Nature certainly offered a Be Prepared Challenge Day last week for the Spotted Owls! With 100% chance of rain forecast to fall all day, girls had the opportunity to really test their preparedness. Most Spotted Owls did well, and somehow we avoided a downpour day – had the forecasted rain fallen, some would have been challenged with a lack of warm layers and rain gear. We're hoping to continue working on preparedness at the next outing and beyond.
After hearing a quote from Robert Frost: "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference," the group chose to trek east on a seldom-traveled trail towards the large old cedar whose fallen trunk acts as a wide bridge over the stream and into the woods across the creek. Though past GEC groups have crossed the creek on the tree, we did a group safety check and decided there was too much of a risk this day, as the creek was raging! We've seldom seen the arroyo quite this full and fast, and marveled at the salmons' strength to swim upstream against the powerful current.
The group made a collaborative decision to venture a bit further upstream, and established a base camp there, with many different niches for exploration and discovery. We reminded ourselves of the impact of erosion along one part of the steep bank, and discovered (and got stuck in) some deep mud. We had a good council under the tarp tent some had set up, and discussed this season of death and decay. We all noticed the death/life cycle going on around us, and agreed that death is an essential part of renewal (the salmon's journey reiterated that!). We reflected on the circle of life and how nothing really ever ends, but continues on, regeneration, and how those who have passed on become nurse logs for what comes after. This is true for salmon, trees, water and everything in nature. In our human realm, those who die can become nourishing nurse logs of inspiration, fundraisers, humor, memories, poetry, wisdom and so much else. Not gone, still going.
After lunch we made some collaborative decisions about the course of our day. First, we chose to do an activity Rebecca introduced, that mimicked salmons' journey to spawn. This required a lot of teamwork, patience, persistence, and trial and error as we learned that slow is fast to reach one's goals. There was quite a bit of cheering when our group salmon finally spawned!
Working to first leave no trace in the area, we traveled back to the main trail and witnessed salmons' swim upstream, showing us all the qualities we'd employed in our game, and more. It was a special site to see how engaged these girls were in watching the effort-full miracle of salmon spawning. We chose to have Peaceful Place there beside the stream; though we were joined by quite a few others who had come to see the show, we were all grateful that this place had been preserved for the benefit of so many. In our closing meeting, we recognized Cyrus Gates for preserving Arroyo Park for so many species.
We ended our day by reflecting with an Attitude of Gratitude, each person sharing what she was thankful for: salmon, connection, trees, mud, Chuckanut Creek, family, rain, death and decay, the road less traveled...
Our words of the day? "Salmon Struggling, Life and Death, It All Goes Round and Round"
Please enjoy the slideshow from the day here.
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