The Daredevil's Club & Branch Hoppers Serve at Connelly Creek

The Daredevil’s Club and Branch Hoppers arrived at the Connelly Creek Service Site only to see the sky darken and the clouds open up with rainfall. Quickly adorning their rain gear the boys weren’t fazed at all. Doing a once over of the site the group noticed a lot had changed. The Reed-Canary grass had made a comeback, but not quite as much as years previous. The Blackberries were slowly creeping their way over the mulch and re-rooting. The Morning Glory vines had intertwined themselves with our caged Alders and a late summer storm had taken down a tree, scattering branches everywhere.

The group was slightly disheartened, but not defeated. After two and a half years of tending the site the boys are learning the valuable lesson that all relationships take work and maintenance. Their relationship with this patch of land is slowly and persistently testing the boys’ fortitude and diligence to their task, while cultivating their character.  

Our mentors have observed two very distinct character traits budding in our Explorers, as coined by Dr. Kurt Hahn, the famous educator and founder of Outward Bound, 

"I regard it as the foremost task of education to insure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self denial, and above all, compassion.” 

These “Five Pillars of Hahnism” are part of the core character traits we hope to cultivate and reinforce in the Explorers. Their “undefeatable spirit” for and “tenacity in the pursuit” of restoring balance to this patch of wilderness is a very real window in what their journey and struggle to be stewards of the land might look like in our modern age. The Explorer’s access and exposure to a plethora of information on environmental dilemmas that await their generation is enough to dishearten anyone. It will be their “undefeatable spirit” and “tenacity in the pursuit” that will enact monumental change in our world and in their own lives personally.

Circling up the boys were excited to begin working, but before they did we needed to cover a few things. With two boys in casts we thought it appropriate to get acquainted with one another by sharing our names and our “best” worst injury. This icebreaker seemed to derail our focus and Tim called the Explorers to bring their attention to the task at hand and remember why we were doing the work. The mentors often remind the boys that our explorations have an impact on the land, and that this service outing is our one chance each season to give back restore balance to the land.

Once we were acquainted the Mentors explained that our initial task would involve maintaining the work that was done the previous season, as Bellingham Parks & Recreation needed to drop a large load of mulch for next weekend’s work.  After an Explorer led demonstration of tool safety the Mentors pulled out a tool, which the group have previously not worked with, handsaws! An Alder had toppled that blocked the path for the Park Department’s truck to dump mulch and the boys would need to work together to limb it and saw up the trunk.

Getting to work the boys put in a solid hour of pushing back the blackberries at the front of the site, clearing and staking out the shrubs that we planted last year, and unraveling the Morning Glory off the Alders. While they worked the group vacillated between focus and distraction. I have to hand it to the boys in their ability to be creative and keep themselves busy. They created a verbal fantasy role-playing game without a board or dice. Their struggle however was to keep their hands working while they played.  This skill takes time to develop and most adults have not yet mastered it.

Their work may have come in waves, but the group got a lot done and should be proud of their effort. We would also like to commend the boys for using the saws with patience and to their upmost potential. Throughout the course of our outing not one Explorer joked with or misused the saws. It was powerful to watch the boys skillfully use these tools. As mentors our hearts lighten to see our motto Tool vs. Weaponempowering the Explorers. They are letting us know that they are ready for more responsibility and although they did much fighting and welding of weaponry in their theoretical fantasy game they can clearly differentiate between the two.

Finishing up our work the crew basked in the sun sharing apples and thanks. With a rainy start to the day the group unanimously expressed their gratitude for the warmth and comfort of the mid-day sun. Thank you Daredevil’s Club and Branch Hoppers for a strong start to our fall 2015 service project. With 1,252 of service hours worked there last year there is no telling what we can accomplish with our number at 169 strong. Parents thank you for your support and care for our work in the community. It is a pleasure to serve with your boys.

Click here for the more picture from the day in Daredevil’s Club orBranch Hoppers photo galleries. 

Daredevils Club hike and build a shelter in the Chuckanuts

The First Daredevils Club outing fell on the day after one of the largest Summer wind storms ever to occur in bellingham. After the previous days chaos it was an exciting prospect to spend the day hiking through the Chuckanuts looking at the effects of the storm. This season marks a huge change for the Daredevils Club with only four of the explorers returning for the Fall season. Having a small group offers both powers and challenges for explorers and mentors.

We started our day as we always do with an opening circle, setting intentions for the day and swapping stories from the summer. With only six of us we held our circle in a conversational and casual manner. After laying out our day we headed up the lost lake trail. Immediately we began to encounter large downed trees and branches. Tracking which kind of trees had fallen and lost branches was informative to all of us on where not to be in a windstorm.

At the first junction we pulled out the map and asked the boys to find out where we were and where we wanted to go. as the six of us huddled around the map the boys seemed reluctant to speak up and share their thoughts on reading the map. The anonymity that comes with a large group is lost on a group this size and I think the boys felt this as Tim and I continued to ask pointed questions regarding the map. As we talked the boys warmed up and because of the small group size we were able to have a nice lesson on map skills and navigation.

