Exploration at Hoag's Pond 11-20-16

Hello friends!  What a fun and sweet day we had on Sunday exploring around Hoag's Pond.

Our original destination was the 100 acre wood but Laura and I decided to head to Hoag's Pond as the day was somewhat windy.  It proved to be a nice compromise.  The girls enjoyed a day of exploring, playing games, and gift making.

After a check in, we hiked the short distance to the pond.  We began our time together settling in to a little grassy area near the pond, eating a snack and chatting about how we would like to spend the day.

The girls decided they first needed some game playing so a few rounds of Poison Dart Frog ensued.

Our attention was drawn to the pond as, with each gust of wind, a shimmer of moving water would dance across the pond like ballerinas. This fascinated us all for about 20 minutes....  and inspired a walk around the pond.  We suggested the walk be in silence so that we could engage our senses, and upon return we would use our journals to record our discoveries.   

Wow, the things we all noticed: duck boxes and bird calls, tiny bridges and mushrooms, a decaying dock, a single apple hanging from a tree, rose hips, and that shimmering wind across the water.  They all honored the silence as they walked.  When we returned to our little spot the girls spent some time with their journals drawing and writing about their discoveries.  

A suggestion had been made early in the day to engage in secret admirer.  Everyone picks a name out of a hat and then spends the day making nature art or gifts of some kind and secretly passing them along to their chosen person.  This seems to be a particularly engaging activity for this age group and some of the creations are simply amazing.

After some time it was necessary to eat more food and play more games!  Lunch is also a favorite with ALL age groups.  We had a stove as well to heat water so everyone could enjoy a bit of hot cocoa.  And then a few rounds of Spider's Web.

We had a good lengthy peaceful place before all gathering again and packing up to head back to the pick up spot.  Before meeting you all again we shared our gratitude and our words of the day.  One of the gals invited us all to laugh as long as possible so we decided to laugh as we walked the last bit of trail.  Laughing is contagious..and good for belly and soul.  

Thanks for your commitment to this group.  

To view the full album of the day, click here. 

Fiddleheads go Exploring: North Lake Whatcom 8.28.16

Our first outing for the fall season 2016 took us to North Lake Whatcom. We had a sweet re-entry day of exploring, re-connecting, swimming in the lake, experiencing rain, and a marathon fort building session. Essentially, everything we would want in a GEC outing!

We have a few new members to the Fiddleheads this season.  So happy to welcome Ruby, Solveig and Payton.   Our gals widened their circle to help these three feel welcome and celebrated.

As the weather begins to shift and settle into fall, we are all reminded of the constant changes in our lives.  We talked a bit about these transitions: from summer back to school, entering a new grade, and some other transitions in our lives....and how nature shows us the way.  " Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished" ( Lao Tzu ).   Looking around the forest, we talked about the changing colors in the leaves,  and how the weather feels different.

This would not deter a trip to the shores of Lake Whatcom however, and a quick dip.  We made the most of a break in the clouds.  The water was still warm enough and most everyone enjoyed an exhilarating few moments.

And then the rain began to fall and we packed up for the cover of the forest.  Making decisions in GEC involves some direction on our part, but mostly it is a chance for the girls to Collaborate and Compromise.  The girls decided we needed to move to stay warm, and that a fort might protect us if the rain increased.  We spent a few minutes at the display board reading about the history of the lake and how many changes have taken place over the years.  Then we headed up a secondary trail to search for a good fort building spot.

The rest of the day was a fabulous collaboration of collecting, delivering, building, and decorating. Our shelter would eventually have a mossy carpeted floor, a mailbox, vents in the roof, chimes made of cubicle butt rot, and a sweet welcome mat.  Outside our shelter was a significantly smaller shelter constructed lovingly for any local fairies.  It too was a mossy wonder and had small entrances on multiple sides.   Every girl ( including Rebecca and Laura ) was engaged in this project!  So fun watching this process.

We closed our time together in a circle and shared our attitude of gratitude.  Everyone seemed so uplifted by this day.  We appreciate how many of you went back down the trail to check out the shelter.

Look at more photos here:  https://goo.gl/photos/Yiu8AThQ8BvyjcwG9

Words of the day: forts, shop, building, swimming, moss

See you next time;  Saturday, September 17th for International Coastal Cleanup service day.

