Fledgling Camp: June 22-24

Day 1: Hoag's Pond

Our first day together was spent at Hoag's Pond.  This hidden wetland sits within the "Hundred Acre Wood"; and has been preserved for public enjoyment.  Because of it's relative secluded nature it is chock full of life; ducks and deer, frogs and dragonflies..and the occasional visit from a great blue heron, an otter or fox.

The gals spent the day weaving with iris reeds, exploring, playing games, getting to know one another, and learning the foundational mottos of our organization.  Of most importance is our safety first motto.  We know that both physical and emotional safety are important for a successful experience.  By emphasizing both repeatedly we hope to establish a culture where our small friends feel free to explore, express their needs, and widen their circle in reaching out to make new friends.

Finally, we spent a few minutes in quiet, solo time during a cherished tradition called peaceful place.

Day 2: Bakerview Beach

The start to this exploring day was blustery and the forecast was for possible rain.  Another important motto we live by is be prepared; thus we had a tarp, and the gals had come well packed with warm clothing options.  We decided together that establishing a shelter from the wind and possible rain would be our first task. So we set off down to the beach and found a large willow tree under which we could nestle ourselves for the day.

As often is the case here in Bellingham, the weather went back and forth from spitting rain to partly sunny.  This allowed for plenty of opportunities to explore, play in the shallow waters, snack, talk together and enjoy peaceful place.

The gals spent a lot of time on the beach building rivers and cities, splashing and mud gushing. We played a couple of fun games: otter steals fish, and where's my duckie.

I think a highlight of today was following peaceful place when one of the girls experienced a totally different feeling about this activity. She had emphatically stated that peaceful place was her least favorite part of Wild Whatcom.  What often happens when we can be still long enough though, is that a new realization takes place.  So it was for her.  She got quiet and listened to the birds and the wind in the trees.  She allowed the breeze to touch her skin.  She closed her eyes, letting other senses take over.  Her report out was quite touching and, for we mentors, a confirmation about why we take the time to do this.

Day 3: Lake Padden Traverse


Our final day was spent at Lake Padden, and it was full of many amazing discoveries.   Coming together in the parking lot we started the day talking about LNT principles.  Some were familiar to the girls, and some were new.  We framed our day as a true exploring day; discussing how we could use our senses differently, and pay attention more closely with the intention of new learning.

We set up an activity called owl eyes where one of us hid some pipe cleaners along a short stretch of path.  The girls then walked slowly along the path attempting to use their powers of observation to find the pipe cleaners.  It can be a frustrating activity if seen as a competition but a rewarding one when it encourages new ways of "seeing".  Today we would experience a treat as one of the gals used her new sense of seeing and spotted the most beautiful hummingbird nest hidden on a cedar branch as we were finishing our game.  Cue the Wild Whatcom experience!!

Next we hiked on and found a patch of stinging nettle.  We had a fabulous discussion about this amazing plant; complete with a stretching your edge component where most of the girls touched the leaves, getting a slight sting, or ate a leaf or two!

The weather was getting nicer and, well, the water is right there!  So we headed to a small section of beach and spent an hour or so playing in the water, laughing together, watching ducks, and weaving through a tall stand of bulrushes.

After some lunch it was time to head to the Padden gorge trail and make our way towards the pick-up spot.

We had our final peaceful place sitting beside the lake, on the dock or near the trees.  These gals were keen on writing and many poems were shared following each day's solo time.

We made the slow walk now towards pick-up; likely everyone feeling a little sadness that the camp was ending.  We circled up one last time to share our learnings and our thankfulness in what we call attitude of gratitude.

We thank you all so much for entrusting your child to our care, and for all the ways you encourage and support her growth.  We had a great time together.

Katrina, Rebecca and Hadley



For the full album of the week go here

Fledgling Camp Session 2: June 27-29

Day 1: Hoag's Pond

Wow, what an amazing first day of camp with an incredibly curious, adventurous, and passionate group of girls! The nervous, yet excited energy on the first morning of camp always creates a feeling of contagious anticipation to start off the day. As girls gathered at the trailhead of Hoag's Pond, we handed out nature name-tags and circled up for a game of Sprucy the Spruce Cone (revisited later as Furry the Fir Cone).




Once the whole group was present, we made our way down the trail to a fort-like area under the shade of a giant horse chestnut tree. Here we did our first Opening Circle, getting to know each other by name and sharing a body action for how we were feeling that morning. We then discussed our most important motto, Safety First, with a fun skit by Hilary of the S.T.O.P (Stop Think Observe Plan) principles to assess potentially unsafe situations. We also talked about the importance of Letting It Be Known with hunger, thirst, low energy, or bathroom needs throughout the day. Any nervous energy that was present during our meet and greet quickly escalated into giggles as we discussed what would become one our most practiced skills...peeing and pooping in the woods!


