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. 

  

Red Tailed Eyas traverse the Chuckanuts

When planning the Spring Season for the Red Tailed Eyas The culminating traverse from the two dollar trail up to fragrance lake and down to larrabee state park was a gamble. Mid November can provide us with nice sunny weather for outings, but it can also dish out a fare share of rainy windy and cold days. The Red Tailed Eyas lucked out on the weather as it happened to be a beautiful clear crisp fall day; perfect for a long traverse in the Chuckanuts.

With a cold day we all decided to hike the first part of the trail before sitting for our opening circle. The two dollar trail starts of by gaining a good chunk of elevation in a series of steep switchbacks; perfect for warming up our bodies. At the top of the switch back the boys in front found a wonderful spot for an opening circle just off the trail under a couple of large cedars and douglas firs. We settled into a circle to hand out jobs and talk about our traverse. A traverse is unique to Explorers in that it requires a certain amount of commitment since it demands ending up at a specific spot at the end of the day.

With a tribal elder now in place we left it up to The Red Tailed Eyas to decide where they wanted to take breaks and how they wanted to spend the time that we wouldn’t be hiking. The boys were reluctant to step up to make the decision and spent most of the first part of the circle talking amongst themselves about unrelated topics instead of working together to make the decision. As a mentor this is a tricky moment where you need to provide the boys enough time and space to make the decision on their own with the belief they have the skills to do so; but also give them enough guidance and tools to make the decision making process as smooth as possible. It took a while and more guidance than usual but eventually the Red Tailed Eyas came together and made some key decisions about the day. As we began hiking one of the boys said “wow that didn’t take much time once we all focused on what everyone was saying” I couldn’t have agreed more.

With our decision made we began the hike up the trail toward fragrance lake. The hike went quickly. A good pace and few stops got us up to the lake in time for lunch. We found a great spot around the edge of fragrance lake. An open sandstone rock provided enough space for everyone to spread out. As we sat we saw the ripples cast by small fish feeding at the surface of the lake, and saw several birds fly far above us. Even on this still cold day the forest was full of life.

The cold weather kept our lunch break short; before leaving we gathered the boys together to make a quick decision on whether we wanted to head straight down to larrabee state park and have extra time at the beach, or spend our extra time in the forest around the lake. Again the Red Tailed Eyas could not hold their focus in the group long enough to make this decision quickly. With everyone getting cold as we stood there a couple boys stepped up to be really strong leaders in the group and help the boys make a decision.

We decided to spend our time up by the lake playing Spiders Web.The boys found a great spot for a game and organized it with little help from the mentors. It was nice to see the Red Tailed Eyas take initiative and really throw themselves into making a group decision. We had a short, but really good game of Spiders Web before it was time to begin our hike down.

We had a quick and pleasant hike down from fragrance lake and made it to larrabee with plenty of time for a good closing circle. In our closing circle the boys all shared sincere gratitude from the day and talked excitedly about the upcoming Spring Season. Thank you Red Tailed Eyas for your persistence and growth with group decisions and your undying curiosity and enthusiasm about the forest. Please checkout our photo gallery from more pictures from our outing!    

Red Tailed Eyas practice Naturalist Skills

On a clear but cold Fall day the Red Tailed Eyas gathered for their third outing of the season at the trailhead for Stimpson Family Nature Preserve. This is a unique location; Beaver ponds, intaced wetland ecosystems, mature second growth forests, many amphibian species, and endless opportunities for exploration. 

Once in the forest we found a small clearing next to the beaver pond for an opening circle. We all circled up in our usual fashion and began to lay out some plans for the day. The Red Tailed Eyas skill or this season is the art of tracking and bird language. Since our previous two outings (a long traverse and service at Connelly Creek) had not provided us with many opportunities to practice this skill I was eager to dive in.

We agreed to spend the first half of the outing focusing on really getting a foothold on tracking and then be able to spend the second half of the outing paying and exploring on the land. With this decision made we began hiking deeper into the reserve. Almost immediately we saw to small rough skinned newts in the trail.We all crowded around and took turns looking at the two newts.

We came to a place where the main trail continued and a small deer trail took off to the right traversing the banks of the Beaver pond. Some boys wanted to take the deer trail while others wanted to stay on the main path. Stimpson Nature Reserve is a technically on trail only place, this fact gave way to a great discussion amongst the boys on land use ethics. After many good points being brought up on both sides of the issue we decided that as a group we could take this game trail and travel in a way that would leave only a little impact with the reward being greater abundance of animal sign by the pond.

Down by the pond we all gathered up again to discuss the specifics of how we would be looking for animal tracks and sign. We handed out journals and pens to all the boys and instructed them to go out on the land and find either tracks or signs of different animals. Eagerly the boys spread out along the pond’s edge in search of animal sign. Soon enough everyone had found something. Looking out along the shoreline boys could be seen studying animal dens, nests, tracks, chew marks, rubs, and a variety of other sign. After almost and hour of focused time the boys came back in and shared their findings. A few boys showed a lot of interest and even took a field guide back to an animal den to try and identify it.

After lunch we made the decision to stay in this location for the rest of the day. Some boys went off to explore further down the pond while others chose to spend their time practicing their carving skills. It felt good to have done a solid session of tracking to leave the rest of the day open to work on whatever we wanted. Those of us carving relaxed by our packs and worked on butter knives and spoons, listening to the voices of the rest of the boys from the pond.

The afternoon flew by. The boys by the pond where lost in their imagination as they played on a giant rotting stump, and the boys carving were lost in the work of shaping wood. It was one of those amazing moments in an outing where everyone was doing exactly what they wanted to be doing. With the day coming to a close we packed up to head out of the woods and back to the parking lot.

