Turning Problems into Possibilities with the Black-Tailed Deer at Clayton Beach

The mentors arrived at Cleator Road for their Rock Trail adventure with the Black-Tailed Deer only to find an event coordinator redirecting traffic away from the road!  The coordinator informed them that the Chuckanut 50k was currently underway, and that there would be hundreds of runners on Cleator Road! With some on the fly thinking the mentors scooped up the group at the bottom of the road and changed course to head to the Clayton Beach trailhead.

Water poured out of every drainage in the Chuckanuts and the birdcalls filled the air as we hiked along the interurban trail. Stopping along the side of the trail for an opening meeting the mentors talked with the group about the importance of rain gear on a day like this. A few of the Explorers choose not to heed the mentor’s advice and the leaders thought is best to let the boys learn by natural consequence. After handing out jobs and introducing our EMA for the day, Cole Zecha from the eldest group in the BEC, we were ready to formulate a plan for the afternoon.  Nominating a Tribal Elder the boys were squirrely and the mentors had to rein in the circle a few times.  We presented two options to the group and the boys unanimously choose to hike to Clayton Beach.

Continuing along the trail the signs of spring were abundant throughout the forest. The mentors took a moment to introduce the group the beautiful flowers of the Pink-flowering currant and the bitter cucumber tasting leaves of an Indian Plum shrub. The groups also spotted a nest of an unidentified raptor nestled in an eroded Sandstone cave nearly forty feet in the air. The group pulled out their binoculars and tried to get a closer look to see if anything was in the nest. At that moment the frontrunner of the Chuckanut 50k was spotted heading down the trail towards us. It was time to put away our binoculars and keep our awareness up. The Explorers did an excellent job moving to the side of the trail for the runners and were actually quite excited to witness the race in action.

Arriving at the Fragrance Lake Trailhead the group looked tired and called for a snack. This was the perfect time to talk with the group about an EC motto that would help guide our attitude for the day:

            Turning Problems into Possibilities - We understand that what may look like a    problem can transform – with our help – into a possibility. We work to see how         we can shift a situation, and our attitude, to come up with solutions.

Safely across Cuckanut Drive the group lunched under the cover of the amphitheater, peeling of their soaking jackets while they laughed and joked together. Refueled the boys headed out along the coastal bluff trail south of Larrabee in route to Clayton Beach. As we hiked the group noticed that many of the Western Red Cedars were partially stripped of their bark. Stopping at one particularly maimed cedar the mentors pointed out that the person who did this harvesting clearly did not understand their impact. They had not only harvested from an improper location, but had also taken far too much cedar bark from one area.

This was a great opportunity to mention what type of land designation we were venturing through and why it is important that we really practice and understand Earth Skills so that we don’t do considerable damage to the areas that we love. The boys seemed to internalize this message and felt the weight of the harvester’s actions and the impact it would have on all State Park users who visited the location in the future. 

Cresting over a rise in the trail the boys heard the voices of another group of Explorers. Immediately we got on our bellies and stalked the other group. It was not too long before they found us and we joined with the elder Explorer group, the Gray Wolf Pups, to see what they were up to it. It is powerful for the younger Explorers to mix with the elders because they get a great taste of where they can go in the program if they stay committed and engaged.

Mustering their energy the group made one last push to Clayton Beach. Within fifteen minutes the boys had all but flooded their boots and soaked their bottom layers in the saltwater. One boy even decided to dive head first into the surf. Sensing some urgency, the mentors circled up the boys and had a talk about preventative thinking and consequently how to recognize the stages of hypothermia.

Within a few minutes a few the soaked Explorers were shaking and feeling the full weight of their decision. Fortunately for those Explorers they had some extra gear in their packs to change into. It is amazing what lessons the natural world can easily teach our participants that a mentor would struggle to impart. For this group it was a great time to check their egos and understand that they too are in charge of their own safety as well as the groups.

Our intention was to do some nature journaling on the beach, but with cold participants we choose to spend the next half an hour running up and down the sand dune. We ended our day with a sit spot and the modified task of drawing something that we were thankful for. The boys really responded well to our activity and brought back some heartfelt thanks from their sit spot. The mentors again brought the Explorers focus back to our motto for the day, Turning Problems into Possibilities. We let the group know that our original plan was to search for invertebrates and salamanders at lost Lake and explore the Rock Trail, but we ended up at Clayton Beach. Thank goodness we did too, because if we had not been faced with the challenge of having to find a new location we wouldn’t have gotten to explore Clayton Beach, see all the wonderful signs of spring, meet the Gray Wolf Pups, and learn a powerful lesson about exploring outside in the winter months.

Jedidiah and I are thankful for another great outing with the BTD, the flexibility of parents in response to our location mix-up, and for Cole joining us as an Explorers mentor Apprentice.

