Branch Hoppers and Roosevelt Elk Calves initiate Spring 2016 service

You've probably heard it quoted: “Timing is everything in life!” That was certainly the case last Sunday as the Branch Hoppers gathered to initiate the service component of the Boys Explorers Club spring 2016 season at Connelly Creek. Their start time - 10:00 am; April shower (downpour, really!) commencement - 9:50 am. It’s a shame we don’t have a photo of mentor Brian and a succession of parents huddling under a raised minivan tailgate to complete service paperwork in a driving rain. Thank you, parents, for your patience and flexibility through what had to be one of the roughest starts to an outing in some time.

After a short walk to the service site, we found ourselves gawking at Reed Canary Grass as tall as

April showers

mentor Brian (I know, really tall!). This invasive plant is quite the fighter. Each of the last several seasons, we’ve stomped down the grass and covered it with bark mulch. And each time we return, so has the grass. Fortunately, we have more than one arrow in our quiver. The long term solution is to deprive Reed Canary Grass of its much loved sun all year around. So, we’ve planted alder trees that will provide shade when fully grown. Until then, we’re engaged in a tug of war with the grass. 

As we began to dig into the pile of bark mulch provided by Bellingham Parks and Rec (with tools provided by the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, or NSEA), the Roosevelt Elk Calves (REC) arrived as if to bolster our resolve in the face of our wily, stubborn adversary. The REC, 9 and 10 years old, are a bit younger than the Branch Hoppers (BH). This puts the BH in the position of role models for the younger boys, a challenge they accepted with gusto. Before long, shovels were scooping, buckets and even garbage cans full of mulch were being ferried to the newly flattened grass, and rakes were spreading mulch. As one of our BEC mottos emphasizes, “Many hands Make Light Work.”

Lopper brigade

A select crew was also working to cut back and uproot the few remaining Himalayan Blackberry bushes in the “front” part of the service area. It was about this time when a park neighbor came around to thank us for our work and to ask us to leave some of the foliage as a screen for the back of her property. This we were happy to do because we could see how that helped her and because the Bellingham Parks representatives have stressed with us the importance of limiting our efforts to the park boundaries. What at first might seem like a good-hearted deed can, viewed from a different perspective, cause unforeseen issues. In BEC, we endeavor to act with integrity, to “Walk Your Talk” (see Mottos); in this case, we focused on balancing our desire to pursue the grass and blackberries to every corner of that parcel of land with the needs and desires of the park neighbors and the Parks Department. As members of their explorers club group, these boys are practicing behaviors that will serve them well as adult members of our larger society. Everything is connected; sensing the issues and opportunities associated with that relationship is a sign of maturation for these boys. 

Through lunch and water breaks, the BH and REC groups continued to attack the mulch pile. Come

Impressive effort

early afternoon and we realized they were going to deplete the entire heap! Such industry! 

Well, as mentioned above, timing is everything. The shower at the start of the day meant we were working while wet, an additional challenge we accepted in gratitude for the nourishing rain. Now, timing was more in our favor. The bulk of our work was finished with time for some fun. The Branch Hoppers, who you’ll remember had started first, channeled their creative energies to an impromptu game they called “Double spiders web tag”. Think Capture the Flag….and more. What really struck me was their creativity and fun approach. It’s a game that may never be played again, but it looked fun.

Giving thanks!

The Roosevelt Elk Calves turned their attention to the remaining gnarly blackberries toward the back of the site. Even after having worked for a few hours on the mulch pile, the REC continued their enthusiasm for this, one of the most physically demanding tasks in service. In fact, they even figured out how to make if fun by competing for the biggest root. 

Both groups showed once again their positive attitude and inner strength in their approach to this task. The grass and the blackberries are worthy adversaries and neither is very good for spawning salmon. The effort is worthy and your explorers are more than up to the task. Look here for more photos from our outing. 

The Daredevil's Club & Branch Hoppers Serve at Connelly Creek

The Daredevil’s Club and Branch Hoppers arrived at the Connelly Creek Service Site only to see the sky darken and the clouds open up with rainfall. Quickly adorning their rain gear the boys weren’t fazed at all. Doing a once over of the site the group noticed a lot had changed. The Reed-Canary grass had made a comeback, but not quite as much as years previous. The Blackberries were slowly creeping their way over the mulch and re-rooting. The Morning Glory vines had intertwined themselves with our caged Alders and a late summer storm had taken down a tree, scattering branches everywhere.

