The Red-Tailed Eyas and Gray Wolf Pups serve at Connelly Creek

Clipping Himalayan Blackberries in the Willow grove

The Red-Tailed Eyas appeared excited as they arrived at our new Connelly Creek drop-off location. Their excitement was not for the new location itself, but for the clear skies and warmth of the sun as it crested over the foothills of the Padden Creek Watershed. A lone mentor, Steve Keller, greeted the group and reconnected with these long-term Explorers Club participants. 

Our service outing structure provides an excellent opportunity for our mentors to work with groups who they don’t consistently mentor. Although it is important for the Explorers to have consistency in their mentors, it is just as important that they are connected to many examples of what it means to be a healthy male in the world. 

Our mentors would like to the thank parents for their flexibility with our new drop-off and pick-up location. After getting feedback from parents, it sounds like the new location has a much better flow and was not too far out of the way.

Walking the group over to the site the boys asked why they were not dropped off next to creek. The mentors explained that we had moved our drop-off location based on feedback from the neighborhood. We talked a bit about our EC motto collaborate and compromise and how it is important that we as mentors walk our talk as we live our EC Mottos the same as we ask the Explorers to do.

The Long-toed Salamander – Ambystoma macrodactylum

The boys were eager to start working, but it was important that we had an opening meeting to bring focus to our service. The mentors let the group know that the Gray Wolf Pups would soon be joining us and asked the boys to remember last fall when they had worked together at the site. Being slightly older Explorers, it was important that the Red-Tailed Eyas set a good example for the other Explorers.

With the day frontloaded we revisited tool safety and reminded the group that the equipment was borrowed on the contingency that we used them with intention and treated them with respect. By this point in the Red-Tailed Eyas and Gray Wolf Pups EC journey our mentors expect to not have to police the group, but more so make them aware of their responsibility as tool users.

Our goal for the day was to engage with the tangled mess of Blackberry and Willow on the southern edge of our site next to the creek. Getting to work on that part of the site was very exciting for both the RTE and GWP. Their satisfaction came from previous seasons of being asked not to work on that side of the site. Our Explorers are starting to come to the realization through their service experience that being thorough and going slowly is deeply satisfying.

Making progress on the mulch pile

Grabbing their loppers and bow rakes the boys cut a path into the brambles and started to free the stand of Willows along the creek. After their opening meeting the Gray Wolf Pups joined the Red-Tailed Eyas. Their work started off focused and strong with the entire group working in a very condensed area. The group laughed and joked with one another as they clipped and dug. With their hands engaged the boys minds freely wandered in healthy decompression and reflection. Their topics of conversation ranged from who could tell the cheesiest joke, to their thoughts and opinions on certain presidential candidates. A wise mentor once said, “a mentor should only talk twenty percent of the time when they are with their mentees”.  In this case it was powerful just to work along side the boys and track their conversations.

Amassing a large pile of Blackberry canes the mentors noticed our number of workers were dwindling. Upon further investigation the mentors found a portion of the group playing games in the Reed-Canary Grass and others that had stopped for lunch. Part of the intention that we had set for the day was to clip Blackberries until we filled the six remaining bags we had left, then break for lunch, after which we would spread the pile of mulch adjacent to the Willow grove. The mentors reminded the boys of this and gathered them back together.

Playing Deer oh Deer in the field

Filling the last of the bags the group realized that they had cut much more Blackberry than they had room for. It as important to reiterate our EC motto, slow is fast and fast is slow. The consequence of our actions would be that the next group would have to do the unpleasant work of clipping and bagging the debris. Shifting our focus we started to move mulch.

Out of any task that we preform at our site, this is by far the most beloved by our Explorers. Much like with the Blackberries, we started off with a strong push and eventually lost our focus. This ended up being our biggest challenge of the day. Both GWP and RTE powers in this challenge will be to learn how to hold their group focus. It was not that the boys were lazy of did not want to put forth effort; it had everything to do with the fact that they distracted themselves with games and leisurely lunches.

In the end we did end up spreading all the mulch and made a large dent in the Blackberries. One of the best parts about working with these boys is their comradery and ability to be open and honest with one another. Although they vacillated between working and playing they really showed up for our closing circle and gave a heartfelt round of gratitude.

