Spotted Owls Service at Connelly Creek

It was a warm surprise to have the sun shining down on us all afternoon this past Friday as the Spotted Owls worked hard to save the banks of Connelly Creek from invasive reed canary grass and blackberries. We enjoyed a collaborative afternoon of service, games, and new connections as the girls worked alongside the Fiddleheads and two BEC groups. Some highlights from our day together included:

• Gathering for a check-in and snacks in the parking lot before heading to Connelly Creek for a brief opening circle before getting to work.

• Using lopers, shovels, and our own woman power to pull out invasive blackberry, stomp down reed canary grass, set up fencing around planted areas, and mulch a new designated site for native plantings. 

• Connecting with the Fiddleheads and BEC groups through teamwork, collaborative stewardship, and games!

As the oldest EC group present at our day of service, the Spotted Owls set a great example of how to Walk Your Talk.  They worked super hard all day while keeping morale high at the work site- A LOT of silly songs were sung and hilarious plant-related jokes were told.  We ended our day with a giant collaborative closing circle with the Fiddleheads during which many thanks were given for each other and opportunities to serve the beautiful place we live in.  Check out more photos from day here!

Mottos especially alive today:

We're All Teachers

Walk Your Talk

Safety First

All Things Are Connected

Connect and Protect

Our Cups Overflow

Widen the Circle

Attitude of Gratitude

Many Hands Make Light Work

Spotted Owls Carving Skills Day 3-19-17

The Spotted Owls gathered in the upper Lake Padden parking with welcomed signs of spring all around- birds chirped in the surrounding forest and rays of sun shone through the newly budding trees as we grouped up for Opening Circle. Our day began with a check-in and then a brief history lesson as we learned about the native people who first used this bountiful place for berry harvesting, fishing, bathing, and harvesting cedar, also known as the "Tree of Life". We learned about how this lake got its name, when "discovered" by white settlers. We then moved on to the theme of our day- Cedar and carving.

Our first task was to find a perfect spot for carving. Along the trail, we became distracted by Douglas Fir and Cedar ID, Indian Plum, Nettle, and then the greatest gift of all- A cedar tree that had been cut into a snag and therefore offered us an opportunity to harvest its bark. Aimee demonstrated the stripping of the bark and pointed out the inner layer- the cambium, which native people eat.

After a thorough harvest of cedar bark, we made our way down to the dock where we stopped for snack and brainstormed new names for this lake. "Mirror Lake" and "Deception Lake" were two names that stuck for the day.

We wandered on until we found the perfect spot to carve. We gathered around beneath a grove of cedar trees for a whittling lesson remembering to put Safety First. The girls listened attentively and it showed as they carved set of chopsticks for a significant amount of time. Please see some of the carving curriculum below!





We also created tinder bundles with the cedar bark we had harvested and had a ceremonial burning of the delicious smelling wood as we listened to a story about the "tree of life" and all it's amazing uses.

After a meditative carving time, we meandered down the trail, connected with each other, laughing and telling stories, reveling in the spring day. We finished our day with Peaceful Place, and shared our Attitude of Gratitude in a round of acknowledgements for each other. It's always awesome to watch girls compliment and share the positivity they've noticed amongst each other over a 5 hour day. 

Some of our CARVING CURRICULUM:

S.T.O.P FOR KNIFE SAFETY

Check to see if everyone watched safety video. Have girls summarize what they learned, or teach if anyone didn’t get to watch it. See if they remember the following:

- How to safely open and close knife

- Blood circle.

- Never leave open or unsheathed

- Difference between a tool and a weapon is YOU.

- Stay present and keep checking in with yourself while carving- know when to put your knife away (if you feel distracted, frustrated, sad, mad, or tired).

* Show some project examples, Drew’s carvings and spoon, wand. Talk about “anatomy of a knife” (blade, handle, cutting edge, sheath) and types of knives (serrated, locking, multitool, etc. Have each girl get to know her knife and have the group identify its parts and type).

