Salish Seals & Dragonflies w/Boys Explorers at Connelly Creek service site 4/29/17

The Salish Seals joined the Dragonflies and two Boys Explorers groups at their adopted service site along Connelly Creek. The BEC have put in years of good hard work here, and for the first time in recent memory saw salmon come up the stream past this site this fall! That's measurable and inspiring progress in an severely impacted area that was previously wildly overgrown with invasive plants and dotted with trash. The site has evolved as a result of the many hands and hours spent restoring it for salmon. Woo hoo!

The Salish Seals put in their helping hands towards this combined effort to improve this place for all inhabitants and applied their impressive strength and will towards learning new skills (cribbing?) and being the mulch-moving monsters they know how to be.

Is there a giant hill of mulch? Bam! We got it, just show us where and how deep you want it. Is it raining? Meh. don't care. We've got work to do. These kiddos are motivated by service projects with defined goals, and put in some solid heavy work regardless of the weather today. Their work ethic, strength, teamwork and cheery dispositions were noticed (and enjoyed) by the BEC mentors!

And after we worked hard, we played hard! Not sure how many rounds of poison dart frog ensued, but the dramatic ends were hilarious!

Words of the day: Mulch monsters, water, salmon!
Here's the link to the Boys Explorers Blog, which can lead you to the history of this special site. And here's the link to our photo album from the day.

Salish Seals Explore Clark's Point 5/7/17

Clark's Point is a unique, quiet, and exciting place. From our opening circle to our closing web of life, this protected point offered us native plants, challenging terrain, tricky trails and beautiful views. We gathered right off the west side trailhead. During our opening circle we discussed the importance of protecting land, and thought about how the Clark family fit our motto: Connect and Protect. Because Clark's point is so tranquil and feels untouched in many ways, we imagined what it would have been like to be a young girl living off of this land.

We acknowledged our missing Seals with a heartfelt moment of love and had a discussion of what empathy means. We shared many thoughts about honoring people who have gone on before us, and eventually our topic of conversation turned towards edible plants in their role as helping aspects of nature's nurturance. We then became captivated by the magic we found in the hanging "earrings" of Big Leaf Maple blossoms and the fun of cleavers as we tossed them at each other.

All this before we even left our meeting spot! Turning back to the trail, we were immediately faced with a decision: go west to the majestic bluffs, or east to explore the beaches, flats, and sandstone shoreline of Mud Bay? To add to our day of exploration, we had dandelion fritters to fry! To help us decide, we consulted the tide chart and learned that if we headed east we would be at Mud Bay during the lowest tide of the day, which meant a high likelihood of flat terrain.... and HQM (High Quality Mud)! The deal was sealed, and the Salish Seals headed east on the trail past poison hemlock (we spent a fair amount of time talking about this very deadly plant -see photo gallery!), and a majestic decomposing snag with evidence of insects and woodpecker activity, until we reached the top of a gnarly and steep section of train descending to the train tracks and beach below. This descent plan evolved from a very thorough S.T.O.P. conducted by the girls when we noticed the difficult trail section ahead. The Salish Seals Stretched Their Edges and descended this technical section of trail with delicately placed feet and lots of assistance and encouragement from friends.

Once we hit the beach we enjoyed lunch and welcomed the sunshine as we lounged in the nooks and caves of Chuckanut sandstone, and chased the tide out of the bay until all that was left was good old fashioned mud and muck. While some girls chose to Get Dirty! there were some who stuck to the shoreline and became nature detectives or quietly explored with a pal or two until it was time to gather for a dandelion fritter. These were heartily enjoyed until we realized that clock time had escaped us and we needed to head back up the trail to the other side of the Point.

