Salamander Efts Begin Learning Fire By Friction at North Galbraith

The Salamander Efts met up at North Galbraith Trailhead on a chilly, damp Sunday morning. This was perfect weather for us to begin the journey along discovering a timeless skill: The Art of Fire by Friction. Taking advantage of the recently altered landscape, we had a treasure trove of materials to harvest after the recent deforestation a half mile down the trail. But before we jumped into harvesting, it was time to get an introduction into what it takes to make a “bow-drill kit” and what it means to learn this skill.

Gathering under an cave-like overhang just felt right to begin learning this skill

  

Spreading out near the bike jumps, some of the Explorers discovered an small cave like overhang that would be just the right size for an opening circle. Squeezing in, we formed a circle and after some squirelliness from a few group members, we settled in to learn about the bow-drill. It was fitting to be doing this under such a prominent natural shelter and added to the timeless nature of this skill. Examining the kit the boys learned about each piece and its purpose. From the obvious bow, there was also the spindle, fireboard, top rock/block, and items to create a tinder bundle. A quick demo from one of the mentors showed how all these items worked together to create an ember through friction. This ember is then transferred into a tinder bundle and with the addition of oxygen blown into the mix of ember and tinder, a flame is produced. 

The bow, fire board, spindle, and top block/rock, with cedar bark for tinder

Not only is this a fun skill to learn about, but it also holds incredibly significant place in the development of humankind as we know it and the technology we have developed over thousands of years to allow us to live all across the world, explore the depths of space, access an endless wealth of information online, and basically do anything beyond basic survival day to day. The ability to create fire on demand, cook food, and even preserve food enabled early humans to not only survive, but thrive and begin developing the early forms of culture and technology that are now the basis of our everyday lives. There is something almost magical about learning this skill and once you can create fire from a few easily gathered materials in the forest, fire almost becomes a part of you that you can carry with you wherever you go.

Investigating the deforested lands where this group played Life and Death in the Forest a little over a year ago

It was now time for us to indulge in this ancient skill as we moved through the forest and out into the recently deforested lands where we could gather materials and find a location to begin learning this skill for ourselves. This group has always been one to get lost in the art of goofing off and their focus hard to wrangle at times. Initially it was looking like our outing was going to be a wash and despite a lot of fun and exploration when the mentors gathered the group up to rally and get going on gathering materials and putting together their own fire kits. Spreading out Explorers searched for potential spindles to harvest while mentors cut and processed some downed Western Red Cedar to use for fireboards. Everyone was able to track down a few materials and we gathered up once more to start carving away and refining our materials into something that could produce an ember.

Practicing with a fresh bow-drill kit

Despite a wandering focus and plenty of good times to be had, the Salamander Efts managed to gather up the basic materials for a bow-drill kit. We hunkered down for the remainder of our outing and a few of the Explorers actually had a go at getting an ember. Despite their fruitless labors, they honed their technique and began acquiring the muscle memory required to become proficient enough to get an ember. Of course learning such a skill will take many hours of practice, the Salamander Efts not only got off to a good start, but as always, had a good time doing it. The mentors are looking forward to practicing this ancient skill with the Salamander Efts as we progress into spring outings and their final season together before graduating into the Four Shields. This is an exciting time to be working with this group, and as they grow into arriving adults, the mentors hope they can begin learning not only the basics of the bow-drill, but the concentration, determination, and patience that is inevitably required to become proficient at this skill. These traits can then permeate into other aspects of their lives and hopefully give them a head start over their peers as they journey through adolescence and beyond.

Make sure to check out the rest of the photos from our outing here!

Gathering together for closing circle to give some thanks before heading home

Salamander Efts and Alevin Showdown!

