Red-Tailed Eyas and Salamander Efts Learn About Life and Death in the Forest

Meeting up on a chilly morning at Lookout Mountain, the Salamander Efts and Red Tailed Eyas came together as two of the eldest groups in Boys Explorers Club. It has been a tradition over the years that two of the oldest groups of Explorers get together for an outing for an epic games day. The game of the day would be “Life and Death in the Forest” which teaches us about the intricacies of the food web through playful embodiment of those who call the forest home. Herbivores, Omnivores, and Carnivores make up the basic players in the game with food sources, water sources, and medicine sources scattered throughout the playing field. The struggle between life and death becomes surprisingly real when time is running out and the only thing standing between you and that last food source is a hungry Carnivore licking his chops for a shot at one last meal. With many of the Explorers having heard about this game from friends or family, this highly anticipated moment in their Explorers Club career was about to begin.

Gathering together for an opening circle

As we hiked together up the trail, we were immediately faced with both life and death in the forest. This time, however, was no game. At a junction in the trail a dank, decaying aroma crept into our nostrils and made us all pause. Peering through the foliage was eerie sight to behold, ribs, rotten flesh, a hoof, and looking right back at us; a skull. This was a perfect reminder that although for us Life and Death in the Forest is a fun game, for all of our furry and feathered friends it is a very stark reality. Picking our way through the underbrush, we investigated further to find the carcass of a deer. The close proximity to the trail and lack of debris covering the carcass ruled out any cougar as the culprit. Plenty of game trails came in and out of the brush where the carcass was likely indicating coyotes had been feeding here, and perhaps the occasional off leash dog that couldn’t resist a good sniff. The true killer may never be known, but since the deer seemed young in size and without much wear on its teeth, natural causes seemed unlikely. With the droning of cars on Lake Luis Rd still drifting over the hillside, the prime suspect was unfortunately an automobile.

The deer carcass we found in the woods

Moving on from the deer carcass, we continued along the trail chatting amongst ourselves when a brown blur sliced through the canopy overhead. Getting a better angle, we gathered around to observe a Barred Owl perched up at the top of a Red Alder. It lingered long enough for everyone to get a good look before silently swooping away, back into the forest in search of some peace and quiet. Having discovered impeccable instances of both life and death in the forest it was time to get down to business. 

Taking a break from the game to test Tinder Fungus as a coal extender

Traversing off trail we found a good spot to set up base camp and circle up to talk about the day. Having two groups together meant a bigger circle than usual, but everyone seemed to hold focus and let the mentors go over the game plan. With our game set up, the rules explained, and participants prepped, all that was left was to start. The Herbivores got a head start to disperse into the landscape and begin stealthily scouring the forest for food and water. Next the Omnivores were sent off needing to pick a priority of plant food, water, or hunting to begin the game. Finally, the Carnivores were let loose much to the dismay of the Herbivores and Omnivores who now flinched at every twig snapped and fern rustled. Explorers and Mentors alike ran, crawled, climbed, ducked, dove, scurried and scampered. For over half an hour the struggle between life and death was all that mattered. This crash course in survival was graded with a pass or a fail. It didn’t matter how you survived, no style points were awarded, and whether you charged fearlessly into the onslaught or crawled quietly around the melee did not matter as long as you survived. Finally the game was called to an end and despite the mayhem the majority of us survived to see another day… or at least another round!

An unsuspecting Herbivore in search of food and water...

Little did he know it was an ambush!

Finishing our second round of Life and Death in the Forest, we gathered up for some informal free time working on bow drill, testing TinderFungus, or just goofing off with friends. Everyone enjoyed some down time after all the excursion during our games and we soon transitioned into closing circle. Reminding the boys of the need for strong focus, respectful listening, and genuine openness we all took a turn speaking from our hearts and sharing gratitude with the group. Having two of the older groups together for this was a good reminder for the mentors of where the newer, younger groups are striving to be. The Salamander Efts and Red Tailed Eyas have set the bar high for the younger groups through their enthusiasm and energy, thoughtfulness, compassion, and sincerity for themselves, one another, and the natural world. As the Salamander Efts graduation from Boys Explorers Club looms on the horizon, the Red Tailed Eyas are sitting on deck to become the eldest group next fall. We will miss the Salamander Efts as they move on to the Four Shields program, but can’t wait to see how the Red Tailed Eyas respond to their new role a year from now. 

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

Gathering together for a closing circle

Red-Tailed Eyas explore Squire's Lake - August 27, 2016

Seven stuffed backpacks bobbed up the hill toward the Beaver Pond viewpoint at Squire Lake, zippers glinting in the overcast half-light. The boys chattered and laughed, trading stories of their summer shenanigans and comparing what they had brought for snacks. Here, summer still clung to the tree branches above in shades of emerald. The only harbingers of change to come were the first hints of an orange blush on the vine maple leaves, and the less-than-sunny sky that seemed to hang lower than usual. But the carefree joy of summer still bounced in the boys’ steps and shined in their smiles as we gathered for the morning circle. This circle is a regular opening ceremony on any given adventure, but at the beginning of the season, we take extra care to spend time introducing ourselves to each other and setting intentions for the year. 