The boys expressed their thanks for the ability to come out and work on a piece of land that they feel is their own. It is clear that these boys are coming to understand that they hold a real power to influence and give to their community. Although these boys might not be able to articulate it yet, they are coming to realize that restoration of the land is in fact restoration of one’s self. Sitting under the shade of a Cherry tree the boys relaxed back into the grass as they ate their apples.

For more photos from our outing please visit the Red-Tailed Eyas and Gray Wolf Pups joint photo album from the day.

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. 

Connelly Creek service site transforming: Gray Wolf Pups & Townsend's Chipmunks

We shoulda taken photos (Check that - we did. Track the history of our service at this site by clicking on the “tag links” below: Connelly Creek). I wasn’t there, but I’m told that when the Boys Explorers first set eyes on the Connelly Creek service site a few years ago, the scene was dominated by Himalayan blackberry bushes and tall Reed canarygrass. Both are invasive, non-native plants that detract from the health of the creek. And, of course, the blackberry brambles hurt! Hidden in all that growth was an equally unpleasant discovery - trash. Apparently, the area had been used as a dump by people with nails, car parts, rusting wire, plastic, concrete and more to spare. The thing is, as an explorers club motto puts it, all things are connected. 

Himalayan blackberry was introduced from Eurasia. It often spreads over the top of other plants and crushes or smothers them. It can root at branch tips and spread from roots (suckers). Birds can spread the berries over long distances. It is a Class C weed in Washington State, which means it is already widespread. And, as the scratches on arms and legs will attest, it has a strong defense against well-meaning service workers.

Reed canarygrass forms dense, highly productive single species stands that pose a major threat to many wetland ecosystems. The species grows so vigorously that it is able to inhibit and eliminate competing species. According to the state department of Ecology, the species poses a significant threat to the state’s wetlands. 

Salmon, of course, need the ecological balance that these aggressive species will eliminate if not combatted. As I said, it’s all connected.

So, once each fall and spring, each explorers club (EC) group spends an outing working at the site to replace blackberries and canarygrass with native species. With guidance from Bellingham Parks and tools on loan from the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association(NSEA), the boys devote their time and energies to clipping and uprooting blackberries and then stomping down canarygrass and covering it with bark mulch to deprive it of the sun on which it thrives. They’ve also planted trees and bushes to shade the area, providing a more permanent solution to the “problem” sun. In this way, the explorers, parks and NSEA are connecting and protecting, another EC motto.

I’ve been through two seasons of service outings now, and can personally attest to scores of bags of brambles and roots (and dozens of scrapes!). I’ve witnessed multiple groups of explorers cutting (which turned out to be the wrong strategy - encourages growth) and stomping down (better approach) canarygrass, and moving dozens of yards of bark mulch in buckets large and small to cover the grass. And I’ve supervised the removal of rusted nails, plastic who-knows-whats, and much more trash. (We shoulda inventoried.) The work was done willingly, even eagerly, as a rule. Despite the occasional bark battle, the irresistible tree waiting to be climbed, and the allure of the creek, the explorers keep at it, demonstrating again the EC motto - many hands make light work. 

So now there are young alders reaching for the sky and native shrubs such as ninebark restoring ecological balance to the area. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Read it aloud - it sounds even better that way...restoring ecological balance. Nice. If you’re interested, check here for information on native, non-invasive plants for your garden. Along the way, we liberated some trees that were being swallowed up and a fence that was hidden in the blackberries. Here’s a panoramic view (pardon my poor photography skills) of the site today. 



Saturday’s was our last service outing of the spring. We’ll be back at it in the fall, again with the collaboration of the Bellingham Parks and NSEA. Your final EC motto for the day - Everyone helps. Your boys are learning the importance of caring for the land. As they return twice a year, they’re excited by the progress they’ve made and can see the change they can affect. Sure, the creek is better off, but no more so that all of us who have the privilege of putting the blackberries and cararygrass in their rightful place. 

Gray Wolf Pup families, click here for the gallery of photos from Saturday’s service outing. Townsend's Chipmunk folks, click here.

The Gray Wolf Pups return to exploring on Sunday, June 7 with a traverse. Click here for further information on that outing.