The group was slightly disheartened, but not defeated. After two and a half years of tending the site the boys are learning the valuable lesson that all relationships take work and maintenance. Their relationship with this patch of land is slowly and persistently testing the boys’ fortitude and diligence to their task, while cultivating their character.  

Our mentors have observed two very distinct character traits budding in our Explorers, as coined by Dr. Kurt Hahn, the famous educator and founder of Outward Bound, 

"I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self denial, and above all, compassion.” 

These “Five Pillars of Hahnism” are part of the core character traits we hope to cultivate and reinforce in the Explorers. Their “undefeatable spirit” for and “tenacity in the pursuit” of restoring balance to this patch of wilderness is a very real window in what their journey and struggle to be stewards of the land might look like in our modern age. The Explorer’s access and exposure to a plethora of information on environmental dilemmas that await their generation is enough to dishearten anyone. It will be their “undefeatable spirit” and “tenacity in the pursuit” that will enact monumental change in our world and in their own lives personally.

Circling up the boys were excited to begin working, but before they did we needed to cover a few things. With two boys in casts we thought it appropriate to get acquainted with one another by sharing our names and our “best” worst injury. This icebreaker seemed to derail our focus and Tim called the Explorers to bring their attention to the task at hand and remember why we were doing the work. The mentors often remind the boys that our explorations have an impact on the land, and that this service outing is our one chance each season to give back restore balance to the land.

Once we were acquainted the Mentors explained that our initial task would involve maintaining the work that was done the previous season, as Bellingham Parks & Recreation needed to drop a large load of mulch for next weekend’s work.  After an Explorer led demonstration of tool safety the Mentors pulled out a tool, which the group have previously not worked with, handsaws! An Alder had toppled that blocked the path for the Park Department’s truck to dump mulch and the boys would need to work together to limb it and saw up the trunk.

Getting to work the boys put in a solid hour of pushing back the blackberries at the front of the site, clearing and staking out the shrubs that we planted last year, and unraveling the Morning Glory off the Alders. While they worked the group vacillated between focus and distraction. I have to hand it to the boys in their ability to be creative and keep themselves busy. They created a verbal fantasy role-playing game without a board or dice. Their struggle however was to keep their hands working while they played.  This skill takes time to develop and most adults have not yet mastered it.

Their work may have come in waves, but the group got a lot done and should be proud of their effort. We would also like to commend the boys for using the saws with patience and to their upmost potential. Throughout the course of our outing not one Explorer joked with or misused the saws. It was powerful to watch the boys skillfully use these tools. As mentors our hearts lighten to see our motto Tool vs. Weaponempowering the Explorers. They are letting us know that they are ready for more responsibility and although they did much fighting and welding of weaponry in their theoretical fantasy game they can clearly differentiate between the two.

Finishing up our work the crew basked in the sun sharing apples and thanks. With a rainy start to the day the group unanimously expressed their gratitude for the warmth and comfort of the mid-day sun. Thank you Daredevil’s Club and Branch Hoppers for a strong start to our fall 2015 service project. With 1,252 of service hours worked there last year there is no telling what we can accomplish 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.

Click here for the more picture from the day in Daredevil’s Club orBranch Hoppers photo galleries. 

Roosevelt Elk Calves and Branch Hoppers do Service at Connelly Creek

The sun was not only shining but also full of warmth as the Branch Hoppers and Roosevelt Elk Calves circled up in the large field adjacent to the Connelly Creek service site. For most of the boys this was their first look at the site since our efforts the previous Fall. We all took a moment to be proud of our work last Fall and recognize the work that other Explorers groups had already done this season. After these moments of reflection and recognition of our work it was time to turn our attention to our task today.

In our large circle we talked about using the tools with intention and keeping in mind blood circles and safety as we worked. After discussing the tools we moved on to talking about what exactly needed to get done today. The main work that needed to be done today was to move the rest of the mulch out over the flattened Reed Canary Grass and continue to cut back the black bearies that seemed to continually grow closer and closer to our site. Despite two other groups putting in many hours of hard work the day before the pile of mulch still stood tall.