We made quick time traversing to the west side, as the Salish Seals are always motivated by exploring adventures! Since our time was short and the view so expansive from atop the bluffs, we actually just sat down to quietly see what we could see. We watched the waves sparkling in the sunshine, the kelp beds undulate underwater, and the clouds transform from alligators to snowpeople and all the shapes in between. We watched a pirate ship (we were quite sure!) for a while and all of a sudden, noticed dorsal fins flashing in the sea below us. So quickly the fins rise up and slip below the surface, you'll miss them in the moment you saw them. The sighting was so exciting we shouted all the possibilities, "A shark! An orca! A whale!". We observed for several minutes, taking it all in, and eventually concluded that we were watching Dall's Porpoises. It was such a lovely moment of discovery!

Finally, as we do on the last outing of every season, The Salish Seals reflected upon the connections we made together throughout the season with a Web of Life Activity that reminded us of our motto All Things Are Connected. Each girl became something from nature we connected to this spring: rain, sandstone, mud, sunshine, the Salish Sea, sword fern, licorice root, cedar, nettle, fir. In creating our web with string, we clearly saw how all things are connected, and how every single action - human caused or nature made - affects the entire web. We can strengthen or weaken the web through our choices: in GEC we aim to be strengtheners!

Enjoy the rest of our photo album from the day here. 

Salish Seals Edible Plants Day 3-18-17

Saturday was a jam-packed day of misty forest exploration, shelter building to escape the rain, nettle hunting and harvesting, and collaborative cooking with licorice root, nettle, and veggies. We started our day in an intimate opening circle under a low-hanging cedar that served as our fort for the morning. After a check-in and the usual snacking, we jumped right into our Earth Skill for the day; edible plants! 

Some highlights of the day and topics we explored included:

• We wrapped our minds around the incredible fact that almost everything in our lives comes from plants (ask your daughter to explain how her raincoat is made out of plants!) and discussed the many uses we have for the plants native to Washington.

• Since our focus this day was how we use plants for food, we put on our "Owl Eyes" and worked to spot plants that might be usable for food in this season. We saw the early growth of indian plumb and the leaves of huckleberry. We paused to consider poisonous plants: we learned that edible and useful plants far outweigh poisonous ones in this ecosystem, but that it is very important to learn what isn't safe for our bodies. We'll continue to point out and discuss poisonous plants on future outings, but the girls learned to always "Be Sure You Meet Before You Eat!" and never put anything in their mouth unless one can be certain of the plant and its safety.

• We harvested the leaves of nettle, and learned just a few of its more than 100 uses. Many girls chose to Stretch Their Edge and take the Nettle Challenge, bravely allowing the plant to touch their bare skin as a way of practicing Challenge By Choice. 

• We made nettle and licorice root tea and cooked up a big pot of nettle soup with potatoes, carrots, and noodles. We called it our frog soup and pretended that we were stirring in frog eyes and snake tongue- It was delicious!!! 

• We went exploring in search of more nettles and edible plants and found many gifts of nature along the way. We saw a salamander hiding under a log and learned about putting it back in its home. We also discovered some cool looking eggs on a decomposing log and wondered what might be growing in them. 

• We built fairy houses and played in the puddles as the sun began to shine through the trees, just in time for a nice Peaceful Place. 

• Finally, after cleaning up the frog soup and packing up our tarp shelter, we set off back down the trail and emerged out of the woods into a beautiful sunny day! We ended with gratitude for the forest, nettle, shelter, friends, sunshine, and the many plants that keep us alive. It was an incredible day filled with learning, connection, food, and fantastic collaboration between the Salish Seals as they shared the work of harvesting, cooking, and celebrating our wild edibles!

To see a photo gallery from our day, click here!

Service for Bellingham Community Meals: 3-4-17

The Salish Seals reunited on the first weekend of March for a unique outing: we spent much of our afternoon inside, aprons donned, to bake up a storm for Bellingham Community Meals. BCM is a group of volunteers that comes together once a month to prepare and serve a warm meal free to those living in transition in our community. The only thing that isn't prepared onsite is dessert. This is where we put our energy, and the girls collaboratively counted, measured, stirred, whipped, beat, melted, poured…and cleaned!

