Grey Fox Kits Carve at Teddy Bear Cove

There is always a fine balance between planning and Explorers Club outing and letting the inspiration of the day take over. Too much of a plan and you are not flexible enough to follow the inspiration that occurs once you are out exploring and not enough of a plan and your day loses the direction it needs to get going. Sundays outing with the Grey Fox Kits was a perfect example of hitting this balance. The mentors had planned a day of focused carving in the woods above Arroyo park and then playing some games in the forest to celebrate the end of another successful season together.

However, the moment we hit the trail the Grey Fox Kits began talking about the beach. The trail branched and we had a really coherent discussion, led entirely by the boys,  on how to spend the day. The unanimous decision was to take the Interurban trail to Teddy Bear Cove. The mentors looked at eachother and let the boys excitement for the beach guide our day.

After a short .5 miles along the Interurban we came to the point where we had to cross Chuckanut drive to make our way down the steep switchbacks to the beach. This is arguably the most dangerous part of our day and as such requires the utmost focus and concentration. The Grey Fox Kits have been dedicating themselves to the Art of Carving The last few seasons and have learned the the focus and maturity it take to safely handle a knife. As we prepared to cross Chuckanut the mentors asked the boys to use this same focus while crossing the road.

Once on the other side we made our way down the steep switchbacks to Teddy Bear Cove. Low clouds hung over the Chuckanuts while the sun crept in from over the San Juan Islands. Tim split Western Red Cedar rounds into chopstick blanks while the Boys found their knives and prepared to carve. We had a really focused carving session for about an hour. Many of the boys ended the session with nearly completed chopsticks. As seen by our experience crossing Chuckanut the Art of Carving is not only a useful skill in and of itself, but is also a great practice in focus and concentration for these boys. The Grey Fox Kits have really taken to the carving and I am excited to see where they take it in the future.

After our focused time on the beach it was time to explore! We climbed sandstone bluffs, found holes in the rocks, looked out over the bay, found Madrone and Oak trees that seemed to be made for climbing, explored the dry hillside above the ocean, traversed along the coast line, made crab forts, played some games, ate lunch, found new routes on the rocks, lay in the sun, and generally enjoyed the beach. It was nice after all the focused work on our carving to take some time to free play and explore the beach.

Our day ended as it always does with a closing circle where we all expressed our gratitude for the day. On such a great day it was easy to find many things we were all thankful for. Thank you parents for being so supportive of us during our outings with your boys! Thank you grey fox kits for another great season together. We really appreciate your enthusiasm and commitment to personal growth despite the challenges we have faced. Please checkout our photo gallery for more great pictures from our exploration last weekend. See you all in the Fall for another great season!

The Alevin & Grey Fox Kits Explore Clayton Beach

The Alevin and Grey Fox Kits met at the Clayton Beach parking lot for their second exploration of the season. Little did they know the mentors were planning on joining forces for the outing! After safely crossing the road the boys searched for a place to have an opening meeting. Finding a clearing under a Cedar tree, we circled up and there was clearly a divide between the two groups. The mentors explained that by chance the two groups had been scheduled for Clayton Beach on the same day and that the opportunity presented to the groups could be used for skill sharing, a large game of some kind, or wherever their inspiration led them.  

The boys handed out jobs amongst their own groups and the mentors handed the circle over to the Tribal Elders for the day, letting them know that this decision could be made in five minutes if they focused. The Tribal Elders were quick to come to the decision that the group needed to take a vote in order to come to a collaborative decision. The mentors stressed to the Tribal Elders that it was important for the group to brainstorm ideas on how we could best use our time before the group voted. Going around the circle the Tribal Elders collected suggestions, but soon the circle turned to chaos. Some boys tried to take over by talking over the Tribal Elders, other boys were anxious to get to the beach and unable to hold their focus wandered off, while others argued amongst themselves over what would be the best use of time.

After about ten minutes the mentors called the group back together. By then many of the Explorers were frustrated and decided it would be best to split the two groups and explore on their own. Once Tim had everyone seated and focused he explained that we honor and respect each other in our circles by bringing our focus and commitment towards the decision at hand, and that we are part of a community and this means we must collaborate and compromise. After 30 minutes of group process the boys came to the decision that they would stick together, go to the beach, and then at 2:45pm head back to the woods to play a round of Spider’s Web.

