Branch Hoppers Explorers Explore Plants and Fire

The Branch Hoppers Explorers gathered for their last outing of the season this Saturday. It was a fine June day: the salmon berries ripening, the thimbleberries in flower, the Wilson's warblers chattering, the sound of the wind dancing through the thick foliage above. It would have been enough to simply be in that environment for four hours. So much medicine surrounded us. Our little bodies rejoiced at the increased oxygen content; our eyes gathered the unique green of chlorophyll and sunlight. Did you know that when the human eye simply sees the green produced by chlorophyll and sunlight, the blood pressure drops?

That said, more knowledge and connection lead to even greater benefit. As we gathered our surly crew together, everyone was rowdy and excited to explore one last time before summer started. Steve and Matt were just as excited, and they were holding loosely onto some plans for sharing knowledge about plants and fire. Finn, our volunteer mentor, was equally excited to be out with us for the day. As we are prone to do, the exploration did in fact begin with a game of Hide! We scattered and dug right in to the earth as we hid from the caller, embracing the simple Explorers Club motto, “get dirty!” After a couple rounds, we walked down the trail. Matt paused the group and gave a challenge: splitting Explorers into teams, he asked them to spread out and find three edible plants a piece. Steve then spotted a good starting point and lead our group further into the woods.

Making sure we had enough water in your systems, and after sharing a couple impromptu stories, we set out. Explorers put a bandanna or some other marker on every plant that they saw that they knew was edible. When the time was up they all gathered back together and we got up to take a look at what we had all found. Plant by plant, we looked at who the plant was, what made that plant edible, and any dangers we should consider. This was an edge stretcher for Explorers and we all knew it, but such foundational information is vital for being connected to our land. We checked in after a decent amount of plants and asked the Explorers if they could stretch that edge just a little bit further and learn a few more plants. We reminded them that this is
 their group, and sometimes learning requires the discipline to stick with something longer than we want to. We actually and genuinely gave them the option, and they decided that we could look at a few more plants. When we were done, we recognized that we had only walked the size of a footprint of an average house and we had identified a dozen edible plants. Even more amazing than that, was that we had not even scratched the surface of medicine or tools, and there were other edibles in that area that we have not discussed.

Reading the field is vital in community. One can read the physical field, as we were doing while getting to know the natural landscape and communities. One can also read the field of the group, which can include knowing when the group needs to just run around in order to regenerate and revive. So we found a large tree and decided to play a game of Hungry Hungry Marten. Explorers were cautious and sneaky and used some interesting natural tactics to try to get to the tree. With our noses to the ground, we got to know the plants in a different way. We did play one more round and then regathered to check in and see what the group needed.

Food and water was the verdict. Amazing how similar we are to plants and all the other living beings. We went to the backpacks, ate and drank, shared stories, and then put our minds to fire.

Steve brought out his bow drill kit and told the Branch Hoppers Explorers that, in the fall, they will be learning to use knives. This group has shown amazing growth and they are ready to go on this journey together. Steve showed his his knife and demonstrated how had carved his bow drill kit. Then he went into an elegant and clear demonstration of how to make a proper bow drill fire. Steve, Matt, andFinn spent a good amount of time talking about the power of fire and the danger of not being responsible with fire. We looked at fire hazards and fire safety and good fire etiquette. Someday not too far from now these boys will be making fire with their own bow drill kits, and they will do it in a good way.

After the fire, not much time was left, but we knew the importance of keeping that spirit of playfulness and youthfulness in all of our work. So we played a lightning fast game of Spider's Web and had a good closing meeting. Explorers eloquently share their thanks as did the mentors.

This Explorer is so deeply grateful for every single one of these boys.
 These boys have grown so much and have been powerful teachers for this Explorer and each other.  It is an honor to be in community with them. It is another to be in community with the other mentors in Explorers Club and all of the volunteers that care so much about our human and natural communities. It is another to be in community with all of the parents who care about their sons, the land, and the future of our wonderful, wild planet.

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

Scouting with the Branch Hoppers at South Lake Padden

Cold winter temperatures greeted the Branch Hoppers for their final outing of the Fall 2012 season. In Explorers’ Club, Scouting refers to an exploration during which we travel, or traverse, from one place to another. It involves dedicated supporters who can drop us one place and pick us up at another. Thank you parents for facilitating this experience!

To avoid getting too wet, we hiked to shelter under large trees. There, we played games and welcomed Marcus to the group. Marcus is a member of the older group called the Firestalkers, and also involved in the Explorers Mentoring Apprentice (EMA) program. He joined us for the day and added tremendously to the Branch Hoppers’ experience.

We started our journey and found many mushrooms along the way. We also walked through a living history of logging, seeing notches in the sides of huge cedar stumps. And Explorers did lots of climbing in and through these stumps to get to know them more!

It didn’t take long until we came to a perfect clearing in the understory. Though the trees kept us rather dry, there seemed to be a lot of open space to explore. Matt showed us the earth shelter he built and slept in! Explorers took turns getting into the shelter and feeling how warm it was inside.

Some were even inspired to build their own. Though the Art of Shelter-Building is a skill that the Branch Hoppers might not learn until next year, we learned the very basics about shelter frame and the importance of lots of debris for insulation. We used sticks as rakes and gathered together pile after pile of leaves. To get more in the exploratory mood, we also painted our faces with the charcoal from burned old cedar stump!

With a long way to go still, we began to hike in earnest. Coming across different trail maps and forks in the road, we discussed the importance of maps and the basics of reading them. Like shelter-building, we will develop the Art of Map Reading in future seasons. But Explorers  did learn some foundational practices  for trail junctions: stopping, waiting for the entire group to arrive, and deciding as a group where to go. This is a keystone for safe wilderness travel in the future. Good work, boys!

We stopped short of the parking lot in order to wrap up the day and the season. First, we learned a new game, Incoming, which builds on Explorers’ camouflage skills. Then we reminisced about connections to previous outings including the plants and animals we met. Our web of life activity reinforced the connections between and among all things in the ecosystem. We reflected that our service work is one way to re-build connections that may have been lost.

As a strong end to the day, we followed themotto, Attitude of Gratitude, and enjoyed apples together while participating in a Circle of Thanks. And we will continue this motto to end this blog post. Thank you parents so much for facilitating this traverse. And a big thanks to you Explorers for a great first season. We look forward to seeing you for the Mountaineers Lodge in February, the Spring 2013 season, and at the Summer Camp as well.

Please check out more images from this outing in the photo gallery. If you want to review the themes that guide Explorers’ Club activities please look at our mottos.