RF Service with Blue Skies for Children 12-6-15

On this unusual indoor service day, we take a rest from exploring outside and instead explore the connections between us and some of the younger members of the community; this day our service was located at the Blue Skies for Children’s office. After a quick check-in and briefing about the project, the Red Foxes seemed ready for a day of service and action!

During service days, we take the time to remember how our needs are being met and how we can help meet the needs of other people. We reflected on our motto, Our Cups Overflow and decided we definitely had more than enough spilling over our own cups. This is our EC philosophy of service: those whose cups spill over have the joy and responsibility of sharing with others whose cups aren't quite full. Then we learned all about Blue Skies For Children's mission, and how they help "fill the cups" of hundreds of children in Whatcom County. It was just great to see how well the girls understood that mission, and to witness their emerging commitment to do what they could to contribute to it.

The commitment on this day was to stamp, label and stuff thousands of envelopes. As we talked about direct service vs. indirect service, the Red Fox girls saw how this indirect contribution of labeling envelopes to potential donors could allow many children to be assisted by BSFC.

All service projects require some degree of persistence – it is work, after all. But somehow Red Foxes successfully made work into play on Sunday. This time was a great way to catch up with some of the girls on their lives, something we often don't have time for on outings. We shared our interests, upcoming events, and lots of goofiness!

In Explorers Club, we aim to create a culture that expresses the attitude of writer Rabindranath Tagore: "I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy." Our project involved a different kind of tenacity than usual: there was no inclement weather to work with, no hard-to-pull weeds, but rather, lots of repetitive tasks. But Red Foxes never seemed to tire of it; they took a short lunch break, but we were determined to finish the job we had come to do. This is integrity in action, following our EC motto Walk Your Talk.

Even amidst all the silliness and fun we had, this group put their best self-management skills to work. With great focus, they sticker-ed, stamped and stuffed a huge number of envelopes and donated 75 hours of time (3 hrs x 2 groups of girls)! Filled with a sense of determination and resolve to have the biggest impact possible in a finite amount of time, they even filled an additional round of envelopes up until the very last minute! They really left an impression, and received sound gratitude from Julie, Blue Skies' Executive Director. 

Our closing circle began with a discussion of our season. We remembered our earlier outings, shared funny memories from the season, and talked about the plants, animals, and concepts we connected with. Reflecting on the season past, we ended our day by creating a Web of Life. Each girl became something from nature she had connected to this fall: Medicine club, water, wind, leaves, cottonwood…Through this web, we underline our EC motto All Things Are Connected, and understand that whenever one thing in the web is altered, it affects all the other aspects. 

The laws of physics mean that when one's cup is emptied to fill others' cups, that cup becomes more empty. But the Red Foxes' experience defied physics: they all could easily state that their cups were more full by helping to fill those of the BSFC kids. 

Our words of the day: "Love and giving, being connected through envelopes"

EC Mottos especially alive today:
Our Cups Overflow
Walk Your Talk
Collaborate and Compromise
All Things Are Connected
LIBK (Let It Be Known)
Widen The Circle
Everyone Helps

-Laurel

Find our photo album from the day here!

Medicinal Plants: 11/14

The weather was calling for a total doozey of a day: rain, lots and lots of rain. The mentors' mood going into the outing was one of nervousness (because of the weather) and excitement (because of the topic). Some how the weather mostly held off and we were able to explore, learn, create, and play without being too wet or too cold.

For this special Earth Skills Day, the Red Foxes donned their medicinal-plant-owl-eyes and discovered the medicinal magic that nature holds.

When girls look at the natural world through a medicinal lens, well known plants become strong and powerful allies, protecting us from illness and helping our bodies heal. Cottonwood becomes more than just a tall tree with heart-shaped leaves: it is transformed into a powerful antibiotic with buds that soothe the skin, with analgesic properties that helps keep pain at bay. Usnea is no longer just a cool stretchy lichen, but one that has the power to staunch bleeding wounds; the dancing needles of Red Cedar become strong anti-viral heroes that pack immune boosting punches; the artist conch fungus (reishi) becomes more than a natural canvas for our fingernail sketches – it is an ancient medicine that helps strengthen the immune system and fights against cancer. And devil's club shifts to medicine club in the ways it heals so many things... What an incredible way to appreciate nature’s endless gifts in a whole new way!