After an introduction to our project, we explored questions like: Whose "cups" are we filling today with this project? What other needs are we meeting by helping with this community meal? What would happen in our community without these resources? Why might people need a free meal once a month? The girls responded with thoughtfulness and compassion. We all agreed that filling others’ cups makes our cups more full (we call this "the magic cup"!). Today our goal was to help people meet the basic need of food. But going a step beyond this, the girls discussed how community meals meet other basic needs as well, such as love, community, and connection.

The girls split into three groups, stirring lots of love into the batter along with the other ingredients. The kitchen was a-flurry with egg cracking, whirling beaters and recipe checking. We remembered to go one step at a time, implementing our motto, “Think It Through Before You Do.” Soon our treats were baking and our mouths were watering, and we began a serious Leave No Trace kitchen clean-up. Very inspiring to see these girls wash, dry, sweep, and clean with gusto.

After our hard work we ate lunch together out on the deck, in rare March sun. Then we geared up and headed out for an exploration at the beach below Aimee's house. Embracing the sunshine on this lovely March day, girls explored widely. Some found crabs, others made art, and others stretched their edges by navigating along the sandstone, doing safety checks all along the way, discovering varied sea life and basking on the rocks like harbor seals. We could have explored all afternoon, but we had one last task to tackle: bagging the sweet treats. We headed up the trail and packed nearly 90 bars to share with others. When these girls are older, they'll have the opportunity to serve at this meal, offering direct service to complement the indirect service we offered in our baking. 

In our closing circle, our cups overflowed with gratitude: for full cups, sunshine, trees, the Salish Sea, generosity, nature, service, Gus the dog, and for each other.

You may check out the slideshow from our day here. 

Salish Seals Game Day @ Fairhaven Park 2-5-17

It's raining, it's pouring, let's go exploring! 

The Salish Seals whole heartedly embraced the spirit of all-and-any weather exploration this past Sunday in Fairhaven Park. The forecast looked gloomy, but as true explorers, the Salish Seals came prepared with warm layers, large smiles, and a strong sense of adventure! In our raincoats and boots, we traversed through the park in search for the perfect place to play games. And games did we play! 

Our first stop of the day was the Labyrinth, where the girls circled around and around, sloshing through slush and slip-sliding around during a game of "line tag." We had a discussion about what this Labyrinth offers, with insightful input from the girls about it's use as a meditative space, an area to process thoughts, and a place for people to come together in prayer. 

We continued our day with a journey to the big, muddy field, where the Salish Seals found the last-standing patch of snow to make a snow-person with! We played Run Rabbit Run, splashed in puddles, and butt-slid down the grassy hill before setting off on an exploration into the forest. 

We tromped down to the creek and noticed how high the water is at this time of year and how fast it moves. We played Pooh Sticks through the gutter and then later on the bridge, as we made our way to a lunch spot off the trail. We talked about how important food and water are to keep our bodies warm on cold days and did a water cheers to the mud and the day!

To warm our bodies back up after sitting for a while, we journeyed back towards the woods where our day began and played a rousing round of Squirrel Tag. We concluded our day sipping hot chocolate in our Peaceful Places and then came together for Closing Circle and an Attitude of Gratitude. 

Words (phrases) of the Day: Muddy, Robins, Friendship, Labyrinth, Games!

To see more photos of our day, click on this link. 

GEC Mottos that we kept in mind today: Safety First, Always Come Prepared, All Things Are Connected, You See It You Own It, Leave No Trace, LIBK, Build Bridges Not Walls, Widen Your Circle, Get Dirty!, Expect the Unexpected

Service at Woodstock Farm: 11-11-16

In the past few days, a new personal motto has come up for me: The Antidote to Apathy is Action. Taking action can also help alleviate frustration and anxiety, and generally helps one feel purposeful. 

Four GEC groups contributed joyful purpose to our shared service day, taking pride in our new role as caretakers of Woodstock Farm.

