Welcome to Boys Explorers Club, Alligator Lizard families! Some of the boys (and you) have waited too long for this opportunity. We at Wild Whatcom appreciate your patience; now the wait is over - let’s make the most of the experience.
The Alligator Lizards began their Explorers Club (EC) experience at our traditional location, Fairhaven Park and 100 Acre Wood. We took a few minutes to begin to learn each other’s names, then meandered across the field and up… and down… and up… and down… and dizzily up…. the far hill toward the forest. At Wild Whatcom, we try to tap into child passions (part of our Coyote mentoring approach) such as hiding, games and music making. I’m not sure where repeatedly rolling downhill fits but I’m pretty sure most kids love it.
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| Do I really want to make myself dizzy? |
At our opening meeting, we talked about camouflage, our skill for this season. Ask your Explorer if he can name one of the four strategies animals use to hide in the wild. We also handed out the jobs for the day. Each outing, the group divides the labor of carrying necessary materials such as field guides, the TTTPP kit (ask your Alligator Lizard), and more.
Several of the boys had participated in one or more summer camps, so calls for games were rampant. “Hide” became our focus next, with the uninitiated soon catching on to the importance of always keeping the “predator” in your sites.
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| We spent most of our time exploring the 100 Acre Wood, despite what the pictures show! |
Time for lunch. While we chowed down, EC Mentors Apprentice (EMA) Avery set up our "Camouflage Gauntlet". A veteran Explorer who is giving back by volunteering to help with younger boys, Avery hid about a dozen pipe cleaners along a trail for the Alligator Lizards to try to spot. Each boy then had the chance to slowly walk the trail trying to locate as many as he could. Many an exclamation of “how did I not see that?” was heard from your Explorers (and mentor Brian) in a visceral examination of the aforementioned camouflage strategies.
Unstructured play time in the woods is a necessary part of connecting with nature, so we spent the next while in free exploration.
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| Smiles abound! Being in nature sparks curiosity and a sense of adventure. |
While the boys were creating their own games, the mentors prepared our final structured activity of the outing - a game called The Wildlife is Watching. Like the camouflage gauntlet, the boys walk a trail looking for what’s hidden in the woods. Only this time, it’s their peers that are hidden. Half the group hides; the other half searches. This activity gives the hiding boys quiet time in nature while also sharpening the searcher’s observation skill.
Our closing meeting always focuses on giving thanks. Each Explorer and mentor says what he’s thankful for while we share apple slices. Thanksgiving is an EC core routine.
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| Eager to get going on the "100 yard scream!" |
To complete the Alligator Lizard’s first ever EC outing, we took advantage of that field again with the “100 yard scream”. A promising beginning for this group of bright-eyed boys.
On October 15, their journey resumes at Woodstock Farms with their first service outing (Alligator Lizard schedule). Click here for the Alligator Lizard photo gallery.
