Gray Wolf Pups Delve Into Tracking and Bird Language

The Gray Wolf Pups kicked off their fall season with a classic Boys Explorers Club outing to Clayton Beach. With a few members not returning from last season, we had the privilege of welcoming a few new faces to our group. Of course we will miss our past exploring companions, but the opportunity to foster new friendships and exploration buddies made it a bitter sweet day. In fact, all of our new members already knew at least one other Gray Wolf Pup so we jumped right into things without skipping a beat. After our opening circle we navigated the hazards of Chuckanut Drive and slipped down into a forested ravine to begin our explorations. 

In the ravine the mentors took some time to review our earth skills focus for the season; Tracking and Bird Language. Clayton beach provided the perfect opportunity to not only listen to the birds in the forest, but the sandy beach offers excellent tracking substrate. With our current location of the forest we figured we would jump right into learning about bird language before playing any games. Ask your Explorer if they remember the five types of bird calls (song, companion calling, alarm, aggression, and juvenile begging). A silent sit spot where everyone took some solo time to listen to the birds seemed like a good idea, but right as we got out to our spots a thunderous bird of steel decided to fly right overhead. A big Coast Guard rescue helicopter flew by multiple times over the tree tops before stopping to hover over the beach at the bottom of the ravine! With so much commotion and the thwap-thwap-thwap of the helicopter’s rotors there was no chance of hearing any birds. Calling everyone back in we ate some lunch and drank some water before finally getting a break of silence to tune into the birds who were alarming for obvious reasons. 

Transitioning from exploration and honing our natural history skills we managed to get a game of Spiders Web together before the helicopter returned for another round of hovering (it turned out to be a Search and Rescue practice session and not a real emergency thankfully!). Playing with the atrociously loud helicopter overhead added a new layer to the game. Usually the Spider and the Flies have to be careful not to make too much noise but, with the helicopter, this made noise a non-factor. The Spider was able to tromp around all over while Flies scampered through the underbrush much quicker than usual. After a back and forth game, the Flies managed to secure the food source and return it to the web for a victory. With our game over we had just enough time to make it down to the beach for a quick introduction to tracking.

Arriving at the beach we were met with a high tide and little sand to actually track on. Thanks to a fellow beach-goers dog we had plenty of tracks to analyze. Before looking at any prints in the sand, we discussed how to begin analyzing the big picture before getting into the minutia of the track. Taking into consideration where we are in the world, the country, what bioregion, what ecosystem, what time of year, what time of day, weather patterns, terrain, and a myriad of other variables, we can begin piecing together a story of who made this track, why they were there, where they were going, and what they were doing. With this in mind we found some canine tracks that we could clearly connect to the dog on the beach, however, if we did not see the dog, we could have clued into the human tracks freshly imprinted beside the canine tracks with similar aging to piece things together. The four toes, and clearly imprinted claw marks gave away the canine aspect, while the deeply dug in front toes and claws with chunks of sand pushed back toward the rear of the track indicated this dog was pushing off hard, digging for traction in the sand, and likely running along the water’s edge only a few minutes earlier. There is so much to learn from tracks and their infinite amounts of clues they convey that we can piece together to tell a story. But with waning attention spans, dunes and rocks to climb and play on it was time to get out and play on the beach.

Wrapping up our free play on the beach we regrouped for our closing circle. Reflecting on the day we reviewed what we learned about bird language and tracking. The mentors took some time to highlight the importance of understanding tracking as a skill that permeates throughout one’s life and into many facets of our day to day. Noticing clues here or there and sewing them together to tell a story goes beyond a print in the sand and a dog on the beach. As we tune into our surroundings, the people in our lives, the places we live, even our own behaviors and actions, we can begin realizing all that comes with a heightened awareness. Whether tracking that you get grumpy when you’re hungry, or that a loved one hasn’t quite been themselves lately, we can begin applying what we learn from tracking to make ourselves better individuals, better friends, better family members, and even better community members. Once we track someone is extra quiet today we can check in and make sure everything is alright. When we feel like everyone is being extra annoying and feel like a grouch, we can take a moment to eat some food, drink some water, and take a few breaths before we begin lashing out at others unnecessarily. 

