On a stunningly beautiful May day, the Daredevils Club reunited one last time to conclude the Spring 2015 season. As the first few boys showed up, they were immediately drawn to a large bramble of Salmon Berry whose berries must have heard the Swainson’s Thrush and realized it was time to ripen up! Munching on berries, the boys nonchalantly acknowledged the mentors, set down there packs, and went back for more. Some of the parents even got in on the fun and indulged on a few berries here or there.
With the rest of the Explorers present, the mentors thought it might be worth revisiting the Salmon Berry since the boys clearly felt confident in their abilities to identify and proceed to consume its berries. But once the Explorers were asked to draw a picture of the Salmon Berries leaves from memory, there was a pause and immediate realization that they couldn’t quite recall its three leaflets, toothed edges, and resemblance of a butterfly if the top leaflet is folded back. The mentors reminded the boys of the utmost necessity of making a confident identification before consuming any wild edible even if you think you know what the plant is. It is always worth it to take your time when your life is on the line. We also took some time to try journaling one of our most common feathered friends, the American Robin. Just like the Salmon Berry, most of the boys were stumped when it came to recalling any of the identifying characteristics beyond the red breast and dark brown/black back. Taking full advantage of our field guides, the boys rediscovered the robins yellow beak and white ring around its eye.
Enough of the natural history, and on to the rest of the outing. It was time to get moving, so we headed to the north east of the drop off location, admiring the beautiful trout in the hatchery along the way and finally stopping to rest beside Derby Pond. Here the mentors posed some questions about what the DDC want to do for their upcoming Fall Season. Answers varied from exploring the expansive mud flats, to traversing greater distances in the mountains, and perhaps even the opportunity to put their shelter building skills to the test on a primitive overnight. But the boys quickly lost interest in this subject and wanted to go play in the woods! Who could blame them on such a gorgeous day, in such a gorgeous location?
Before we could get exploring and playing, the mentors reminded the boys of the importance of group collaboration and decision making when it comes to planning an outing. Given the age of this group, the mentors thought it was time to take the training wheels off and let them decide what to do on their own. Stepping aside from the circle the mentors relaxed beside the creek observing the bobbing motions of an American Dipper as it foraged beside a small waterfall. Surprisingly quickly the boys made a plan and were eager to hit the trail in search of a location to play a game of Spider’s Web. But in only a matter of minutes half the group was scampering across rocks in the middle of the creek while the other half was anxious to head down the trail. It became apparent that the Explorers had not come to a true consensus, and when asked how they decided what to do, they admitted to merely taking a vote and going with the majority. This, as all Explorers know (or should know) is not how to properly collaborate and compromise to generate a group consensus. After getting side tracked by some un-Explorer like behavior in regards to a glass bottle that was discovered in the stream, and a stern talking to by the mentors. The boys were tasked with trying again to come up with a consensus for what to do with our outing.
With the rest of the Explorers present, the mentors thought it might be worth revisiting the Salmon Berry since the boys clearly felt confident in their abilities to identify and proceed to consume its berries. But once the Explorers were asked to draw a picture of the Salmon Berries leaves from memory, there was a pause and immediate realization that they couldn’t quite recall its three leaflets, toothed edges, and resemblance of a butterfly if the top leaflet is folded back. The mentors reminded the boys of the utmost necessity of making a confident identification before consuming any wild edible even if you think you know what the plant is. It is always worth it to take your time when your life is on the line. We also took some time to try journaling one of our most common feathered friends, the American Robin. Just like the Salmon Berry, most of the boys were stumped when it came to recalling any of the identifying characteristics beyond the red breast and dark brown/black back. Taking full advantage of our field guides, the boys rediscovered the robins yellow beak and white ring around its eye.
Enough of the natural history, and on to the rest of the outing. It was time to get moving, so we headed to the north east of the drop off location, admiring the beautiful trout in the hatchery along the way and finally stopping to rest beside Derby Pond. Here the mentors posed some questions about what the DDC want to do for their upcoming Fall Season. Answers varied from exploring the expansive mud flats, to traversing greater distances in the mountains, and perhaps even the opportunity to put their shelter building skills to the test on a primitive overnight. But the boys quickly lost interest in this subject and wanted to go play in the woods! Who could blame them on such a gorgeous day, in such a gorgeous location?
