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.