For more pictures from our outing please visit the Black-Tailed Deer photo album from the day.

Investigating Animal Track & Sign at Tennant Lake Interpretative Center

The Black-tailed Deer arrived at the Tennant Lake Interpretative Center clearly excited to explore a new location. Once everyone had gathered we headed out in search of a spot for our opening circle. Settling in the mentors nominated a Tribal Elder and let the group know that we had three Environmental Education Students from WWU who would be exploring with us; Anna, Ciera, and Nina. The Explorers were informed that our volunteers were not only interested in exploring this unique location with us, but that they also wanted to learn about our Explorer Club culture. What better way to teach our culture than with a strong opening circle facilitated by the boys?

After handing out jobs and going over location safety concerns, the mentors presented the group with our core routines for the day: engaging in our seasonal skill of bird language and behavior, playing a game called Jays and Juncos, having a sit spot, and exploring the mile-long wetland boardwalk. The Tribal Elder did an excellent job of facilitating the group decision-making process and helping the group come to a collaborative decision to explore the wetland first and take a sit spot on the boardwalk.

As we walked the mentors chatted with the boys about the importance of wetlands for providing habitat, water purification, trapping sediment, preventing flooding, and allowing water to slowly seep into the ground table. Crossing over the first bridge the boys spotted a few Coots feeding on the aquatic plants. We also took a moment to discuss a plant that has been coined nature’s grocery store, Cat Tail. Almost every part of this plant is edible and it provides excellent nesting habitat for Marsh Wrens and Red-Winged Blackbirds. Harvesting a few of the Cat Tail’s the boys crushed up the cone shaped flower on the top of the stem and waved them around like wands, releasing the seeds into the wind.

Arriving at the boardwalk the boys investigated the roof of a beaver lodge that was thought to be abandoned for many of years. The lodge must have been fifteen feet in diameter. Looking closely the boys noticed fresh beaver chews and sticks that had been added to the holes in the roof. How cool to think that a lodge could be reclaimed and reused! One of the amazing parts about this location is the multitude of animal tracks and signs. Walking the boardwalk the group found beaver highways and chews through the Sweet Gale and Pacific Willow, River Otter scat, and all types of interesting fungi. They also had a great time smelling the “Pine Sol” scented beaver scent mounds and releasing the methane bubbles trapped in the sediment layers of the wetland.

Finding an open space on the boardwalk the group lunched and viewed some Mergansers hiding among the Cat Tail’s as a Sharp-Shinned Hawk patrolled the skies overhead. After lunch we came across an expansive view of the wetland and decided that it would be the perfect place for our sit spot. Tucking away in the Sweet Gale the boys got quiet and listened for birdcalls. As one of the mentors sat a Marsh Wren darted between him and another Explorer. Although the birds are not particularly vocal at this time of year, late winter is often the time when a number of species establish their breeding territories. 

Our solo time was quiet and going well until a number of other park users started to walk by. This caused a chain reaction in the boys and they started to get squirrely. One mentor stood up to make sure that they were leaving enough room for the other park users and stepped right off the boardwalk, soaking his pants and flooding his boots! The boys thought this was quite hilarious, as did the other mentors.

On the way over to the other side of the park the group continued to harvest Cat Tail’s and were becoming a little rowdy and they waved them around to disperse the seeds. This was an important time to circle up and talk about being respectful of the work the park staff puts into keeping the park clean and being aware of how and why we are harvesting resources and what other species might need them too.

Walking through the grass field on the way over to the patch of forest along the Nooksack River the boys played games of Hide! and viewed a pair of Bald Eagles repairing their nest in a large Cottonwood. Arriving at the location where we intended to play games we saw the river was blown out and the forest held about a foot of standing water. Turning problems in possibilities Jedidiah led the boys in a tracking exercise following some coyote scat and digs in the myriad of vole holes along the edge of the field. This led us straight to the giant Cottonwood and we got an up close and personal view of the Eagle’s nest.

Arriving at the Hovander farm we found a perfect location to play Jays and Juncos. The game of Jays and Juncos is a great model for helping the boys understand what it’s like to try to find food as a ground nesting bird while trying to keep your young alive from the ever-persistent Jays. After playing a few rounds and experimenting with ratios of Jays to Juncos the boys had some great takeaways around the balance of the forest bird ecosystem and what it was like to have to always stay hyper vigilant and aware of predators.

Circling up one last time we shared our thanks for a powerful day full a genuine Exploration and powerful moments of natural history and animal tracks and signs. The mentors would like to thank our volunteers from WWU for joining us for the day and for Heather Nelson for bringing the group some delicious cupcakes in celebration of her son’s birthday.

For more photos please visit the Black-Tailed Deer photo album from the day.