaves and branches and goes by the common name of Devil’s Club (Oplopanax horridus). Despite the scary scientific and common names, this plant has very strong and beneficial medicine for us. As such, we are going to refer to it more affectionately by calling it, Medicine Club!
We took a water break but pressed upwards and onwards… to Cougar Rock! Please ask your Explorer why it is called Cougar Rock and what they did there! During that time, we practiced our motto, Stretch Your Edge through many different activities: climbing a huge slippery rock, learning how to spot our friends, being cougars and stalking Matt (who pretended to be a deer), and carving chopsticks and other items with our knives.
Red-Tailed Eyas then felt the time crunch as Mentors moved them downhill quickly towards “Grandpa Douglas Fir.” Fortunately, we still had precious moments for a Sit Spot and we all had a moment to commune with nature on our own. As important as our group outings are for building community, we also value strengthening individuals’ connections with the natural world.
Boys found many Trilliums (Trillium ovatum), as they were blooming in the understory. Please quiz your Explorer about this forest flower- he should know how many leaves and petals there are in addition to how long they take to grow before they bloom!
Though time had gotten away from us during this fun outing, we concluded with a Circle of Thanks, practicing our motto, Attitude of Gratitude. We’ll conclude this blog posting with the same motto:
Thank you Explorers for getting involved in so many different activities today. From game designing to carving and climbing, you really inspired us with your energy. Parents, thank you for your support of this program and the encouragement and love you give to the Explorers. It’s really enjoyable to spend our weekends together and watching them grow.
We look forward to seeing you at our next outing on May 12th from 12-4pm as the Red-Tailed Eyas deepen their stewardship ethic. We’ll return to Larrabee State Park and toil to keep the English Ivy at bay. Please look at the photo gallery for other pictures from this outing and sign up for summer camp if you haven’t already. See ya!
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