Clip, clip, dig, dig - Grey Fox Kits and Barred Owlets finish Connelly Creek fall service

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” Rabindranath Tagore

BEFORE: Car parts, broken bottles, rusted nails (thousands of rusted nails!), wire fencing, miscellaneous trash…numerous bags of trash. Rats - several of the deceased and the scurrying kind observed. Invasive Himalayan Blackberryand Reed Canarygrass that had largely overtaken the restoration site alongConnelly Creek. Humans and plants had invaded and degraded several acres along the creek, which feeds Padden Creek. 

WHY BOTHER? Ecological biodiversity is the mix of ecosystems, natural communities and habitats. It’s the variety of ways that species interact with each other and their environment. Change one factor (e.g., plant diversity), and everything else is affected. Biodiversity is an important part of ecological services that make life livable on Earth. They include everything from cleaning water and absorbing chemicals, which wetlands do, to providing oxygen for us to breathe - one of the many things that plants do for people. Biodiversity also allows for ecosystems to adjust to disturbances such as fires or floods. If a reptile goes extinct, a forest with 20 other reptiles is likely to adapt better than another forest with only one reptile. 

So, our humble restoration site at Connelly Creek offers an excellent opportunity for our explorers to learn first hand how ecosystems work while causing a real and observable positive impact on something that really matters. 

THE WORK: For several years now, the Boys Explorers Club (BEC) has worked under the guidance of Bellingham Parks and Recreation to restore the site to greater health. Using tools provided by the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, your boys have cleaned out the garbage, cut back and uprooted blackberry vines, stamped down the Reed Canarygrass, planted native trees and shrubs, and spread bark mulch…..yard after yard of bark mulch!

This is a long-term project. We’ve made mistakes, such as when we cut down the Canarygrass, which it turns out encourages future growth! So, we stomped it down, a la Godzilla, and covered the site with several inches of bark mulch, only to return to the site after a few month’s absence to find the Canarygrass having returned to its former “glory”. It’ll take years for the alders, ninebark and other species we planted to shade out the grasses and reclaim the land, the best long term solution. In fact, the project just might outlast the Grey Fox Kits and Barred Owlets time in Explorers Club! Of course, it’s a shame we have to do this work. But the lesson for the boys is clear: there will always be work that needs to be done for the good of the larger society and each of them can have a positive impact. In fact, there is joy is service to others and to the land.

This weekend, we worked to clear blackberries from an area roughly 20 by 50 feet along the creek. While that might not seem like a big area, consider the number of blackberry root balls that needed to be extricated, or the fence that saw the light of day for the first time in years, or the tree that was liberate from the strangle hold of the prickly vines. The scratches they proudly display came from the 10-15 foot long vines they cut down to a size that could be bagged and carted off. The tired, sore muscles are the result of wrestling (2 or 3 working in tandem, at times) with stubborn roots or digging holes to plant more trees and shrubs. The goofy smiles on their faces can be traced back to the hard-earned satisfaction of having done meaningful work, and done it well, as the photos will attest. 

While the boys worked hard and accomplished much on this day, we cannot claim unblemished pride in our actions. Some boys could be seen climbing trees or exploring the creek when work waited; we get it, they’re boys. Not a problem. With a little prodding, they usually return to the work. However, when the mentors learned that someone had apparently cut down a spruce sapling that had been planted as part of the project, we decided to call all the explorers together to re-emphasize the serious, important nature of the work and of the responsibility each of us has to behave with honor and respect for each other and the land. Message delivered, we returned to the work and mustered a strong finish for the day and for our service work this season.

AFTER: While there is still work to be done, check out the photos here and in the gallery. The results speak for themselves…your explorers are officially part of the solution!

They have earned the right to stand tall because they have performed with honor and to great effect. They each can rightfully echo the words of one of their colleagues as he walked away from the site after completely his work: “I feel proud.”