All in all, there is so much more that we can learn, but in the end we also sometimes just need to remember that spending time outdoors, tracking, listening to the birds, and just getting lost in the present is more than enough to revitalize our spirits and bring a smile to our faces. Even if that is all that these boys took away from the day, it would be difficult not to call that a successful outing. Luckily for us this was just the first of many more to come and we can’t wait to get back out exploring and learning about the natural world. 

Make sure to check out the rest of our photos from this outing here!

Gray Wolf Pups Splash Along Whatcom Creek

The Gray Wolf Pups spent a few hours playing in Whatcom Creek at Whatcom Falls Park on Sunday, much of that time at the spot a fey of the Gray Wolf Pups had discovered during a previous summer outing. There was a sustained playful skirmish between a few of the boys at the water hole where they would fill up an old water bottle and toss it towards the other team to try and make as big of a splash as possible. The mentors marveled at the boys ability to naturally make up rules and play fairly without ever openly discussing them. Both sides made it clear the intent was not to hit the other with the water bottle, but splash the other team. They even had an invisible line agreed to by both where you couldn’t pass to ensure no one from one team got to close to the other. With a little more than a little creek-side sunbathing and quiet contemplation on a sit spot and a large helping of the familiar exploration, this was shaping up to be an epic outing. A casual observer could be forgiven for smiling and silently noting the harmless innocence of boys playing in a creek. And they’d be right; there was a certain Huck Finn nature to the day.

Scratch the surface, however, and there is much to be examined in addition to the highly valued free play that is immediately apparent.

The Gray Wolf Pups skill for this season is Navigation. Mentor Tim craftily used the boys’ affiliation for the swimming-hole location to challenge them to navigate their way from our meeting point back to that spot. He prompted the explorers to “read the land” as they worked to recall where along the creek their favored spot could be found. Animals, native peoples and explorers all use drainages as navigation aids; on Sunday, the Gray Wolf Pups oriented to the creek’s source (Lake Whatcom) and reviewed notable landmarks such as Whatcom Lagoon and Derby Pond to determine their route. After a short, seemingly aimless wander, we were there! More than meets the eye.

Once there, the aforementioned water bottle skirmish ensued and continued for an hour or more. During that time, there arose a subtle structure to the play. Unspoken rules were referenced to prevent rogue maneuvers and to keep the action fair. Combatants acknowledged unintentional infractions with a quick apology and check on the well-being of the victim of a splash to the face or bonk with a water bottle. Before there were playground rules enforced by adults there was an innate and self-enforced sense of the value of fair play. On Sunday, we saw this ethic in action.

Most important, there is the concern for the boy’s physical and emotional safety. As mentors, we often balance perceived and actual risk. We encourage the boys to stretch their edge, moving out of their comfort zone into a situation that allows them to grow and expand their world. Our preferred situations are ones in which their perceived risk is greater  Again, more than meets the eye.

than the actual risk. On Sunday, as they jumped from rock to rock and tried sliding down the creek rapids, they weren’t thinking about the hazards as much as the mentors were. Their engagement with their environment obscured the risks posed by the creek and rocks. However, having the safety net of the mentors there to watch over them and carefully guide their exploration without diminishing their immersion in play and the natural world enabled them to get lost in the moment while remaining safe.

A silent sit spot provided some needed balance to the sometimes raucous play and our traditional circle of thanks put a bow on the spring season. 

Make sure to check out the rest of the awesome photos from our outing here!

Waterfalls and songlines; the Gray Wolves explore Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve

Sure, we explore. We climb, scamper, balance-walk across streams, roll in mud, explore caves and the like. These are all important ways to connect with the land, a key element in preparing boys to grow into men who are stewards of the land. And we did many of those things on Saturday, which I’ll get to shortly.

