Shelter Building in 100 Acre Woods

Welcome to "The Hillside Mansion"! Though it's a bit of a hike in, the views are stunning and this A-frame structure accommodates three quite comfortably. Down yonder you'll find the "Fave Cave", a comfortable single-room abode with a personal outdoor throne beside the front door. You might also enjoy a mud bath during your stay here- Just beware, you'll surely be joined by the "Mud Butts" who have been known to meet in ceremony here.

Wander back up the hill and you'll find a hidden and unnamed dwelling. A new subdivision has been developed in Fairhaven, using sustainable "green" construction methods and materials. No, these state of the art residences are not for sale, BUT! they are open for viewing in the Hundred Acre Woods. The talented architects and construction crew? The Trilliums!

We began our day in opening circle discussing the realities of wilderness survival, reviewing the Survival Rule of Fours and the rule of threes to remember how long you can survive without each (ask your daughter what the four survival priorities are and in what order...). On this day we focused on the survival priority of shelter, learning how imperative a properly insulating shelter is for surviving even a single night in the woods. On this chilly day we also discovered how useful the shelter construction process is in keeping bodies moving and warm!

Our first focus of the day was to put on shelter eyes, traveling up the trail and seeking nooks and crannies that could be or become a shelter for different sizes and types of animals. After a snack and shelter story from Tom Brown, we took a cue from the squirrels, who build nests with sticks and insulate them with leaves, and let their designs inspire our own natural shelters, which were built in the classic "debris hut" style. Our community dwellings sprung up from the forest floor, and within a few hours we had three deluxe shelters! On this super cold day, building shelters kept us warm, and that was a big bonus.  With the bit of time remaining, we played a couple rounds of Spiders Web, and did a Peaceful Place to calm our minds for a little while and take in the sounds and sights of this beautiful forest.

Finally, we hiked to a Closing Circle spot where we did acknowledgements of one another and shared the many connections we had formed throughout our season together. The girls spoke from their hearts, contributing gratitude and acknowledgements of the group as a whole for the support, laughter, connection, and positive, spontaneous, vibrant energy that radiates whenever the Trilliums come together. There were heartfelt words exchanged, and tears of both joy and sadness as we acknowledged one of our group members, Bailey K, for which Sunday's outing marked her last with GEC, though she will forever be a part of the Trillium family. We closed with our words of the day: Mud, Shelter, Spiders Web!

You may view the slideshow from our day here. 

EC MOTTOS that came into play today: Many Hands Make Light Work, All Things Are Connected, LIBK, Be Prepared, Get Dirty! Leave No Trace

Trillium / Silverwing Bat Exploration & Service at Larrabee State Park: 11-5-16

Our shared Saturday was a day where so many teachable moments collided: about assumptions ("it's going to rain all day and we'll all be soaked" - it didn't and we weren't), expecting the unexpected, being prepared, flexibility, going with the flow, serving where we saw the need, being present with process, accepting what is, and not labeling/judging experiences as good or bad.

As you likely heard, the day shifted as the wind gusts picked up, and our Washington Trail Association (WTA) partners made the difficult decision that working trailside in the forest could put our safety at risk. So, following our most important motto - Safety First - we brainstormed how to Turn Problems into Possibilities. Between WTA's ideas, Larrabee ranger Amber's input and the groups intention to serve somehow, we settled on heading to Clayton Beach to live out our Leave No Trace motto. Our mission was to use our owl eyes to find and remove litter, disperse illegal fire rings, and dismantle potentially harmful log structures.

We did all that, and along our journey we also:

* Found and marveled at fungi, camouflaged amidst the autumn leaves

* Discovered a plant mysteriously growing inside a bottle, and wondered at how it came to be and thrive in there

* Walked and talked and laughed together, the Silverwing Bats and Trilliums flowing freely between and among groups - a great connection and collaboration!