After a windy night and damp morning the Alevin and Salamander Efts gathered at the North Galbraith trailhead for a day of games and healthy competition. Each year we have a games showdown between two of the oldest Explorers clubs groups; These days are great opportunities to play games we usually don’t have enough people for and enjoy the energy that a large group of boys brings. As the Explorers gathered it was cool to see friendships that existed outside of specific groups and new friendships forming. As soon as everyone had arrived we headed into the forest to find Tim who was finishing the final touches on our game set up.

After hiking for about fifteen minutes we reached our destination and the site for our game. Our game of choice was Life and Death in the Forest. This game is a huge complicated game that involves herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, food sources, and many other factors. The basic premise of the game is a food chain game where each type of animal needs different resources to survive that mirror what this animal would need in the natural world (ask your Explorer to explain the rules sometime!). As soon as everyone had grabbed a snack and had a chance to visit we gathered into a large circle to introduce ourselves and explain the rules of the game.

The flip side of all the positive and excited energy that comes from having such a large group is that it is often hard to hold the group's attention for more than a short time. We worked our way through the rules pausing a couple times to call the boys attention back to the circle. When we finished the explanation of the rules we broke down into groups of herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores and geared up for the game. As soon as everyone was ready we started the game.

The game flew by in a blur of hiding behind sword ferns, chases through the forest, finding food sources, finding water sources, surprising each other, strategizing with one another, launching down ravines, running up slopes, crawling through the forest, herbivores hiding, and overall lots of laughter and fun. Part of the fun in playing a big game like this is the healthy competition that it promotes. The values that we can still respect each other even while playing hard in the woods. Numerous times I witnessed the game put on hold as one explorer helped another one up during a chase through the woods.

When the first round ended we came back together to talk about the game. Life and Death in the Forest is an interesting game to reflect on since it both puts the players in the mindset of whatever trophic level they were playing as and can show us how different food chains and ecosystem dynamics work. We had a great debrief on what it felt like to be herbivores, omnivores, or carnivores as well as what we can learn about real life ecosystems based on the parameters of this game. How many herbivores would survive in a real ecosystem? Does the amount of food the omnivore's had to eat seem reflective of how it might actually be? what adaptations would you really want if you were a carnivore? These and many other food chain related questions came up as the boys discussed the game.

For our second round we switched the roles and ratios of the animals slightly to reflect what we had discussed after the last game. Again we all disappeared into the forest to become herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores each finding enough food and water to survive.

The second round was just as successful as the first. Again we had a short debrief after the game to see how the changes we had made went. As the enthusiastic conversation died down we transitioned into ending the day with a sit spot. We asked the boys to spread out and find a comfortable place to sit quietly for the next fifteen to twenty minutes. The mentors spread out and began to clean up the various “food” and “water” sources from around the course. As we made our way back toward the backpacks we heard many voices and saw that many of the boys had all gathered together instead of finding a solo sit spot away from each other. We again reminded these boys to spread out and find their own spots. This temporarily spread them out, but soon enough they had come back together and began talking loudly again. We called everyone in from their sit spots and heard really insightful observations and profound realizations from the boys that had taken their sit spot seriously.

Our day ended with a the 20 minute walk a back to the parking lot. As we walked back we all chatted enthusiastically about the game and moments of defeat and success. Again the need for honest and healthy competitive play was highlighted. Weather you are an explorer or mentor a day spent playing in the woods leaves you with a smile on your face. Please take a look at the Alevin photo gallery andSalamander Efts photo gallery for more pictures from the outing!

Alevin and Salamander Efts Games Day Showdown

After a windy night and damp morning the Alevin and Salamander Efts gathered at the North Galbraith trailhead for a day of games and healthy competition. Each year we have a games showdown between two of the oldest Explorers clubs groups; These days are great opportunities to play games we usually don’t have enough people for and enjoy the energy that a large group of boys brings. As the Explorers gathered it was cool to see friendships that existed outside of specific groups and new friendships forming. As soon as everyone had arrived we headed into the forest to find Tim who was finishing the final touches on our game set up

After hiking for about fifteen minutes we reached our destination and the site for our game. Our game of choice was Life and Death in the Forest. This game is a huge complicated game that involves herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, food sources, and many other factors. The basic premise of the game is a food chain game where each type of animal needs different resources to survive that mirror what this animal would need in the natural world (ask your Explorer to explain the rules sometime!). As soon as everyone had grabbed a snack and had a chance to visit we gathered into a large circle to introduce ourselves and explain the rules of the game.