Armed with buckets, rakes, and shovels the Roosevelt Elk Calves and the Branch Hoppers got to work on the mulch. While part of the boys shoveled the other part moved the large buckets of mulch out to the places it was needed. This effort took teamwork and planning since each bucket needed; one or two Explorers to fill it, three or four Explorers to move it and another couple to spread the emptied mulch. Both the Branch Hoppers and Roosevelt Elk Calves showed great work ethic and group coordination as they moved the mulch. After a solid hour and a half of work the mulch pile was flattened and we all stood, sweating, as we admired our work.

The boys ran after Steve as he led the way down to Connelly Creek for a refreshing head dunk in the Creeks chilly water. Reinvigorated the boys came back ready for the next task. Our next project was to begin clearing the back part of our service site of the invasive blackberry vines. The boys got to work lopping the vines, stacking the vines and moving them into large trash bags. Again the boys quickly figured out the most efficient assembly line for this task and coordinated it gracefully.

Soon it was time for the Branch Hoppers to leave Connelly creek. After bidding the Branch Hoppers farewell the Roosevelt Elk Calves turned to the task of gathering all the remaining blackberry clippings into piles to put into trash bags. blackberry is an incredibly resilient plant that can replant itself from just one clipping so the job of cleaning up all these scrapes was very important. The Roosevelt Elk Calves buckled down for the last bit of work to clean the service site before we left it.

Our day ended with some time to just play and explore the site that we had been working so hard on. The hard work is important, but so is connecting with the place your are doing the service work at. Laughter filled the site as the Roosevelt elk calves ran through the creek; jumping along the bank, and sometimes into the creek, to see what was around the next corner. Parents be sure to stop by connelly creek sometime and have your Explorer show you all the work they have been doing, it is really impressive. Thank you Explorers for you hard work this weekend! Be sure to look at our Branch hopper photo gallery and Roosevelt Elk Calves photo gallery for more pictures.    

Service at Connelly Creek with the Branch Hoppers & Grey Fox Kits

The Branch Hoppers arrived at Connelly Creek ready for a day of service. As we circled up we saw that something was different about these Explorers. Not only were they considerably taller, each boy had a knife attached to his belt. As a mentor who has known they boys for quite awhile it was a little nerve wracking and also very exciting. Walking over to our service site the Branch Hoppers were eager to continue our culture of stalking the group that would be serving alongside us. Once we got to the site the boys spread out, looking for the perfect hiding spots. Grouping back up the mentors passed out Red Cedar blanks for carving spoons, butter knives, and chopsticks. The group spent about fifteen minutes carving before we snuck back to our hiding spots.

From our hiding spots we could hear the Grey Fox Kits mingling and climbing around in the creek. As we patiently waited the Black-Capped Chickadees hopped from branch to branch around our heads. As the Grey Fox Kits walked to the service site the Branch Hoppers emerged from every nook and cranny along the trail. Grouping up in a large circle we passed out wood blanks to the Grey Fox Kits and shared with the Explorers that both groups started carving this season, and that it’s important to build a group culture around respectful and intentional tool usage. Our Explorers Mentor Apprentice for the day, Logan Bartz, introduced himself and with a quick round of names we got to work.

Our task for the day was to clear the Himalayan Blackberry from areas that we had mulched previously. Also to trim back the Reed-Canary Grass growing under the Red Alders so we could plant Dogwood and Salmonberry in its place. Analyzing the site we noticed the Reed-Canary Grass had grown back after we had mulched it, but only half as high! There were also new Blackberry shoots in the areas that we mulched previously.

Mustering their strength the Explorers put in a great team effort with such excellent attitudes. After serving Connelly Creek for multiple seasons they knew what needed to be done. Raking, chopping, shearing, lopping, and cutting the debris into small pieces they worked cohesively and efficiently. The group was not daunted by the invasive plant’s ability to spring back and overtake the work they had done. They found that the Blackberry stalks were easily identifiable in the mulch and the shovels uprooted them easily. They also noticed that the Willows we had been guarding over the last three seasons were getting tall enough to shade out the grass.

Through service work the boys are learning a very important lesson about slowly working towards a goal and aiming for long term healthy stability rather than quick solutions. Connelly Creek calls the boys to wrestle with problem solving and accept that their work may take years. Together we are learning that it is okay to fail because it’s all part of the learning process. In spring season we tried to plant green Willow shoots that we harvested and this season we found every one of them dead with Reed-Canary Grass growing up through their mulch rings. After speaking to Rae Edwards of the Parks Department we learned that we needed to cardboard underneath the mulch and around the base of the plants to kill the Reed-Canary grass once and for all.