The Townsend's Chipmunks are also back at it on Sunday, June 7 with a traverse (different place!). Look herefor the outing description.  

Gray Wolf Pups Traverse Padden Creek

On a remarkably sunny spring day the Gray Wolf Pups met up at Lake Padden for their final outing of the season. Our adventure would begin at the south end of Lake Padden and would take us along the shore side trail to the lakes outlet; Padden Creek. We would then follow Padden Creek for a ways, go off trail, and meander our way down to Old Fairhaven Parkway, under I-5, and right to our Connelly Creek service site. This traverse was an Explorers Club first and the Gray Wolf Pups were eager to blaze the trail. Circling up in the field we handed out our jobs for the day that help us explore and keep us safe. Although the boys are so familiar with them, one Explorer even passed them all out, we would need to revisit their purpose a few times later on in our outing.

With too much energy to sit in circle, it was clear we needed to hit the trail. First we checked out the map, planned our course and determined the best route for our traverse. Hiking along the south shore was the most direct route so off we went. Traverses are a fun change of pace for the boys because with all the hiking it gives ample time to chat with fellow Explorers about shared hobbies, interesting things on the trail, or just do their best to get one another to laugh. Of course we broke up the walking and talking with numerous games of “HIDE!” and discovered that even on heavily travelled trails there are plenty of nooks and crannies and sword ferns to tuck away in out of sight.

Coming to the outlet of the lake, we turned down the Padden Gorge Trail that meanders just beside the depressingly small trickle of water that is Padden Creek. This was a great reminder that we indeed had a warm winter and though the rain has filled our aquifers, the snow pack that should have been melting in the hot sun and supplying our lakes and streams with cool glacial water is just not there this year. Also beside the trail we discovered a bouquet of flowers that someone had picked yet mysteriously left on the side of the trail. Curious, the mentors and some of the boys inspected the flowers as the rest of the group who was a bit ahead kept trekking along.

As we inspected the flowers, both mentors quickly took note of the small cluster of white flowers, purple-speckled stalk, and carrot-top like leaves and advised everyone not to touch this plant. Yes, someone had picked a bouquet of Poison Hemlock! We inferred that they likely picked the highly poisonous plant unbeknownst to them only to get contact dermatitis and set the plant down to avoid any further irritation. This was a great learning opportunity for some of the Explorers to ID one of our deadliest plants and learn from another’s mistake which is certainly preferable than learning from your own.

We quickly caught up to the rest of the group and cut off the main gravel path to follow a deer trail that the mentors had scouted days before. Trekking ahead, the boys in front yet again managed to outpace the boys in the back. Generally this is when the Front Scout takes note and has the group stop to allow the back of the group catch up. However, the Front Scout was keener to adventure than keep the group together. Along the way some of the Explorers who had studied the Poison Hemlock shared their newly gleaned knowledge with the others. To their surprise this information made a handful of the boys who had scouted ahead very nervous. (SPOILER ALERT TO SAVE PARENTS FROM WORRYING: No one consumed Poison Hemlock or came in contact with it!).  In fact, as the mentors began investigating their sheepish behavior they learned that a couple of the boys had found a plant they thought looked like “tobacco” and in a humorous effort took a little nibble of it. This action rarely if ever happens and in BEC we make a very, VERY strong emphasis around NEVER consuming any plant until you have a one hundred percent positive identification. This is in fact one of the few topics mentors can become incredibly stern on the boys over due to the severity of it. However, a few boys managed to let this notion slip their minds. We quickly found the plant in question and made sure it was not Poison Hemlock. Using our Plants Knowledge Keeper (aka Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Pojar and McKinnon), we identifyied it as Palmate Coltsfoot which is not poisonous. In fact, the Quinault used it to cover berries in steam cooking pits and it has even been cultivated by Japanese immigrants as an early spring vegetable (Pojar p.294). There is no doubt these Explorers learned an immense lesson from this experience and even admitted to being a bit rattled from the thought they could have consumed Poison Hemlock and required a trip in an ambulance to get their stomach pumped at the hospital.