Check out the rest of the photos from our service outing here (Grey Fox Kits) and here (Barred Owlets), and check the web site for the details on your explorer’s next outing - Grey Fox Kits, click here. Barred Owlets, clickhere.

Serving Connelly Creek with the Alevin and Grey Fox Kits

The Alevin Explorers arrived at Connelly Creek and quickly ran down the embankment, as they were anxious to see how the site has transformed over winter. Calling the group in the Explorers mustered their strength the carried the tools over to the site. They were excited to continue the tradition of camouflaging themselves from the next group, the Grey Fox Kits, who were soon to arrive. The mentors decided instead to use the time to work on our fire by friction and carving skills while chatting with the group about our upcoming summer backpacking trips.

Before the blog post continues, we’d like to remind everyone about the WE: Wilderness Experiences available this summer to the Alevin Explorers. Grey Fox Kits we look forward to backpacking with you in the summer of 2016. These trips are an investment in a lifetime of leadership and skills; their rewards extend far beyond the three to eight days they take place. Many of our Explorers have found them to be life changing, with benefits and tools for living that are carried and applied for many years to come. Please contact us if you have any questions, thanks!

The Grey Fox Kits arrived and the Alevin retired their skill session and both groups circled in the field. The mentors encouraged Explorers to think back to their last outing to Clayton Beach. The outing held powerful lessons about group decision-making, collaborating and compromising, and inclusion. Today would be yet another opportunity to work together while and serving the land. These boys have been working on this site for over two and a half years; they have developed skill and efficiency in their work as well as intimate knowledge of this sites needs.

Instead of painstakingly going over how to us the tools the mentors simply asked the group to be responsible with them. It is wonderful to have cultivated this level of trust within these two groups. They have continued to show their commitment and integrity with safe tools usage. Their eagerness shows they’re hungry for more responsibility, greater skills, and bigger explorations - the mentor’s bow to that.

Breaking our circle played a few rounds of Deer oh Deer Come and Run through my Forest.  This energetic tag game brought the two groups together and that same energy transferred to our work. Running over to the site the boys quickly lined up. Our project for the day was to walk down the Reed-Canary Grass, spread a giant pile of mulch over the area, and finish up with some blackberry trimming. Forming a long line we stomped down the Reed-Canary Grass. It was a fun way to warm up and release some energy. Turning our efforts to the mulch pile the boys took on one of three jobs: a mulch spreader, carrier, or filler. The group worked cohesively and as an onlooker you wouldn’t have been able to tell one group from the other. Slowly Dave started to develop a funcompetitive aspect where the mulch fillers were trying to keep the buckets filled and the carriers were trying to dump them before they could be filled. This led to an inspiration for a game. Dividing into three teams by birth month, the boys took their positions. Their goal was to fill three 32-gallon cans and move them across the service site where the rakers would make three 4 by 3 foot squares. Their teams would be judged on who could get through three cans the fastest, how they worked as a team carrying the buckets, and how neat their squares were. When the game started the boys burst into action. It was amazing, what fun!  The boys really dug deep giving it their all. In the end every team won in a different category.

Spreading the last of our mulch the Alevin Explorers said goodbye the Grey Fox Kits and broke off for a closing meeting. The Grey fox Kits worked on diligently making a big dent in the Blackberry thicket towards the back of the site. Focused and determined the boys cut, trimmed and bagged the Blackberries and hauled them across the site.  

What fine work these Explorers are doing, they should be proud of their accomplishments here at Connelly Creek. The care they show for the saplings and shrubs they planted last fall and their fellow Explorers is outstanding. In their closing circles the Explorers gave thanks for the opportunity to work with each other, for skills and games, for the ability to give back, for the sense of accomplishment and progress they feel, and for the beautiful sunshine and warmth on our spring service outing.

Parents, please take a moment to track the history of our service at this site by clicking on the “tag links” below: Connelly Creek. You’ll see how the place has changed over time due to thousands of Explorer hours poured into the Happy Valley Park. You’ll also see how your sons have changed over time too. Thank you for the opportunity to be your nature-connection mentors. We truly value these experiences and look forward to each outing with you Explorers and your families!