SHARE CARVING TECHNIQUE:

- Grasp: firm, confident, use thumb to “steer” your strokes. I hold my knife almost like it is a living being- small bird or salamander. I want to hold tight enough for it to stay in my hand, but gently enough that it can still breathe.

-  Knife angle- shallow angle, almost parallel to your wood. Many small shavings are much easier to pull off than one single deep slice.

- Small strokes, use part of the blade closest to the handle for cutting.

- It is easiest to control the knife if your hand and your project are as close together as possible (don’t try to use the tip of your knife to carve!)

* Pay attention to the expression of the wood! Each piece has a song to sing if you can listen. The art of carving is to work WITH the wood, in collaboration.

* Before you carve, get to know your wood. Hold it in your bare hand look at it up close and at a distance, smell it, feel it on your cheek, see if it's shape reminds you of anything... Before your first cut get as much information about the raw wood as you can. What tree did it come from? Are there any nearby? Envision the tree when it was whole. What stories are in this wood?

* Finally, bring a picture of what you plan to carve into your mind’s eye, and hold it there with everything you've learned about this piece of wood. Keep revisiting your project image as you carve to remind yourself where you are going- it's easy to get carried away and whittle away all of your wood or end up with two small weird shaped pieces.

Click here for the full album of the day.

Night Exploration at Larrabee State Park: 2-11-17

"To go in the dark with a light is to know the light. 
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight. 
And find that the dark too blooms and sings, 
And is traveled by dark feet and dark wings."

Indeed, we discovered some of the magic and mystery of both the turning time of twilight and the dark after dusk, by exploring sans light but with the support of one another. 

Rather than share the customary narrative of our time together, we thought we'd give you a sneak peek into some of the behind-the-scenes work we do to prep for our outing days. We always spend thoughtful time crafting a place-based curriculum and plan for each outing. While we print and bring these outing plans, we operate on the 50/50 principle: part of the outing honors the plan, and part of it always honors the teachable moments and girl-led explorations. Sometimes the ratio is 80/20, other times 10/90. Being fully present means being flexible and aware. So, without further ado, below was our plan for this outing. We followed much of it, and prioritized other in-the-moment learnings and inclinations for the rest. Perhaps it can be a starting point to conversations with your explorer!

First, here's a wee poem written by an explorer about night wandering:

I can't breathe, it is so beautiful. 

Stars, moon, darkness, silence.

My mind off my difficulties and stress. 

You should take a walk in the dark.

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SO Night Exploration at Larrabee State Park  2/12/17  4:00pm - 8:00pm

GIRLS: Zoe, Claire, Maddy, Louise, Norah, Wren, Lilah, Raihana, Emery, Caroline - no Viv, Haley

MENTORS: Aimee, Stormie

ON CALL PERSON: On Call: Curt's cell is 360.393.7264.

Materials: headlamps - candle lantern, candelier - extra layers (fleece, rain jackets), objects for “Blindfold Caterpillar”, long rope(s), bandannas, songbook(s), extra water to put out fire.

3:50-4:05 GATHER (across from stop sign near entrance to camping area, covered picnic table)

>> Mentors can arrive a bit early and place fire building materials at fire ring adjacent to gather spot (more time efficient since it’s right there).  If mentors choose, they can have a fire built and going as girls arrive, or light it after gather council and before check in.

Girls arrive! Buddy up and do a be prepared check on one another.

Got girls engaged in Bat and Moth right away, added more girls in as they arrived.

4:15-4:35 Opening Circle at meeting spot with a candle in table center

• Stormie Tonight’s plan - We’ll be connecting with one another around the fire, and then exploring along the Salish Sea setting out together to "know the dark" and discover its many gifts. We'll reflect on our dominant sense of sight and then prepare to activate other senses as we move together from dusk to dark, the sound of the sea always by our side.  

• Mentor We are diurnal animals - we’re mostly active during the day.

• What senses and skills do you think diurnal animals need to be particularly strong to be active in the daylight?