There’s another facet of our work with your boys that involves their learning how to be positive, contributing members of a group. This effort is more subtle than the physical connecting to the land, but no less important. A foundational element of this behavioral work can be found in how we make decisions as a group. In our opening meeting, we designate a Tribal Elder who manages our decision making. Rather than deciding based on majority rule, the Tribal Elder leads us in a process to achieve consensus. This generally favors a leader who lays out options, listens to the group members and helps us reconcile differing views. Group members are rewarded for flexibility and compromise. Quite the tall order for young boys! On this outing, our Tribal Elder was challenged to lead us in this process. Look for this in this report.

Our first decision - which trail to follow. This one proved straightforward; the boys were intrigued by the route to the waterfall, so off we hiked. And my, how our initial decision was rewarded! We soon came upon a lookout spot that presented us with a direct view of a 50 ft. (that’s a total guess - it was pretty high!) aqua-plunge into a ravine. Very picturesque. Of course, before I could settle in to admire this nature splendor, the boys asked to climb down to the creek bed below. A quick check revealed a perfect slip-slide-jump path down to the base of the falls. The mentors decided to encourage free exploration in this delightful spot. Picture boys scampering up hillsides, crossing the creek on moss-covered fallen trees, and sticking their heads under the falls and you have the scene locked in. They were truly in their element.

After a while, we set off to find a lunch spot. The interesting lunchtime conversation ranged from gross food combinations to that day’s Democratic presidential caucus. The details are better left undisclosed. Following lunch, we raised the stakes on Hide!, a favorite Explorers Club game. Rather than a single round of finding boys hiding in the ferns, Incoming involves several rounds. If you manage to avoid detection in the first round, you are called to run in from your hiding spot, tap the seekers outstretched hand and re-hide to an ever shortening time limit. It gets pretty frantic when you have 5 seconds to run past the seeker and dive into a new hiding spot! 

Nourished and energized by the game, it was time to practice creating Songlines, a navigational technique developed by aboriginal Australians. Each of two groups crafted directions to their posted bandana by creating a song calling out landmarks to guide the other team to their bandana. They then taught the “songline" (also known as a story map) to the other group for their use in locating the bandana. One group was able to find the prize; the other was thrown off when they keyed on the wrong “Y shaped tree”. We learned a lot about what works and what to avoid when using this technique. Choosing unique landmarks and describing them in detail are learnings that will add texture to their use of more modern navigational techniques such as compass and GPS.

Several of the boys wanted to try this game again; others resisted the idea. Enter the Tribal Elder, who put us in a circle and facilitated a challenging discussion in which consensus proved elusive. Frustration was evident after a while; some boys wanted another round of navigation, then back to the falls. Others preferred moving immediately to the falls. Ten minutes; fifteen minutes; hmmmmmm. Then one of the explorers suggested we create a songline as we walked to the falls. Excellent, creative solution. All agreed and we were off. It took a little while, but it is in just such situations that growth happens. They had to “stretch their edge” to resolve this dispute. The mentors are hopeful they’re learning a skill they’ll use in as adults to build and nurture relationships both personal and professional.

To be honest, except for a few boys, there wasn’t much Songline creation on our walk back, but the more important outcome was the conflict resolution, which they managed well. Another 20  minutes or so at the falls, an opportunity to give thanks in our closing meeting, and we were off to the trailhead. On our way there, we taught mentor Bobby to play a Gray Wolf favorite - “Where’s my egg?”

A beautiful day, lots of exploration, skill development around navigation and some challenging work around working in a group - a full day! Click here for more photos from our adventure.

Gray Wolf Pups and Red-Tailed Eyas Play Day at North Galbraith

Gray Wolf Pups – North Galbraith Mountain Trailhead – 3/6/16 – 10:00AM to 3:00PM

Arriving at North Galbraith Mountain Trailhead, the Gray Wolf Pups were surprised to see not two, but four mentors and a whole posse of explorers. This was an unexpected but pleasant surprise as many of the Gray Wolf Pups began noticing peers and school friends in the other group; The Red Tailed Eyas. Originally on the docket for the day was to get a quick game in with the Red Tailed Eyas before trekking off on our own to delve into the Art of Navigation. However, things began to naturally unfold in a different way and in Explorers Club fashion we took it in stride and had a blast.

