Explorers Club Year 6
We look forward to exploring with these groups in Explorers Club Year 6!
Quaking Mosses | Sturgeon-Wolf Eels | Tufted Puffins
Standard outings and curriculum are below. Individual Explorers Club group schedules and curriculum may vary based on group needs, mentor discretion, previously canceled outings, group progress with technical skills, etc.
Outing dates, times, and locations for all groups are subject to change.
SKILLS FOCUS | YEAR 6
Wilderness Travel | Carving Technique | Reflection | Communication
OUTING 1 | Exploration
To begin our penultimate year together, we will head to an old favorite EC location. Nestled along the rugged coastline, Clayton Beach offers the perfect backdrop for an exploration after a summer apart. As we gather once again, our focus will be on honing our naturalist observation skills through a deep dive into nature journals. There will be plenty of time for catching up with old friends, dipping our toes in the ocean (weather permitting), and embarking on free exploration along the shoreline. Please bring closed toed water shoes, a bathing suit, towel, and any pencils, pens, etc that you’d like.
Clayton Beach
OUTING 2 | SKILLS
This journey along Chuckanut Ridge is a fantastic hike through the heart of the Chuckanut Mountains. Along the way, we’ll practice our hiking skills, review trail etiquette and navigation, witness fantastic views, and revel in the abundance of a healthy forest. There is nothing quite like traipsing through a natural setting with a group of close friends to revitalize the soul. We should cover four miles or so, so eat a big breakfast, pack a hearty lunch, and wear good footwear.
Chuckanut Ridge Traverse
OUTING 3 | Exploration
Today, we'll be working on our backcountry cutlery sets by starting to carve butter knives and spoons! We'll travel to Bowman Bay, where we'll make camp under a big pavilion with an indoor fire pit. The group will use their fire by friction skills to make us a roaring campfire that will keep us warm and help with our spoon carving. Please bring warm layers, a blanket or sleeping bag, a hearty lunch, and an empty mug for tea.
Bowman Bay
OUTING 4 | Skills
Building on our foundational skills of fire creation, kindling bundles, tinder sourcing, and ferro rods + bow drills, we'll spend the day reviewing and refining our techniques. With a mix of perseverance, skill, and luck, we’ll get a substantial fire going! As winter settles in, fire will provide warmth and shelter, allowing us to enjoy over-the-fire cooking, games, and relaxed time together.
Larrabee State Park
OUTING 5 | Skills
Birch Bay is the northwest edge of Whatcom County and the United States. This coastal state park is a beautiful place to observe eagles, heron, and seals. We'll spend the day practicing our fire-building and carving skills and exploring this site that has seen human habitation for thousands of years. The goal of this day will be to start (and maybe finish?) carving spoons. We’ll use a method that involves coal blowing to create the spoon's basin. The motto Slow is Fast will be very important on this day, as spoons are a difficult tool to carve and will often split if the coal is blown too hot.
Birch Bay
OUTING 6 | SERVICE
Explorers Club (EC) has two official restoration sites that we work on every year in partnership with the Bellingham Parks Department. In the decade-plus that EC has worked at Connelly Creek Nature Area and Happy Valley Park, the landscape of each site has changed dramatically. Explorers of all ages have helped to remove Himalayan blackberries and dig out their persistent roots. We’ve planted over one hundred native plants, shrubs, and trees. Existing plant life has been freed of ivy, reed canary grass has been covered in mulch, and morning glory has been dug out by the root. Explorers have removed hundreds of pounds of trash and hauled almost one hundred yards of mulch.
With the help of Bellingham City Parks and Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), we are contributing to the very important work of salmon habitat restoration. Salmon are keystone species of the Northwest, playing important roles in every ecosystem and community they interact with. They are economically, culturally, and spiritually significant to Indigenous Peoples, including our Lummi and Nooksack neighbors. Our restoration work creates a positive ripple effect that is felt in communities beyond just salmon and gives us an incredible opportunity to be part of a legacy of stewardship and protection. Please remember to sign the City of Bellingham Parks Department Risk and Liability release form at drop off.
cONNELLY cREEK Nature Area AND hAPPY VALLEY PARK
OUTING 7 | Exploration
Ready for a walk down memory lane? Today, we’ll revisit an old favorite outing and employ several well-honed naturalist skills with the hopes of eating plenty of wild edible plants! After gathering Big Leaf maple blossoms, nettles, and dandelions (Art of Harvest and Plant ID), we will use backcountry cooking stoves (Art of Fire, Expeditionary Behavior) to prepare these wild foods in a sweet way - fritters! Please send your Explorer with an empty mug for forest tea!
Hundred Acre Woods
OUTING 8 | Exploration
As our group approaches the end of another year together, we're gearing up for our final outing to Racehorse Falls. We'll board the trusty buses and head towards the mountains, ready for a day of exploration. Along the river, we'll search for fossils, edible plants, and animal tracks, with the destination of a beautiful waterfall in mind. This is a great spot for a fire or a big game of spidersweb. It's sure to be a memorable day as we bid farewell to another season of adventure and look towards our graduation year. Please pack closed-toed H2O shoes, swim attire, a towel, and sunscreen, weather permitting.