We wrapped up our circle with the practice of widening our own circles and chose someone we didn't know well in the group to be our buddy for the day. Our day unfolded with plenty of trail games, exploration, snack breaks, and storytelling as we made pour way down the trail to Hoag's Pond. We learned how to play Survival, practicing our camouflage skills among sword ferns and behind giant fir and cedar trees. We stopped to meet an edible plant, Salmonberry, and learned how to identify it by it's butterfly leaves. This was a great opportunity to discuss another very important camp motto, Meet Before You Eat! Ask your daughter if she can name a few of the edible plants we met!

At Hoag's pond we set up camp for a while, talking about this special wetland environment, listening to the redwinged blackbirds, watching ducks swim between lily-pad islands, and learning how to harvest reeds and make cordage bracelets, necklaces, and rings. We then practiced our naturalist skill, Owl Eyes with a scavenger hunt for pipe-cleaner worms. Ask your daughter how we used this skill later in the day and throughout camp (think tracking, hide games, wildlife observation). 

We agreed that we would use our Owl Eyes, Deer Ears, and other senses to notice and connect to this beautiful place as we circumnavigated the pond. And alas! These girls proved to be natural trackers as we soon discovered a sign of wildlife...scat! We observed the berry and seeds in the scat and guessed that this may be a sign of raccoon or bear.

We didn't get far until curiosity called again and someone pointed out nettle growing along the side of the path. We met and identified this plant and then learned how to safely harvest a leaf touching only the top. We then learned how to fold it carefully and rub it between our fingers before eating this tasty and iron-rich bundle!

After an impromptu game of Survival and another discovery of scat, we found ourselves back at our starting point. We circled up to share things we observed along the trail- the beautiful forest, scat on the trail, ducks in the pond, the sound of birds overhead, and plants like nettle and salmonberry. We then talked about the next part of our day, which would be an important part of each day of camp; Peaceful Place. We learned that Peaceful Place is a time to slow down and still the mind, sitting or standing in just one place for 15 minutes to an hour and simply observing, resting, journaling, drawing, etc. We talked about the five S's of Peaceful Place; Safe, Silent, Solo, Still and using our Senses and then spread ourselves out beside the pond to rest, relax, and reflect. Ask your child to share what she did in one of her three Peaceful Places throughout camp. 

After sharing our observations or creations from Peaceful Place, it was time to hit the trail once again and head back to our meet and greet spot. We played a new game, Cougar Stalks Deer, attempting to tag our deer, Brooke, without being caught in action.

We gathered for Closing Circle under the giant horse chestnut tree and shared an Attitude of Gratitude, giving thanks for something we connected to over the course of the day.

Our Words of The Day: Having Fun, Peeing and Pooping in Nature!

Mottos Especially Alive Today: 
Safety First!
Let It Be Known
Meet Before You Eat
Widen Your Circle
Be Prepared
Leave No Trace

Day 2: Bakerview Beach

We were blessed with another beautiful, yet slightly chilly morning on our second day of camp. We gathered on the lawn at the Campbell's property, looking out at bay as tide retreated. We did a quick round of names again, introducing ourselves, along with the sea creature we most felt like that morning. Many said seal since they felt slightly sluggish and were looking forward to basking in the sun:) We Widened Our Circle, choosing a buddy for the day and then packed up to head towards the bay.

The sea breeze continued but the skies cleared and the sun shone down on us as we set up base camp at a drift-wood shelter. The morning flew by as the girls scattered to explore the shore, splash through tidal pools, slap on mud leggings, and begin the creation of a sand palace.




Highlights of the day included:

• A log-walk challenge down to the estuary where a cold stream met the ocean. The girls worked as a team to get everyone from point A to point B without touching the sand!

• Becoming MUD MONSTERS at the estuary where the mud was rich, dark, and deep!

• Creating a giant sand palace complete with a castle and mote, a fire station/pond, a thriving farm, moss-covered bridges, a waiving flag, and miniature houses, among other things. 

• Swimming and splashing in the warm tidal pools.

•  A half hour long Peaceful Place with journaling, sand creation, and more. The girls said it felt like 10 minutes! Needless to say, this is a group of naturals at this life-long skill of stilling the body, calming the mind, and absorbing in detail the surrounding sounds, sights, smells, and feelings.   
• Playing a round of Where's My Nest- an activity to practice skills/mottos such as Widen Your Circle, Build Bridges, Not Walls, collaboration, and inclusion. Ask your daughter what she learned from or liked about this activity.
• Sharing a very heartfelt Attitude of Gratitude, giving thanks for water, mud, new friends, connection, sun, and many other things!

Mottos Especially Alive Today:

Be Prepared

Build Bridges Not Walls

Safety First

We Are All Connected

Widen Your Circle

Challenge By Choice

Our Words of The Day: Mud, Fun, Sun, Building, and Connecting!

Day 3: Lake Padden Traverse

Our last day of camp came too soon, but we shared another incredible six hours of connection, exploration, giggles, games, and team-building. We started our day with a rousing rendition of Screaming Toes, followed by a fun name-game involving hand-shake introductions in Duck, duck goose format. This was a lively game and a great name review for our final day together!