• Sense of sight, hearing, camoflauge so not seen and eaten, speed…

• What other diurnal animals can you think of?

• Mentor  What are some names for THIS time of day? Brainstorm! Twilight, Dusk, Evening, Dawn, In Between Time, the No Longer and Not Yet. Also called Crepusculur (Latin word for twilight).  It’s the turning time, the no longer and the not yet. Crepuscular also refers to the time just after dawn.

• Where else in life does this come into play, “crepuscular” times of life, when we’re straddling two worlds, time periods, experiences?

• Being on the cusp of childhood and adolescence, someone who is dying but not yet passed, straddling seasons (like right now, winter to spring), being engaged but not yet married, being in between when making a decision.

• What are some crepuscular animals? Brainstorm!

• Skunks, fireflies, deer, dogs, cats, rabbits, jaguar, rats, tigers,  bear, moose, some bats, hamsters, bobcats.
• This is a safe time for them to be active, to either avoid their predators or to find their prey.
• Most big cats are crepuscular… why is that? They have vision that improves as it gets darker while their prey’s vision decreases.

Just for mentor info: The time of day an animal is active depends on a number of factors. Predators need to link their activities to times of day at which their prey is available, and victims try to avoid the times when their principal predators are at large. The temperature at midday may be too high or at night too low, so for many varied reasons, crepuscular activity may best meet their requirements by compromise. Some creatures may adjust their activities depending on local competition.

There’s a very smart reason for picking these dimly lit in-between hours to be active: crepuscular critters are avoiding predators. Many predators are most active at the peak hours of daylight and darkness, so animals like rabbits which are a prey species for countless carnivores, are active during twilight hours when predators are already tired from a night of hunting, or are just waking up. Plus, it’s tough to see during these hours, a fact that gives prey species an added edge in hiding from or escaping predators.

In hot areas, there’s another reason for crepuscular activity: it allows animals to be active when the temperature is most reasonable. Desert animals can escape the heat of midday and the chill of midnight by being active at dawn and dusk instead. And some species may shift from being nocturnal or diurnal to being crepuscular due to environmental factors such as competition with other species — for example, some owl species may be crepuscular to avoid competition with other raptor species — or disturbance from human activity.

4:35-5:50 Walk to firepit and enjoy a fire, discussion and activities (be mindful of timeframe)

• Girls should eat dinner while we’re gathered around fire
• Have check in
• Discuss nocturnal (see below) and then:
• Play Adaptation Game and Stretch Edge activity before it gets dark (see below)
• Stormie story (Wolf’s Eyelash) and Aimee leads songs
• Consider reading the Wolf’s Eyelash. Tie this into inner wisdom, & motto Let That Quiet Voice Inside Be Your Guide. http://goldenillustration.deviantart.com/journal/also-The-Wolf-s-Eyelash-by-C-P-Estes-227709608

• Explain why pirates wear patches: http://mentalfloss.com/article/52493/why-did-pirates-wear-eye-patches

Continue Discussion about nocturnal:

Mentor - Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the night.

• Examples of nocturnal animals? Owls, cats, ferrets, rodents.  

• Nocturnal animals are usually more vulnerable to predation, so keeping active only during the night makes them somewhat "invisible"(mice). Nocturnal predators usually have a sensitive sight and/or do not rely on visible light to see(infrared vision). They can also have very well developed senses of smell and hearing.These animals are usually appropriate for pet owners who stay up late, and are ready to provide for them then. Usually you could only stay up late if you wake up late, which is quite a common trend. So a small number of these animals may prove to be surprisingly appropriate pets for some! (more info about different nocturnal animals at bottom of plan).

Mentor -  What skills and senses (adaptations - explain what this is) are strong in crepuscular and nocturnal animals?

• Excellent hearing (notice cat’s and deer’s big ears),  eyes more sensitive to light, sense of smell (rat has the best smell of any animal, except the African elephant. Rats possess 1,207 olfactory receptors, whereas dogs, often employed as scent trackers, have only 811)

• While we can’t take on those senses in one night, adapting ourselves with the skills of jaguar, bat, owl, we can learn to be comfortable in the night, even though our dominant sense is dimmed. Vision is just one way of knowing - dimming it opens up to other ways of knowing.