Highlights from the day:

- Knowing that the weather could turn soggy at any minute, we immediately went to our base camp spot, and set up a tarp to keep our stuff and our bodies dry. This basecamp quickly started to resemble what I imagine some of our girls' rooms like - stuff scattered everywhere!

- Collecting and then pondering some of our well known plant friends spread out on a bandanna, we used our naturalist skills to deduct the medicinal powers of dandelion, medicine club, cottonwood, foxglove, plantain, Oregon grape, reishi, cedar, fir, and more.

- Practicing seeing more than just green, noticing, one by one, the lichen, ferns, moss, fungi and other plants often lost when we look in a generalized way. We then turned our attention to the seeking medicinals, seeing with new eyes the young Hawthorne with its pokey branches that sprout red berries in the summer, berries that are a heart healer, reducing hypertension as well as easing anxiety. We saw the sticky sap seeping out of the Douglas Fir and learned of its powerful medicine to protect against bacteria and fungus. We noticed so many more plants and discussed their unique medicinal power: licorice root, Oregon grape, red alder, saxifrage, salal, plantain, dandelion, horsetail, and more...

- Playing and adding on to the debris shelters that other GEC groups had made during their skills' days this season.

- Making cottonwood salve from cottonwood buds steeped in oil. The Red Foxes had gathered the cottonwood buds at an earlier outing. We carefully stirred and added the oil to the wax, blending it into salve perfection and pouring it cautiously into our tiny containers. Once the salve set we delighted in our creations, applying it to dry skin and lips.

- Playing a lively game of Medicinal Plant tag, with the person who was "it" acting as an illness and others acting as the plant that helps the problem. We ran, laughed, got warm, and made solid connections between plants and their power.

-Enjoying "Vitamin C Honey' (rosehip honey) on some fresh bread and making medicinal forest tea with nettles, licorice root & dandelion root

- Learning fire building techniques and skills.

- Discussing where plants put their energy in each season (shoots, fruits and roots).

- Deciding that its not only the medicinal plants in nature that can heal but also nature itself, offering a sanctuary from our often busy, stressful world. And that we can, in turn, help heal nature's illnesses and wounds when natural systems become overtaxed.

Our words of the day? Ferns, Fire, Forts, and SALVE
To see photos, click here!

Medicine Club Traverse 10-9-15

What an amazing and fun-filled, stretch-your-edge kind of day we had with the Red Foxes this past Friday! We had two new GEC participants join the Red Fox group (welcome, Celeste and Amanda!) so excitement levels were high from the get-go. Mother Nature made her presence known with an energizing mix of sunshine, clouds, and strong, yet exceptionally warm gusts of wind throughout the day as the Red Foxes explored the forests, beaches, and bluffs of Chuckanut Bay...OFF TRAIL!!! This unique weather pattern—a result of Hurricane Oho brewing off the coast of Hawaii—made for rich discussion and excited energy first thing as the girls gathered at the North Chuckanut Trailhead.

         Our day of adventure began with the simple task of leaf collection. As the trees danced and leaves swirled in the air above us, the girls ran around the woods gathering leaves in greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and browns. Once every color was accounted for, we formed our opening circle around the collected pile of leaves. The girls worked together to create a color wheel out of the leaves, starting with green hues, and ending with brown. With the leaf circle in front of us, we discussed the many things cycles could represent: The cycle of life; the circle of seasons; the natural process of death and decomposition; the process of photosynthesis in the warmth of summer; the loss of chlorophyll and nutrient production as days shorten and temperatures drop. We looked at where each of us might fall on this spectrum, and though we decided it best not to dwell on death, we acknowledged its importance in the circle of life and agreed that death is not bad, just sad. As a few girls rightly noted, “death and decomposition in the forest allow new plants to grow!” The cycle of life and process of decomposition became reoccurring themes throughout our day of exploration.