For more pictures from the day please visit the Alevin’s or the Grey Fox Kit'sphoto gallery. 

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.  

The Grey Fox Kits Serve Connelly Creek with the Alevin

Last Saturday the Grey Fox Kits met to serve at the Connelly Creek Site. As they arrived they immediately gravitated towards the creek. Circling up it was clear which Explorers had already been in the water! With soggy boots and high spirits the Explorers introduced themselves to a new Mentor. Adnan, a climbing guide from the mountainous northern region of Pakistan, has traveled to Whatcom County to study sustainability at Whatcom Community College. Adnan is currently interning with the Explores Club and hopes to gain more insight and experience in the way the Explorers serve and connect with the land. We are grateful to have him in our program and are excited for him to share some of the Explorers Club mentoring culture with the youth in his community.

The boys also welcomed a few returning Mentors, Drew Butler and Soren Brotherton. Soren, the Grey Fox Kits steadfast EMA since the first season in 2012, has been a guiding force and a supreme example of what it means to be a caring male in the world. His dedication through mentorship has resulted in a transformative experience for both the boys and himself. The Mentors would like to honor his deepened service ethic as he journeys through the trials and opportunities of arriving adulthood.

Once the group had greeted each other we oriented ourselves to the land by reflecting back on our navigation of Connelly and Padden Creek. With that in mind the Explorers broke the circle, eager to start their service work. However before they could start the Mentors had one piece of critical information to share with the group. The Alevin Explorers had taken a sit spot with the goal of being close to the trail that led to the site, but camouflaged so that the Kits would walk right past them. The Grey Fox Kits looked around nervously, now aware they were being stalked!

The Mentors challenged the boys to individually find the hidden members. Fox Walking along the Alevin proved difficult to spot. Once we arrived at the site we gave a Crow Call and they came pouring out of the bushes, hardly three feet from the trail!

Grabbing our lunches we gathered in a large circle and introduced ourselves. While the group snacked the Mentors gave a talk about tool safety and usage. Our tools are borrowed from the City of Bellingham as well as the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, so it is very important that we treat them with care so that we can keep using them for seasons to come. This subject of tool usage is especially pertinent for the Grey Fox Kits because they will be learning The Art of Carving next fall. It is critical that they recognize that the difference between a tool and a weapon is the user. The Mentors stressed the importance of meeting the service work with our best intentions for the sake of honoring themselves and the land.

Packing up lunch we hauled over the tools and got to work shoveling a giant pile of mulch the Bellingham Parks Department had left us. It was impressive to watch the boys work as one unified crew. The boys spent a few solid hours mulching over freshly tilled clay and soil, digging Himalayan Blackberry roots, cutting back blackberry canes and hauling them out to the trail, and cutting back the persistent Reed Canary grass. I would like to commend and thank both groups for their strong work digging roots and raking swaths of blackberry canes. This is truly a daunting and arduous task that takes perseverance and patience.

Our aim as Mentors is for the Explorers to gain a deep sense of connectedness and ownership through their transformation of this land, and to realize their power to serve and provide for communities. Our hope is that their long-term investment will instill a life long ethic for commitment and service to their communities. Not out of servitude or duty, but of a realization that we are intrinsically tied to our human, plant, and animal communities, and to serve them is to thrive. Service takes us outside of ourselves while both keeping us humble and providing a wellspring of sustaining gratification.