The flip side of all the positive and excited energy that comes from having such a large group is that it is often hard to hold the group's attention for more than a short time. We worked our way through the rules pausing a couple times to call the boys attention back to the circle. When we finished the explanation of the rules we broke down into groups of herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores and geared up for the game. As soon as everyone was ready we started the game.

The game flew by in a blur of hiding behind sword ferns, chases through the forest, finding food sources, finding water sources, surprising each other, strategizing with one another, launching down ravines, running up slopes, crawling through the forest, herbivores hiding, and overall lots of laughter and fun. Part of the fun in playing a big game like this is the healthy competition that it promotes. The values that we can still respect each other even while playing hard in the woods. Numerous times I witnessed the game put on hold as one explorer helped another one up during a chase through the woods.

When the first round ended we came back together to talk about the game. Life and Death in the Forest is an interesting game to reflect on since it both puts the players in the mindset of whatever trophic level they were playing as and can show us how different food chains and ecosystem dynamics work. We had a great debrief on what it felt like to be herbivores, omnivores, or carnivores as well as what we can learn about real life ecosystems based on the parameters of this game. How many herbivores would survive in a real ecosystem? Does the amount of food the omnivore's had to eat seem reflective of how it might actually be? what adaptations would you really want if you were a carnivore? These and many other food chain related questions came up as the boys discussed the game.

For our second round we switched the roles and ratios of the animals slightly to reflect what we had discussed after the last game. Again we all disappeared into the forest to become herbivores, omnivores, and carnivores each finding enough food and water to survive.

The second round was just as successful as the first. Again we had a short debrief after the game to see how the changes we had made went. As the enthusiastic conversation died down we transitioned into ending the day with a sit spot. We asked the boys to spread out and find a comfortable place to sit quietly for the next fifteen to twenty minutes. The mentors spread out and began to clean up the various “food” and “water” sources from around the course. As we made our way back toward the backpacks we heard many voices and saw that many of the boys had all gathered together instead of finding a solo sit spot away from each other. We again reminded these boys to spread out and find their own spots. This temporarily spread them out, but soon enough they had come back together and began talking loudly again. We called everyone in from their sit spots and heard really insightful observations and profound realizations from the boys that had taken their sit spot seriously.

Our day ended with a the 20 minute walk a back to the parking lot. As we walked back we all chatted enthusiastically about the game and moments of defeat and success. Again the need for honest and healthy competitive play was highlighted. Weather you are an explorer or mentor a day spent playing in the woods leaves you with a smile on your face. Please take a look at the Alevin photo gallery and Salamander Efts photo gallery for more pictures from the outing!

Salamander Efts Take Shelter at North Galbraith

On a damp drizzly Sunday afternoon, the Salamander Efts had their third outing of the fall season. This was truly salamander weather and the boys were going to have to tap into their inner amphibian to make it through this outing. As the first couple of boys showed it up at the North Galbraith Trailhead a light sprinkle slowly picked up. Thereafter it seemed like each boy that arrived brought out more and more of the rain. By the time the last Salamander Eft showed up it was a complete downpour; perfect weather to inspire a solid day of shelter building.

We began the day with a sense of urgency. It was wet, cold, and dreary and all we could do was start moving to make sure we stayed warm. The first task was to find a place to have opening meeting. The Salamander Efts have been around long enough to know what to look for. Remembering back to their first season studying the Art of Shelter we all were keeping our eyes out for nice big cedar trees, preferably a small cedar grove growing close together so their canopy of J-shaped branches could provide us cover from the rain. Unfortunately no matter where we looked it was inevitable, we were going to be getting wet. A quick hop off of the trail and we found a sufficient location for our meeting.