The first unexpected occurrence this outing was when we dropped down off the main trail onto an old logging road that had been used by numerous groups previously to access a tremendous series of valleys and ravines prime for exploration and adventure. But right away things looked strikingly different. The old logging road had clearly been developed with a re-leveling and fresh layer of gravel. As we pressed on the road carved a deep scar into the landscape with countless trees cut down and strewn by the wayside, entire hillsides displaced as the road cut straight through the previously rolling landscape. Of course the excavators and other heavy machinery sporadically parked alongside the road took most of the explorer’s attention, but for the mentors there was a sense of shell shock and surrealness that left them quietly strolling along in silence. 

After a fair distance covered on the new roads, which mentors are presuming are for accessing the land for further residential development, we were befuddled as to where our old stomping grounds were. It was incredibly hard to find our bearings in this strikingly different landscape so we decided to just get off trail and see what we could find. The dense underbrush and varied terrain quickly slowed down our pace after flying down the flat gravel roadway. The boys began taking in the landscape as they scurried over logs beneath the swaying Western Red Cedars and Big Leaf Maples. We found a nice clearing to plop down, take a break to eat some food and re-hydrate, then get into a circle to discuss a grand game of Spider’s Web with both groups.

Clearly, two groups mean double the explorers in circle and unfortunately double the time it takes to set up a game. With so many more faces in the group it became easy for explorers to feel a greater sense of anonymity and a greater inclination to lose focus in order to joke with their buddies. Eventually the mentors had to ask for everyone’s agreement to bring a strong focus and calmed energy in order to get through the pre-game set up and review of what rules we were going to play by. Everyone stepped up and before we knew it we were scouting out a location to set up boundaries, plant food sources, and establish a web. With three spiders, two food sources, and a whole mess of flies this was shaping up to be an epic game. 

 

Taking into account the large stands of Big Leaf Maple on either side of us, we decided to set our boundaries along a ridgeline of conifers that pose less of a threat to drop branches if a big gust blew in from the south. Dropping down into a valley of deep, lush Sword Fern and sporadic sandstone boulders, the Spiders set up their defenses the flies came up with their game plan, and off we went getting lost in the presence of play. Quickly we found out that three spiders was going to pose a great challenge for the flies. Some frustrations arose but were met with a greater competitive fervor that allowed the flies to truly match their abilities with a great challenge. Playing for a long stretch of time and having quite a lot of fun, the mentors realized this would be a stalemate and it was time to reset the game. We took another snack and hydration break, revisited the rules, and reset the game with two spiders this time. This challenge was a better match with our ability levels and it was much easier for the flies to get into a “flow” where personal growth is maximized. The concept of flow was later reiterated to the boys during our debrief of the game, but for all you parents, “flow” is the concept of maximizing growth by matching an individual’s ability with a challenge that is not too easy yet not too difficult either. If a challenge is too easy, one is not pushed to utilize their full ability and meet their true potential. However, if the challenge is too great, the individual’s ability will be overstretched resulting in frustration and failure. The first game was a bit too challenging for the flies, but our second game with only two spiders was just right. 

Having lost ourselves in play for the majority of this outing we had just enough time for a closing circle and brisk hike out of the woods and back to the trailhead. The Gray Wolf Pups and the Red Tailed Eyas parted ways at this time and found their respective locations for closing circle. As we calmed ourselves and transitioned from the excitement of our game we settled down on a beautifully sunlit hillside and nestled in amongst Sword Ferns. Everyone was grateful for the opportunity to join up with the Red Tailed Eyas and play an epic game of Spider’s Web. We were also very grateful for the break in the weather that permitted a day without worry of getting too wet or needing to relocate due to hazardous gusts of wind. Unfortunately we didn’t get to practice any navigation today, but we all agreed our game of Spider’s Web with the Red Tailed Eyas was well worth it and we will bring extra focus and emphasis on our skills work next outing. Despite the unnerving transformation of this landscape, there is still so much forest to be explored and adventures awaiting us at this ever enticing location. 

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from this outing!