Although the process can seem arduous and daunting these Explorers are learning the interpersonal skills it takes to be part of a community and the mentors were quite proud of their decision and commitment to remain a community.

Sensing that they had lost some time the group quickly headed down the trail to Clayton and spread out over the beach. It was powerful having four mentors on this outing. The dynamic afforded the boys the opportunity to follow their own inspirations on the beach. Setting up a home base some of the Grey Fox Kits pulled out their knives and began to carve as they watched a group of Surf Scoters fishing for invertebrates in the Eelgrass Beds. Other Explorers ran over to the sandstone cliffs and climbed to their hearts content as Peter spotted them. When given the space and time these boys are so creative and inquisitive. The boys spread into every nook and cranny of the beach, finding quiet spots on the bluff to get lost in thought, searching the intertidal zones for Anemones and Hermit Crabs, and even finding a driftwood teeter-totter to play on.  

Shadowing a group of boys one mentor witnessed a very powerful moment. A few Explorers found a quiet place where a Willow tree hung over a small creek that fed into the sound. As they sat they commented to one another that this place was the most beautiful they had ever seen and encouraged each other to get quiet and listen to the creek as it ran into the sea. After about ten minutes of silence the mentor approached the boys and said, “pretty nice spot huh”? The Explorers commented that this place wasn’t just nice, but special. They said they felt like people had been coming to this place for many generations and that it was special because people would continue to experience its solitude for many more generations.

As mentors we rarely directly experience the fruit of our labors, but in times like these it is clear that our core routine of sit spots and immersion into the landscape are shaping and changing the Explorers relationship the natural environment. This connection is nurturing inside them the ability to slow down, deeply reflect, and be appreciative for all we have. 

Circling up a little after 2:45pm the boys had another group decision to make.  Almost unanimously the boys decided to skip heading back into the woods for a game and instead stay on the beach and continue exploring. It was powerful for the boys to make such a quick decision and realize that they had to ability to be collaborative leaders. Before breaking our circle for one last exploration the group shared a circle of thanks. The boys gave thanks for the amazing sunny weather, for the ability to explore their interests, for food and water, for special spots and abundant wildlife, and for the opportunity to explore with each other.

The Mentors would like to thank these Explorers for putting in the work and answering the challenges that being part of a circular community brings. The Grey Fox Kits and the Alevin will be working together next outing at our Boys EC Service Site. The mentors look forward to another day together full ofcollaboration and compromise!

For more pictures from the day please visit either the Grey Fox Kit’s or theAlevin’s photo gallery. 

Grey Fox Kits Explore the Art of Harvest at Galby Lane

The Grey Fox Kits arrived at Galby Lane and quickly circled up by the trailhead. The boys were excited to see that three returning Mentors would be joining them. On behalf of the Boys EC we’d like to thank Adnan for his caring heart, spirit for exploration, and ability to step outside his comfort zone and Stretch his Edges. Throughout his internship Adnan set a strong example for the boys by providing them thoughtful Mentoring while also offering them a window into a new culture of people, explorers, and a community halfway around the world. We also thank Tim and Soren for their long-term commitment to the Grey Fox Kits and to community building.

As we chatted the Mentors took the opportunity to tell the Explorers that in the fall the group would start the Earth Skill Journey the Art of Carving. Passing around hand carved utensils the Mentors talked about the responsibility and weight that comes with this powerful tool. The boys are definitely excited about this prospect and it will be their continual awareness and respect for our tool culture that dictates if they are ready.

Important note! Every Explorer must watch the knife safety and usage video before starting this skills journey. If your son does not have a knife already, he'll need to come with his own. We have a number of suggestions for his first knife in this Introduction Letter to the Carving Journey.

Leaving the parking lot we wandered along the trail and quickly got inspired and veered off it. Hiking among towering Hemlocks, Spruce, Cedar, and Maple we climbed over the maze of nursing stumps and logs. Finding an opening in the canopy we rested in the sun, lounging on the loamy Earth as we ate.