Calling the group back in the Grey Fox Kits said goodbye to the Alevin and thanked them for their leadership and guidance. Sitting together in the grass the group snacked and rested. A few boys investigated a Cherry Tree next to the grass field and found Tent Caterpillars incased in silk at the end of its limbs. The boys started to hit the silk tents with sticks, trying to knock them off the tree. Recognizing the need to bring the group together the Mentors called a circle below the tree. Drew asked the boys why they were killing the caterpillars. The boys told Drew that they were bad for the trees and needed to be removed. Drew then asked the group if they thought this was right. The group answered that just like killing blackberries to help the land, killing the caterpillars helped the tree so it was right. Asking them to take a good look at the tree, the Mentors asked the group if a few caterpillars were really going to kill the tree. The boys answered no, to which Drew replied that if the tree was not going to die then why did we need to kill them? The group was a little quiet. Drew then explained to them that life does not always have clear-cut answers and it is our intention and discernment that steers us towards just decisions.

After this important conversation the group needed some light-hearted play. Setting up a circle of backpacks and hanging a bandana from a Cherry limb the group played Crows Steal a Jay’s Egg, which the Explorers would be happy to tell you more about. 

Circling up for a closing meeting tired, sweaty, and content the group brought the conversation back to our service day and the transformation that we saw in the land over the course of our spring service outings. The Explorers used intention, focus, and power with the assistance of tools to harmonize with the land, restoring balance.

Sharing apples the Explorers gave thanks for a great day of service, for the ability to use tools, for the service partners who provided them, for all the animals moving through Connelly Creek, and for a chance to get to work with the Alevin and volunteers. The Mentors would like to thank all the parents for your support of the Explorers as they mature and grow. We would also like to give a big thanks to Bellingham Parks and Recreation and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement for their guidance and support of our project. We couldn’t do it without all the support!

Please visit the Grey Fox Kits photo gallery for more pictures from the outing.

Alevin Serving Connelly Creek with the Grey Fox Kits

With the warmth of spring in the air, Matt and Greg eagerly awaited the arrival of the boys.  The lure of the creek entertained the explorers who climbed and leapt across its banks waiting for the remainder of their group.  Once all the Alevin had arrived it was time to have brief opening meeting to discuss the important tasks of the day.  The largest order of the day was that the Alevin would be stepping into a mentoring role for the first time.  They would be leading the service day by example.  For some explorers it was their third time working at this service site, so they would be able to draw upon their experience of doing service in thier new leadership role.  The Alevin have also been through the Art of Carving training and the Gray Fox Kits have not, so the Alevin would be able to model the way to use the tools respectfully and carefully for the job at hand.  The second important topic was to prepare a camouflage gauntlet for the younger boys, but instead of hiding pipe cleaners in the land the Alevin would hide themselves!

Matt and Greg walked the boys along the trail taking the opportunity to go deeper into the Art of Camouflage.  We looked at how the trails and tracks left in the grass would give away our hiding spots to the careful observer.  We looked at dark places and light places and tried to learn how to obscure our outlines.  After a brief tour of the zone where we would hide, the Alevin and their mentors disappeared into the shrubs and grass and waited silently.  They waited and soon the arriving Grey Fox Kits could be heard playing in the creek and eventually gathering for their own opening meeting.  Eventually our waiting was over and the slow crunching of feet on gravel could be heard, sometimes only inches away!  The sound of the crow call signaled the end and explorers and mentors alike were comparing notes about who hid where and if they were seen.  The Alevin all added a little more experiance to their deepening knowledge of the Art of Camouflage.

The Alevin and Grey Fox Kits gathered in a huge circle and it was finally time to begin our service.  The boys ate their lunches and listened as Steve and Drew gave a brief introduction to the service tools and their usage.  Our tools are borrowed from the City of Bellingham as well as the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, so it was very important that we treat these tools with care, so that we can keep using them to restore this patch of Connelly Creek. 

The momentum to get to work was huge and the list of tasks for the day included: mulching down the reed canary grass, digging Himalayan Blackberry roots, cutting back blackberry canes and hauling them out to the trail, and cutting back the persistent Reed Canary grass.  With the perspective time the Alevin could clearly see how three seasons of work has begun to transform a small and forsaken corner of the park into a willow and alder thicket.  Our hope is that over the years explorers club will eventually come back to this spot and say, “Look at this land.  Once it was covered in trash and blackberries, and filled with shrubs and small trees!”

