Alevin, Barred Owls and Roosevelt Elk Calves Kick Off Spring Service

This invasive reed canary grass would be mulched by the end of today

The Alevin, Barred Owls, and Roosevelt Elk Calves met at our Connelly Creek Service Site for the first service outing of the spring 2017 season. As Explorers, we utilize, learn from, play in, and rely on the greater Whatcom County ecosystem for growth, fun, and health. We appreciate this opportunity to give back to the environment from which we receive so much. Service outings also give older groups a chance to help mentor younger groups. We would see today, however, that these roles were reversed!

On the hunt for the biggest blackberry root

After taking a look around our site, we formed a clear idea of what kind of tasks we would be doing today. Reed Canary grass (in keeping with its 'invasive' designation) will continue to sprout vigorously until the trees that we have planted are big enough to completely shade out the understory of our service site. Until then, we will continue to walk the grass down and mulch right on top of it. Many of us helped move mulch today.

Finishing off the mulch pile

While lots of work certainly got done today, some of us individually were challenged with staying motivated and on task. For some reason, these individuals tended to be boys from older groups. The mentors were not the only ones who noticed this; boys from both older and younger groups addressed this in their respective groups' closing circles. The older boys did some reflection and admitted that they were less on task than they could have been and appreciated the younger boys work ethic and resolve. The younger boys remarked at their closing circle that they felt that even though they were the younger group, they still had an opportunity to lead by example and remind the older boys what perseverance and focus look like.

In addition to spreading mulch, we continued to clear blackberries and dig up their huge roots. We were especially excited today because, after 3 and ½ years of service at this site, we finally beat the blackberries all the way back to the stream bank! Today we worked on clearing the last blackberries from the bank in preparation for some cribbing and mulching by other groups this spring. Cribbing is a way of reinforcing the stream bank so that until larger trees and native shrubs are established, the bank of the creek will not erode and fall into the stream.

Getting work done on the stream bank

By days end, we had successfully removed lots of blackberry roots from the stream bank and spread a whole pile of mulch over lots of reed canary grass near the back of our service site. Certainly good work that will be built upon by the rest of the BEC groups this season on their service outings!

To see the rest of the photos from the day, click here!

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. 

Alevin Explorers Service Project - Connelly Creek

The Alevin gathered at the Connelly Creek service site excited to see how the land had transformed over the summer. The day was gorgeous. Not a cloud in the sky and the warmth of the morning sun was just starting to creep over the foothills. Giving the boys five minutes to scout the land the mentors asked the group to track what work had been done so far this season and what worked needed to get done today.

Circling back up the Alevin tracked that the Reed-Canary grass had grown through the six inches of mulch they laid last season and the Alders that had been planted were taken over by Morning Glory during the summer. Although there was much work to do they did track that someone had put in a lot of work to unwind the invasive weed from the Alder’s cages and reestablished the mulch rings around them. They also found that each shrub planted last fall had been weeded and staked out.

Checking the back of the site they found the previous weekends service party had made a large dent in the Blackberries by really putting in an effort to remove their roots. I think it is encouraging for the Alevin to witness the efforts of their fellow Explorers. Our service each season is condensed into four weekends in a row, where each group comes to the same site. In their spring 2015 season the Alevin were the first group out to the sight and spent a majority of their time just trying to maintain what was done in the previous fall 2014 season. This outing they would have a chance to make real headway on the site.

The mentors let the group know that the Red-Tailed Eyas and Gray Wolf Pups would both be joining them. It would be the first time three Boys EC groups would work together in one day and it was up the elder boys (the Alevin) to set the example for the younger ones. We needed to think back to our last wilderness outing and bring the same focus and intention to our service work that day. We let them know that although the other groups were only younger by a year or two they would be looking to them for guidance and mirroring their behavior.

Springing into action the group immediately moved to the back of the site to start loping and digging out the massive blackberry patch. Digging blackberry roots is hard work and the boys are becoming quite skilled with their techniques.  In the Boys EC if someone unearths a massive blackberry root ball it is tradition to hold it up proudly and let out a cheer. After a solid half an hour of work a majority of the group ran off to stalk the arriving Red-Tailed Eyas.

