Exploring Lake Padden with the Red Tail Eyas

Clear and sunny skies greeted the Red Tail Eyases for their final outing of the season at Lake Padden. We would have stayed entirely dry except that the open field was saturated from the night before.  As it turns out, the cool, mildly damp forest was the perfect place for our exploration!

After greetings and opening meeting, we started out across the field toward the trail. Our journey started with an introduction into the art of tracking. Explorers discovered many prints in the muddy field and tracked large-pawed animals along the fence-line. We learned some basic differences between canine and feline prints. Ask your Explorer if he remembers what the “A” and “M” stand for.

We need to recognize Kyler, who was the Explorers Mentoring Apprentice (EMA) of the day. He is a member of the oldest group called the Firestalkers. He worked with younger Explorers throughout the day and took a lead role in detailing further challenges in the game of Hide. Also joining us for the outing was Kai, who is member of theAlevin E.C. group. His playful attitude kept spirits high as we ran around for hours in the forest.

In this exploration, boys were challenged to make decisions as a group. They practiced themotto, Let it Be Known (LIBK), to make sure their voices were heard. At a particular fork in the road, Explorers disagreed about which way to go. But everyone spoke his opinion; we all listened and some offered suggestions about how we should proceed. Though mentors stepped in after a while, Red Tail Eyases exercised their words and practiced compassionate listening. This type of behavior is admirable and should be celebrated!

At the trail junction Explorers came to a realization in the forms of yet another motto,The Map is Not the Territory. Boys dutifully studied the map and determined which trails corresponded with the trails presented before us. But the essential element is that those trail maps were only tools. The land is the territory on which our exploration was going to happen. So, we referenced the map and then left it behind as we motored up the hill toward a patch of older growth forest.

After the Red Tail Eyases enjoyed lunch in that secluded grove, boys organically formed a game of monster tag with Lucas leading the charge. Eventually that game pulled in the mentors and we modified it by converting the monster into a “predator” and making everyone else “prey.” Then we added another predator and another until the prey were running around frantically and hiding whenever they had a chance. This game mirrors the phenomenon of the Badger and Coyote, two seemingly unfriendly predators that work together occasionally in order to eat. Ask your Explorer how they work together!

Explorers had time for a sit spot in order to individually reconnect with the natural world and to give thanks for the “perfect playground.” Then we met together again to practice the motto, Attitude of Gratitude with our traditional Circle of Thanks. We ate apples and reflected on our first season in Explorer’s Club.

Continuing the gratitude: Thank you Explorers for your energy and enthusiasm on this outing and all season. Parents, thank you for your support and encouragement as well!

We hope you will consider the free Winter Solstice Gathering in December as well as a winter weekend outing in February to the Baker Lodge.

Thanks again for a great autumn and we look very much forward to seeing you in the spring!

Please check out more pictures from the recent outing and all previous ones in the Red Tail Eyases photo gallery.

Exploring Whatcom Falls Park with the Red Tail Eyas

Daylight was still on our side as the Red Tail Eyases met at Whatcom Falls Park for their first exploration outing. With foundations of service and exploration and camouflage skills already entrenched in our psyche, we took the day to explore, play games, and wander.

Explorers organically piled the multitude of Bigleaf Maple leaves scattered about the ground. With a huge pile, we coerced Matt into it and then buried him! Also, on this day we had Christian join us. He is a member of the Firestalkers and a budding mentor in the Explorers’ Mentoring Apprentice (EMA) Program.

At this point we were ready to get train our awareness skills. We began to harness the power of Owl, whose eyes are incredibly sharp and attuned to motion in the forest. Though we can move our eyes around in our eye-sockets and owls can’t, they make up the deficiency by being able to spin their heads nearly 360 degrees around.

That said, we learned about keeping our heads and eyes still and using our peripheral vision to notice changes in movement and motion. We played Head Honcho, a game that tests an Explorer’s ability to recognize patterns, shifts in behavior, and changes in motion. All Explorers practiced “Owl Eyes” in participating or in guessing who the Head Honcho was.

After this introductory activity, we had opening meeting in a small grove of Western Redcedar. We took jobs so that we could explore safely. Our Scouts were prepared to lead and sweep the group and account for everyone. And our Hunter Gatherer had the snack!

Explorers enjoyed the raging Whatcom Falls; the roar made it difficult to communicate with people standing next to us. We crossed the bridge and were then faced with the first big challenge of the day… which way to go?!