We chose buddies once again, packed up our stuff, and started making our way towards Lake Padden, meeting and eating more nettle and salmonberry along the way. We suited up, set up camp by the lake, and in no time at all the girls were in the water, splish-splashing, shell collecting, and pushing through bullrushes in what became the mermaid maze.






After some quality lake exploration, we changed out of wet suits and packed up to begin our trek down the Padden Gorge Trail.




Some highlights of our trek included:

• Playing Cougar Stalk Deer as we made our way down the trail
• Having lunch on the rocks and in the grass beside the lake, sharing stories, making pig piles, and goofing around.

• Stopping in the forest to play Meet A Tree, a trust game where the girls lead a blindfolded partner to a tree, which she must then try to find with blindfold off. This was a great way to practice other senses such as smell and touch that we rely less on. 

• Playing and catching bugs and crawfish in the creek. 
• Spending half an hour in the forest above the gorge for Peaceful Place
• Reflecting together about the week and sharing a final Attitude of Gratitude for new connections, edible plants, water, and eachother during our Closing Circle. 

Mottos Especially Alive Today:

Collaborate and Compromise

Safety First

Widen Your Circle

Challenge By Choice
Meet Before You Eat

Our Words of The Day: Fun, Explore, Water, Wildlife!

For the full album of the week click here

Fledgling Camp Session 1: June 20-22

Day 1

There was a lot of excitement, and a little bit of nervousness, as we gathered near the trailhead to Hoag's Pond.  We began in a circle formation and introduced ourselves.  We kept a kush ball traveling around the circle in a game format to learn each other's names.  After some very concentrated effort we packed up and headed out for some exploring.

Our day would unfold with many circles: talking about Hoag's pond, EC mottos, coming together to plan what the next activity would be, sharing gratitudes and words of the day.  There were many eating circles as well, and smaller circles as we built landscapes and houses and play structures.

The favorite activities for today were most definitely sketching, snacking and games.  Ask your daughter about the owl eyes activity, and the game where's my hedgie?

Here are some photos that capture our time together.

Words of the day:  Hiking, building, playing, making new friends together in the woods!

Day 2

We spent day 2 at Bakerview Beach, with views of Bellingham, Mt.Baker, and what seemed like miles of mud and sand bars.  Once we were down on the beach we established a "basecamp".  Call this mini organizational camp!  I am certain you know of what I am speaking.

We set off west; towards where the Nooksack River flows into Bellingham Bay.  Along the way we challenged ourselves by walking the many, many driftwood logs.  The idea of stretching our edge becme real when stepping into something a bit uncomfortable for us.

After playing here a while we returned to our basecamp and had lunch.  The congregating together and eating is always a fun time, and a time when we learn so much about each other.

The water was calling the girls and most of the rest of the day was spent playing in the water; exploring mud, building cities and rivers, and lots of giggling.

We finished our afternoon with 20 minutes of peaceful place; a quiet time of reflection and enjoying nature.

Day 3

Our final day together was spent exploring around Lake Padden.  We began the day with some fun name games.  We spent a few minutes talking about LNT principles, and then framed our day of exploring.  Once on the trail we met the mighty Douglas Fir and Cedar.  The girls talked about similarities and differences between these two common PNW trees.  A couple of girls spotted a decomposing mushroom covered in slime under a Cedar!  Lauren gave an informative lesson on slugs as decomposers.

We went a bit further and met stinging nettle, demystifying it's sometimes negative reputation.  We talked about meet before you eat as we walked past huckleberries and thimbleberries. One of us was surprised to see a millipede wriggling out of a huckleberry; reminding us all to make sure and look closely before popping the berries in our mouths!

The day was bright and warm and the girls definitely wanted some water time.  So we set off to a small section of grass near the lake.  The next hour and a half was full of play and laughing and eating together.  We saw Mallard ducks and a Great Blue Heron, got our toes to our belly buttons in the water, and created a mermaid maze amongst the Bullrushes.

The time really does go so quickly in these camps and this day was no exception.  It was time to change clothes, pack up and head to the gorge area.  That all takes a bit if time!!  We shared some of the history of Lake Padden; once the water source for the town of Bellingham.  Then we moved back into the trees along the gorge trail; passing slugs on their way to nowhere, listening to birdsong and the trickle of the creek nearby.  Our last stop would be for peaceful place.

One last chance to just sit and enjoy nature and solitude.

 

We came together for one last circle to share as we had each day; something for which we were grateful, our learnings for the week, and our words of the day.  This is one of mentor's favorite moments because your children really share from their hearts.  They take so much in and speak with great emotion about what they care about.  All three of us commented on how much the girls remembered throughout the three days.

We invite you to go through this blog, and the photos, with the intention of helping your kiddo remember and share with you the experiences and learnings from camp.

For photos click here