Calling the group back together the boys returned to their tools. It was then that some of the boys decided to turn their focus to cutting back the seemingly endless blackberry hedge while others kept up their work on the roots of the blackberries that were cut in the previous outing. As the other groups joined in the effort became less focused with a majority of the boys deciding to lop blackberries. As blackberry canes piled up the few boys that were digging roots and trimming the pile for bagging became overwhelmed.

As the situation developed a few of the boys, Alevin included, developed a technique for breaking through the dense thicket of dead blackberry canes by breaking them up with large sticks so they could be raked up. This proved too much for the boys who had a hard time keeping their awareness. With the group at critical mass the mentors called the everyone together. We first addressed the importance of having good intention with your tool. This is something that all the groups know well and should be aware of. We then addressed the larger issue of our lack of focus. Having the group take a look around it was clear that we would have to spend the majority of the rest of the outing cleaning up the blackberries we had just lopped. The teachable moment and take away for some of the Explorers in our discussion was their recognition of two important themes, We not Me and Slow is Fast and Fast is Slow. 

Our haste in lopping a large amount blackberry had left us with the slow work of trimming and bagging. The mentors explained to the group that with so many Explorers it was important that we work as a team and if we all follow our own interests we will work against each other. Being able to recognize the needs of the group over our own was vital to our ability to get our work done and give back to the land.

Refocusing our efforts we bagged blackberries until we ran out of bags and soon after it was time for a closing meeting. Circling up on the grass we revisited our wilderness excursion. We had used our group focus to venture deep in the wilderness safely and responsibly and it was important to recognize that the tools we cultivate in the wilderness translate directly to our lives in the front country.

After a lenghty conversation it is important to recognize the good work that the boys were doing. Although unfocused at times, we got a lot done and are doing the important work of giving back to the land that gives so much to us. We then shared some thanks: we were grateful for our time together, for the opportunity to work with our hands and have a relationship with this little patch of wilderness right in our backyards, and for the amazing weather the day provided. With 1,252 of service hours in the last year there is no telling what we can accomplish this year with our number at 169 strong. Parents thank you for your support and care for our work in the community. It is a pleasure to serve with your boys.

For the more picture from the day please visit the Alevin's photo gallery. 

Serving Connelly Creek with the Alevin and Grey Fox Kits

The Alevin Explorers arrived at Connelly Creek and quickly ran down the embankment, as they were anxious to see how the site has transformed over winter. Calling the group in the Explorers mustered their strength the carried the tools over to the site. They were excited to continue the tradition of camouflaging themselves from the next group, the Grey Fox Kits, who were soon to arrive. The mentors decided instead to use the time to work on our fire by friction and carving skills while chatting with the group about our upcoming summer backpacking trips.

Before the blog post continues, we’d like to remind everyone about the WE: Wilderness Experiences available this summer to the Alevin Explorers. Grey Fox Kits we look forward to backpacking with you in the summer of 2016. These trips are an investment in a lifetime of leadership and skills; their rewards extend far beyond the three to eight days they take place. Many of our Explorers have found them to be life changing, with benefits and tools for living that are carried and applied for many years to come. Please contact us if you have any questions, thanks!

The Grey Fox Kits arrived and the Alevin retired their skill session and both groups circled in the field. The mentors encouraged Explorers to think back to their last outing to Clayton Beach. The outing held powerful lessons about group decision-making, collaborating and compromising, and inclusion. Today would be yet another opportunity to work together while and serving the land. These boys have been working on this site for over two and a half years; they have developed skill and efficiency in their work as well as intimate knowledge of this sites needs.

Instead of painstakingly going over how to us the tools the mentors simply asked the group to be responsible with them. It is wonderful to have cultivated this level of trust within these two groups. They have continued to show their commitment and integrity with safe tools usage. Their eagerness shows they’re hungry for more responsibility, greater skills, and bigger explorations - the mentor’s bow to that.