The comfortable rhythm of working outside and among friends quickly passed the time and it was time to hold our closing meeting.  Thanks were given for the Land, for service, for hiding and for Explorers Club.  With muddy shoes and boots we returned to the eagerly awaiting parents and siblings to share the stories of our day.

Thank you parents and family for your support.  We couldn’t do this important work without you!  Explorers thank you for stepping into a leadership role and stretching a new edge!  Check out the photo gallery here. 

We’ll see you for our grand finale outing on June 8^th for a fantastic hike up to Pine and Cedar Lakes.  This will be our strong finish to a great season!  

The Connelly Creek Traverse with the Grey Fox Kits

Arriving at Marine Park the Grey Fox Kits braved the southerly winds that pounded waves against the shore. Circling up near the beach we held an opening meeting. As we chatted some of the Explorers met Drew Butler, a new Mentor for them. Drew has been a strong leader in the Boys Explorers Club. His compassion, wisdom, vision, and heart truly shine throughout his mentoring and within the culture of our organization.

Sitting in our circle one of the Mentors asked the question that the Grey Fox Kits are all too familiar with. “Where are we and what are we here to do today?” This question is important because as Explorers we seek to understand the landscape as a whole and through each outing collect more knowledge. Part of this knowledge comes from our abilities to orient to the cardinal directions and decipher where we are in location to everything else. Looking around the boys decided that the bay was West. Once they had a starting point we became oriented.

Mentors explained that we would be following the journey of the Salmon to the Explorer’s Connelly Creek Service Site. Pulling out a map of the Connelly and Padden Creek Watershed the group determined that we would need to head East along the Padden Creek interurban trail to find our way to it’s confluence with Connelly Creek.

Once we had handed out jobs and discussed some safety issues we moved to the lee side of the picnic shelter and fueled up with some food out of the wind. Leaving Marine Park we navigated a few city blocks full of urban hazards. Before we crossed the train tracks we brought our minds together and talked about what it means to have group focus. Being able to cultivate this focus in situations with higher risk is what will allow us to eventually ford rivers and summit peaks in the backcountry. Once we met back up with the Padden Creek interurban trail we relaxed ourfocus and played games of Hide as we hiked.

Walking along the Explorers came across a small clearing next to the creek. Investigating it further they dusted off an old cobblestone marker with the inscription “Site of Dirty Dan’s Cabin 1853-1883”. The group asked who was Dan Harris. Drew answered that Dirty Dan was an explorer, entrepreneur, and all around character who helped found the town of Fairhaven. Before he settled in Fairhaven he traveled from New York City all the way to Artic exploring. The Explorers thought back for a moment on what the town must have looked like in the early 1800’s.  There is so much mystery hidden in our landscape and it just takes some investigation and exploration to find it.

Traveling on the group passed by an area of disturbed soil which had Himalayan Blackberries and other invasive species taking over the native ones. Bending down Drew called the Explorers over to look at one plant in particular. Pointing it out he asked the group what it was. Most of the Explorers said that it was a weed and were anxious to move on. Drew informed them that this plant was called Broadleaf Plantain and was excellent medicine. By chewing the plantain’s leaves and making a spit poultice we can create medicine that soothes bee stings and skin irritations. The Mentors cautioned the group not to overlook or take for granted the plants we consider disposable weeds, for a weed is a plant that we have forgotten our relationship with and the use for.

Hiking further still the group came to a place where Padden Creek was being diverted through a culvert. At the end of the culvert it looked as though the creek flowed down a set of stairs. The Mentors asked the group if they knew what it was. They exclaimed, “yes!” and we marveled at the falling water and climbed through the culvert that ran underneath the trail experiencing how hard it must be for a Salmon to navigate this human altered watershed. A few boys gave some thanks for our ability to create systems that can help keep the Salmon’s cycle of life flowing and thriving.