Our work today was to prepare the site for this new strategy and it was such a pleasure to work with both of the groups in the sunshine. After a solid hour and a half of work the group decided to take a lunch break. In our opening meeting we told the Explorers that we would not be using our knives during the service project, as it was not what we were there to do. Over lunch a few boys pulled out their knives and started carving their Cedar blanks into butter knives. It was a chain reaction and soon there were twenty Explorers carving. As mentors we debated stopping them and redirecting their focus towards service, but the group was modeling such excellent safety and responsibility that we decided to run with it and have a half-hour carving session.

Once the time was up we set down our knives and got back to work for a strong finish. The group attacked the Blackberry hedge, cutting it back all the way to the park boundary and finished trimming the grass under the Alders. We spent the rest of the time bagging Blackberries, raking piles of grass, and picking up every clipping that we dropped along our way. I have to commend the boys again for being such excellent workers and expecting nothing in return except for the satisfaction of a job well done. These boys are growing into fine young men and are meeting the new responsibilities that come with their deepened role with their communities and relationship with the land.

We ended the day with a closing meeting in our individual groups. We snacked on apples and gave thanks for a wonderful day of sun and service! The mentors thanked the boys for kick starting our service outings with such a great start. These Explorers are nourishing the land and restoring the quality of the watershed and salmon runs for generations to come. It’s important to constantly remind them of this and recognize their work. The mentors would also like to thank Logan for coming out and EMAing. He is setting a strong example of what it means to give to a community and modeling the rewards to sticking with the Boys EC culture and developmental journey. He meets the boys with acceptance, care, and patience, always keeping their best in mind. Thanks Logan!

For more pictures from the day please visit the Grey Fox Kit's and Branch Hopper's photo galleries.  

BEC: Serving Connelly Creek with the Branch Hoppers Explorers and Company

The day began as finicky as ever. Steve’s car (which had all the tools in it) had malfunctioned, Greg drove to pick him up, Matt stepped in for Greg to help with the first group of Explorers (the Salamander Efts) to arrive at the site. As Matt and Dave gathered to share some thanks and put our minds toward the coming outing, we received a sudden deluge from the salty south. Our hats and raincoats came on, and we braced ourselves for the wet and cold ahead. By the time Branch Hoppers arrived, the temperature had shot up fifteen degrees and the sun was causing the rooftops to steam. Ahh… Spring!

When all had gathered, we took stock and prepared for our opening meeting. But, just as we were about to put our minds toward the day ahead and the meaning of our service, we heard a growl in the bushes. Explorers split off and followed it. After a little rummaging in the grasses, they discovered Dave, who was bearing a message: we were being stalked by an older group of Explorers, and our mission was to try to spot as many Explorers as we could while we walked the path toward the site. Challenge accepted! Those Salamander Efts were well hidden indeed! And the Branch Hoppers did a decent job spotting them. Once we had all made it to the site, we gathered to consider our work for the day.

The Connelly Creek site in Happy Valley Park is part of a partnership with the City of Bellingham Parks and Rec Department. We’d like to thank Rae and Ellen for their hard work guiding us and providing us with mulch, plants, and debris removal. Another important partner is the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) who provides us with many tools and guidance as well. Thanks Phoebe for helping to coordinate our project days. It’s nice to have a community of groups and people who support our commitment to serving the land!

Our tasks for the day were as follows: trim reed cannarygrass, dig blackberry roots, and lop away blackberry stems... AND get to know the Salamander Efts, who were slightly older than us and were willing to help show us the ropes. But before we sprang into action, it was important to get a good idea of the big picture. Steve showed our combined group two locations on the site. One was the result of ten years of work. The reed canary grass was nearly non-existent; trees established; shrubs producing flower and berry; Anna’s hummingbirds soaring joyfully through the landscape. The second was our actual work area, which now has seen two years worth of work. Already, this site has been remarkably transformed, and there is still work to do. By looking at the first location, we had a good idea of what the landscape would turn into.

We ate lunch while mentors demonstrated how NOT to use tools. It’s a good thing they were joking otherwise they might be a few fingers and teeth short. Then we reviewed how to safely use the tools and we got to work.

