Barnacles Follow Their Inspirations at Lake Padden

The Barnacles arrived at Lake Padden on a beautiful early spring day. This was world away from the winter wind storm that forced us to cancel and reschedule our outing for another time. Luckily, the sun was shining as the Barnacles showed up and prepared for our some good old fashion exploration. First and foremost we decided to take advantage of the big field and played a few rounds of “Fox Tails” to get our wiggles out before opening circle. Gathering together we talked about our plan for the day, loaded up our packs, and hit the trail.

Gathering around the map to find out where we are going

Pausing to take a look at the map the Barnacles were given a destination and tasked with figuring out how to navigate there. We would be taking the dog off-leash trail to hike a mile or so to the “big fallen tree” to set up a base camp. Along the way we paused to play a game of “HIDE” near a bridge. Taking a moment for the whole group to catch up allowed those in the front to indulge their curiosities and inspect a freshly fallen Western Hemlock laying parallel to the bridge. By the time the rest of the group caught up, everyone was lost in free exploration clambering over the log, digging in the roots, beginning the development of a shelter, and tossing rocks in the creek. Seeing the group immersed in free play the mentors decided to go with the flow and see how long it would last.

Exploring the fallen Hemlock

After nearly two hours of playful exploration the Barnacles were still eager to continue with their free time. Watching the entire group interacting together, collaborating on developing new games, gathering rocks for one another to toss in the creek, and playing with an old tennis ball watching it float under the bridge over and over was a treat for the mentors to watch. It was hard to call it quits, but the mentors thought it would be a great time for a “Sit Spot” where everyone gets some individual time to be by themselves and tune into their surroundings. Using the “Five S’s” of Silent, Solo, Still, Safe, and Senses, we had our ground rules for the sit spot and everyone scampered off to find a cozy place to hunker down for the next fifteen minutes. Following the joyful clamor of free play, the silence of the sit spot was a welcome change. Listening to the birds, building mini shelters, and soaking up the sunshine everyone enjoyed some peace and quiet before we gathered up again to return to the field.

Soaking up some sun and transitioning to skills work

With a bit of extra time leftover, we all gathered up in the sunshine to warm up and work on some skills while others went off to play some more games. With half the group off playing, the other half gathered around one of the mentors to learn a bit about harvesting natural materials for fire starting. Looking at a spread of a bow-drill kit, tinder fungus, cedar bark, birch bark, and other bits and pieces of natural tinder we had the opportunity to experiment. Practicing our bow-drill technique, using a ferrocerium rod to throw sparks onto tinder we tested bits and pieces for flammability and proper preparation. Although the Barnacles are years away from learning the Art of Fire, there is always room for a little practice and foreshadowing for the future. All in all this was an incredible outing. The Barnacles showed the mentors they didn’t have any need for a plan and can make an amazing outing on their own out of a simple bridge, fallen tree, and their imaginations. The entire group played together for hours immersed in imaginative play that would make any adult nostalgic for those precious days of childhood where success is measured by the simple metric of fun for you and your friends. No doubt, this was a successful day. 

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

Barnacles Explore Whatcom Falls

The Barnacles had an exciting day exploring Whatcom Falls. For some, it was the first time they had seen the waterfall! We crossed the stone bridge and discussed the origin of the name "Whatcom" and its Lummi meaning "place of noisy waters." We spent some time exploring near the falls, safely and carefully of course, and admiring ice formations that had been created from a cold night the day before.

Next we traveled down the trail to a spot where we set up temporary camp and played games. We reviewed our learned skills in the art of camouflage and played a few games of Hide. While hiding, we found many indications of human impact, from dog poop to plastic hangers. We discussed the scope of impact that our community and other visitors have on natural spaces like Whatcom falls, and the importance of Leave No Trace ethics. We were able to pack out the hangers and a few other pieces of "safe trash." We always make sure to discuss safe and unsafe trash. Pieces of safe trash are items such as plastics, wrappers, etc.  to which we can apply our motto "You see it you own it." That is to say that even though we may not have been the ones to leave the items, as environmental stewards and recreators, we still have a responsibility to clean them up!

After  several games of Hide and some lunch, we moved on to the Whatcom Falls' swimming hole. We watched a couple of teenagers prepare to slack line near the water and discussed the safety concerns of how people in our community use the swimming hole. Specifically, we worked through the dangers of cliff jumping into shallow waters, and how though it may sound fun, it is ultimately a very risky thing to do! We talked through a few specific considerations that make jumping into the water unsafe, such as the changing depth of water due to rain fall and the shifting of larges rocks and boulders beneath the water caused by a moving current.

During this discussion, we spotted a bird about which we had spoken earlier, the American Dipper! We recognized the bird based on a description we had learned at the start of our day. We noted that like the description we had learned, this bird was grey, round-bodied, found near the edge of a stream,  and bobbing (dipping) up and down searching for food. For more information about the American Dipper, click here!

After watching the American Dipper for a few minutes, we began our trek back to the stone bridge. Along the way we played a game called "Cougar Stalks Deer," a game very similar to "Red Light/Green Light," but tweaked to discuss how deer have a hard time seeing things that aren't moving, but have excellent hearing and are more apt to notice animals when they make sudden movements.

Once back at the stone bridge, we spent a few last moments exploring near the waterfall before moving to the field to play some final games. We ended our outing as we always do with our Attitude of Gratitude, and finished just in time to miss the sleet! 

For more photos from this outing, click here!