After getting too spread out along the trail and having a scare with consuming plants we hadn’t first positively identified, it was clear we needed to have a talk. Upon circling up the mentors emphasized the importance of awareness; tracking the landscape, the plants, the animals, the weather, the season, the group, and yourself. How are your actions impacting others? How are your actions impacting the land? How is the land impacting your actions? How are your emotions impacting your actions? Etc. We must be vigilant in our awareness to ensure our personal safety, group safety, and the safety of the land. Our actions ripple throughout our own lives, the lives of those who are close to us, and even the lives of those we are unaware of.  Luckily we escaped the day without any harm done, but there is nothing like a close call to truly learn a lesson. The mentors also emphasized the importance of making mistakes in life, that it is inevitable, and that instead of dwelling on what could have been it is important to learn everything you can from the experience and move on with greater wisdom and the confidence of knowing how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.

We took a moment to decide as a group how to spend the rest of our day; carve then hike, hike then carve, or hike then carve/play in Connelly Creek. The Gray Wolf Pups showed an impressive level of group cooperation and decision making though they still needed a little nudge here or there from the mentors. The decision was made to hike all the way to Connelly Creek and maximize our free time there to carve, play in the creek, or just explore a place we usually spend all day working at. Once we navigated the thick salmonberry, sunny hillside of the old housing development, and navigated across Old Fairhaven Parkway, we finally made it to our destination.

At Connelly Creek the boys relaxed after a long hike in the sun. Some Explorers carved, while others went down to the creek to build boats out of sticks, grass, and leaves and race them down the creek. This quickly turned into a full on creek exploration where boys discovered crawfish, broke up stick dams that were clogging the creek, and just got lost in the moment of it all. It was wonderful to see these boys getting to enjoy the very creek they work so hard for in their service. It was a fitting end to a great day, and a great season, where much was learned and many fond memories were formed.

Connelly Creek service site transforming: Gray Wolf Pups & Townsend's Chipmunks

We shoulda taken photos (Check that - we did. Track the history of our service at this site by clicking on the “tag links” below: Connelly Creek). I wasn’t there, but I’m told that when the Boys Explorers first set eyes on the Connelly Creek service site a few years ago, the scene was dominated by Himalayan blackberry bushes and tall Reed canarygrass. Both are invasive, non-native plants that detract from the health of the creek. And, of course, the blackberry brambles hurt! Hidden in all that growth was an equally unpleasant discovery - trash. Apparently, the area had been used as a dump by people with nails, car parts, rusting wire, plastic, concrete and more to spare. The thing is, as an explorers club motto puts it, all things are connected. 

Himalayan blackberry was introduced from Eurasia. It often spreads over the top of other plants and crushes or smothers them. It can root at branch tips and spread from roots (suckers). Birds can spread the berries over long distances. It is a Class C weed in Washington State, which means it is already widespread. And, as the scratches on arms and legs will attest, it has a strong defense against well-meaning service workers.

Reed canarygrass forms dense, highly productive single species stands that pose a major threat to many wetland ecosystems. The species grows so vigorously that it is able to inhibit and eliminate competing species. According to the state department of Ecology, the species poses a significant threat to the state’s wetlands. 

Salmon, of course, need the ecological balance that these aggressive species will eliminate if not combatted. As I said, it’s all connected.

So, once each fall and spring, each explorers club (EC) group spends an outing working at the site to replace blackberries and canarygrass with native species. With guidance from Bellingham Parks and tools on loan from the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association(NSEA), the boys devote their time and energies to clipping and uprooting blackberries and then stomping down canarygrass and covering it with bark mulch to deprive it of the sun on which it thrives. They’ve also planted trees and bushes to shade the area, providing a more permanent solution to the “problem” sun. In this way, the explorers, parks and NSEA are connecting and protecting, another EC motto.

I’ve been through two seasons of service outings now, and can personally attest to scores of bags of brambles and roots (and dozens of scrapes!). I’ve witnessed multiple groups of explorers cutting (which turned out to be the wrong strategy - encourages growth) and stomping down (better approach) canarygrass, and moving dozens of yards of bark mulch in buckets large and small to cover the grass. And I’ve supervised the removal of rusted nails, plastic who-knows-whats, and much more trash. (We shoulda inventoried.) The work was done willingly, even eagerly, as a rule. Despite the occasional bark battle, the irresistible tree waiting to be climbed, and the allure of the creek, the explorers keep at it, demonstrating again the EC motto - many hands make light work. 