Steve, Matt, and Dave stepped back to let the Explorers decide for themselves. It was a crossroads (literally and figuratively) as the boys were pressed to come to a consensus together. In this test of leadership, group bonding, and decision, the boys wisely used a resource in Christian. They looked to him as a mentor who could give them another viewpoint of each trail.

From the vista, they saw that the trails led to the same place… toward the water. Some of us played on the upper slopes while others played near eddies of water. Good thing we had boots! We safely explored the area above the falls and even got in two rounds of Hide! It was a good way to practice the art of camouflage which definitely came in handy later.

We marched down the trail and up a big hill to an open field. While there we learned the rules of Spiders Web. In this “capture-the-flag-esque” game “flies” worked together as a team to retrieve the flag. Only one lowly spider defended the flag, but Explorers had to consider many strategies for retrieving the treasure! Some rushed into the forest, while others crept along the forest floor. In the end, Explorers learned about the natural world: some felt the energy of deer moving slowly and others have a new appreciation for the hiding opportunities provided by Sword Fern.

When we left the forest to prepare for our first sit spots, we saw two deer in a clearing. Without hesitation, Explorers started to creep toward them stopping whenever the grazers looked up. Though we scared away the deer, our Spiders Web skills immediately transferred to a real-life scenario.

We had an opportunity for a 10-minute sit spot that would help us connect to the natural world on an individual level. It was a new experience for nearly everyone. The sit spot is an important part of Explorers Club because it epitomizes our practice of awareness that we foster in games and explorations. We can connect deeply with the natural world and with the self in this short amount of time with the appropriate focus and dedication to that time.

We had the perfect amount of time for snack and a Circle of Thanks before walking back through the woods, over the falls, and to the meeting spot. To practice the Explorer’s Club motto, Attitude of Gratitude, thanks Explorers for your effort and a successful exploration. And a big thank you to parents for your support and energy.

Please check out more outing pictures at thephoto gallery. And Be Prepared for next outing!

The Art of Exploring and Camouflage with the Red Tail Eyas

The weather in Fairhaven Park on Saturday was warm and cloudless when the Red Tail arrived. The goals were to learn about safe exploration and lay the foundation for understanding camouflage. Moreover, as the group was new, much of the day was spent getting to know other group members. We played Evolution and Squirrel Tagto get out some energy and start to learn other Explorers’ names.

In order to safely practice the Art of Exploration, we began with our Explorers’ Club mottoes: Being Prepared and Safety First. As such, explorers learned about and assumed trail jobs for the day. This meant that every participant was critical to the group and that our number one goal besides having fun was that everyone could contribute. We also discussed how to behave if someone gets lost or needs to use the bathroom while exploring.

Finally the heat had made its statement and we took cover for coolness in the 100-Acre Woods. This was a great time to review what camouflage is and how it plays a role in the natural world. Explorers learned the rules of Hide and then practiced their first understandings of camouflage by blending into the woods! By hiding we learn about the natural surroundings and start to understand the landscape. Though some us had played Hide before, it was our first chance to play as a group.

Isaac’s beige shirt turned into a good learning opportunity. As he hid in the tall grasses, we lost sight of him from only 20 feet away. We then took turns recognizing how colors and movement play a role in camouflage. This led into a round of camouflage gauntlet in which the mentors hid colored chenille sticks (pipe cleaners) along the trail (try to spot some in our photos!) We searched for them in the duff, on the trees, above our heads. Of note was Steve’s incredible “blackberry” at eye level!

Like butter on a warm piece of toast, Explorer’s melted into the forest. We explored the spiders, fungi, and trees. We learned about the Hawthorne’s helpful berries and its sharp thorns. We revisited the motto, Safety First, to learn about identifying potential plant hazards like Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica), Holly (Ilex opaca), Hawthorn (Crataegus), and Oregon Grape (Mahonia aquifolium). Then, we were primed to play Hide again and learned about camouflage in the thick foliage found in the under story.

An important closing note was the motto: Attitude of Gratitude. In a circle, we shared with one another one thing for which we were grateful. In this sense Explorers develop an appreciation for things or events in their life, even outside of Explorers’ Club. We had apples together and then rolled down the hill to meet the parents who were waiting for us. Some Explorers even rolled up the hill so they could try rolling down it again! Thanks for your dedication and gung-ho attitudes, Explorers! And Thank You parents for encouraging your boys to explore!

 Don't forget to check out pictures in the photo album!