While we played in the creek a few Explorers scouted up and shouted to the rest of the group that we should follow the creek instead of the trail. Since We Are All Leaders and follow our instincts and inspirations on outings the group decided to take on the challenge. As we climbed and crawled along the river, the bank seemed to only get tighter and tighter. Eventually we had to create a bridge to make it back over to the side of the creek with the trail. Hopping rocks and gazing into pools we lost all sense of time and let our ourselves freely wander, only to come across a set of Raccoon tracks embedded in the mud.

Climbing up the bank we refocused our minds to the traverse at hand, but just then someone called Hide! Diving into the dirt and bushes we hid patiently trying to blend into our surroundings. Once we were caught or called back in we noticed a few of the Explorers had much better camouflage than they started with. These Explorers had gotten quite wet in the creek and diving in the dirt created a beautiful mud paste that covered most of their clothing.

Pushing onwards the group challenged themselves by hiking further than they thought they could. The Grey Fox Kit often experience physical and/or environmental challenges on their outings. Through these challenges the boys cultivate self-determination, perseverance, courage, and fortitude. The boys gain the ability to become masters over their minds and aim beyond the target. These traverses provide the perfect physical model of these internal challenges. It is our hope as Mentors that the boys will remember these experiences and use these life skills to help them navigate through the challenges that await them in the years to come.

Arriving at Connelly Creek tired, hungry, and triumphant we sat and rested on the mulch pile that we were to spread on our next service outing. We shared apples and thanks as we watched the Rufous Hummingbirds buzz around the Black Twinberry’s yellow flowers. The Explorers gave thanks for: challenge and the ability to keep going, for the time and space to explore with friends, for the abundance of the spring season, for food and water, and for the journey and gift that the Salmon bring. The Mentors told the group that their next outing would be right here at Connelly Creek doing some service.

We ended our day laughing and running as we played a few rounds of a tag game called Salmon Oh Salmon. The Mentors would like to thank the Explorers for challenging themselves and for stepping into a deepened role in their stewardship of the land at the Connelly Creek Site.

Please visit the Grey Fox Kit’s photo gallery for more pictures from the outing!

BEC Serving Connelly Creek with the Grey Fox Kits

November 9th marked a very important outing for the Grey Wolf Pups. This event was the first time the group served at the Boys Explorers Club Connelly Creek Service Site. It was also the first time some of the Explorers met our newest mentor, Greg Schayes.  I speak for the rest of the mentors when I say that we are truly thankful and grateful to welcome Greg into our mentoring community. We are also humbled by the impact of the boys' work at the site. It is amazing to watch the Explorers’ hands transform the landscape.

As the Explorers arrived, they immediately gravitated towards the creek using their acrobatic skills to cross it. After the group circled up, we shared our names and our favorite bird. Some of the favorites were: the Harpy Eagle, American dipper, Red-Tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, and the Bald Eagle. It was exciting the hear all of the knowledge the boys possessed regarding these birds. Greg shared his favorite bird, the Cooper’s Hawk. He explained that earlier the mentors had followed a set of deer tracks across the creek and up to a patch of Willow and Alder. On a Willow trunk there were signs of a deer scrapping the velvet of his antlers. As we assessed the site, all the surrounding birds started to make alarm calls. Just then a Cooper’s Hawk flew over our heads. At first we thought it might be hunting, but it turned out that a Hummingbird was chasing it. It was impressive to see how the Cooper’s Hawk specifically evolved to fly at top speeds through dense forest. Mentors explained to Explorers that survival in the woods is not always just about physical abilities. This Hummingbird showed tenacity and commitment in the face of challenging opposition. Mentors encouraged the group to use this lesson as a guiding force for that day’s service. Our project was large; we were removing tough invasive species that will continue to grow back. Therefore, we needed to cultivate a resilient and diligent mindset. Through this story the group found their motivation to serve at this site.