So now there are young alders reaching for the sky and native shrubs such as ninebark restoring ecological balance to the area. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Read it aloud - it sounds even better that way...restoring ecological balance. Nice. If you’re interested, check here for information on native, non-invasive plants for your garden. Along the way, we liberated some trees that were being swallowed up and a fence that was hidden in the blackberries. Here’s a panoramic view (pardon my poor photography skills) of the site today. 



Saturday’s was our last service outing of the spring. We’ll be back at it in the fall, again with the collaboration of the Bellingham Parks and NSEA. Your final EC motto for the day - Everyone helps. Your boys are learning the importance of caring for the land. As they return twice a year, they’re excited by the progress they’ve made and can see the change they can affect. Sure, the creek is better off, but no more so that all of us who have the privilege of putting the blackberries and cararygrass in their rightful place. 

Gray Wolf Pup families, click here for the gallery of photos from Saturday’s service outing. Townsend's Chipmunk folks, click here.

The Gray Wolf Pups return to exploring on Sunday, June 7 with a traverse. Click here for further information on that outing.

The Townsend's Chipmunks are also back at it on Sunday, June 7 with a traverse (different place!). Look herefor the outing description.  

Planting Red Alders at Connelly Creek with the Red Tailed Eyas and Gray Wolf Pups

We arrived at Connelly Creek service site under dark clouds but no rain for our last service outing of the Fall season. for the last month there has been four groups of Explorers working on this site every weekend. The transformation of this land has been amazing to watch and be a part of. This final outing of service for the Fall season was such a great way for the Red Tailed Eyas and the Grey Wolf Pups to not only see all the work that groups before them had done, but also to put in the final push of work before we leave this site until Spring. Our task today was to plant the seven 10ft tall Red Alders that the Parks Department had left for us. We needed to dig holes for every tree, set up supports, and finally cage in and mulch around the base of the trees.

While we waited for the Grey Wolf Pups the Red Tailed Eyas had a discussion about one of the main species that is affected by the work that we do; the Salmon. The Alders are great nitrogen fixers for the soil as well as providing shade to stunt the invasive reed canary grass. The boys had some really insightful observations on what makes good habitat for salmon and how our work is benefiting habitat.  

When the Grey Wolf Pups arrived the combined energy of the two groups swept us into productive work. Digging holes, throwing mulch, finding roots, clearing Reed Canary grass, moving Red Alders, setting up cages, massaging roots, laughing, new friends, dirty hands, more holes, and plenty of strong work.

The power of having two Explorers groups work together is so tangible when doing this work at Connelly Creek; So much hard work and new connections with each other. After a solid few hours of work the Red Alders were no longer laying on their sides in a pile, but instead happily standing in freshly dug and mulched holes. It was really amazing to look around and see a miniature forest of Red Alder saplings instead of the Reed Canary grass that had carpeted the ground previously.

As the Red Tailed Eyes left the Grey Wolf Pups geared up to spread the last of the mulch that remained. A forty five minute explosion of work from the Grey Wolf Pups left the previously mountainous mulch pile a mere bump on the land. At this point the focus was gone and the group was ready to explore. Even on these days that are focused on a strong ethic of service work it is important for these boys to have time to explore the land. As these boys Explore the land around the service site they learn more about what the land needs and how the work they are doing affects it.

As the energy from the exploration came down the Grey Wolf Pups came back in wet and muddy from the creek, scrapped by the blackberries, and excited by all their discoveries. We packed up and settled into a closing meeting. While going around and giving thanks for the day I was touched to hear so much appreciation for the day. Many boys voiced their thanks for the land and our opportunity to give back to it. Peter asked the explorers; Who does this service benefit and how does it affect us? Some explorers pondered this questions as they finished the last of their apple slices. The salmon? The neighbors? the community of bellingham? the deer? the Trees? us? After a while a few explorers said this work benefits everyone. We all seemed to agree with this explanation.