Thank you Red Tailed Eyas for a great outing and all your hard work. Parents thank you for sending your sons out to explore with us. Next time you are out on a hike with them have them point out all the animal sign they see, they are becoming excellent naturalists. Be sure to look at our photo gallery for more pictures.

  

Red-Tailed Eyas and Gray Wolf Pups Work Together

As an organization, Boys Explorers Club has an impact on the land. We spend a lot of time off trail, building shelters, harvesting carving wood, and generally just spending time in the forest. We try to tread lightly, using game trails when possible, picking up trash as we go, harvesting plants only when they are abundant enough to support it, and taking care of places we visit. In the end, though, there is no way to explore a place without leaving some trace and having at the very least a small impact. Our outings at the Connelly Creek service site are our opportunity to leave a positive impact on the land and really dedicate a day to leaving a place much better then we found it.

The Gray Wolf Pups and Red-Tailed Eyas had the perfect day to be out at the service site, warm weather and sunshine. We started our day with a big opening circle focused on getting to know the other group a little bit and talking for a few minutes about tool safety and usage. Since both the Gray Wolf Pups and Red-Tailed Eyas are seasoned Explorers group the opening circle went quickly and smoothly. Soon we joined the third group, The Alevin, at the service site to get to work. The Gray Wolf Pups and Red-Tailed Eyas got to work quickly on chopping blackberries and removing their roots. 

All the boys worked in a focused and efficient manner for a couple of hours before they even started to talk about taking a break. Soon the boys started to trickle off for a well deserved lunch break in the sunny field. The boys were all tired, but proud of their work as they are lunch and surveyed what they had accomplished that morning. After lunch We called them back over to put in a solid effort before it was time to pack up and leave.

We spent the last hour cleaning up all the trimmings of blackberries so they would not reroute themselves and then stomping down and spreading mulch over the reid canary grass. The work of spreading mulch was gratifying and was a nice reward after the hard work of clearing blackberries. As we spread the mulch the site was looking better and better and less like an overgrown jungle. Soon it was time to put in our last few minutes of effort and then end the day. 

We had a really nice closing circle in the sunny field and admired all the work that we had done. All the boys had really positive and sincere things to share in closing circle and all expressed their enthusiasm for service outings. It was a really powerful day with a lot of great work being done by all of us.Thank you Red Tailed Eyas and Grey Wolf Pups for all your hard work and enthusiasm. Parents next time you are close by have your explorer show you they service site so you can see how much they have put into this spot and don’t let them tell you they can’t do yard work. Be sure to check out the Grey Wolf PupPhoto Gallery and the Red Tailed Eyas Photo Gallery for more outing photos!

         

Red-Tailed Eyas traverse from Pine and Cedar to Arroyo

Our first outing of the Fall season fell on a September day that felt much like a summer outing; clear blue skies and mild temperatures. The idea for this outing was born from numerous hikes I have been on in the Chuckanuts and a desire to connect two of the major trail systems that climb the North side of Chuckanut Mountain. The landscape between Pine and Cedar Lakes trail and Arroyo park is full of deeply furrowed ravines and steep ridgelines. Knowing the Red Tailed Eyas to be a capable and strong group, both physically and in their group cohesion it seemed the perfect first outing for these guys.

We began climbing the Pine and Cedar lakes trail in search of a good location for an opening meeting. At the opening meeting we handed out jobs, talked about our Summers, and took a look at the topographic map of the Chuckanuts. We spent a good chunk of time looking at the map and identifying the easiest route across the slope and deciding at what point we would leave the established trail to start our bushwhack. A handful of the boys took initiative with reading the map and selecting the ideal route for the group.

As we left the trail we circled up one more time to make sure that we were all clear on the plan and felt up to the adventure of traversing this much ground without the aid of a trail. All the boys felt confident and expressed their interest in continuing the traverse.

The first part of the traverse proved to be easy travel along an obvious flat bench that traversed the hillside. Sword ferns as tall as our chests, towering hemlock and douglas fir trees provided the perfect ecosystem to travel through. As we traversed further along the hillside the terrain steepened and we spent more and more time closely examining the map to find the best route. At this point in the traverse we talked about Acceptable risk (or risk we can mitigate) versus risk we were not willing to accept as a group. It was a fruitful discussion for those involved and provided clarity on what kind of terrain we were will to travel through. We all decided that the hillside we wanted to climb fell into the category of acceptable risk that we could handle safely as a group.  

After a steep climb up a hillside we found a nice flat spot to take a break and eat some lunch.  Looking at the map we could see that from here we had to descend into the main drainage that separated the two trail systems. The topographic lines on the map indicated both a steep descent into creek and a steep climb back up the other side. The Red Tailed Eyas looked down into the creek and planned out and excellent route that would lead us through this section. One by one we all scrambled down the hill toward the creek and began the trek up the other side.

At the top of the hill we all grouped up and congratulated each other on our effort. From here we trekked the short distance out to the hemlock trail. As soon as we hit the trail all the boys celebrated  our completed traverse and expressed their enthusiasm and sense of accomplishment.

Unlike many of our outings with more of an emphasis on wandering and and following our inspiration on where to go and how to spend our time there, this outing was a much more directed traverse. Both types of exploration are important and teach us different lessons about the places we go. I was really impressed by the boys that were committed to learning how to read the map and plan a route across unknown terrain. Beyond the lessons of reading maps and navigating terrain I think the group learned a lot about approaching challenging situations and the value of working together as a group in these situations.