* Had an in-depth discussion about leaving one's imprint on the earth via art or writing. When is it graffiti and when is it art? What about historical graffiti, like petroglyphs? How is our behavior affected when we arrive to a place - like a driftwood fort - with lots of writing/signatures; do we feel encouraged to add our own, and is this ok? What if others are defacing a place - how does Group Think play a role in how we behave? Does it make a difference if the written on object is living, eg a growing tree, or nonliving, eg a rock or driftwood? Does the medium we utilize matter, eg. charcoal vs. ball point pen vs. spray paint vs. knife? Do we need others to tell us to do or not do something like write on nature - how does our own intuition guide us? How does our Leave No Trace motto speak to all of this? If someone does leave graffiti, how can we follow up with them without making them immediately defensive or guilt-ridden? How do we feel when we're approached with accusations?

* Rolled enthusiastically down the sand hill and clambered up on sandstone perches and long logs extending over the sea

* Had an impromptu deep discussion about materialism, consumption and happiness. A discussion of micro-trash and its effects on marine ecosystems led us down a conversational path about why we buy, the feelings of anticipation and temporary fulfillment consumption offers. But all agreed that satisfied feeling soon wears off, leading to a let down and wanting of more. One person shared statistical findings that those with enough basic needs met, plus a bit more, are happiest, while those with too little OR an over-abundance tend to be less happy and content. So, if obtaining things doesn't bring happiness, we brainstormed on what does. Girls offered the following: relationships with others, connections with animals, doing art, listening to music, being in nature, exercise, reading, good conversations, challenging oneself, creating, meditation and yoga, exploring, giving to others through service, and more. All of us agreed that these things are the heart of happiness, rather than consuming and buying (and they're all free!).

Part two of the day was an effort to further connect around the welcoming warmth of a fire. A small crew headed the short distance to Aimee's house to collect firewood (and cookie dough) then met the others at an empty campsite at Larrabee. We gathered round the fire, cookie dough circles flattening and baking over the flames, and shared another lesson, about the importance of flexibility in life. We agreed that, like today, things often don't go according to plan. How can we be receptive to what is, rather than be attached to how we think things ought to be? How can we be prepared for sudden or slow change in the path we're on, Expect the Unexpected? What mindset helps? What are healthy, and unhealthy ways to respond to change? How does being present help? Then we shared a favorite EC story of "Good, Bad, Who Knows?" about an old man in ancient China who teaches us through his response to life events that every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow.

We wrapped up this memorable service/exploration with our chosen Words of the Day: Good, Bad, Who Knows?

Enjoy two slide shows from our day! One here and the other here.

Whatcom Creek Traverse 10-8-16

Well, it rained, it poured...and poured...and poured...and the Trilliums explored-living out our GEC motto, Be Prepared! Although we were sad to have less than half of our group present for this outing, the small group of 4 brought great energy and good spirits to an otherwise dreary day. We joined together for our Opening Circle at Maritime Heritage Park and assessed a soggy map to scout out our route for the day.

Though this urban trek took us out of the woods and onto pavement, it had all the elements of an adventure: enthusiastic and curious participants, a complex historical and modern story, fascinating intersections of human and natural constructs, games, lessons in empathy and more. We say The Trail is the Teacher, and this creek greenway through the city was no exception.

All of our outings seek to ground us in a sense of place. In this case, it was Maritime Heritage Park, formerly a forest so thick it was difficult to walk through, beside a beach unfilled with fill, and a creek teeming with salmon. As we set the tone for the day, we traveled between past and present: we went back to the Salish fish camp on the bay, "seeing" men in canoes, fishing with their nettle nets, women and girls picking berries, the surrounding forest teeming with life: fox, bear, cougar, mink, beaver, countless birds; understood the impact of Roeder and Peabody's choice of the falls as the site for their mill, bringing dramatic changes, including a new town called Whatcom; heard about the march of progress, human ingenuity causing numerous degradations to the creek and bay. We came to the present, and saw the juxtaposition of streamside restoration and continued degradation, of visible efforts to shift past wrongs, and also problems that persist. Beside the displaced creek we saw evidence of displaced persons, and spoke of how to project love and compassion their way rather than fear and judgment.

Here were some of the gifts of the day:

• Discussed the value of commitment and Walking Your Talk in showing up to GEC on a rainy, blustery day.

• Observed native plants along the trail, many of which were planted by the Bellingham community (and GEC girls!) for river restoration.