Breaking our circle played a few rounds of Deer oh Deer Come and Run through my Forest.  This energetic tag game brought the two groups together and that same energy transferred to our work. Running over to the site the boys quickly lined up. Our project for the day was to walk down the Reed-Canary Grass, spread a giant pile of mulch over the area, and finish up with some blackberry trimming. Forming a long line we stomped down the Reed-Canary Grass. It was a fun way to warm up and release some energy. Turning our efforts to the mulch pile the boys took on one of three jobs: a mulch spreader, carrier, or filler. The group worked cohesively and as an onlooker you wouldn’t have been able to tell one group from the other. Slowly Dave started to develop a funcompetitive aspect where the mulch fillers were trying to keep the buckets filled and the carriers were trying to dump them before they could be filled. This led to an inspiration for a game. Dividing into three teams by birth month, the boys took their positions. Their goal was to fill three 32-gallon cans and move them across the service site where the rakers would make three 4 by 3 foot squares. Their teams would be judged on who could get through three cans the fastest, how they worked as a team carrying the buckets, and how neat their squares were. When the game started the boys burst into action. It was amazing, what fun!  The boys really dug deep giving it their all. In the end every team won in a different category.

Spreading the last of our mulch the Alevin Explorers said goodbye the Grey Fox Kits and broke off for a closing meeting. The Grey fox Kits worked on diligently making a big dent in the Blackberry thicket towards the back of the site. Focused and determined the boys cut, trimmed and bagged the Blackberries and hauled them across the site.  

What fine work these Explorers are doing, they should be proud of their accomplishments here at Connelly Creek. The care they show for the saplings and shrubs they planted last fall and their fellow Explorers is outstanding. In their closing circles the Explorers gave thanks for the opportunity to work with each other, for skills and games, for the ability to give back, for the sense of accomplishment and progress they feel, and for the beautiful sunshine and warmth on our spring service outing.

Parents, please take a moment to track the history of our service at this site by clicking on the “tag links” below: Connelly Creek. You’ll see how the place has changed over time due to thousands of Explorer hours poured into the Happy Valley Park. You’ll also see how your sons have changed over time too. Thank you for the opportunity to be your nature-connection mentors. We truly value these experiences and look forward to each outing with you Explorers and your families!

For more pictures from the day please visit the Alevin’s or the Grey Fox Kit'sphoto gallery. 

Serving Connelly Creek with the Alevin and Grey Fox Kits

The Alevin Explorers arrived at Connelly Creek and quickly ran down the embankment, as they were anxious to see how the site has transformed over winter. Calling the group in the Explorers mustered their strength the carried the tools over to the site. They were excited to continue the tradition of camouflaging themselves from the next group, the Grey Fox Kits, who were soon to arrive. The mentors decided instead to use the time to work on our fire by friction and carving skills while chatting with the group about our upcoming summer backpacking trips.

Before the blog post continues, we’d like to remind everyone about the WE: Wilderness Experiences available this summer to the Alevin Explorers. Grey Fox Kits we look forward to backpacking with you in the summer of 2016. These trips are an investment in a lifetime of leadership and skills; their rewards extend far beyond the three to eight days they take place. Many of our Explorers have found them to be life changing, with benefits and tools for living that are carried and applied for many years to come. Please contact us if you have any questions, thanks!

The Grey Fox Kits arrived and the Alevin retired their skill session and both groups circled in the field. The mentors encouraged Explorers to think back to their last outing to Clayton Beach. The outing held powerful lessons about group decision-making, collaborating and compromising, and inclusion. Today would be yet another opportunity to work together while and serving the land. These boys have been working on this site for over two and a half years; they have developed skill and efficiency in their work as well as intimate knowledge of this sites needs.

Instead of painstakingly going over how to us the tools the mentors simply asked the group to be responsible with them. It is wonderful to have cultivated this level of trust within these two groups. They have continued to show their commitment and integrity with safe tools usage. Their eagerness shows they’re hungry for more responsibility, greater skills, and bigger explorations - the mentor’s bow to that.

