The Alevin arrived at Clayton Beach to find the mentors mulling over a pile of Alder, Cedar, and Vine Maple. Once everyone was present the mentors called a circle and informed the Explorers that they would spend a good portion of the day delving into the skill of fire by friction. Needless to say the boys were excited! The group agreed to put their full attention towards the task, recognizing that this was our first and last chance to practice our seasonal skill.
Fire by Friction is a culmination of many of the previous skills these boys have been working on. It requires local knowledge of the flora and fauna, an eye for harvestable materials that are just the right shape and size, advanced carving techniques, knot tying skills, and above all patience and focus.
In an effort to try and align the flow of the outing with the boys natural energy cycle the mentors have switched to focusing on skills at the start of the outing and then delving into more free time and exploration as the day goes on. We find 10:00 o’clock to be the prefect time; the boys are not distracted by hunger or sleepiness and are not in the post-lunch food coma or ready to take a siesta. Our aim is to provide the best opportunity possible with our limited time together to help the boys learn these crafts.
Gathering our supplies the group motored down the trail to Clayton Beach where we found a secluded cove to practice our skill. The boys turned their attention to a mentor who had pulled out a bow drill kit, passing it around the circle. He explained that a bow drill kit is made up of five components: a top rock, spindle, bow, fireboard, and tinder nest. Making fire is a hard skill to wrap your mind around until you see it in action. Once the group was oriented to the components of a fire kit they gathered close as the mentor demonstrated the process. Slowly through friction of the whirling spindle against the fireboard, a small coal started to form and the smell of smoke rose into the air. Dropping the coal into a Cedar bundle the mentor gently blew the coal into flame. There was a resounding “awe” around the circle.
At this point the group couldn’t contain themselves any longer, anxiously awaiting the chance to start working on their own fire kit. Passing around pieces of seasoned Red Alder the Explorers started to carve away on spindles and top boards. It was inspiring to watch the Alevin work. They put in a solid effort of struggling their way through working with the Alder. Initially when the Alevin were learning to carve they started off with Red Cedar because of it’s softness, and although great for utensils it makes poor spindles and fireboards. A few hours and a whole lot of blisters later the boys had some excellent straight and circular spindles carved. Using their spindles they practiced with the mentors fire kits, finding the actual process quiet difficult.
It’s amazing how much our knowledge of and experimentation with Earth Skills can teach. While the mentors coached the boys they reiterated over and over again our motto, slow is fast and fast is slow. Although none of the boys started a fire a few saw smoke starting to rise off the fireboard.
Checking the clock it had been two and a half hours since we started our skill focus and it was time to pack up and head down the beach. As we traveled the rocky shoreline the boys scavenged for top rocks for their kits until we came to a beautiful spot for a sit. Sending the boys out to find a peaceful place they sat staring out at the ocean and listening to the land. Our sit spot was incredible, there was a Bald Eagle sitting in the tree next to us and a Yellow-Billed Loon calling out as he foraged the Eelgrass beds for food.
With the tide on its way out the mentors called the group back together and we spent the rest of the day investigating the intertidal region of the beach. Clayton Beach’s old pillars and rocky breakwater provide the prefect habitat for all sorts of gastropods, anemones, and crabs. As we explored one of the boys called the group over to try and identify a mysterious creature. Sure enough it was a Hooded Nudibranch and as we looked we saw more and more of them. It was fascinating to watch the Nudibranch dance and flutter through the eelgrass as it searched for zooplankton and jellyfish.
Calling the group together we shared a circle of thanks on the beach. The boys gave thanks for the ability to work on fire by friction, for the weather holding out so we could have uninterrupted skill focus, for Clayton Beach and all the mystery that lived there, and for quiet time and sit spots. Before breaking our circle the mentors reminded the group that fire comes with a great responsibility and it is our job to pass down this ancient skill from generation to generation. Fire has allowed humans to make tools, cook, purify water, warm our shelters, regulate landscapes, and provided a hearth for us to gather around. It demands focus and attention, and if we let our guard down or allow ourselves to get careless we have the potential to do great harm.
Heading up the beach we were stopped for yet another nature moment, finding a decomposing Harbor Seal in the high tide line. Flipping it over we examined its bones structure before returning it to its originally resting position. What an amazing day for wildlife at the beach!
Parents, if your Explorers have any questions about the process of fire by friction or the materials and techniques involved please don’t hesitate to send an email or give us a call. This skill takes time and we will be working on it for multiple seasons to come. For more photos from our outing please visit the Alevin’s photo gallery.
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