As we handed out jobs we brought our attention to our skills focus for the day, the Art of Harvest. Approaching harvest from a seasonal focus we recognized that as spring turns into summer the landscape is rich with food and medicine; in order to take part in the harvest we must be able to identify edible and hazardous plants. Challenging the Explorers the Mentors split up the group into four parties giving each three bandanas. The challenge was to find three wild edibles, tag them with pipe cleaners, and be able to track their way back to them.

Spreading out into the land the boys turned their eyes and noses to the ground, whispering amongst themselves they investigated and explored their curiosities.

After five minutes the Mentors gave a Crow Call and the groups trickled back in. Circling up the Mentors did a head count and there was one Explorer missing.  Getting back into our parties and adding a Mentor to each we tracked the Explorer back to the trailhead. He had not stayed with his group and ended up getting turned around. Calling the groups together we met at our randevú spot and circled up to talk about the importance of staying together. At the start of each outing we revisit our culture of safety and it is easy for this message to go in one ear and out the other. It is only when issues arise that the lessons really sink in. Our gift is that we have safe spaces to practice and engage in this group culture.

As we sat, we listened to a story about two backpackers who were split up in the Pasayten Wilderness when one went off to fish at a lake. Knowing the first rule to being lost, the backpacker without the food waited for the other to return. After waiting a day the backpacker decided that she was going to follow her friend. Tracking the boot prints and direction of travel she followed her friend for another day and found that she was not the only one tracking him. Fresh Cougar tracks followed his boot prints. On the third day they reunited and shared their resources, rejoicing. The story really hit home for the Explorers after their experience that afternoon.

Finishing our harvest challenge we walked around to each tagged edible and studied their forms and textures with all our senses. Using multiple senses to get to know these edibles is one of the best ways to remember them. The Explorers really did well, identifying: Red Huckleberry, Salmonberries, Oregon Grape, Sword Fern, Maple, and Alder. We examined them for their defining features and looked for their propagation throughout the landscape to understand the ecology that each thrived in.

After a very focused activity the group was ready to play. We set up bandanas, outlined the boundaries for Spider’s Web, and started sneaking around. Getting into our animal forms we crawled through the Sword Ferns and Oregon Grape dodging behind nurse stumps. From the Spider’s vantage point he quickly trapped flies on the web. In the end our game provided quite a challenge for the boys. Circling up we debriefed the game and went around the circle sharing our powers and challenges.  This event was truly unique in the Grey Fox Kits history as a group. The boys processed the experience together as an authentic, genuine, and caring community. They practicing focused listening skills while learning to be vulnerable and speak their truths in front of their peers. This form of connection is vital in a supportive and functional community, and it makes the Mentors hearts sing. Sitting in the woods Walt Whitman’s words echoed through one Mentors head, “Now I see the secret of making the best person: it is to grow in the open air and to eat and sleep with the Earth.”

Breaking our circle we connected back with the trail only to get off it again on another exploration. Our mission was to track down a location where some of the older groups had built shelters last fall. With focused navigation we found Matt Fogarty’s old shelter, which was a burrow dug into the remnants of an old growth stump. The Explorers nestled into the duff and mulch feeling their deep desire for shelter. From there we tracked down the rest of the structures, which were all flattened. Thinking back to the heavy lowland snowfall in late March we realized the culprit. With all the abundant building materials the group sprang into action. In twenty minutes we had a solid framework, had woven twigs throughout, and piled on about a foot and a half of leaves and downed Hemlock bows. What an effort!

We ended our season with one final circle sharing apples and giving thanks. The Grey Fox Kits over the last few seasons have become a highly functioning and caring group that values one another as community members. They know how toCollaborate and Compromise while Speaking Their Truths. This group is ready for the Art of Carving this fall and all the adventure which lies ahead for them this summer. On behalf of the Boys EC Mentoring we thank parents for their trust and support and look forward to the long summer days and outings.

Remember to check out our summer camps if you have not already done so.

For more pictures please visit the Grey Fox Kit’s photo gallery.

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.

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!