An integral part of Explorer’s Club is letting nature moments be the lessons. On any given walk, we encounter a multitude of opportunities that promote natural curiosity and guide our inquiry-based adventures. Our first discovery at Squire Lake that sparked interest was the kill site of a small songbird: a litter of grimy bones and tattered wings left the victim unidentifiable, and the boys mused on the mysterious crime scene and potential culprits.

A mere half-mile later, we stumbled on an exhilarating treasure: bear tracks! Animal tracking is an innate curiosity in most kids, and Greg took the opportunity to delve into a little natural history and tracking knowledge. It’s all fueled by questions: what was the bear doing? How long ago? How do we know? Is it still in the area? What should we do if we see a bear, and what will it do if it sees/hears/smells us? 

After recognizing and discussing how we share this forest with many creatures, we bushwhacked up a steep hill towards a lunch spot overlooking two low-flowing stream beds. The thick duff and dead leaves on the hillside shielded the soil from the worst of the erosion we could have caused. In general, the lush forests in Whatcom County are resilient landscapes, offering kids the opportunity to romp and play (consciously and respectfully) with minimal ecological damage. After our food was eaten and our trash was wrangled, we launched into the next lesson: fire making. It’s a necessary and nuanced skill in this cool, wet climate. 

This week, in addition to practicing the hand drill method of fire starting, we learned the secrets of fire-making with fatwood: resin-soaked wood that can be found in either heartwood or old tree stumps. Ask the boys where we found our fatwood, and they should be able to tell you how we cut it from big, old Douglas fir stumps. Then, we scraped some shavings from these chunks that would ignite with just a meager spark of steel and flint. Because the fatwood burns long and hot, it makes an amazing starter to light bigger kindling: hemlock provided these, from its surplus of dead and resinous lower branches. 

While the boys were lighting up sparks and tinder, some nearby slugs were getting their own fire started: we discovered them on our hike out, locked in their hours-long, spiral mating dance. Sex is everywhere in nature – birds sing courting songs above us, and moss spores slide through rivulets of water under our feet. It’s a natural biological process and we approach it as such. The boys handled it appropriately for their age: they were fascinated and amused by the bizarre and elaborate mating ritual of the Eurasian black slug. As we hiked out, their laughter echoed down the trail.

Here’s to a new season of adventures, questions, nature moments, community, and discovery.

Red-Tailed Eyas Explore North Galbraith Mountain with the Gray Wolf Pups

All outings are exciting, but the first outing of Spring season always seems to carry a little extra excitement; Winter is long and the days have just started being long enough and nice enough to explore again. As the Red Tailed Eyas gathered in the North Galbraith parking lot it was fun to see the faces of seasoned explorers and share memories of past explorations and adventures together. Today was an unusual day for Explorers Club in that we had two groups gathering at the same location; both the Red Tailed Eyas and a younger group called the Grey Wolf Pups. As the groups arrived all four mentors quickly conferenced and decided to take advantage of this anomaly and that we should all meet up for a big game of Spiders Web.

Once everyone had arrived the Red Tailed Eyas hit the trail just before the Grey Wolf Pups in search of a spot in the woods for an opening circle. After a few minutes of hiking we found one and all gathered together to not only discuss our day but also the upcoming season. Historically the Red Tailed Eyas have struggled with efficient group decision making; A skill that becomes increasingly important as these boys mature and began backpacking and other trips that take them deeper into the wilderness. Last season the group made some gains in this skill through some long and committing traverses that required careful thought of the group and ability to make quick decisions. But today the Red Tailed Eyas were back to their unfocused ways as we attempted to frame the season and talk about our plans for today.

As we sat in our circle the younger Grey Wolf Pups had sat down for their circle and quickly came up with a plan and were now hiking down the hill to find a spot for Spiders Web One of the red Tailed Eyas Said “Why do they get to leave their Circle?” The mentors replied that the Grey Wolf Pups had probably talked about everything they needed to talk about. This was a moment where it is clear that sometimes the best mentors are not the adults in the circle but our peers.

With our opening circle done we hiked down to join the Grey Wolf Pups for a giant Game of Spiders Web. The game went off without a hitch. We found an excellent location and playing with so many boys allowed us to have three spiders and two food sources. (ask your explorer how this changed the game, they will be happy to share!) 

After the first game well game together to talk about what to change for the next round. With such a large group it was challenging to facilitate this conversation, but soon we all came to an agreement about how to play the next round. Hiding in ravines, getting stuck on the web, new nettles stinging us, lots of dirt, rain sprinkles, laughter, new friends, challenging game, running up hills. We all ended the second game feeling satisfied and tired from our day together. This was a day that is a good reminder that sometimes just playing in the woods is the most important way to learn from and experience the land.

With the game over it was time to separate the Red Tailed Eyas and Grey Wolf Pups so we could each have our own closing circles. As we sat in our circle we all talked openly about decision making and how we could all individually  help facilitate better group work. The Red Tailed Eyas were all sincere in their comments and spoke from the heart. The group as a whole is still working on their ability to focus and make decisions, but on an individual level many of the boys have grown and matured a lot over the Winter and there are some strong and capable leaders emerging in the group. Thank you Red Tailed Eyas for a great Outing!

To see more photos from the day please visit the RTE's and GWP's photo albums.