The Alevin, Townsend's Chipmunks and Jumping Mice transform Connelly Creek!

Sunday dawned cloudy, breezy and cool - more typical May weather than we’ve seen this spring. In short, perfect service project weather!

This is how it's done

The Boys Explorers Club has been working at the Connelly Creek site for a few years now. In that time, we’ve stomped down enough Reed Canary Grass to blanket more than a few soccer fields, removed a shameful quantity of trash, cut back scores of Himalayan Blackberry bushes and dug out their roots and, yes, climbed a few trees and rolled fellow explorers in the trash cans we use to haul bark mulch. It’s difficult work (if you don’t consider the tree climbing and trash can rolling), a challenge to our spirits due to the persistence of the tall, invasive grasses as much as to our muscles as we dig, shovel, carry and disentangle from thorny blackberry canes.

It is also important work. For some time, the site was used as a trash dump by some and was taken over by non-native, invasive plants; in short, it was a mess. Through our work in collaboration with Bellingham Parks and Recreation and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), we’ve spent one outing each Fall and Spring season over the last 3-4 years working to restore the area to ecological health. When we’ve succeeded in replacing the blackberries and Canary Grass with the Alder trees and Ninebark and other shrubs we planted, and will continue to plant, the resulting biodiversity will cool the creek water to the delight of migrating salmon and the trees and shrubs will offer food and shelter to rodents to the delight of hungry owls and other predators. Perhaps deer will find enough tasty foliage to decide to spend less time in your garden!?! We’re looking forward to the virtuous cycle that will ensue for the land and for the boys as their time connecting with the land leads to an ethic of protecting it (see Mottos). 

Ornery blackberry root!

Persistence will be required for this to happen as we plan. When we’ve returned to the site each of the last few times, the grasses we had beat down and covered with mulch the previous season had returned to full height. Discouraging almost isn’t a strong enough word to describe the feeling. However, on closer examination, we noticed that the slower-growing blackberries would, if we had a time release video, seem to be disappearing before our eyes! And many of the new plantings have taken root and are beginning to take their place in the habitat. I don’t need to tell you how important this lesson is for your boys. To have a lasting, meaningful impact on the important things in life often takes time and relentless focus. Through this work, we’re balancing some of the disruption we cause when we scramble off trail on our explorations and traverses, and we’re putting our values (for example, “Walk Your Talk” - see Mottos) into action.

Three explorers club groups - the Alevin, the Townsend’s Chipmunks & the Jumping Mice - reported for work this service day. At an average of 12 years, the Alevin are one of our senior groups. We scheduled them first so they could show the younger Townsend’s Chipmunks (11 years, give or take) and Jumping Mice (about 9) how it’s done. The Alevin have done the work several times so they understand proper tool use, they often initiate tasks and, importantly, they sometimes coach the younger boys on efficient effort. The mentors work for multiple layers of benefit by scheduling it this way. The younger boys learn the work while the older groups practice leadership.

To be recycled/composted

As this was our last service outing of the Spring, we not only stomped down Canary Grass, spread bark mulch and cut back and uprooted blackberries, we also “buttoned up” the site for the season. This involves raking up all pieces of blackberry canes from the ground, re-staking around our plantings and accounting for all the tools we borrow from NSEA. 

The focus, sustained effort, teamwork, peer coaching, creative problem-solving and ingenuity we strive for was evident at times and nowhere to be found at other times. The older boys needed some direct coaching on their dual role of workers and leaders while the younger boys had the usual challenge sustaining the work. Of course, the need for persistent effort applies to parents and mentors as well as to the boys!

Lookin' better!

Our service efforts are finished for Spring, 2016. Thanks to all Explorers for their exceptional effort. We’ll return in the Fall to continue our slow, steady effort. For now:

• Alevin - Click here to see where and when you meet next,
• Townsend’s Chipmunks - Your schedule is here, and
• Jumping Mice - Check your next outing here. 

All three groups, click here for photos from Sunday’s outing.