A grey, cold cloud layer drifted high in the sky as the Red Tailed Eyas flew into Connelly Creek for a day of service. Immediately the boys took to the creek, exploring in and around the edges. Mentors framed the day for the Explorers who were excited to pursue the voices (from another group) that emanated from the other side of the creek.
On the way we explored the idea of healthy salmon habitat. In order to spawn, they need clear, cold, and clean water. So our job would be to help that happen. By removing some non-native plant species, we would make room for the native species to flourish and provide the stable soil and shady places needed around the creek area. We compared one side of the bridge, where work has already been done, to our side—we certainly have our work cut out for us!
Red Tailed Eyas recognized some friends as we came across the Grey Fox Kits, an Explorers Club group slightly younger than us. They had already been there for an hour and we were excited to work alongside them in this joint service endeavor. Eventually they phased out and we got even more involved in removing Himalayan blackberry and Reed Cannarygrass.
But that’s not all. We found car parts, a hose and even a play set ladder! Along with our rubbish pile we removed had a lot of organic matter including some of the biggest blackberry root balls known to humans! OK, that is a slight exaggeration. But the important thing to note is that the Explorers really did the important foundation work for re-establishing a healthy ecosystem—starting with the soil. Please ask your Explorer to show you the site sometime. They work that they have done is truly impressive.
Along with the great service efforts, we played games and transferred our energy from work to play throughout the day. We played Deer O Deer Come Run through My Forest and even a variation on our favorite game, Hide, calledHide-Tag. We tromped through the land, enjoyed snacks, and climbed trees. It is important that we celebrate the land and appreciate it through engagement and activities. Otherwise we aren’t as interested in doing service. The play and the work go hand-in-hand; we can’t have one without the other. This mentor hopes we all remember to balance our work with our play.
This service project is becoming part of the Boys Explorers Club culture. We adopted the stream thanks to partnerships with City of Bellingham andNooksack Salmon Enhancement Association. By lending us tools and providing guidance, we really have a chance to connect with our community. Now that a huge culvert under Old Fairhaven Parkway has been removed, salmon will be heading up to our stretch of stream soon. In fact, neighbors reported seeing fish a couple weeks ago. Our work is valuable to the salmon, the Happy Valley community, and to our own Boys EC community. Together we build and strengthen a personal stewardship ethic while providing more space for our swimming, scaled friends.
The last piece to recognize is that the Red-Tailed Eyas are the sixth group to do work here this season. From last spring through now, there have been ten outings here at four hours each. When we start to multiply these numbers by 12 participants per group and add mentors and other volunteer contributions, we are talking about a big project. We have removed tremendous amounts of non-native plant material in this amount of time. We have a long way to go, but we are making noticeable headway. We should remember the Explorers Clubmotto, Many Hands Light Work. We can see it in action at our Connelly Creek service site.
Explorers, thanks again for your great work. You should be proud of your teamwork! Parents, thank you for your support of these great boys and of the BEC community. It is always a pleasure to see you when our paths cross! Please check out more pics in the photo gallery and we’ll see you for the final outing of the season when we meet at Samish Woods Montessori on November 24th. Click here for more info.
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