Breaking our circle played a few rounds of Deer oh Deer Come and Run through my Forest.  This energetic tag game brought the two groups together and that same energy transferred to our work. Running over to the site the boys quickly lined up. Our project for the day was to walk down the Reed-Canary Grass, spread a giant pile of mulch over the area, and finish up with some blackberry trimming. Forming a long line we stomped down the Reed-Canary Grass. It was a fun way to warm up and release some energy. Turning our efforts to the mulch pile the boys took on one of three jobs: a mulch spreader, carrier, or filler. The group worked cohesively and as an onlooker you wouldn’t have been able to tell one group from the other. Slowly Dave started to develop a funcompetitive aspect where the mulch fillers were trying to keep the buckets filled and the carriers were trying to dump them before they could be filled. This led to an inspiration for a game. Dividing into three teams by birth month, the boys took their positions. Their goal was to fill three 32-gallon cans and move them across the service site where the rakers would make three 4 by 3 foot squares. Their teams would be judged on who could get through three cans the fastest, how they worked as a team carrying the buckets, and how neat their squares were. When the game started the boys burst into action. It was amazing, what fun!  The boys really dug deep giving it their all. In the end every team won in a different category.

Spreading the last of our mulch the Alevin Explorers said goodbye the Grey Fox Kits and broke off for a closing meeting. The Grey fox Kits worked on diligently making a big dent in the Blackberry thicket towards the back of the site. Focused and determined the boys cut, trimmed and bagged the Blackberries and hauled them across the site.  

What fine work these Explorers are doing, they should be proud of their accomplishments here at Connelly Creek. The care they show for the saplings and shrubs they planted last fall and their fellow Explorers is outstanding. In their closing circles the Explorers gave thanks for the opportunity to work with each other, for skills and games, for the ability to give back, for the sense of accomplishment and progress they feel, and for the beautiful sunshine and warmth on our spring service outing.

Parents, please take a moment to track the history of our service at this site by clicking on the “tag links” below: Connelly Creek. You’ll see how the place has changed over time due to thousands of Explorer hours poured into the Happy Valley Park. You’ll also see how your sons have changed over time too. Thank you for the opportunity to be your nature-connection mentors. We truly value these experiences and look forward to each outing with you Explorers and your families!

For more pictures from the day please visit the Alevin’s or the Grey Fox Kit'sphoto gallery. 

Final Fall 2014 Service Outing with the Alevin Explorers

The Alevin Explorers arrived at Connelly Creek ready for a day of service. Basking in the sun the boys roamed the creek and navigated it like they were connecting with an old friend. After we all arrived we traveled over to the site and the boys were shocked at Connelly Creek’s transformation from all of the fall service outings. The mentors explained that they were the last group to come out and do service for the season. Their task was to make sure the site was in order for the coming winter and to continue removing the Blackberries at the back of the property.

Touring the site the mentors went over the work that had been done this season.  Together the other Explorers had: cleared the previously mulched area of blackberries so Bellingham Parks Department could deliver more mulch, stomped down and trimmed the Reed-Canary Grass on the entire site, spread mulch in the treed area south of the mulch site, planted shrubs in the Alder grove, removed blackberries from all over the site, and also planted Red Alders and caged them with poles, wires, ties, cardboard, and mulch. What an amazing group effort by the Explorers!

After going over some tool safety we got to work. It was great to connect with the Alevin as we trimmed and dug side by side. They are growing and maturing right before our eyes. The boys laughed and joked together as they slowly got caught up in the tangles of the blackberry canes. They are developing sarcasm and satire in their humor and it was hilarious to see them enjoying ridiculing one another if they used a tools in the wrong way or did something foolish. Each season these boy’s bonds grow deeper and they’re becoming allies for one another. These deeply rooted connections will become very important as they enter into middle school and beyond. They will need friends to laugh with, to cry with, to make mistakes, and to rejoice with. Our aim as mentors is for them to realize that they have strong allies in each other and in the land. Also that they can get together with their community and find natural spaces to process this busy and confusing society we live in.