Mentor - Take a stand up break from discussion and play the ADAPTATION GAME using nocturna/crepuscular animals (if it’s too dark at this point, play this next time or go to an area with more light and play it, like under street light. But keep eye on coming darkness and aim to play this before it’s dark. If short on time, prioritize below edge stretch activity)

REGROUP and finish council with this experiential activity:

Mentor - Stretch Your Edge. Because we’re losing/dimming our dominant sense by exploring at night, it might bring up some edges that you didn’t know that you had. We will work through them together and as a group…

Mentor -  Briefly explain Comfort Zone - Challenge/Growth  Zone - Panic Zone using concentric circles with ropes, backpack, or on paper. Best to do it on the ground so kids can step into each zone when mentor gives examples. Eg. “Place your foot in the zone that is a match for you with this scenario”: 1. Backpacking overnight (most feet go in comfort zone), 2. Backpacking for 10 days (some stay in Comfort Zone, most move to Growth Zone, others to Panic), 3. Backpacking for 4 months. Mentor can go on with many examples, eg swimming in deep water, getting on an airplane, exploring at night in the pouring rain, dissecting a frog, building a house, etc…

ASK: How can we support each other moving into Challenge Zone? How can we LIBK if our edge is stretched too far (or we want to stretch it more)?

Before we set out:

• Brainstorm S.T.O.P Risk Assessments. Helping maintain body safety and heart safety.
• What are the risks of hiking at night? How can we lessen those risks?

• Buddies. LIBK. Use owl eyes. Howl if separated from group! Keep group close together.
• Emphasize the importance of guiding / talking to one another throughout the walk in the dark.
• Also talk about “seeing with your feet” - using your feet to guide you along (so much information through our feet!).

• Gather and read:

To Know The Dark (W. Berry) Read with feeling

“To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.

To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,

and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,

and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.”

*What does this poem mean to you?

*Why are we not using lights tonight? What do you see in the dark when you travel with light? How does it affect your night vision (experiment with this)? When we let our eyes adjust to darkness, we can actually see better, more comprehensively!

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EXPLORE 5:50-7:30

When we get to the Clayton Connector trail at top of old park road, it gets really dark - be sure a mentor who knows the trail is in front (Aimee still couldn’t follow the trail if it weren’t for white-furred Gus showing the way - it was DARK). At that place:

• LIBK that this is a giant group trust walk, building connections, building trust. How can we offer trust to one another?

POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES

“Blindfolded Caterpillar” (sit group in circle with bandana blindfolds & pass nature/non nature sensory items around circle, about 10 items) - or do this at campfire when it’s dark. Or at PP debrief if time.

GAMES - Sleeping Miser / Firestalk

Peaceful Place near creek/waterfall (15-20 minutes + debrief by candlelight) -

7:25-7:35ish Walk to closing circle area at bottom of stairs

7:35-7:50 - Closing Circle at bottom of stairs

• How has it felt to be without your most dominant sense? What lessons has nature and the darkness taught you that you’ll take home with you tonight?

• Revisit Comfort Zone - Challenge/Growth  Zone - Panic Zone and ask them to show which zone they were in before the outing, imagining the outing and night exploring, and which zone they’re in now about night exploring. Or do this at next outing.

• Circle of Thanks

• Words of the Day?

You can enjoy the slideshow from our night outing here.

- Aimee

Service at Woodstock Farm: 12-11-16

Three GEC groups contributed joyful purpose to our shared service day, taking pride in our new GEC role as caretakers of Woodstock Farm.

At our gathering meeting, we reviewed the importance of preparedness on this wintry day. We agreed that our primary shelter is clothing, and that when we layer well we can come out of our boxes (homes, schools, store, car) and truly enjoy connecting with the earth. Without this thoughtful preparedness, we can become uncomfortable, leaving us unhappy with out-of-the-box experiences and thus minimizing our opportunities to connect and protect. 