Another theme of the day, closely related to the cycle of life, was our featured medicinal plant: Devils Club. We discussed Devils Club’s infinite medicinal uses (temporary cure for arthritis, blood sugar regulator for diabetes, cure for stomach pain, remedy for skin disease, and many more). We compared Devils Club to Nettle and discussed how both have negative connotations. After this discussion a new name,  “Medicine Club”, was given to our plant of the day to honor its many healing properties despite such a menacing appearance. 

Throughout our morning circle discussions, the girls passed around a jar of olive oil, in which they mixed and mashed up Cottonwood buds (collected on our previous outing), to be made into salve on our next outing!           

Eager to get on the trail (or, more accurately, off the trail...), we gathered around the North Chuckanut Trailhead map to orient ourselves and plan our route. The girls’ navigation skills were put to the test as they mapped out a path that would lead us Southwest towards the Medicine Club plants and eventually to Mud Bay.

Once oriented, we set out towards the forest along our chosen route. Honoring our GEC motto, “It’s About the Journey, Not the Destination”, we found ourselves stopped moments later to fill our bellies with one of natures greatest sources of Vitamin C: Rosehip. A few girls pointed out Licorice Root growing nearby, a favorite medicinal plant among the Red Foxes. With happy bellies and healthy hearts, we set off towards the Medicine Club grove.

Things got real as we entered Medicine club territory. The girls used S.T.O.P risk assessment, full body awareness, and the buddy system to make sure everyone in the group was together and safe as we bushwhacked through the thick undergrowth. A handful of the girls were nervous about off-trail hiking through tall-standing Medicine Club plants (some almost twice their height!), but with encouragement from fellow Red Foxes, the group pushed forward towards the bay. At first we found ourselves surrounded by fern-covered Douglas Fir trees, High Oregon Grape, Huckleberry, and Medicine Club plants. As we got closer to the bay, the girls were quick to notice the change in flora around us. A quick pop-quiz affirmed the Red Foxes keen eye and exceptional naturalist knowledge as they called out the names of Skunk Cabbage, Cottonwood Trees, Holly, Vine Maple, Rosehip, and Salmonberry bushes.

Excited yells and laughter filled the air as the group emerged out of the forest and into the warm sun cascading down on Mud Bay. Lucky for this group of Mud lovers, tide was out and that meant play time! The new Red Foxes in the group were quickly informed by the others that one of GEC’s mottos (or “muddos”, as they called it) is “Get Dirty!” And that they did! Mud skating, animal tracking, river exploration, and facepainting (with mud, of course) became the main activities for the next hour or so. 

Our journey continued after a quick face rinse and some mid-day laundry in the river to rid ourselves of mud. The girls used their collaborating and compromising skills to get us to our next stop, Woodstock Farm. There was good energy all around as the girls emerged from the woods and ran out into the sunshine and warm, whipping wind. The Salish Sea was alive below us, with huge swells and white caps crashing towards the shore. We spread out to do Peaceful Place, with sunshine on our faces, wind in our hair, and the sound of the sea churning below us.

After 20 minutes of solo time, we regrouped and hiked up to the bluff to reflect on this special place. We talked about the people who made it possible for us to be here by preserving this land and donating it to the state of Washington. We noticed the human impacts around us—the railroad tracks, carvings in the Madrona tree, oil barges sitting out in the bay, planes above us, houses lining the shore, and many more. Finally, after a game on the grassy bluff, we thanked this beautiful area and carried on to our final destination. 

Our day ended in the forest above Teddy Bear Cove, where we acknowledged ourselves for something we were proud of, something we learned, or a something we did well that day. Some girls felt they were well prepared with a change of clothing and warm layers, which allowed them to play freely in the mud. Others were proud of overcoming a previous fear of going off trail! Some girls felt they stretched their edge by getting dirty, tasting a medicinal plant, or using maps to navigate.

            The Red Foxes Medicine Club Traverse was a day filled with naturalist knowledge, stretching our edges, body awareness and S.T.O.P assessment, navigation on a path less traveled, enjoying eachothers company, and getting dirty! We ended closing circle with all hands in to yell out our words of the day: “Muddy water, Medicine Club, Games, Epicness!"

