Grey Fox Kits - Art of Carving - Stimpson Reserve

The Grey Fox Kits kicked off their fall season with an outing to the Stimpson Nature Reserve on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. As the boys trickled in one-by-one they jumped right into a plant scavenger hunt, however the large rocks proved far too tempting to climb on and soon the boys were scurrying around like lizards. Speaking of reptiles, two of the explorers were able to track down a young garter snake and catch it for the rest of the boys to inspect.

Once all the explorers were present and accounted for we began our journey into the woods. In our opening circle we shared fun stories about our summer adventures and handed out the “jobs” for the day. With our front and back scouts, tribal elder, earth keeper and other jobs designated we were prepared for anything, including a couple of intense rounds of H-I-D-E.

Along the trail we found quite a few plants which stimulated our Art of Harvest skills that we’ve learned from previous outings; Licorice Fern and Stinging Nettle to be precise. Harvesting is fun and exciting, but the boys quickly lost sight of why we harvest, so before we could introduce the Art of Carving, we revisited the Art of Harvest and learned all about the bounty of uses both of these plants have from our plants knowledge keeper.

Finally, it was time to delve into the Art of Carving. We discussed some of the history behind edged tools, different types of knives, safety practices, and proper technique. Once all the boys had spread out, established their safety circles, and demonstrated proper technique with sheathed knives, the boys finally got to get their blades into the wood. There was a wide range of experience amongst the boys, but everyone displayed an impressive level of focus and responsibility. As hard as it was to believe, the boys eventually got a little bored with carving and just wanted to play some games.

We were already in a perfect spot for Spiders Web, so after we set up the web and food source, the boys soon melted into the ferns as they turned into flies searching for a meal. The spider was bold and wandered all over the playing area spotting flies left and right. But alas, his bold behavior left the food source unguarded and the flies were soon feasting.

Before we knew it, the time for pick up was upon us. The boys however, had some unfinished business with the Beaver Pond. We spent the last few minutes of the day getting into the mud and startling dozens of our amphibious friends, watching them hop-hop-hop into the safety of the water. We got unstuck from the muck and hurried back to a posse of parents who were all too eager to get the interiors of their cars covered in mud. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.

For more photos of this outing be sure to check out the Grey Fox Kits Photo Gallery