Before we could get exploring and playing, the mentors reminded the boys of the importance of group collaboration and decision making when it comes to planning an outing. Given the age of this group, the mentors thought it was time to take the training wheels off and let them decide what to do on their own. Stepping aside from the circle the mentors relaxed beside the creek observing the bobbing motions of an American Dipper as it foraged beside a small waterfall. Surprisingly quickly the boys made a plan and were eager to hit the trail in search of a location to play a game of Spider’s Web. But in only a matter of minutes half the group was scampering across rocks in the middle of the creek while the other half was anxious to head down the trail. It became apparent that the Explorers had not come to a true consensus, and when asked how they decided what to do, they admitted to merely taking a vote and going with the majority. This, as all Explorers know (or should know) is not how to properly collaborate and compromise to generate a group consensus. After getting side tracked by some un-Explorer like behavior in regards to a glass bottle that was discovered in the stream, and a stern talking to by the mentors. The boys were tasked with trying again to come up with a consensus for what to do with our outing.
Alas, the boys managed to collaborate and compromise, and we were off again. Crossing the large stone bridge and skirting a side trail on our way to a Spider’s Web spot, we stopped only for a few games of Hide and to watch the teenagers at the falls exhibit incredibly poor risk management in an attempt to impress members of the opposite gender. Getting off the beaten path, we found ourselves primed for some more natural history before getting to our games. Noticing a clear divide in the group in terms of which boys were hanging out with whom, the mentors paired up Explorers in order to break down this divide and allow for greater interaction with group members that the Explorers may not know as well as some of the others. With some obvious apprehension at first, the boys settled in to a fantastic session of natural history journaling utilizing a plethora of field guides, journaling templates, and colored pencils. Be it a Gray Wolf or a Mountain Bluebird, each Explorer illustrated the species, identified its name, Latin name, range, and any other pertinent or interesting information. It was great to see the majority of the boys express a deep focus and impressive drawing ability to produce a quality journal entry on their species.
Finally it was time for Spider’s Web! Getting ready to get lost in play, we discovered that half of the group did not want to stick with their original agreement and instead go play in the stream. With time running out on our last outing of the season, the mentors discussed the importance of integrity and sticking to an agreement that was made. However, it was also pointed out that it is important to take into account the ever evolving contexts of one’s environment, social dynamics, and a myriad of other factors that could lead one to amend a previous agreement. It was a powerful discussion and the mentors even did a bit of role playing to exemplify how to revisit a previous agreement and once again collaborate and compromise. With some help from the mentors the boys efficiently came to a group consensus. This was a powerful topic that we will most definitely revisit in the Fall, but just as the length of this blog is calling for a conclusion, the time of the outing was calling for a game of Spider’s Web.
We hustled up to a tried and true location that has seen many a game of Spider’s Web. The boys quickly set up the game, and were sneaking through the sword ferns and getting lost in the present; such are the powers of play. Wrapping up our game we trekked to the rocks just above the stone bridge and waterfall to have a quick session of splashing in the creek and conclude our outings as we always do with a closing circle. After sharing our gratitude for Whatcom Falls, the birds, the water, the sunshine, the apples we were munching on, and much more, we got our packs and hurried to the parking lot just in time for pick up. It was an outing of growth for these boys. Although taking their group decision making training wheels off led to a bit of a bumpy outing, it is through such trials that these boys will develop the social skills, confidence, independence and responsibility they will need as they embark on the adventures of adolescence.
We hustled up to a tried and true location that has seen many a game of Spider’s Web. The boys quickly set up the game, and were sneaking through the sword ferns and getting lost in the present; such are the powers of play. Wrapping up our game we trekked to the rocks just above the stone bridge and waterfall to have a quick session of splashing in the creek and conclude our outings as we always do with a closing circle. After sharing our gratitude for Whatcom Falls, the birds, the water, the sunshine, the apples we were munching on, and much more, we got our packs and hurried to the parking lot just in time for pick up. It was an outing of growth for these boys. Although taking their group decision making training wheels off led to a bit of a bumpy outing, it is through such trials that these boys will develop the social skills, confidence, independence and responsibility they will need as they embark on the adventures of adolescence.
Check out the rest of the photos from our outing at the Daredevils Club Photo Gallery!
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