The opening meeting was a quick one. It was clear the priority here was shelter. Nature has a funny way of teaching, and today nature was forcing our hand. It almost felt like an exam. These boys knew enough about shelter building from past seasons, but today their skills were going to be put to the test. We continued along the trail looking for promising locations. Dry(ish) level ground, decent canopy cover, and abundant resources were all on the check list for where to set up shop. After a few minutes we came upon a promising location and got to work.

It took awhile for these boys to grasp the situation. It was cold, it was wet, it was miserable for some. These boys are reaching an age where they will begin to learn that sometimes they themselves are the only ones that can improve their situation. The mentors made it clear that it was no time to dilly dally, stand around, or complain about the elements, yet a good handful of the boys seemed to not know where to begin. The mentors split up to two locations and decided to give the boys a little help. One group dropped down to a cedar grove and the other went just up above the trail. Each boy was left to decide which group they wanted to join and soon it was clear the lower group had the majority of the boys and only three or four decided to go to the other location. Perhaps this would be an opportunity for the boys to see the motto “many hands makes light work” but alas there was still trouble finding motivation and compromise in how best to build the shelter.

As the lower group planned out a large shelter for their larger group, the upper group was still having difficulty deciding how best to approach the situation. As one of the boys from the lower group got frustrated with lack of effort and cooperation from his comrades, he decided to move to the upper group where his ideas were openly accepted and a shelter began to take form. The boys quickly realized that making a shelter in adverse conditions is no easy task. Even deciding which type of shelter to construct was rather confusing. So many great ideas just didn’t seem to work out in actuality as it did in their thoughts. After some trial and error, the lower group built a large framework that would have plentiful space for the whole group. The upper group decided to develop a cozy debris shelter.

As the shelters grew and took form, so did the boys morale. Although some boys had to take a break to warm up running along the mountain bike jumps, most of the boys finally got some good shelter building in and soon realized the work kept them warm, their minds occupied, and the time passing relatively quickly. One of the boys found taking shelter in the nearly complete debris hut kept him warm and dry. Although the couple of boys gathering the rest of the debris were only mildly amused by this notion, it provided ample evidence of the insulating properties of all the Big-Leaf Maple leaves we were piling up on the shelter.

Soon enough the rains began to let up. As the clouds lifted, so did the boys spirits. Boys were laughing and scurrying around playing various games with one another. Some of the boys found an excellent muddy hillside primed for sliding down after all the rain. Other boys were still highly motivated to finish the shelters. After a short discussion, the boys decided to spend the rest of the time putting the finishing touches on their shelters and enjoying the scattered beams of sunlight breaking through the tree cover instead of playing any games. Both mentors found a lot of maturity in this decision and were proud of the boys for wanting to finish what they started.

By the end of the day the boys had been through a lot. The elements did their best to make things miserable for them, but on the hike back to the parking lot any passerby would have had no idea. Everyone was laughing, cracking jokes with one another, and playing the whole way back.  When we finally broke through to a posse of anxious parents, it was clear there was some relief to see the Salamander Efts in high spirits. It was certainly a trying day, but the boys came away with a whole new appreciation for warmth and dryness. The Art of Shelter may not be the most glamorous, but these boys further solidified their knowledge, ability, and mastery of a skill that could one day save their lives, or at least keep them a little more comfortable in inclement weather.

Salamander Efts Take Shelter at North Galbraith

On a damp drizzly Sunday afternoon, the Salamander Efts had their third outing of the fall season. This was truly salamander weather and the boys were going to have to tap into their inner amphibian to make it through this outing. As the first couple of boys showed it up at the North Galbraith Trailhead a light sprinkle slowly picked up. Thereafter it seemed like each boy that arrived brought out more and more of the rain. By the time the last Salamander Eft showed up it was a complete downpour; perfect weather to inspire a solid day of shelter building.