Thank you Red Tailed Eyas and Grey Wolf Pups for all your hard work at connelly creek. It was a true pleasure to work alongside all of you. Parents please talk your sons into taking you back to this site to see all their hard work. This time of year is a great opportunity to see it before the mud season truly begins. Please check out our photo gallery 

Planting Red Alders at Connelly Creek with the Red Tailed Eyas and Gray Wolf Pups

We arrived at Connelly Creek service site under dark clouds but no rain for our last service outing of the Fall season. for the last month there has been four groups of Explorers working on this site every weekend. The transformation of this land has been amazing to watch and be a part of. This final outing of service for the Fall season was such a great way for the Red Tailed Eyas and the Grey Wolf Pups to not only see all the work that groups before them had done, but also to put in the final push of work before we leave this site until Spring. Our task today was to plant the seven 10ft tall Red Alders that the Parks Department had left for us. We needed to dig holes for every tree, set up supports, and finally cage in and mulch around the base of the trees.

While we waited for the Grey Wolf Pups the Red Tailed Eyas had a discussion about one of the main species that is affected by the work that we do; the Salmon. The Alders are great nitrogen fixers for the soil as well as providing shade to stunt the invasive reed canary grass. The boys had some really insightful observations on what makes good habitat for salmon and how our work is benefiting habitat.  

When the Grey Wolf Pups arrived the combined energy of the two groups swept us into productive work. Digging holes, throwing mulch, finding roots, clearing Reed Canary grass, moving Red Alders, setting up cages, massaging roots, laughing, new friends, dirty hands, more holes, and plenty of strong work.

The power of having two Explorers groups work together is so tangible when doing this work at Connelly Creek; So much hard work and new connections with each other. After a solid few hours of work the Red Alders were no longer laying on their sides in a pile, but instead happily standing in freshly dug and mulched holes. It was really amazing to look around and see a miniature forest of Red Alder saplings instead of the Reed Canary grass that had carpeted the ground previously.

As the Red Tailed Eyes left the Grey Wolf Pups geared up to spread the last of the mulch that remained. A forty five minute explosion of work from the Grey Wolf Pups left the previously mountainous mulch pile a mere bump on the land. At this point the focus was gone and the group was ready to explore. Even on these days that are focused on a strong ethic of service work it is important for these boys to have time to explore the land. As these boys Explore the land around the service site they learn more about what the land needs and how the work they are doing affects it.

As the energy from the exploration came down the Grey Wolf Pups came back in wet and muddy from the creek, scrapped by the blackberries, and excited by all their discoveries. We packed up and settled into a closing meeting. While going around and giving thanks for the day I was touched to hear so much appreciation for the day. Many boys voiced their thanks for the land and our opportunity to give back to it. Peter asked the explorers; Who does this service benefit and how does it affect us? Some explorers pondered this questions as they finished the last of their apple slices. The salmon? The neighbors? the community of bellingham? the deer? the Trees? us? After a while a few explorers said this work benefits everyone. We all seemed to agree with this explanation.

Thank you Red Tailed Eyas and Grey Wolf Pups for all your hard work at connelly creek. It was a true pleasure to work alongside all of you. Parents please talk your sons into taking you back to this site to see all their hard work. This time of year is a great opportunity to see it before the mud season truly begins. Please check out our photo gallery 

Gray Wolf Pups serve the land with the Vespula Veterans at Connelly Creek!

With ominous clouds sailing about, Matt and Greg greeted the arriving Gray Wolf Pups.  Explorers slipped and tripped along the banks of Connelly Creek until eventually everyone had gathered.  Our service outings this season have paired younger groups with older groups of explorers.  This has lead to many exciting opportunities for mentoring within the groups as well as a new game that takes Hide! to the next level of challenge.

Our opening meeting was short and Greg and Matt took the opportunity to discuss the service outing with the boys.  We recalled how the Explorers had spent their last outing traveling the length of Connelly creek from the beach at Marine Park all the way to the service site we were about to walk to.  The mentors explained that before we were off to do service we would have a challenge in the form of a new game.  The Gray Wolf Pups were informed that along the trail to the service site the other group, the Vespula Veterans had taken a sit spot with the goal of being close to the trail, but remaining hidden from the Gray Wolf Pups.  Our challenge was twofold: first we had to locate the hidden members of the Vespula Veterans and second each member of the Gray Wolf Pups had to try and do this as an individualchallenge.  The hard part is always not telling the other members of the group where folks are hiding!  By the time both groups had gathered for an opening circle all the explorers had learned a bit more about stealth and observation!