After a very short trip by bus to our destination just up the road, we discussed our GEC mottos related to service, including You See It, You Own It, Walk Your Talk, Leave No Trace, Our Cup Overflows, We, Not Just Me, Connect and Protect, Many Hands Make Light Work.  We also revisited our talk about safety nets from the previous service project, and how so many things can serve as our safety net: other people, objects, nature. Mentors shared the history of this Woodstock Farm, beginning with the Mamosee people, and the role of generosity and conservationist ethic that led to its preservation. We considered the seventh generation principle, wherein one contemplates the effects of one's actions seven generations forward. Thanks to the Mamosee's stewardship and Cyrus Gates' forward thinking, his family home and land has been gifted to Whatcom County for all to enjoy. Mr. Gates also had a strong hand in protecting Larrabee State Park, Arroyo and Fairhaven Parks, Sehome Arboretum, and the Mt. Baker Bulb Farm (since turned into Bellis Faire Mall due to a legal loophole).

We talked about why a park needs caretakers, and what occurs without people lending a hand to manage trails and terrain. Since our gathering area was adjacent to a stand of alders, thimbleberry and snowberry, overrun by invasive blackberry and English ivy, the girls understood how invasive species take over native ones rather quickly.

The next few hours were spend collaborating in purposeful work alongside the Fiddlehead and Red Fox groups, removing invasives with motivated care and determination, singing and talking while we worked. 

During a break we shared some time on the bluff overlooking the sea, marveling at this extraordinary view that is normal for us here in Whatcom County, and feeling thankful that Cyrus Gates had the foresight to set this area aside for all to enjoy. We also gave thanks for the Clark family for it's donation of Clark's Point to the Whatcom Land Trust, and the preservation of Chuckanut Island, now owned by the Nature Conservancy (but which was, long ago, a 13th birthday present for Cyrus Gate's son!).

Reflecting on the season past, we ended our final shared day of fall by creating the Web of Life from things we'd all connected to this season: sandstone, Salish Sea, rain, medicine club, birds, mud, leaves, cedar, bees, wind, one another. We agreed that humans are connected to every aspect of this web, and have tremendous power to impact it in both positive and negative ways. This underlines our GEC motto All Things Are Connected, and helps us understand that whenever one thing in the web is altered, it affects all the other aspects. We reiterated that GEC is all about strengthening the web of life, as well as the bonds between each other. 

Our words of the day? Woodstock, Weeds, and Generosity! 

Enjoy the slideshow from our day here! 

EC MOTTOS that came into play today: Many Hands Make Light Work, All Things Are Connected, LIBK, Be Prepared, Leave No Trace, Connect and Protect, You See It You Own It, Our Cups Overflow, Attitude of Gratitude, We Not Just Me, Walk Your Talk

Service for the Chore Program: 11-13-16

Many of our service projects provide a “safety net” for others in our community, taking care of others who may not have the resources to take care of themselves.

The Chore program identifies homeowners who are elderly or living with a disability and unable to carry out house chores and outdoor upkeep, and pairs them with volunteers who perform these necessary tasks, allowing those in need to remain in their houses and keep their independence. It is a great program that brings communities together, relying on the kindness of neighbors to keep those that are struggling in their homes. 
There is no better way to know community than by serving it!

And so the Spotted Owls drove east around Lake Whatcom, discussing the concept of safety nets as we made our way to Gerald's home in Sudden Valley. We talked about what safety nets are, and brainstormed on why/when one would especially need support. Then we considered who makes up our personal safety nets (family, friends, neighbors, school, Explorers Club), and our community ones (the Food Bank, Lighthouse Mission, Humane Society, Search and Rescue, the Chore Program).  

Arriving at Gerald's house, we heard from the Chore program coordinator what Gerald needed from us: window washing, stair scrubbing, and lots of leaf raking. Meeting Gerald, we learned that he has mobility challenges, and that he spent his career teaching art (he explained that the bust in the garden - which we assumed was of a famous person - was of him, done by a former student). 