Our earth skills focus this season is shelter building with the intention of building shelters to sleep in at the end of the season. This is an ambitious goal, but one that these boys can be ready for by the end of the season. As we hiked we asked the Daredevils to tell us when they found a suitable spot for a shelter. They were reluctant to build a shelter and showed more enthusiasm for hiking. We continued upward past waterfalls, giant madrona trees, and more tangled debir from the previous day. 

Reaching our turnaround point we headed back down the hill in agreement to find a shelter spot on the way down. Toward the bottom of the hill Tim and I spied a good spot for a shelter and led the boys off the trail to investigate. We had a little over an hour left, enough time to build a basic shelter. The boys again were reluctant to take initiative and had a slow start to their shelter. They eventually began to delegate tasks and and got some good work done.

With the day drawing to a close and the Shelter nowhere near completed we sat down and talked about the day. We had a very open conversation about what it was like to be in such a small group. The Daredevils talked about how the heart and soul of the group felt lost with so few of them and how it was hard to find motivation in such small numbers. It was refreshing to hear words put to the quiet and enthusiastic energy Tim and I had been observing all day. We all had a great talk on thinking about ways we could restructure our community for this season and recreate the soul we felt the group had lost. With such a small group we were able to have a very frank conversation about these things and reach some good conclusions about how to move forward.

Throughout this outing we saw both the powers and challenges of having a small group. I am looking forward to the coming season with the Daredevils club and helping them reinvent themselves as a group and community. Thank you Daredevils club for your commitment to the program and willingness to express yourselves in an honest and heartfelt way. Thank You parents for your support of the program, be sure to look at our photo gallery for more pictures from this outing.  

Daredevils Club and Townsend Chipmunks service at Connelly Creek

Our day of service work at Connelly Creek was welcomed with a beautiful Fall day; sunshine, falling leaves, and temperatures that felt like the middle of summer. These service outings are a fun and unique opportunity for Explorers to work with other groups of boys. It is always fun to see two groups interact and work together throughout the day. Having the Daredevils Club paired with the Townsend Chipmunks was very powerful. The Daredevils with many years of exploration and service under their belt provided great role models for the new group of Townsend Chipmunks.

Once we had all gathered in the sunshine adjacent to the service sight the Daredevils Club instructed us on the proper and safe use for all the tools we would need today. The Daredevils talked about blood circles with these tools and communication when working in close quarters. Again having these older boys set an example for the younger boys in the Townsend Chipmunks was really inspiring and gives the Townsend Chipmunks an opportunity to see what a strong group can do. 

After our crash course into using the tools properly Steve walked us through the service sigh to explain what needed to be done. Steve explained that our main goals today were too dig up the last of the blackberry roots, cut down the reed canary grass, and finally spread mulch over this prepared area. The reed canary grass is a non native plant that has been choking out this sight for a while now. It takes out a massive amount of nutrients from the soil so once cut we leave it on the sight so it can breakdown back into the soil.

Everyone was enthusiastic about the work and really took it to heart to work hard during this time. The boys worked together really well to accomplish a lot; both Daredevils and Townsend Chipmunks worked alongside each other to Pull stubborn blackberry roots or tackle a particularly extensive patch of reed canary grass. With so many hands on sight you could really see the land change right in front of your eyes. Plenty of sweat, Dirty hands, blackberry scrapes, freeing trees, cutting reed canary grass, laughing with new friends, and a lot of hard work. After two hours of solid work it was time for the Daredevils to leave.

With the Daredevils departure the Townsend Chipmunks began to reach their edge for focused work. After so much great service to the land they had decided it was time to explore! The townsend chipmunks began to make their way down to Connelly creek with loud shouts of excitement and joy. Exploration is such an important part of Explorers club and it was so good for these boys to explore the land that they had been dedicating so much hard work of service to all afternoon. After about twenty minutes of exploration the Townsend chipmunks were ready to bring it back in for a last push of service. We attacked the mulch pile; some of us filling buckets, some moving these buckets, and others spreading the mulch around the base of trees. This intense hour of service left the land looking really good. It was fun for the boys to finish on a task that left our service site looking so aesthetically pleasing.    

Service is such an important task for these boys We play so much on the land and take so much it is really important to learn to give back to the land as well. It is a good teaching moment for all of us in selflessness and humility. Both the Daredevils Club and the Townsend Chipmunks did really great work and became a solid team. Parents please have your boys show you this spot next time you are out for a walk, it is truly amazing how much good work has been done! As always thanks for sending your boys out with us and thanks Explorers for your hard and dedicated work! Check out our photo gallery for more photos!

Service at Connelly Creek with the Daredevil’s Club

  It was a pleasure to serve Connelly Creek with the Daredevil’s Club on Sunday. As the group arrived the sun was shining and our spirits were high. The Connelly Creek restoration project at Happy Valley Park has been developing slowly but surely. The Mentors were delighted to share with the Explorers that just a little ways down Connelly Creek, at its confluence with Padden Creek, restoration under the City of Bellingham has been moving faster than we can keep up with.