At our gathering meeting, we learned about the history of this place and the role of generosity and forward conservationist thinking that led to its preservation. Thanks to Cyrus Gates, his family home and land has been gifted to Whatcom County for all to enjoy - Mr. Gates also had a strong hand in protecting Larrabee State Park, Arroyo and Fairhaven Parks, Sehome Arboretum, and the Mt. Baker Bulb Farm (since turned into Bellis Faire Mall due to a legal loophole).

We brainstormed on who the users of the park are: humans, yes, but also raven, salmon, chipmunk, raccoon, weasel, mouse, heron, slug and so much more. We talked about why a park needs caretakers for all these stakeholders, and what occurs without people lending a hand to manage trails and terrain. Since our gathering area was adjacent to a stand of alders, thimbleberry and salmonberry, overrun by invasive blackberry, the girls quickly understood how invasive species take over native ones rather quickly.

Then we were off on a very short trip by bus to our destination just up the road. The next few hours were spend collaborating in purposeful work, removing invasives with care and attention, singing and talking while we worked. Worms were admired, baby fir trees were transplanted, connections were made between within and between GEC groups.

Each group shared some time on the bluff overlooking the sea, marveling at this extraordinary view that is normal for us here in Bellingham, and feeling thankful that Cyrus Gates had the foresight to set this bluff aside for all to enjoy. We also gave thanks for the Clark family for it's donation of Clark's Point to the Whatcom Land Trust, and the preservation of Chuckanut Island, now owned by the Nature Conservancy (but which was, long ago, a 13th birthday present for Cyrus Gate's son!).

Other gratitudes shared included the company of one another, the chance to serve, Explorers Club, trees, the Salish Sea, connections, generosity, and people who understand that all things are connected.

Enjoy the slideshow from our day here! 

Exploration at N. Lake Whatcom 10-2-16

The Salish Seals spent this past Sunday lost in exploration and imaginative play on the North side of Lake Whatcom. The sun shone down upon us as we gathered in the parking lot at the N. Lake Trailhead. We widened our circle to welcome Lila to the Salish Seals group, along with some of our Fiddlehead friends who joined us for the day. The group discussed a potential plan for the day and distributed jobs bags during our Opening Circle and then we set off into the woods towards the lake.

Our Owl Eyes were quickly awakened by beautiful spider webs glimmering in the trees above us. Banana slugs slimed their way across the trail in front of us, and a few girls pointed out some artist mushrooms growing on a dead stump beside the trail. We hear birds chirping in the canopy above our heads and stopped to observe shelters and fairy houses built by the Fiddleheads group weeks before. The Salish Seals took their time on the path down to the beach, stopping to be sure the whole group was together and living out our motto it's about the journey, not the destination.

We stopped at a break in the trail to practice our Collaborate and Compromise skills to decide which way to go. Holly, Eleanor, and I stepped out of the circle as the girls did an impressive job of voicing their opinions in an organized fashion, giving every group member a turn to voice her opinion before making a joint decision. In the end, the girls chose the beach over the waterfall, with an exciting vision of creating their own civilization on the beach.

The day unravelled with snacking, splashing, and three hours of imaginative play and free exploration. Our small strip of beach soon transformed into our own civilization, complete with a shelter, a campfire, a baking oven, and a hospital station. Girls took on the roles of huntress, doctor, medicine girl, herbalist, baker, mayor, and builders. Berries and leaves were collected for tinctures and bandages, rocks were collected for a bakers oven, and driftwood was secured in place to create a shelter. After some busy work on the beach, the girls cooled off in the lake...in October! Their voices carried over the water as they gleefully shouted, "I'm alive!" and "this is life!", splashing one another and encouraging others to join in.

With the sun still shining high and the lake sparkling in front of us, we spread out to dry off a little and enjoy Peaceful Place before packing up and heading to the field across the trail for a final activity.

We played a quick few rounds of Rabbit Hole and then gathered for our Closing Circle to give our thanks for this place, the water, our friends, the sunshine, and many other things during our Attitude of Gratitude.

With all hands in the middle of the circle, we concluded with our words of the day: WATER, FUN , and FRIENDS at WILD WHATCOM!

Enjoy the full album of the day here.