• Told the story of the Salmon Woman, Raven, and Little Bear at the Salmon Woman totem pole, discussing lessons about abundance, greed, and consequences.

• Discovered many hazards on salmon's journey: litter in the river, churning waterfalls, pollution, an artificially straightened creek, pipelines, and other myriad impacts of the city.

• Met up with the GEC bus, Moose, to mimic salmon being bussed over a dam – in our case, we were bussed through the most urban aspect of the stream's journey.

• Engaged with the salmon art, mostly sculpture, all along the trail. Reflected upon the inscription from one particular sculpture: "Our Simplest Wisdom is to Follow the Sea-Bright Salmon Home."

• Began to understand the creek's history by playing Oh Salmon!, which highlighted the impacts on salmon and their needs (food, water, shelter) over time.

• Asked questions with no right or easy answer: What is progress? Is it good or bad? How can our generation impact the lives of salmon and beauty of areas such as Whatcom Falls Park? How is everything connected? What can we learn from the past? Why are salmon important? How can things that seem good become bad, and vice versa?

• Worked to navigate our way along the trail using map, trail markers, common sense, local knowledge, and trail tracking games!

• Learned about many of the human characters who have shaped the creek's journey: the native inhabitants, Roeder & Peabody, the Ladies Cooperative Society, The Whatcom Park Club, the advocates for creek straightening to prevent flooding, and discussed how we can continue this great work and advocacy.

• Began to understand how All Things Are Connected by playing Oh Salmon!, which highlighted the impacts on salmon and their needs (food, water, shelter) over time.

• Had a great time tracking (and tricking) one another as we played the Tracking Game.

• Experienced the changes in landscape along the way as we discussed changes over time all along Whatcom's journey, ending with the familiar comfort of the forest ecosystem in Whatcom Falls Park.

• Enjoyed a Peaceful Place by Duck Pond at Whatcom Falls Park before heading out on a mystery bus ride! 

• Shlepped our soggy selves into a Chris's garage for a quick break with homemade hot cocoa and popcorn. We retold the story of our day and passed on lessons we had learned from our journey. 
• Ended our day with a circle of thanks, reflecting again on the words of the Lummi people: "Our Simplest Wisdom is to Follow the Sea-Bright Salmon Home." How does the story of our day tell the story of history, change, the circle of life, of salmon, and what can we learn from this journey?

Finally, a contribution from a past GEC girl, now 15, who wrote this short poem throughout the day while walking this same route along Whatcom Creek:

Life and Death

Everything struggles to survive.

Though some things live and some things die.

Even though there may be strife,

It all makes the circle of life.

If some die, yet others live,

feeding upon what the dead bodies give.

Death makes life and life makes death.

So close your eyes and enjoy your breath.

Our words of the day? "Rain, Salmon, and Stories!"

You may check out the (very minimal!) slideshow from our day here 

Tennant Lake Exploration 8-27-16

It was such a joy to reconnect with the Trilliums this past Saturday to kick off our Fall 2016 season! Rain or shine, these girls are always on the move in search of mud to gush in, the next tree to climb, any body of water to swim in, and whatever natural paint they can find or create to cover their faces...and shirts!  Saturday’s exploration outing at Tennant Lake was no exception. Enjoy reading some highlights of our day together and be sure to check out the full slideshow here.

•  Gathering with giggles and hugs at Cascade Montessori. We shared highlights of our summer and anticipations for the coming school year during our Opening Circle.

• Exploring the Fragrance Garden when we arrived at Hovander Park. This garden was originally created for the blind to engage ones sense of smell and touch. We welcomed the sweet smell of lavender, sage, thyme, rosemary, echunaccea, basil, and many other fragrant plants.

• Enjoying a view of the lake fields, garden, and surrounding wetland area from the lookout tower.

• Playing Hide in the tall grass and cattails on the way to the board walk.

• Walking the one-mile boardwalk beside Tennant Lake. We meandered between cattails, nightshade, jewel weed, and willows, all growing happily in the peat-bog below our feet.

• Popping the seed pods of Jewel Weed and discovering the unique adaptation this plant has made to successfully reproduce.

• Painting faces, shirts, and hands with the bright red juice of Summers last blackberries.