Little by little, the Explorers are developing an ethic for the land. They are beginning to understand that their health is directly tied to all living things and that every organism holds intrinsic value and deserves their care. Mentors were also delighted to share with the Explorers that a little way down Connelly Creek, at its confluence with Padden Creek, restoration by the City of Bellingham had been progressing. In 1997, the Padden Creek Alliance was formed, which includes: the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bellingham Parks Department, and local citizen groups.  This alliance is working together to restore the Padden Creek Watershed. In 1997 a tunnel running about 2,300 feet from 17th to 22nd street, underneath Old Fairhaven Parkway, was identified as a major roadblock for salmon. In the past, fish had been stacked at the end of the narrow tunnel while trying to return to their spawning grounds. Just this summer the city began the Padden Creek Daylight Project. This project is currently removing the tunnel and restoring the natural flow of Padden Creek.

After our time of discussion, the group was ready for action. We carried our tools to the service site and played an opening game designed to release some of their abundant energy. In the game, Salmon Oh Salmon, one Explorer is a hungry Black Bear while the rest of the group are Salmon swimming up-stream. The Salmon try to run up the playing field to make it to their spawning grounds while the bear tries to tag them. If a salmon is caught, they turn into a tree.

Once our “squirreliness” was out and we ate lunch, the group walked into our work site to assess where we needed to focus our efforts. Mentors explained to the boys that over the last two seasons the elder Explorers worked on digging out a large patch of Blackberry bushes. Over the course of their past service, the elders learned that if they did not remove the roots the bushes would grow right back. We explained that going slow and doing the work thoroughly the first time was essential to our success. The Mentors used different areas to model the use of various tool: shears for Reed Canarygrass, loppers for large Blackberry stalks and shovels for digging roots. The group revisited our mottos for using tools, A Tool vs. A Weapon and our need to respect the Blood Circle.Grabbing our tools, the Explorers set up stations and began their work.

Groups of Explorers worked together to cut, dig, rake and dump the invasive species. The Explorers found all sorts of gems in the landscape: tires, chicken wire, bottles, kiddy pools, and garden hoses. They were shocked to see how other community members treated the land. After one Explorer unearthed aLong-Toed Salamander and another accidently toppled a small willow, the group realized their need to tread a little lighter. After an hour of solid work, the Red-Tailed Eyas showed up to help us out. Part of the new Boy’s Explorers Club culture is for multiple groups to meet and work at the same site. The purpose is two-fold,  to build relationships between groups and to accomplish a lot more at the work site.  The Grey Fox Kits engaged in leadership showing the other group the work they had done, their tool techniques, and to provide them with inspiration for the work they were performing.

After we got the Red-tailed Eyas involved, the group took a break and had lunch on the grass. As we snacked, the group discussed their need for a new name. As their group culture builds, it is important to formally recognize the transitions and adventures that they have experienced. One way to accomplish this is by choosing a new name. The Explorers suggested, “The Wise Widow Makers”, “Watchful Stormers” and the “Stalking Salamanders.” Since Mentors can only guide the group in this decision, and the boys must decide through consensus, we decided to stick with the “Grey Fox Kits” for now. The group broke the circle with a round of Squirrel Tag and we refocused our efforts by combining forces with the Red-tailed Eyas for a little more service.

We ended the day with a Sit Spot out on the land. It was important not only to connect with the landscape but also to get quiet and listen to it so we would know how best to serve it next time.  Our day of service revealed the power of meeting together as a community and engaging in an active relationship with the land. When we work side by side, we are afforded the opportunity to engage in many powerful conversations and experiences with our peers while rejoicing in the act of giving to all members of our community. In our Circle of Thanks the Explorers were grateful for the opportunity to hone their craft with the tools and for a place to call their own. Greg and I could not be more thankful and humbled by all the Explorers accomplishments and attitudes.  We would also like to give a big thanks Bellingham Parks Department, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement and all the parents for their support, care and partnership.

You can check out more pictures from the outing in the Grey Fox Kits photo gallery