Exploration at Teddy Bear Cove: 6.5.2016

What a fabulous day to finish our spring season!  We had a bright sunny day to explore the wonders of Teddy Bear Cove; and, for most of the day, the north beach to ourselves.  Before heading down the trail to the water we talked about a few of our EC mottos that would be important for the day.  Safety First ( and using S.T.O.P. ) was the first to be discussed. Most of the girls have been to Teddy Bear Cove and know about the train tracks, the steep trail, and the cliffs between the two beaches.  We also discussed the possible dangers of trash; being aware of glass on the ground and always wearing shoes, and not picking up any trash that we are unsure about.  Our other motto that we talked about, and that would be embodied throughout the day, was Stretch your edge.  More on that later!

The Fiddleheads and one guest Salish Seal excitedly hurried down the trail.  We checked our knowledge of some of the predominant trees and plants along the way.  The girls pointed out Douglas Firs and Red Cedars.  Almost immediately an opportunity arose to take a shortcut; a temptation for everyone as they were so excited.  We had a good discussion about why social trails are harmful, and LNT principles.

Once we were safely across the  train tracks it was time to decide where we wanted to explore.  This practice of Collaborate and Compromise  can be tricky for many adults and watching eight year olds grapple with this can be inspiring.  There is often the desire to vote, or simply to speak the loudest in hopes or getting your way.  As mentors, Laura and I gave all the information we could to help with this decision.  What was quite interesting though was that even with this information the girls chose the southern side...and after spending ten minutes there, changed their collective minds! They needed the firsthand experience of it being much hotter, due to the fact that the wind was coming from the north and essentially blocked by the bluff.

So off to the north side; and a simply amazing day of exploring.  It was just one of those days where everyone was connected to someone else, or happy exploring in her own way;  everyone coming back together when another explorer found something which excited her, giggles and screeching.

There was lots of life on this day: hermit crabs of all sizes, Dungeness crabs of all sizes...and the crab whisperer in photo above... various sea anemones, clams spouting, beautiful fish, sea stars, and a lovely sea cucumber.  One explorer even got to witness a barnacle feeding as she sat quietly during peaceful place.

We finished our day with the web of life activity; which embodies our motto All things are connected.  The girls shared something they have felt especially connected to over the course of the season.  We passed around a ball of yarn and physically connected to each other.  The end result is a web of connection.  The girls talked about how these different connections affect each other, and us! We also discussed how this web of life can be harmed by certain practices, and uplifted by others.  

What a wonderful season together.  I invite you to spend a few minutes connecting with your daughter about our outings together and her personal highlights.  Please see the link below to view more photos.  We all at Wild Whatcom thank you for allowing us to be a part of your child's education.

A special shout out to Willow DuBow for your presence and laughter and connection with this group on Sunday.

Words of the day:  Beach, crabs....crabs...crabs...

For the full album of the day, click here.

Service along Whatcom Creek: 4-24-16

The Fiddleheads jumped into high gear this past Sunday for their second outing of the week! The girls showed impressive collaboration, enthusiasm, and Owl Eye vision while cleaning up the litter along Whatcom Creek Trail.

We gathered in front of the totem pole for Opening Circle and shared how each of us felt connected to something in the totem pole that day (the carved eagle, the colors, the shapes, the people who created it). Rebecca then led a round of "on the bus", a fun game that showed the diversity of interests within our group. We then discussed the plan for the day and talked about the importance of the three R's- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! Although recycling is better than throwing everything in a landfill, the reality is that much of our waste as humans ends up there anyways if it's not properly sorted. How can we minimize our trash and reduce/reuse? How can we teach others to practice this in their daily lives?  

Before setting off to pick up litter, we revisited the EC service philosophy explained at our first service project: Our Cups Overflow. To demonstrate this motto, girls called out different basic needs, such as water, food and shelter, while I poured a splash of water into a cup for each basic need. When all of our basic needs were accounted for, I asked the girls to share some things we have in our lives that we don’t necessarily need. The list grew quickly, overflowing the cup as girls shouted out everything from toys, candy, sports, and books to vacation, pets, and electronics. We witnessed just how much our cups overflow, leaving room for us to give back. We discussed how today we would be taking some of our own overflowing cups and pouring them into the cups of Whatcom Creek, the City of Bellingham, and all the animals, plants, and people who enjoy or live in the beautiful area.  

Our amazing EMA, Claire, helped review the Explorers Club mottos “You See It, You Own It” and “Leave No Trace” with the group. We enthusiastically agreed that we would practice these mottos as litter detectives & earth-keepers all day long. As we worked, we talked about how these things get left behind, and how this effects the water, the plants, the animals, and the other people that use this land. What would happen if no one picked this trash up? Where does it all end up after we gather it? Much of it in a landfill. Reduce and Reuse! 

