Leadership was the story of the day for Firestalkers at Connelly Creek. Mentors charged them to get a feel for the land, take inventory of the species, and then make a plan of how the project ought to be implemented. A lot of work for only four hours!
Shielders were reminded of their seasonal jobs and then informed of how that role might figure into the service project. Please ask your son what his main responsibility was for the day and how he thinks it went.
We had a guest mentor named Finnegan who had recently expressed an interest in Four Shields. He volunteered the afternoon sharing tidbits of knowledge and facilitating our experience with apt and poignant questions. Thank you for your contributions to the outing, Finnegan!
Of course it wouldn’t be fun if we only kept to work, so we reviewed the primitive hunting tools from last outing and practiced using slings. Like last time, we took turns being the hunter and the hunted. It never gets easier to be prey; Firestalkers and Mentors alike moved quickly and in fear of the hunters.
Suddenly (and for the first of two times during the outing) we saw a dart slashing through the woods. It flew with a hunting trajectory and the birds alarmed with a call that translates into English as, “Death! Look out a killer is nearby! Hide and don’t move!” The neighborhood Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) was searching for lunch and his behavior cued us into bird language. How the birds speak (or remain silent) can tell us a lot about the goings-on in the forest.
In order to heal the land, we have to know the area. Shielders and Mentors took an important pause to sit and observe the service site. Some of us sat to get a feel of the species; others took mental inventory and made mental maps of native and non-native species. With a goal of restoring this area to hospitable future salmon habitat, Shielders realized the scope of the project. This is long-term work.
As such, we surveyed the entire area together and then made some consensus decisions about how to proceed. Because Shielders are making a plan for younger Explorers Club boys, they had to consider age-appropriate tools and tasks. They brainstormed how project partners like the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) and the City of Bellingham could help us with resources, native plants, and tools.
Deep into the heart of reed cannarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea) we spotted some animal moving by our backpacks. Some of us went to see what could be creeping around and hiding in our gear. What we found was a surprise and a most welcome one at that… Thank you, Drew Butler for joining us for the afternoon and being such a powerful presence!
We joyfully labored in putting a plan to action. Deciding that one small section at a time was the best approach to restoring the entire habitat, we considered a new Four Shields Motto: You too can eat a plane. This is in reference to a man who ate a plane and whose strategy was to literally, do it in small manageable pieces. This “wisdom” gave Shielders clear insights into how they might be able to direct Explorers Club groups to carry out their plan.
This afternoon these courageous young men discussed effective leadership (physical presence is important), how to make SMART goals, and strategies to be efficient in making a plan (time limits can be helpful). Please ask your Four Shielder what he garnered from this outing about leadership and planning. If you would like to share that with Mentors, then we would be happy to know what they remembered :)
Thank you parents for understanding and supporting this program. It is a pleasure working with your sons as they develop into capable young men. Four Shielders, thank you for the dedicated and focused work. Planning is often less fun than the actual work, but we make a bigger impact if we use our minds in addition to our bodies.
If you want to be the physical presence in this service project, then we would love for your leadership on those outings (April 27, 28, or May 11). It is not too late to sign up as an Explorers Mentoring Apprentice even for next weekend!
Please check out the photo album for pictures from this outing. And seriously consider the Ozette Passage summer expedition if you haven’t yet signed up. We look forward to that great backpacking trip in late July!
Our next outing is an overnight at Racehorse Falls on June 1st and 2nd. Please check out the website for more information.
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