Digging Blackberry roots is an exhausting process and soon we needed to take a break to eat lunch. We laid back on the mulch pile and looked up at the blue sky. It’s in situations like these when I realize that we are not only healing Connelly Creek, it is healing us. I witness the boy’s nervous energy and busy minds slow down when they serve the land and they’re able to just be. Once we were nourished and hydrated we got back to work. Each time the boys pulled out a blackberry root they let out a triumphant yell. These were by far the biggest blackberry roots that I have ever seen! Some root balls were up to four inches in diameter

We worked for another hour and it became clear that we all needed a second break. Brian and I decided that it was time for a sit spot. We wandered over to a different section of the creek and the boys spread out over the land. Just as we were about to start I noticed a few of the boys grouped together staring at something intently. I went over to them and saw a ten point buck twenty feet away from us. Brian and I gathered the other boys and we shared a group sit spot watching the buck guard a doe hiding in the bushes. We were all captivated and sat in silence.

Observing, we saw the deer munching on a large shrub, and we wondered which kind it was. The deer provided such a great lesson about staying still and in quiet observation. Every time a boy would talk or move the buck would raise his head and look at us. Eventually the deer heard something off in the bushes and they left, grazing in another direction. The group wandered over to the bush that the deer had been eating and discovered that it was a Black Twinberry. This was one of the shrubs that we had been planting on the other side of the property! It was so empowering for the boys to know that the fruits of our labor were really showing. Our actions were directly benefitting this land and all of its inhabitants. Exploring the area we found scat, abundant deer rubs on saplings, and all sorts of tracks.

Wandering back over to the site the boys were filled with new energy and we played a few rounds of Tail Tag. Picking up our tools again we had a strong finish, doing one last push on the blackberries while cutting and bagging them so the Parks Department could pick them up. Packing up our stuff we gathered in the grass field for a closing circle. The boys gave thanks for the chance to serve the land and for it revealing to us that it was in fact a wilderness right in our backyards. They also gave thanks for friends, food, and the warmth of this sunny day. It was truly a pleasure to serve Connelly Creek with the Alevin Explorers. These boys are bright, caring, observant, goofy, playful, powerful, and exactly where they need to be. The Mentors would like to that all of the Explorers for their work this season. With 151 Explorers, mentors, EMA’s, and volunteers putting in 604 hours of service in just four weeks Our Cup Overflows and the our mentoring community is deeply humbled by the power and strength of the Boys EC. We would also like to give thanks to Bellingham Parks Department and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement for all their support and guidance over the season.

For more pictures from the outing please visit the Alevin Explorers photo gallery. 

Grey Fox Kits Serving Connelly Creek with the Alevin

With the warmth of spring in the air, Matt and Greg eagerly awaited the arrival of the boys.  The lure of the creek entertained the explorers who climbed and leapt across its banks waiting for the remainder of their group.  Once all the Alevin had arrived it was time to have brief opening meeting to discuss the important tasks of the day.  The largest order of the day was that the Alevin would be stepping into a mentoring role for the first time.  They would be leading the service day by example.  For some explorers it was their third time working at this service site, so they would be able to draw upon their experience of doing service in thier new leadership role.  The Alevin have also been through the Art of Carving training and the Gray Fox Kits have not, so the Alevin would be able to model the way to use the tools respectfully and carefully for the job at hand.  The second important topic was to prepare a camouflage gauntlet for the younger boys, but instead of hiding pipe cleaners in the land the Alevin would hide themselves!

Matt and Greg walked the boys along the trail taking the opportunity to go deeper into the Art of Camouflage.  We looked at how the trails and tracks left in the grass would give away our hiding spots to the careful observer.  We looked at dark places and light places and tried to learn how to obscure our outlines.  After a brief tour of the zone where we would hide, the Alevin and their mentors disappeared into the shrubs and grass and waited silently.  They waited and soon the arriving Grey Fox Kits could be heard playing in the creek and eventually gathering for their own opening meeting.  Eventually our waiting was over and the slow crunching of feet on gravel could be heard, sometimes only inches away!  The sound of the crow call signaled the end and explorers and mentors alike were comparing notes about who hid where and if they were seen.  The Alevin all added a little more experiance to their deepening knowledge of the Art of Camouflage.