We began the day with a sense of urgency. It was wet, cold, and dreary and all we could do was start moving to make sure we stayed warm. The first task was to find a place to have opening meeting. The Salamander Efts have been around long enough to know what to look for. Remembering back to their first season studying the Art of Shelter we all were keeping our eyes out for nice big cedar trees, preferably a small cedar grove growing close together so their canopy of J-shaped branches could provide us cover from the rain. Unfortunately no matter where we looked it was inevitable, we were going to be getting wet. A quick hop off of the trail and we found a sufficient location for our meeting.

The opening meeting was a quick one. It was clear the priority here was shelter. Nature has a funny way of teaching, and today nature was forcing our hand. It almost felt like an exam. These boys knew enough about shelter building from past seasons, but today their skills were going to be put to the test. We continued along the trail looking for promising locations. Dry(ish) level ground, decent canopy cover, and abundant resources were all on the check list for where to set up shop. After a few minutes we came upon a promising location and got to work.

It took awhile for these boys to grasp the situation. It was cold, it was wet, it was miserable for some. These boys are reaching an age where they will begin to learn that sometimes they themselves are the only ones that can improve their situation. The mentors made it clear that it was no time to dilly dally, stand around, or complain about the elements, yet a good handful of the boys seemed to not know where to begin. The mentors split up to two locations and decided to give the boys a little help. One group dropped down to a cedar grove and the other went just up above the trail. Each boy was left to decide which group they wanted to join and soon it was clear the lower group had the majority of the boys and only three or four decided to go to the other location. Perhaps this would be an opportunity for the boys to see the motto “many hands makes light work” but alas there was still trouble finding motivation and compromise in how best to build the shelter.

As the lower group planned out a large shelter for their larger group, the upper group was still having difficulty deciding how best to approach the situation. As one of the boys from the lower group got frustrated with lack of effort and cooperation from his comrades, he decided to move to the upper group where his ideas were openly accepted and a shelter began to take form. The boys quickly realized that making a shelter in adverse conditions is no easy task. Even deciding which type of shelter to construct was rather confusing. So many great ideas just didn’t seem to work out in actuality as it did in their thoughts. After some trial and error, the lower group built a large framework that would have plentiful space for the whole group. The upper group decided to develop a cozy debris shelter.

As the shelters grew and took form, so did the boys morale. Although some boys had to take a break to warm up running along the mountain bike jumps, most of the boys finally got some good shelter building in and soon realized the work kept them warm, their minds occupied, and the time passing relatively quickly. One of the boys found taking shelter in the nearly complete debris hut kept him warm and dry. Although the couple of boys gathering the rest of the debris were only mildly amused by this notion, it provided ample evidence of the insulating properties of all the Big-Leaf Maple leaves we were piling up on the shelter.

Soon enough the rains began to let up. As the clouds lifted, so did the boys spirits. Boys were laughing and scurrying around playing various games with one another. Some of the boys found an excellent muddy hillside primed for sliding down after all the rain. Other boys were still highly motivated to finish the shelters. After a short discussion, the boys decided to spend the rest of the time putting the finishing touches on their shelters and enjoying the scattered beams of sunlight breaking through the tree cover instead of playing any games. Both mentors found a lot of maturity in this decision and were proud of the boys for wanting to finish what they started.

By the end of the day the boys had been through a lot. The elements did their best to make things miserable for them, but on the hike back to the parking lot any passerby would have had no idea. Everyone was laughing, cracking jokes with one another, and playing the whole way back.  When we finally broke through to a posse of anxious parents, it was clear there was some relief to see the Salamander Efts in high spirits. It was certainly a trying day, but the boys came away with a whole new appreciation for warmth and dryness. The Art of Shelter may not be the most glamorous, but these boys further solidified their knowledge, ability, and mastery of a skill that could one day save their lives, or at least keep them a little more comfortable in inclement weather.