As we set to work, we ooo-ed and ahh-ed over Gerald's ceramic pieces, hiding under bushes and atop stones, pieces he'd relegated to the garden as castoffs, but which we regarded as treasures! Some girls carefully scrubbed each found piece - others scrubbed stairs, washed windows, and the rest worked enthusiastically to rake every last leaf on lawn (with predominantly maple trees overhead, there were a lot!). 

After a few hours of nonstop effort, Gerald came back out on his porch to survey our work, and teared up as he gave thanks. We in turn shared our gratitude to him, and admiration for his art. Gerald than offered a piece of pottery to each one of us, one-of-a-kind creations to take home and treasure. Safety nets are reciprocal - they satisfy both the server and the served!

We ended our day with lunch and conversation alongside Lake Louise, and shared our own circle of thanks for the day and its measures of magic and meaning.

Words of the Day? "Doing Our Part, From the Heart, Receiving Art... from Gerald"

Mottos in Use Today: Attitude of gratitude, Our Cups Overflow, Safety First, Many Hands Make Light Work, Walk Your Talk, You See It You Own It, Grasp the Nettle.

Medicine Club Traverse: 9.11.16

What a gorgeous day for a traverse!  The Spotted Owls met together as a "new" group Sunday morning and enjoyed a day of exploring, laughing, playing, and friendship.

We gathered together and introduced ourselves:  new members and veteran Spotted Owls.  We widened our circle to welcome Wren, Caroline, Riahanah, and Lilah.   Five members of the group have moved on to other activities.  And we will be welcoming Emery next outing.  We also initiated Stormie to her first outing as a new Wild Whatcom mentor!  Whew!  Lots of change and transition; and a perfect opportunity to have a conversation about how nature teaches us about transitions.  We discussed how we become aware of these changes through our senses: the feel of cooler temps, watching the leaves change, the different smell in the air, and even our biorhythms of knowing it's time to return to school.

The veterans shared some important EC mottos with our new members:  Safety First, LIBK, Be Prepared, Build Bridges not Walls, and Stretch your Edge.  ( Collaborate and Compromise came up later ).

Our newly formed Spotted Owls then headed to the south side of Chuckanut Drive for a walk in the forest and a chance to meet new and old plant and tree friends.  We stopped to look at Cedars and Douglas Firs; comparing and contrasting.  We got curious about ferns and stinky bob.  But the plant we were seeking out was Devil's Club, or, as we choose to call it, Medicine Club.  We had discussed some aspects of Medicine Club before we met any; particularly it's defense mechanism of many noxious and irritating spines.  The plant is covered!  But we got real close and we discovered that only the stems and the upper and lower veins of the leaves have the spines.  Most everyone felt brave enough to carefully touch the parts of the leaves where no spines were present.  We had respected the Medicine Club, and now we had a new friend.

We had quite a fun time fox walking through the thick forest as we continued on towards Mud Bay. We had our secret spider spray to illuminate some sweet webs.  And we learned how to navigate with a compass.  I think everyone was happy though when we emerged out of the thick trees and saw water.  Ah, a sunny day and plenty of time and water!!  We sat to eat some lunch and then the long pants were replaced by shorts, and the water shoes replaced the hikers.  For a good solid hour it was all play: mud, water, chasing, piggy back rides, falling in the mud, laughing, crabs and..did I say MUD!

We continued on to Woodstock Farm where we introduced the time honored game of Spider's Web. A few rounds later and it was approaching the close of our day.  We separated out for about twenty minutes of peaceful place and then walked the last section of our traverse.

Coming together once more in our circle we shared our attitude of gratitude; a practice of expressing what we were grateful for in our day.  As for us ( Stormie and Rebecca ), we are grateful for the fun, inclusive, curious energy of this group.  We can't wait to play again. 

Words of the day:  Medicine Club,  water and mud, new and old friends, navigation....peaceful

More photos here