The combined group of boys and mentors gathered in a large meeting to eat lunch, hear about tool safety and usage from the Vespula Vetrans, and come together in community to serve the land.  A quick round of names revealed a volunteer mentor named Adnan, a visitor from Pakistan who is studying at Whatcom Community College, had joined us to learn more about Explores Club and help us serve the land.  It’s always a privilege to have volunteers join us in our work.  The motivation to get to work was strong and after the comedic skits of service tools do’s and don’ts we were more or less prepared to get started. 

Over the course of the next few hours the boys did a tremendous about of work.  The wall of Himalayan Blackberry has been pushed back nearly to the property line of the park.  Bucket after bucket of canes were clipped, raked, and hauled out to the trail.  Another group worked on digging up the blackberry roots.  Each root presented its own challenge as it twisted and wound through the thick clay soil.  Another group was focused on planting willow and dogwood cuttings.  These explorers removed the mats of canary grass and then mounded mulch around the cuttings to protect the new plants.  Finally a small team of boys cut back the reed canary grass freeing some of last year’s plantings from the threat of shade!

After three hours of combined work, the Vespula Veterans said fair well and left for their closing meeting leaving the Gray Wolf Pups on their own at the service site.  Matt and Greg decided it was the perfect time for a break and solicited the explorers to play the new game, which we are still in the process of naming (it’s a lot like camouflage gauntlet but with people instead of pipe cleaners).  The group split in half and we each took turns hiding and seeking.

After everyone had gotten a chance to hone both their steal and observation skills, Greg and Matt took the boys to the other side of the park where similar service work had been done 10 years ago.  This restored site had no blackberry, very little canary grass and lots of dense shrubs and small trees.  After a brief discussion of what our service site might look like in 10 years, Matt felt inspired to become a opossum and disappeared on hands and knees into the dense shrubs.  Without protest the Gray Wolf Pups followed.  We wound around clumps of Pacific Ninebark and Hardhack.  We scrunched under prickly spruce boughs, and climbed over fallen Alder trees and through willow roots.  We finally emerged onto the banks of Connelly Creek to have our closing meeting.  We gave thanks for the land and the chance to play.  With a final stalk out of the willow thicket we returned to haul the tools from the service site and meet the awaiting parents, muddy and wet, but happy!

Explorers thank you for your hard work and spirited play!  The land is looking better!  Parents thank you for your continued support of the work that we do with your sons.  We couldn’t do it with out you.  Be sure to check out photos from the day!

Traversing Connelly and Padden Creek with the Gray Wolf Pups

Arriving at Marine Park the Gray Wolf Pups quickly hurried down the beach to look out at the bay. It was apparent that the group had cultivated resiliency over the fall season. Heading straight into the gale they roamed the beach looking in the nooks and crannies in the breakwater. Circling up on the sand the group played a quick name game and revisited some Explorers Club Culture. The Mentors challenged them to remember each one of the group’s very important jobs. As they called out jobs the conversation turned towards the importance of the jobs within the group. An Explorer asked which was the most important job. This was a great time for the Mentors to talk about the importance of circular leadership within our group. We Are All Leaders and our jobs function interdependently with one another. We separate our jobs from ego and authority, filling our roles for the sake of putting forth our best intentions and actions within the group and for the land.

Turning our conversation towards the journey ahead we took a look at a map of the interurban trails that connect Marine Park to our Connelly Creek Service Site.   Learning how to orient the map to the four cardinal directions the Explorers deciphered that they would need to head east and find a safe place to navigate over the train tracks. Mentors cautioned the group that out of all the hazards on our journey road and train track crossings are the most dangerous. Our ability to focus as a group and bring forward the task at hand is critical in these moments.

