Water, and lots of it, is arguably what the Pacific Northwest is most famous for and it defines many of the unique ecosystems that exist here. Today, we Pine Martens got to see and experience this first hand as we explored together at Whatcom Falls.
As soon as we left the parking lot, we got to see a great example of how much water has fallen on our region recently. As we peered over the edge of the bridge and looked down at the raging Whatcom Creek, we all discussed how fun it may be to raft down a river this fast! In the end, we decided it was definitely to risky to try ourselves.
We let our inner vision guide us and the mentors followed us to a great spot for opening circle. We passed out our jobs and set the intention for the day, which included doing some learning about key plants in our area as well as making sure that we had enough time for free play and all of the wonderful lessons and experiences that grow organically from this kind of exploration.
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| Whatcom Creek was quite full |
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| Getting a more close up view of the falls |
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| This hill was steep enough to require the use of all four of our limbs! |
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| Working together to build a fort |
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| Getting to know some of the fundamental harvestable plants in Whatcom County |
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| Making cedar-hemlock-licorice root fern tea! |
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| Tea is a nice warm-up on a cold, wet day |
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| Some martens guard a tree from a squirrel |
We are one of the youngest groups in explorers club and are still learning about BEC culture and how to work together as a group. A big part of group development in BEC is learning to respectfully listen to each other in order to work best as a group. As young boys, we often struggle (understandably!) to hold our focus or listen to others. Some of us, at various points throughout the day, became frustrated by the fact that, as a group, we are challenged by respectfully listening to each other. If we continue to hold each other accountable, explore and play games together, and recognize that many of us are only just beginning to think in terms of group needs (rather than personal needs), we will be set up for success in our BEC journey as Pine Martens.
Today we got to practice working together while building an amazing fort. We also learned the names of a few of the key plant species that populate our forests in Whatcom County. Beyond the names, we even learned how to use a few of these plants to make ourselves a tasty, warm, and nutritious tea! Having a full season of experience under our belt has allowed us to strengthen our sense of community, learn lots of fun games, and become more familiar with the BEC culture that lays the foundation for our progression through the program. We are excited to keep growing closer to each other and the forest as we venture onward this season and continue to learn more about the Art of Harvest!
Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from this outing here!