The Alevin and Grey Fox Kits gathered in a huge circle and it was finally time to begin our service.  The boys ate their lunches and listened as Steve and Drew gave a brief introduction to the service tools and their usage.  Our tools are borrowed from the City of Bellingham as well as the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, so it was very important that we treat these tools with care, so that we can keep using them to restore this patch of Connelly Creek. 

The momentum to get to work was huge and the list of tasks for the day included: mulching down the reed canary grass, digging Himalayan Blackberry roots, cutting back blackberry canes and hauling them out to the trail, and cutting back the persistent Reed Canary grass.  With the perspective time the Alevin could clearly see how three seasons of work has begun to transform a small and forsaken corner of the park into a willow and alder thicket.  Our hope is that over the years explorers club will eventually come back to this spot and say, “Look at this land.  Once it was covered in trash and blackberries, and filled with shrubs and small trees!”

The comfortable rhythm of working outside and among friends quickly passed the time and it was time to hold our closing meeting.  Thanks were given for the Land, for service, for hiding and for Explorers Club.  With muddy shoes and boots we returned to the eagerly awaiting parents and siblings to share the stories of our day.

Thank you parents and family for your support.  We couldn’t do this important work without you!  Explorers thank you for stepping into a leadership role and stretching a new edge!  Check out the photo gallery here. 

We’ll see you for our grand finale outing on June 8^th for a fantastic hike up to Pine and Cedar Lakes.  This will be our strong finish to a great season!  

Alevin Serving Connelly Creek with the Grey Fox Kits

With the warmth of spring in the air, Matt and Greg eagerly awaited the arrival of the boys.  The lure of the creek entertained the explorers who climbed and leapt across its banks waiting for the remainder of their group.  Once all the Alevin had arrived it was time to have brief opening meeting to discuss the important tasks of the day.  The largest order of the day was that the Alevin would be stepping into a mentoring role for the first time.  They would be leading the service day by example.  For some explorers it was their third time working at this service site, so they would be able to draw upon their experience of doing service in thier new leadership role.  The Alevin have also been through the Art of Carving training and the Gray Fox Kits have not, so the Alevin would be able to model the way to use the tools respectfully and carefully for the job at hand.  The second important topic was to prepare a camouflage gauntlet for the younger boys, but instead of hiding pipe cleaners in the land the Alevin would hide themselves!

Matt and Greg walked the boys along the trail taking the opportunity to go deeper into the Art of Camouflage.  We looked at how the trails and tracks left in the grass would give away our hiding spots to the careful observer.  We looked at dark places and light places and tried to learn how to obscure our outlines.  After a brief tour of the zone where we would hide, the Alevin and their mentors disappeared into the shrubs and grass and waited silently.  They waited and soon the arriving Grey Fox Kits could be heard playing in the creek and eventually gathering for their own opening meeting.  Eventually our waiting was over and the slow crunching of feet on gravel could be heard, sometimes only inches away!  The sound of the crow call signaled the end and explorers and mentors alike were comparing notes about who hid where and if they were seen.  The Alevin all added a little more experiance to their deepening knowledge of the Art of Camouflage.

The Alevin and Grey Fox Kits gathered in a huge circle and it was finally time to begin our service.  The boys ate their lunches and listened as Steve and Drew gave a brief introduction to the service tools and their usage.  Our tools are borrowed from the City of Bellingham as well as the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, so it was very important that we treat these tools with care, so that we can keep using them to restore this patch of Connelly Creek. 