After crossing the tracks safely one Explorer pointed out what he thought was the interurban trail. The group reviewed the map again and his instincts were correct. Just as we were about to head east a large murder of crows, about fifty strong, flew over our heads. Tracking the Northwestern Crows we could tell that they were alert and on edge. Matt asked the group why crows flock in large groups in the wintertime. The group came to the conclusion that the crows stick together because of predatory risks. Matt explained that crows flock and roost together to avoid predation from raptors, to share information about danger and food sources, and also to find mates. Northwestern Crows are extremely altruistic and loyal. Matt asked the Explorers which other species crow behavior reminded them of. Thinking about it for a while they came to the conclusion that we were very similar. We can learn so much from the other species when we get quiet and observe what the land is telling us.

Turning once again to the Tribal Elder the Mentors asked the group which way we were headed. One of the boys who was familiar with the area brought up the suggestion to follow the trail west towards Fairhaven Dog Park. In our outings Mentors seek to cultivate organizational skills within the Explorers. Touching on the traverse the Mentors told the boys that it had been almost an hour already and we had moved about one-eight of a mile on our two and a half mile trek. The boys decided as a group that we would go and explore west for a little bit and then really focus our hiking for the next leg of the trek. Arriving at the dog park the boys were immediately drawn to the large hill. Like clockwork some called Hide and the group went diving into the Scotch Broom bushes. After playing multiple rounds and almost losing our snacks to some hungry dogs the group was back on the trail.

Although the weather was cold and wet the signs of spring were in the air. As we walked we admired the white flowers and vibrant green leaves of the Indian Plums and pinkish flowers of the Red-Flowering Currants. With some guidance from the Mentors each of the boys sampled a leaf from a female Indian Plum. When eaten and crushed the plum leaves have a strong odor and taste of cucumbers. At this point in the Gray Wolf Pups journey with harvesting it is critical that don’t eat anything before consulting with a Mentor. It is important to be well informed when harvesting wild edibles and also to harvest them ethically. Foraging is a skill that takes time and focus to develop and can deeply connect us to the power of the place and season.

As we hiked the front scout started to hear some commotion in the distance. The group came to find that there was a race happening on the same trail we were traversing. We circled up and decided that we were going to use the race as an opportunity to increase our awareness skills; if someone called runner, everyone had to get to the right side of the trail. Little did the group know that we were going to have to call “Runner!” about every thirty seconds! In the end it was a great chance for the boys to work on group communication and keeping that same focus we used to cross the tracks.

After about a long push the group stopped and rested and snacked. As the cold and wet day started to set in the group began to feel tired and fatigued. Matt and I encouraged the boys to muster their energy. The group rallied and once again started snaking along Padden Creek as it thundered towards Bellingham Bay. Hiking along we came across a section of trees that had been devastated by the recent winter storm. Combing the wreckage the Explorers tracked a sweet smell coming from a downed Cottonwood branch. As the group crowed in someone brushed up against a branch and a plume of pollen was released from the Cottonwood’s catkins.  Investigating further the boys found sticky buds at the tips of the branch. Grabbing some buds the boys squeezed an amber resin out of the centers. Matt and I explained that the resin could be made into a powerful balm often called the Balm of Gilead. This medicine can be used as an extremely powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-fugal, anti-septic, a lesion healer, and cold remedy, among many other uses!

Mustering our strength once again we hiked the last stretch of interurban trail before the confluence with Connelly Creek and Padden Creek. Navigating across Old Fairhaven Parkway we cut through a retirement community, with permission of course, and found a deer trail that led back towards Connelly Creek. Crossing over both Connelly and Padden Creek once more we arrive at our service site. What a trek!

Sitting under the shelter at Happy Valley Park we held a closing circle and gave some thanks. The group gave thanks for the ability to challenge themselves on the journey, for the medicine and food that the landscape provides, for warmth and shelter, and for our ability to muster strength even when we don’t think we have it. We ended our day in the rain playing a few rounds of Salmon oh Salmon.

Now that the Gray Wolf Pups have gotten to know the Padden Creek Watershed they will be able to better serve it at their next outing at our Connelly Creek Service Site. The Mentors are excited to welcome in a second season with the group and want to give a big thanks to all parents and volunteer staff that work so hard to support the Explorers Club. 

For more pictures please visit our photo gallery.