          Mentors explained to the group that in 1997 the Padden Creek Alliance was formed, which includes the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Bellingham Parks Department, and local citizen groups.  These groups work together to restore the creek, provide better flood control, and allow salmon to move more freely through it. In 1997 a tunnel running about 2,300 feet from 17th to 22nd street underneath Old Fairhaven Parkway was identified as a major roadblock for salmon. In the past, fish have been stacked at the end of the narrow tunnel while trying to return to their spawning grounds. Just this summer the city began the Padden Creek Daylight Project, which will take out the tunnel and build a bridge under old Fairhaven Parkway, restoring the natural flow to Padden Creek. For more information on the project please see the link at the bottom of the blog.

          The group was excited salmon were finally running in Connelly Creek again. Connelly Creek is part of the Padden Creek Watershed; which is home to Chinook, Chum, Coho, Steelhead, and resident trout. As we headed out to our service sight we crossed over Connelly Creek using a make shift bridge made of plywood. Just as the last Explorer was crossing a woman name Linda came down to check out the action. She informed us that she had seen salmon in the creek two days ago. This was the call to action that we needed, our creek was living and breathing again! We thanked her for the info and headed to the patch of blackberry that we had worked on the previous year. Before we could get there, we noticed a pile of backpacks lying in the chest high Reed Canary Grass. The Daredevil’s Club instantly knew what was going on, it was an ambush! The Alevin Explorers came out of the woodworks in every direction. We were glad they weren’t a hungry pack of wolves because our owl eyes and deer ears were not working very well. Matt Fogarty was the last to emerge from the brush almost catching an Explorer by the ankles.

 Together the groups walked over to the tools where we snacked and had a multi-group meeting while looking at our work from last year. The Explorers were shocked to find that the large patch of blackberry they had removed in the spring had grown back over the mulch. Mentors encouraged the group that their work was not in vain. It was vey important to recognize in this situation that Slow is Fast and Fast is Slow. Our goal for the day would be to remove the roots of those Himalayan Blackberries; it is the only way to truly get rid of them.  We also discussed our motto Tool vs. a Weapon.  As our skills deepen and we start to work with pitch forks, shears, loppers, machetes, hatchets, and saws we must step up to the challenge and responsibility that these tools come with.

            After our meeting the Daredevil’s Club set out across a large field to play a game called Mouth, Ears, and Body before we started digging blackberries. It is a game where Explorers get together in groups of three and line up single file at the designated starting line. The first team member blindfolds himself and is only allowed to move by listening to directions from the second team member. The second team member turns around and faces the exact opposite way of the starting line and is only allowed to call directions without gesturing or looking. The third member faces the second team member who is only allowed to give hand signals to direct their voice. When everyone was in position Mentors scattered paper cups all over the field so that only the third player knew where they were. The teams all experienced some frustration in the beginning but soon got all three different members working and functioning as a well-oiled team.

            Mentors called the group into a circle and discussed how this game was a great model of our service projects. Within the Connelly Creek restoration project there are many different organizations collaborating and bringing in different skills, resources, and connections. We all work together with a common goal in mind and sometimes it can be a frustrating, slow process but in the end we can accomplish the goal with quality and integrity.

            The group walked back over to where the Alevin were digging out blackberry roots and joined in the fun. It was great to see the two groups meld together so fluidly. Triumphantly the Explorers would pull root balls out of the soil, holding their trophies up high as they worked in groups of three to dig them out. The Explorers set up different stations; one for cutting and pilling the blackberry, one for digging the roots and a third for making a square boarder to keep the blackberry at bay.  After about an hour of focused work we moved down to the creek. Earlier in the day Matt had identified a plug in the creek caused by debris piling against a Willow Tree root that spanned the creek. We all worked together to shovel out the sludge and cut the roots allowing the creek to flow again. Once we were good and covered with mud we said goodbye to the Alevin and headed back to the blackberry bramble. We focused our tools and efforts for another hour and really got some tremendous work done. 

            Our day of service revealed that there are many the powers in coming together as a community and engaging in an active relationship with the land. When we work side by side we are afforded the opportunity to engage in many powerful conversations and experiences with our peers while rejoicing in the act of giving to all members of our community.  As we learn from Connelly Creek we can begin to build conviction and start to advocate for the health of all of the land that is around us. Once we feel and define our connection and dependence on the land we can begin to develop an ethic for it. We ended our day talking about a man named Aldo Leopold. He to had a patch of land that he took care of for forty years.  Aldo Leopold once said, “Health is the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity.” This statement sums up the relationship the Explorers are cultivating with Connelly Creek. We gave thanks and ended our day snacking on apples in the sun, what a glorious day! 

Please visit the Daredevil’s Club photo gallery for more pictures of the day.

Click here for more information from the City of Bellingham. Once you have clicked the link and are on the COB webpage click on Presentation of 60% design for a presentation and slideshow about the Padden Creek Daylight Project.