The pictures in the photo gallery will tell the rest of this story but the best thing to do would be to revisit the area with your Explorer so he can guide you along the work that he did. The sooner you get out there, the more prominent the changes will be when you return next time. With 10 groups visiting this season, we could make quite an impact.

Highlights include: Removing more car parts, digging up huge blackberry “heart” roots, freeing a tree completely of the blackberry that had overtaken it, learning the names and building relationships with members of the Salamander Efts.

Thanks for your great work, Branch Hoppers!!! You did a wonderful job, and the land is grateful. Parents, thank you for supporting these Explorers and for giving them the chance to serve the land with us.

The Connelly Creek Traverse with the Branch Hoppers

Branch Hoppers Explorers gathered on a sun-balmy Sunday at Marine Park for the beginning of the Connelly Creek traverse. The water was placid, the temperature climbing, the sky a clear blue. It was nearly a summer day, and all of Bellingham seemed to be celebrating. Marine Park was busier than this Explorer has ever seen it—people in the water and on the beach, the gulls, crows, sparrows, finches, and hummingbirds bustling or basking, the trees sending out joyful blossoms and new leaves drinking deeply from the radiance. There was something sweet about sharing the enjoyment of the weather with the whole community.

Explorers gathered and soon the excitement of gathering again mixed with the wonder of the weather made for an explosion of running, tagging, laughing, and falling. Once everyone arrived, mentors turned right into the skid and decided to open up the day with a rowdy game instead of a meeting. Tail tag!  We found a good location with natural boundaries, circled up, and made sure everyone knew the game. Explorers got ready, set, and burst into action. Tails were pulled, challenges abounded, and on-the-spot awareness proved key. Explorers learned a bit more about the value of owl eyes and expanded awareness, as well as getting a good sense of positive versus negative competition. That said, it did boil down to being a really fun game. The second round included a challenge: everyone on all fours and with the tail tucked in the back pocket. This changed things quite a bit on all fronts. At the end of this round, we had thoroughly exhausted ourselves, which meant it was a perfect time to circle up, have opening meeting, water, and a snack.

In circle, we recognized a mentor who some had not met before. Tim was stepping in to work with us as Steve spent the weekend recertifying his wilderness first responder status. Though we missed Steve, it was a great opportunity to get to explore with Tim. He brought much wisdom and insight to our group. We introduced ourselves in some creative ways, then got down to the business of our day’s plan. It was simple. The Branch Hoppers had a mission: go east, young men! We had to find our way along the creek from where it met the ocean to where we do service. This lead into a few key points about how all things are connected and the power of water. Explorers were first challenged to find east. Any Explorers remember which cardinal direction the sun is at around 1 o’clock during daylight saving hours? Where does it rise? Where does it set? We’ll look more and more into why as we delve further into the art of Exploring.

So, the mission was given, and it was up to Branch Hoppers to get us there. We had a special job situation where, instead of having one tribal elder, we had tried having a tribal council of four people. This would prove very important, as we had some genuine high risk hazards this outing. We had to cross streets and a railroad. Tribal elders and scouts helped the group to stay together and to figure out how and when to cross safely.

Soon after our first crossings, we came to a fork in the road. Again, the group was challenged to come to a consensus decision. After a lot of squirming and a few helpful prompts from the mentors, we decided and we went for it. A new wilderness community began to open up before us as we entered wooded areas. A bird calling above us gained our attention. The knowledge keeper brought out the bird book, and, after some deliberation, an ID was made: a northern flicker. Shortly after that, we found a fascinating nest that looked like an old sock. At the next crossroads, we deliberated again. Needs were stated, scouts employed, and a decision was shortly made. As we began to exit, we decided to try out eating a few of the flowers from a bigleaf maple.

Further down the trail, we found an excellent spot to have some more food and water. It was near Padden Creek and seemed to just call to us. After some food, spontaneous play broke out. Lots of sticks and exploring seemed to be called out of us. As we began to pack up for the journey ahead, we set the Explorers Club goal of learning how to be more skillful and honorable with sticks. Just at that moment, someone pointed out a sign. We were standing on an ancient campsite from thousands of years ago. Perhaps this scene had been played out on this very spot thousands of times before.