The momentum to get to work was huge and the list of tasks for the day included: mulching down the reed canary grass, digging Himalayan Blackberry roots, cutting back blackberry canes and hauling them out to the trail, and cutting back the persistent Reed Canary grass.  With the perspective time the Alevin could clearly see how three seasons of work has begun to transform a small and forsaken corner of the park into a willow and alder thicket.  Our hope is that over the years explorers club will eventually come back to this spot and say, “Look at this land.  Once it was covered in trash and blackberries, and filled with shrubs and small trees!”

The comfortable rhythm of working outside and among friends quickly passed the time and it was time to hold our closing meeting.  Thanks were given for the Land, for service, for hiding and for Explorers Club.  With muddy shoes and boots we returned to the eagerly awaiting parents and siblings to share the stories of our day.

Thank you parents and family for your support.  We couldn’t do this important work without you!  Explorers thank you for stepping into a leadership role and stretching a new edge!  Check out the photo gallery here. 

We’ll see you for our grand finale outing on June 8^th for a fantastic hike up to Pine and Cedar Lakes.  This will be our strong finish to a great season!  

Serving Connelly Creek with the Alevin Explorers

The last time we were at Connelly Creek was in the spring. Since that time, based on our observations, the land had changed quite a bit. The stream was about eight inches higher than it was the last time we saw it. Leaves were falling, willows and cottonwoods had grown, and the leaves on some of the blackberries were turning a dark red. Further in, remnant blackberry roots from the area where we had removed them had been busily pushing up new canes over the summer. Through the mulch, a fine mat of blackberries had surfaced. The alderss had grown at an almost unbelievable rate, and even the very small ones were now large enough to be a good bet at growing into adulthood. Underneath these trees, the reed canary grass had turned a pale tan --- dying back considerably. The land had changed, and we were there to serve under new conditions. It was very evident that our work had impact, and this was the time to assess the impact, to see conditions as they are, to form a plan, and to snap into action.

Of course all these observations came in accord with plenty of play and exploration. The Daredevils Club Explorers joined our group an hour after the Alevin had started, and it wouldn't be an Explorers club outing if we didn't work in a little bit of sneaking and play. The Alevin hid as the Daredevils Club approached. But the Daredevils Club had a surprise for us, coming from a direction that we had were not expecting. We managed to surprise one another, and after this initial meeting we all got together and figured out how to serve the land as one. Alevin Explorers started off with tools. We assessed what we had and how to use it. We looked hard at the blackberries and admired this plant for its tenacity and the story of where it came from. We looked at how the roots work and how it makes berries. We also looked at what life around it and consider the relationships that a Blackberry develops. We finally considered how the blackberry is not and evil or bad plant, but it is simply out of balance here, and the land needs change and deep roots in order to retain its soil and cultivate a stream that we salmon can run.

We started by getting in at the roots. Quite a bit of work getting at those roots, and it took a lot of team effort. Not long into it, one of the mentors even broke a shovel. Of course we discovered all kinds of strange things under that mat of blackberries and mulch. But little by little our intention manifested, and we filled buckets with fresh canes and deep roots. Some explorers got into the reed canary grass again, and once Daredevils Club Explorers joined us, we ended up taking turns with different tools and different tasks.

This was a magical routing, as the two groups melded well and there was a good flow of work, of connection, of play, and of learning. After a solid period of work, we all gathered up in a large circle and talked about some exciting news. The culvert that had impeded the salmon for many decades had finally been removed, and residents had spotted salmon swimming upstream. For the first time in maybe seventy years, the stream had salmon. Our work was being enjoyed by the natural community, and it was apparent that there was more work to do. We switched tasks and removed an obstruction within the stream, watching the water flow freely and recognizing that the salmon would have a chance to get further up.

We ended with a good closing meeting, considering what this place was like before we started and what it is like now. We appreciated it as it is with nothing to fix. We considered how our relationships had developed. And we gave thanks.

Great job Alevin Explorers! Great job Daredevils Club Explorers! Thanks so much to NSEA and the City of Bellingham for all your wonderful support in this project. Thanks so much to all you parents for your enduring support.

Don't forget to check out pics from our outing in our photo gallery.