To see our full album of the day, click here.

EC Mottos of the day:

·      Collaborate and Compromise

·      Stretch Your Edge

·      Challenge By Choice

·      Get Dirty!

·      Safety First

·      Be Prepared

·      It's About the Journey, Not the Destination

·      Leave No Trace

Scouting a New Educational Site: 9-13-15

Bringing the Red Foxes together for their first outing of the fall was such a treat! The gals came together as if no time had passed and jumped right into the task at hand - scouting this site for a future Montessori school and future outdoor adventures.

We started our day with the Dragonflies to create a plan for how we would see as much of the 60 acres of property as possible. We talked about the information we wanted to collect, how we could keep track of all this information, and how the explorers could use their perspective to help shift what actually happens on this site.

The Dragonflies headed one way and the Red Foxes made their way towards the garden and greenhouse structure. Right off the bat we had an amazing discovery. We found hatched robin eggs in a nest! One of the eggs had something in, so using careful hands we broke apart the egg to find a hardened old egg yolk with the early stages of a robin hardened within this amber-colored egg. We were all completely blown away by this discovery and were left with more questions that answers; how did this harden like this? what stage was the bird in when it died? how come 2 of the 3 survived?

From there, we spent time brainstorming what could be done in this particular garden area.  The girls had so many amazing ideas; we talked about how future students could be involved in every step of the gardening process from preparing the soil to choosing food to eventually serve in the cafeteria to learning about permaculture and closed loop gardening.

Sadie and Sammie examining the out of use raised beds.

From the garden, we walked the fence of the school. Noticing critical native plants like snow berry and native blackberry. The school proved to be filled with cool teaching opportunities. The girls thought about creating mini-outdoor classrooms where you could focus on different topics. We also thought about creating a really robust recycling program at the school and moving the school towards being completely zero waste. This was prompted by the fact that there was lots of trash laying around the grounds of the building.

After breaking at the school for a snack and some discussion, we moved down a trail behind the building. This trail definitely needed some love, and the girls thought it would be great to have future students learn about trail building and help to maintain all the trails on this property. The trail eventually lead us to an open alder and cottonwood field. We spent time exploring here and discovered black tail dear scat, bear scat, and either cougar or coyote scat! It was cool to be in an area where so many other creatures had been. We spent time looking at, breaking up scat, and trying to identify scat. In this same area we discovered three more birds' nests and an abandoned paper wasp nest.

Maddie looking closely at the paper wasp nest

We then decided rather than turning around, we would take the chance and continue to follow this trail. We all felt that it was heading in the right direction and we all had a bit of explorer's fever!

The trail took us out to huge field where we jumped on marshmallows (hay bales) and harvested some down cottonwood buds for our future medicinal plants outing! We weren't planning on harvesting cottonwood buds, but because of the storm from a few weeks ago, there are countless down cottonwood branches and this allowed the girls to see the first step in making salve.

After our play time and harvest, we made our way down to Anderson Creek. When we arrived to this area, we encountered the Dragonflies. They had just opened a wood duck box and discovered 23 wood duck egg membranes! We got to touch the down feathers the mom and baby wood ducks had left behind before flying out of the wood duck box, and we distributed the feathers around the area to leave a clean wood duck box for future inhabitants. This prompted our gals to think about ways to integrate these boxes and other habitat-creating service projects into our ideas for future programming at this site.

We then moved to Anderson Creek. The girls put together a boat race and created boats to float down the creek. Within a few minutes, we held a quick boat race. Our race was quick, and before long, we were back on the trail heading to our ending place. We summarized our recommendations to the Montessori school (check them out below) and presented our ideas to the Dragonflies. To see pictures from our day, click here. Next up, the Red Foxes will be taking on medicinal plants!!

Our recommendations:
- Teaching farm and garden with students involved at every step: planning, building, growing, animal handling,  marketing and selling food.
- Medicinal herbs and foraging classes
- Trail building and maintenance
- Working towards becoming a zero waste site