Serving Connelly Creek with the Red Tailed Eyas

In preparation for their first chance to serve at the official Boys Explorers Club service Site, the Raccoon Kits had to learn the context for and history of Connelly Creek. We would have preferred to swim like salmon, but spring waters are too fast and it’s still a bit too cold outside for that kind of adventure. Plus we might still be swimming if we had tried that approach :)

Only eight Kits made it to the outing with a broken foot preventing one Explorer from joining the outing. We look forward to when the whole group comes together again. The good news, however, was that Brian served as a mentor for the day. He stepped in as a lead mentor and did a great job of encouraging and wrangling the boys as we traversed Padden and Connelly Creeks. Thanks for the great work, Brian!

Starting at the ocean, our goal was to follow Padden Creek until it split with Connelly Creek. To do so we met at Marine Park and then crossed the railroad tracks. Ask your explorer how many cars he counted in the coal train that went by as we watched. Our windy path led us to the Great Blue Heron rookery next to the water treatment facility. Atop of skinny alders sat no less than fifteen herons in various stages of courtship, mating, and nest sitting!

We bridged the hill behind the facility and had a great lunch break. Explorers counted cars of another distant train and then we gathered our belongings to find the waterways. Following the interurban trail we walked up creek and played hundreds of games of Hide. OK, maybe not that many, but we sure had many chances to camouflage ourselves in various ecosystems.

This was a long outing and the Raccoon Kits ventured forth with no complaints. At one point they pretended to be old men and used walking sticks as canes. We trekked to the entrance to Fairhaven Park and took a rest by the creek. Its soothing song made for yet another nice rest spot. Like the salmon, we valiantly fought upstream for a while and then found our eddy in which to rest before continuing our journey. We learned about a medicine tree by finding its branches on the ground. Please ask your Explorer if he remembers the color of the sap or the smell. Maybe he can tell you the story about why to avoid getting the sap on your neck!

Hike, break, group cheers, repeat. This traverse was definitely a practice in persistence and pacing. Eventually we crossed Old Fairhaven Parkway and mentors had sighs of relief. Then it was a matter of finding the best way to follow the creek. We had a chance to explore the meanings of “No Trespassing” and “Do not enter.” Explorers spoke their truths and did not want to go places where they might be breaking the rules. They are aware of doing the right thing. As such, we chose routes that helped us avoid being somewhere we weren’t supposed to be.

In a young forest thicket we followed the creek and found the confluence of Padden and Connelly creeks. We were almost home! One last challenge faced us however. We had to cross the creek in order to take a more well-worn path toward the site. One-by-one, safely, and confidentially, boys learned the dynamics of using their bodies (with packs on) to duck and climb over branches. All the while, the creek never stopped flowing!

We journeyed through the rest of the forest and made it to Happy Valley Park with 30 minutes left to relax, hold closing meeting, and explore the service site. Dave’s alter-ego, the Dragon, appeared when boys were not communicating safely, as he quickly and loudly explained that we need to use tools appropriately. Sticks are a tool that we can use to help us ford rivers, not to be projectiles at our cohort mates. Boys will learn these mottoes in the upcoming seasons, but for now, it’s important to teach them: A Tool is an Extension of the Body, and The Difference Between a Tool and a Weapon is You.

Boys recognized there is a lot of blackberry to uproot and they will be more familiar with the land when they return for service in a couple of months. With a connection to the salmon’s migration route, hopefully they will feel the sense of importance of restoring the salmon habitat to make it homier for the fish after their journey up creek!

Please check out more pictures in thephoto gallery. We’ll see you all next outing at Clayton Beach parking area for an exploration on April 13th. FYI- last April 13th we cancelled an outing due to snow; let’s hope for warmer weather this year!