• Swimming in the Nooksack river and enjoying peaceful place on the rocky banks

Our Words of the Day: Crazy Fashionable Mud!

To view the full album of the day, click here.

Outing at the Nooksack River: 6-12-16

Joy. Joy and connection. Joy and connection, and gardens, funerals, trials, tracking, dunking, cairn building, and navigating. Joy in sun, clouds, and water, connection with nature and one another. A perfect Explorers' day.

Pure joy!

The Trilliums have evolved to represent the best of EC: deep, heartfelt, trusting connection with one another; unrestrained joy in nature; curious and compassionate; stellar stewards; making memories together to last a lifetime.

Sunday was a combination of all of the above, as all embraced the exploring spirit to explore connections to oneself, to one another, and finding joy together in skipping, splashing, jumping, discovering; to nature.

Bushwacking

We started our day with an opening circle where girls joked about the end of the year, told about upcoming summer adventures, and shared how things were going for them. From there we talked about how this day was all about the Trilliums and their explorers' fever; meaning: we would go where ever the Trilliums wanted. We made a plan for how to stay oriented to the place, how we would make decisions as a group, and we were off exploring.

We navigated our way through a flooded side channel and then built cairns to mark where we had walked along the explansive banks of the Nooksack. Using our navigation skills, we determined where the river was located, and worked our way through baby cottonwoods, japanese knotweed groves, and new alders to finally come out to the Nooksack. 

River Garden

After arriving at the Nooksack girls set their sights on making it to an island across a few side channels. Working together, we all found the safest/dryest way across. However, the goal of staying dry quickly evaporated, and girls decided to swamp their boots, rollup their pants, and just plow through the river's side channels. 

We set up a basecamp and some girls explored further down the river while others stayed close to basecamp and created a garden with all the baby plants they could find in the area. The river explorers quickly suberged themselves in various parts of the Nooksack while the gardeners built a garden and used recycled plastic bags to water the transplants. We all came back together for a stick funeral, peaceful place, and tons of goofiness.

Stick funeral

Our trek back to the bus was made easier by our cairns, stick arrows, and really keen observation skills. When back, we had an epic closing circle with a human knot and really complicated web of life activity. The Trilliums led every part of this activity and it was awesome to see them take ownwership of how the traditional EC activities look for them.

Earth Skills Day / Outing at Little Squalicum Beach: 5-15-16

What a jam-packed day for the Trilliums. As mentors, we come into a day with a plan. Some days, this plan is thinner with room for nature to teach us what she'd like that day, and others, it is FULL of ideas that mentors carefully choose and weave into the day. Sunday was one of the full-plan days... Though we only tackled some of the activities we'd like to do with the girls, we have faith that we'll be able to fit in more team-building, talking time, and skills days in the Trilliums' future seasons.

We gathered in a calm state while remembering this place that we'd been to before: Whuh-I-kwal-luh-whum ("Dog Salmon Place"), the name for Little Squalicum Beach Park back when it was a fishing village site for Coast Salish people. We talked through the fascinating history of this park, from thriving village, to creosote factory, to Superfund site, and ultimately to the restoration-in-process place we know today. We acknowledged those in the community who have Turned Problems into Possibilities by helping to transform the contaminated soil/water, massively overgrown invasives and loss of wildlife into a healthier park for all.

After our opening circle, we set out to explore the park, and immediately saw the big Oeser Corporation smokestack looming above the hill of this lush, green park. We paused here to engage in what the Trilliums seem to love best: playing freely. The girls frolicked through the fields, making up lands, nests, characters, all fitting into a combined fantasty. The girls worked together on this project, and seemed to really enjoy their time together.

We then headed down under the bridge to the beach, and bundled up in the wind as we took out our baskets and learned from Isabel how to finish them off. For the next hour and 45 minutes, the Trilliums were in a state of Flow, focused on working diligently and present-mindedly to create beautifully and carefully woven baskets, all unique. 

We finished our time on the beach, as the wind was blowing walked back up to the grassy field where we found a spot for Closing Circle. We expressed our gratitude, and blissfully walked towards home

Our Words of the Day? "Grass, basket weaving, and skits!"

To see a slideshow of our day, click here!

