Sun and Service! Those are the two best words to describe the Alevin Outing on Saturday. Under gorgeous skies we worked together to improve Whatcom Falls Park.
We started out with a name game to remind us of each person’s name. But we also added dance moves, so now we know that Cole likes to sing and Riis “walks like an Egyptian!” If you don’t know already, now is a good time to ask your Explorer how he busts a move!
During opening meeting we talked about service, why we do it, and how it makes us feel. It is a fun way to help others or to care for the environment. We realized that the land provides us with food, medicine, and shelter. So our doing work on the land is a way of tending to what gives us life.
As we arrived on site, Rae from the Bellingham Department of City Parks took a couple moments to set us up. Our job was to clear out all the ivy on a small portion of land next to the trail. Explorers were aware that the ivy can be a contribution to the land, but that this particular ivy was growing in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our goal was to make sure that every little scrap got put into bins so that it wouldn’t grow back… even a little bit can re-root itself and grow back!
Alevin Explorers got to work pulling. Our mottoes came to life as we worked. Slow is Fast and Fast is Slow, took on new meaning at we found strategies for working smarter while pulling the ivy. Safety First taught us to lift with our legs and not our backs as we all worked together to move a huge log.
We consider how A Tool is an Extension of the Body, as we learned the skill of “Hoary-Hoary” usage and increased our accuracy in de-rooting the ivy and adequately clearing the patch of land.
Though we were working hard, we had fun during the experience. We also took the opportunity to learn about the natural world. Logan found a flat, 6-legged insect. Explorers, and even Rae, took turns observing and hypothesizing what it actually was. In the end we thought it might be some sort of larval form of an earwig. Our learning opportunities reminded us of the motto, Everyone is a Teacher, and that we all have something to offer the group.
Through tired, Explorers showed determination and focus during the last ten minutes of the ivy eradication. We diligently gathered and raked the remaining ivy remnants, then spread a thick layer of mulch over the now bare earth. 
During our two hours, many passers-by said thank you and recognized us for our hard work. Explorers were happy for the recognition but were also content in doing the work because it was fun and made them feel good. Indeed this was an important step in their cultivation of a service.
At the very end of our service, we dragged huge limbs of holly to the street so they could get picked up. We gave back our gloves and headed back to Bloedel Donovan Park for lunch. The remainder of the time provided for some authentic exploration, a frog discovery, and a big field game. We finished the day by sharing apples and participating in a Circle of Thanks. Explorers did a great job respectfully listening to one another; as such we abided by the motto, Attitude of Gratitude.
Thank you Explorers for your commitment to each other and to helping the land. Thanks parents for your support and encouragement. Check out thephoto gallery to see the before and after pictures as well as Explorers in action!
See you next time for our coastal traverse… Be Prepared!
