Black-Tailed Deer Exploration at Whatcom Falls Park

Saying goodbye to their parents the Black-tailed Deer gathered in the field at Whatcom Falls. Feeling a little inspiration one of the mentors showed the group a number of hand-carved utensils and a knife handle crafted out of Curly Birch and Moose Antler. The boys marveled at the implements and asked when they would be able to carve.  The mentors let group know that in a year or two they would start our Art of Carving journey and that is was the boys experience practicing our motto, The Difference Between a Tool and Weapon is You and working with one another that would tell us when they were ready for the responsibility. 

Circling up we focused for our opening meeting.

With a year under there belt in the Boys EC, the mentors though it appropriate to spend the day leading from behind. Once the Tribal Elder job was delegated he was tasked with facilitating a group decision on making a plan for the day. The only thing the mentors told the group they had to do was have a closing meeting and share some thanks at the end of the day. Going around the circle the Tribal Elder first took suggestions from the group. Capturing those suggestions he worked hard to find a sequence that fit in the many interests and requests while holding to the outing time. This was a long time for the boys to hold their focus and some started to squirrel out and derail the group. Our challenge as mentors is trying to empower the boys through group decision-making and ownership of the experience while assessing whether we have given them the proper leadership tools to make these decisions.

In the end the boys and came up with a great plan for the day; play a few field games before making our way to the waterfall then following the up creek to one of the boy’s favorite places to hunt Crayfish, and finally ending our day with a game of Spider’s Web North of the Derby Pond. Setting up a backpack boundary we played a game the boys called Infection and another called Fire in the Forest. With our spirits high and blood pumping we ventured out into the park.

We paused for a moment at the falls to admire the cascading water hitting the Sandstone.  The boys commented that the falls did not seem to be running as high as other years. This type of tracking is so important for the boy’s awareness. Noticing changes in the landscape and tracking the availability of water throughout the seasons give them appreciation for these precious life-giving resources.

Traveling onwards we spotted at a patch of Salmonberries and filed our bellies. The mentors cautioned the boys that they had been finding millipedes in the berries and had known someone whose mouth went numb after accidentally biting into one. Reminding the boys of their skill for the season the Art of Harvest: Plants, we challenged the boys to remember the rules to ethical and safe harvesting. Ambling down to the creek the boys ate lunch and practiced their balancing skills while making log bridges over the babbling creek.

Once we were full and had played a few rounds of Hide, we packed up and in search of the preferred location for Crayfish along the creek. What are a Crayfish you ask? Click here to find out more about our native Signal Crayfish, and here for a native vs. invasive Crayfish comparison chart. The Crayfish’s preferred location is hiding out in the root systems and undercuts of riverbanks. In the winter they excavate tunnels along the riverbanks making excellent insulation from the cold and shelter from predators.

With some great tracking the boys found a section of eroded riverbank tangled with exposed Red Alder roots and holes created from pockets in the Sandstone. Fashioning some dental floss with a key chain ring, which they threaded with some smoked salmon the boys plopped the bait in the water and waited patiently. Just when they were about to give up they felt a tug on the line and pulled up. To their delight a Crayfish rose to the surface clasping onto the Salmon. A soon as his body broke the surface tension with one dart of his tail the Crayfish was gone. The boys fished for a while longer, but never managed to capture the allusive crustaceans.

The boys roamed up and down the creek engaging in free exploration. Feeling the pull of the clock we gathered our stuff, but before heading out discovered a mysterious string that spanned the river. To the Explorers delight, at its end was a Crayfish trap and we were able to finally get an up close and personal view of these creatures. We identified them as either Rusty or Ringed Crayfish, both of which are invasive. 

Heading up the trail we found a dense grove of Sword Fern, Cedar, and Cottonwood and set up the Spider’s Web course. Circling up we took a moment to go over the rules and make clear agreements, touching back on our Explorers Club culture of playing games with honor. Parents, please ask your boys to explain to you about what it means to play games with honor and making clear agreements.

As we played the boys quickly learned that this game course was going to be quite challenging. The boys had to embrace the challenge of getting stuck to the spider’s web time and time again while slowly advancing the bandana. About halfway through our game the Spider and a fly got in an argument while simultaneously the other flies successfully found a sneaky path back to the web. Calling the boys over we thanked the spider for his keen eye and the challenge he provided in the game.

Sending the boys out on a sit spot before our closing meeting the two participants who had been in the disagreement crossed paths and one tried to knock a yogurt container out of the others hand, upset about how the game ended. Racing over to deescalate the situation, the Explorer kicked the boy in the shoulder. It was at this moment that the mentors had to become triangular in their leadership and put a quick stop to the violence. Keeping the group on their sit spot the mentors worked with the two participants to hear both side of the story.

As mentors we look for the powers in our challenges and the challenges in our powers. In this case it was a strong example of how our actions have consequences and affect others. For this Explorer recognition of his internalized anger and the impulse to hurt that came out of his frustration was the power that came out of the situation. Anger and frustration compound when we do not have the proper tools to voice of frustration. The mentors reminded him that the Explorers Club is a container where we create a climate of trust with one another, where we come to feel safe and amongst our peers, a place where we can be genuine and empathetic with one another, and meet and work through the challenges of building a community.

The reason that our mentors choose to write about this conflict in our blog was to keep a clear line of communication with all the parents in the group. So that when questions come up for the Explorer about what happened families have the ability to debrief the situation and use the challenge as opportunity for growth and refection. We do not shy way from conflict in the Boys EC, but instead use it as a tool for debrief and growth, while holding a firm edge for participant safety. We are all learning and growing and we all have our own struggles and hurdles as we go through our time in the program. The rest of the group’s job in these moments is to support each other through these experiences.

Closing our day we circled up and gave some thanks. The boys really brought their best to this circle and gave heartfelt gratitude while they snacked on some apples. Parents, thank you for your support and commitment to the program over the Black-Tailed Deer’s first season in Explorers Club. Our mentor’s are so thankful to walk alongside your boys as they grow in the open air and experience all that time spent out on the land has to teach.

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