We took a break for lunch after a morning of hard work and trash-hauling. The girls worked on their group collaboration skills during a game of "where's my egg?", transforming into weasels attempting to steal a blue egg from the robins nest without being caught in the action. After some fun play and running around, it was back to work for the litter detectives!

Girls ducked and climbed through the underbrush along the path to pick out things that didn’t belong. These girls worked with exuberance and passion to find and carry heavy and cumbersome trash out of the woods. They cooperated beautifully and consistently with each other to reach difficult-to-get-to items and to carry items together. The girls helped collect a truck-full of trash for the City of Bellingham to haul away!

We ended our day with a meaningful closing circle, offering acknowledgements and gratitude to each other, this place, the plants, animals, and our overflowing cups. 

Motto's especially alive today: Walk your Talk, You See it, You Own it! Leave No Trace, Our Cups Overflow, Collaborate and Compromise, Connect to Protect. 

Words of the Day: Litter scavenger hunt and overflowing cups!

For our full album of the day, click here. 

Exploration at Scudder's Pond & Whatcom Falls Park: 4/21/16

We enjoyed a sunny afternoon of exploration and new connections this past Thursday for the Fiddlehead's first outing of the spring season! Before coming together for Opening Circle, we played a round of "All my friends who...", an energizing getting-to-know-you game to reconnect with one another and discover the common interests we share.

During Opening Circle, we reviewed some of the motto's that we would put into practice throughout the day. For our Safety First motto, a couple of girls helped teach and act out our S.T.O.P. safety principals (Stop, Think, Observe, Plan). We mapped out our travel plan for the day and discussed our motto, It's About the Journey, Not the Destination! This outing would be about the journey, but we also did have a destination (Whatcom Falls!), so collaboration and compromise would be an important tool to get us to our pick-up spot.

 The girls Stretched their Edge by pairing with someone they didn't know well in the group to be their trail buddy for the day before we set off. The day unfolded with new discoveries, sharing of nature knowledge, free exploration, and connections made within our group and with the many different places, plants, and animals we saw along the way. Read on for some highlights of our day. You can find our words of the day, the mottos that guided us, and the full photo album below.

* We stopped to admire the wonders of wetlands at Scudder's Pond: redwing blackbird's brilliant markings and song, beaver's chew marks on trees, cattails' many talents (food, shelter, insulation, medicine, multiple uses in every season), and wetland plants' skill at removing toxins from water before releasing it beyond...

* We observed trailside plants, such as nettle, oregon grape, and lady fern. We smelled the sweet blossoms of thimbleberry and tasted the leaves of indian plum.

* We played the nature game Metamorphosis where we mimicked the lifecycle of the butterfly, first wobbling as eggs and finishing as "Supreme Beings", rock, paper, scissoring our way through the cycle. Some girls stayed in a chrysalis, while others broke their wings free, but all enjoyed time to act, dance and play on the busy trail. 

* We learned how to identify cottonwood trees, with their curvy branches and heart-shaped leaves. We stopped at a particularly large cottonwood tree and saw how many girls it took joining hands to wrap around the trunk. We thanked the cottonwoods for providing us with yellow sticky sap, which can be used as an antibacterial remedy for the skin. Some glued their hands together, while others simply enjoyed the sweet smell.

*The girls used their Collaborate and Compromise skills to navigate their way towards Whatcom Falls Park, stopping to make a group decision whenever we reached a fork in the trail.  

* We meandered down "Lichen Lane", discovering the variety of dust, crust, scale, leaf, club, shrub, hair and other types of algae/fungus relationships! So green and hairy, and lots to observe with our Owl Eyes.

* Played the nature game What Does Redwing Blackbird Need?, trying to meet our bird needs for food, water, and shelter while surviving in the wetland ecosystem. Oil spills, cold winters, and overpopulation served as teaching tools for our play time.

* Found serenity in Whatcom Creek, and sat along the slow calm edges for Peaceful Place, watching waterfowl, writing, sketching, imagining, sitting still...

*Made it to "Licorice Fern Bridge" near the main falls where we watched the  churning water below.

*In closing circle, we followed the EC Motto "Attitude of Gratitude" by giving thanks. We were thankful for sunshine, trees, sticks, cattails, wetlands, clean water, redwinged blackbird, and each other.

Enjoy our full album of the day here.

Our words of the day? Water, Trails, and Redwinged Blackbird Sticks

Mottos that guided our day together: 
Be Prepared, Widen the Circle, Collaborate & Compromise, All things are Connected, Make sure you Meet before you Eat, Leave No Trace, Attitude of Gratitude, and Stretch Your Edge!