Exploration and Basketry Skills at Governor's Point: 4-30-16

Picture this: sunshine on sandstone, wind dancing on waves, an isolated beach with a vista of tree-clad islands and the sparkling Salish Sea. Saturday was blissful, meaningful, and memorable!

The Trilliums arrived and quickly began on tasks with prepping ivy for basket weaving. We began Opening Circle with the history of Governor's Point... It's story started long ago when Governor's Point's only inhabitants were heron, seal, otter, cougar, bear, and myriad other non-human beings; then to the Mamosee people who plied these waters in dugout canoes; to the more modern usage of this land as boys' camp, rock quarry, and site of a prospective development. After this discussion, we set out to find the hidden cove, following a Songlines map. Songlines Maps describe significant landmarks using metaphors and the girls follow the clues to find their way. 

Along the way to the beach, we chatted and checked-in, examined a recently cut forest regenerating, and learned about dock - a plant to help cure nettle stings. Nearing the cove, we left the well trod road and fox-walked to a bluff above, where girls took turns scouting good routes down. Taking care to "Think It Through Before You Do" and S.T.O.P., we clambered down towards a spectacular cove. At this special point we imagined, shared, explored, discussed, played in the water and rocks, had a beautiful wedding between two sticks, and enjoyed a blissful Peaceful Place time. We learned how to start a basket made from ivy. With focus, patience, and persistence, each of the Trilliums created the bottom of a small basket. 

Time passed all too quickly, and before long we were hastening back to our ending circle, sharing our gratitude. And in this sharing our hearts emerged full, empathetic, grateful.

We mentors are so grateful for this group of girls, at once silly and serious, trustworthy and tough, wise and wonderful!

Our Words of the Day? "Seaside stick weddings, baskets and beauty!"

To see our photo album from the day, click here!

Service with Bellingham Community Meals: 3-19-16

Saturday was a day overflowing with service, commitment, and a whole lot of integrity. The Trilliums could be seen serving, wiping tables, cleaning, composting, meal prepping, and pouring LOTS of apple juice, all with smiles on their faces and kindness in their hearts during Bellingham Community Meals’ monthly dinner. 

Bellingham Community Meals offers an important service to those in need, providing a warm meal and a sense of community to those who are lacking in both. Attendees know that at least once every month they are able to fill their stomachs and reconnect with others in their community all because of the 50+ volunteers who commit their day to making this meal happen. In our opening meeting, we discussed how this service project requires maturity, responsibility, empathy, and integrity. The Trilliums were full to the brim with all of these qualities, serving goodwill along with food and making the participants feel welcome and respected.

And whew, what a busy day it was! The girls were very "low maintenance", as one volunteer exclaimed, and received many warm compliments from attendees and fellow volunteers throughout the meal. The group took ownership of the tasks at hand and Walked their Talk, going with the flow and helping out with any job that needed to get done. With colorful aprons and bright smiles on their faces, the Trilliums jumped right into action setting tables, pouring drinks, drying dishes, restocking food, clearing tables, answering patrons' questions, and creating a pleasant and comfortable atmosphere for the 100+ people that came for the meal.

After the meal, we gathered outside to share an attitude of gratitude, as well as edge-stretching moments and acknowledgements from the day. Some girls overcame tiredness, others transcended feelings of discomfort, and some found their stride with specific tasks, enjoying the opportunity to serve while also conversing with people who would have otherwise been strangers in the community. The group acknowledged the volunteers who commit their time every month to make this meal happen, the meal attendees for their graciousness and courage, and one another for their hard work and collaboration. 

It was an eye -opening experience for all to realize how many people in our city are in need, and gave extra depth to our motto “Our Cups Overflow”. The service day with Bellingham Community Meals was a new and different opportunity that the girls agreed they were grateful to have experienced. There were many cups (and tummies!) filled on this day, and we agreed that our own cups were left overflowing with gratitude for our surrounding community at the end of the Bellingham Community Meal. 

To view our album of the day, click here!

Our words of the day? Open-mindedness And Filling Our Cups With Apple Juice!

Mottos especially alive today:

Our Cups Overflow
Everyone Helps
Walk Your Talk
All Things are Connected
Safety First