More adventures ensued of course, but all cannot be told. Know that there was more edge-stretching with group empowerment and decision making, learning how to endure when tired, learning a bit more- through direct experience- about our water and land, safely navigated real hazards, and finding enjoyment in the face of challenge. There was also plenty of genuine play and thoughtless wonder as we enjoyed the water, the trail, the land, and all of our natural communities.

Ending at the service site brought it all home. Everything really is connected. Parents, you might see the picture of the dead old world rat that we found by the site. We looked at this rat before closing circle and wondered how many living things we passed on our way who depended on this creek to live. We also thought about the ancient campsite and all of the other signs pointing to the history of this trail. How much died to build the soil for all of these beings, and us, to live? That old world rat was a good teacher. Of course, we ended with a good circle, shared food, and thanks.

Much thanks to all the Branch Hoppers for your wonderful work! Much thanks to all the families for your enduring support. Don’t forget to check out pics from the outing in our photo gallery.

Branch Hopping our Service Site with the Wet Sponge Explorers

Branch Hoppers gathered for a sopping wet November service day this Saturday.  Connelly Creek was rushing three feet higher than usual, the clouds were moving fast, the temperature had dropped, and all our rain gear was fully donned.  A great blue heron flew back and forth over us as we circled up for an opening meeting and considered our missions for the day. We were here for service, and we were here as a group of full on Explorers. Explorers come out in all weather. The land is in need of service in all conditions. Wet and cold weather challenges can be fun and empowering if we respond to them intelligently and courageously. We checked in with each Explorer and made sure that we had all come prepared. Then we gathered up our tools and made our way to our service site.

Our EMA, Marcus, was a part of the Four Shields group to come up with a service plan for this area. That was more than a year ago, and the land has dramatically transformed since. Marcus showed the boys some of the tools that we use with the oldest group and explained what kind of skills they would need in order to use them. We followed him to some blackberries and took a good look at the plant. We assessed the area, then decided what the best tactic would be for the tools that we had and the work that needed to be done.

But before we dove into the work it was necessary to make sure that everyone started with a good core body temperature. That meant a lot of running around was in order! We played a few games that got us huffing and puffing and red in the face.  Then we reconvened and figured out an organized way to dig into our service work. Some boys chose the shovels and some chose the loppers. Two stations were designated for the respective tasks, and we began. Shovelers were quick to discover some interesting materials underground. Trash, Blackberry roots, old tools, and a full on skeleton! (Explorers last year found the front end of a car!!!) We took a look at the skull, and considered what a skull teaches us about the animal. Explorers might remember what we decided this animal’s dominant senses were and how we could tell that from the skull. Perhaps he will remember what animal we guessed that it was.

Nearby, other Explorers along with Marcus were carving deep tunnels into the blackberry and reed canary grass. Big advancements were made and it was clear that everyone was doing some real work. Marcus had shifted over to a spot where the blackberries stood nearly 15 feet tall and was making some good headway when he lost his machete in the brambles. This became a moment for a great team effort. Find Marcus's tool! Explorers came together and made quick work of the thick blackberry bramble that happened to be smothering out a young red alder. We recognized that this was a great moment to do some double service and help the landscape as we helped Marcus. When the tool was finally recovered, we recognize that we had done a considerable amount of workoverall.

Simultaneously, it became apparent that the most important job we had before us was to make sure that our body temperatures stayed up. A few explorers were getting chilly, and one was quite cold. Throughout the day we had made sure to drink hot beverages, to wear our hats, and to think about how to stay dressed in appropriate layers. But these lessons really take hold when one is out in the elements. There is no finer teacher in the landscape itself. So, feeling the cold in our bones, and recognizing that we had done good work, it was time to get that body heat up again.

We drank more hot things and then started out on some animal forms. We ran back and forth in different animal styles with increasing challenges.  We crawled and hopped and ran and waddled as fast as we could. That got us huffing and puffing. Then some big open space running games were in order. Deer Oh Deer and Capture the Flag left us feeling perky and warm. Boys all learned quite a bit more about how to navigate wet conditions and how to harness their own internal heat. The land was graced with some very helpful work, and we all ended up in good spirits at the end. This was a fantastic day, especially for the Branch Hoppers Explorers. They are ready for challenges like this, and it is wonderful to see how brilliantly they rise to the occasion.  Great job, all you Explorers! Thanks so much, parents, for your enduring support! Thank you to that wonderful land and to the salmon who are finally making their way up the creek after so many decades.

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