Whatcom Creek Wander: 11-1-15

Though this urban trek took us out of the woods and onto pavement, it had all the elements of an adventure: enthusiastic and curious participants, a complex historical and modern story, fascinating intersections of human and natural constructs, games, lessons in empathy and more. We say The Trail is the Teacher, and this creek greenway through the city was no exception. 

All our outings seek to ground us in a sense of place. In this case, it was Maritime Heritage Park, formerly a forest so thick it was difficult to walk through, beside a beach unfilled with fill, and a creek teeming with salmon. As we set the tone for the day, we traveled between past and present: we went back to the Salish fish camp on the bay, "seeing" men in canoes, fishing with their nettle nets, women and girls picking berries, the surrounding forest teeming with life: fox, bear, cougar, mink, beaver, countless birds; understood the impact of Roeder and Peabody's choice of the falls as the site for their mill, bringing dramatic changes to Whatcom; heard about the march of progress, human ingenuity causing numerous degradations to the creek and bay. We came to the present, and saw the juxtaposition of streamside restoration and continued degradation, of visible efforts to shift past wrongs, and problems that persist. Beside the displaced creek we saw evidence of displaced persons, and spoke of how to project love and compassion their way rather than fear and judgment.   

Here are some of the gifts of the day:

• Began to understand the creek's history by playing Oh Salmon!, which highlighted the impacts on salmon and their needs (food, water, shelter) over time

• Read the lessons in the Salmon Woman totem pole, about abundance, greed, and consequences. 

• Saw (and picked up) lots of litter

• Discussed the value of commitment and Walking Your Talk in showing up to GEC on a rainy post-Halloween day. 

• Discovered many hazards on salmon's journey: fish hooks, churning waterfalls, pollution, an artificially straightened creek, pipelines, and other myriad impacts of the city 

• Engaged with the salmon art, mostly sculpture, all along the trail. A favorite was the large bell with the inscription: Our Simplest Wisdom is to Follow the Sea Bright Salmon Home. 

• Witnessed the challenge of living without the basic need of shelter in seeing temporary homes constructed of cardboard boxes, old tents, bushes

• Worked to navigate our way along the trail using map, trail markers, common sense, local knowledge, and trial and error!

• Met up with the GEC bus, Moose, to mimic salmon being bussed over a dam – in our case, we were bussed through the most urban aspect of the stream's journey

• Asked questions with no right answer: What is progress? Is it good or bad? How can we consider the next seven generations in how we live and act? What are our preconceptions of others?

• Experienced the changes in landscape all along the way as we discussed changes over time all along Whatcom's journey, until finally entering the familiar comfort of the forest ecosystem in Whatcom Falls Park

• Learned about many of the human characters who have shaped the creek's journey: the native inhabitants, Roeder & Peabody, the Ladies Cooperative Society, the advocates for creek straightening to prevent flooding, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, the White City Amusement Park at Silver Beach, the victims of the pipeline explosion, & all of us who live, work and play near the Sound of Noisy Waters (Whatcom)

• Reflected on the circle of life and how nothing really ever ends, but continues on, regeneration, and how those who have passed on become nurse logs for what comes after. This is true for salmon, trees, water and everything in nature. In our human realm, those who die can become nourishing nurse logs of inspiration, fundraisers, humor, memories, poetry, wisdom and so much else. Not gone, still going. 

• Enjoyed a truly Peaceful Place beside the more wild nature of the tumbling stream in Whatcom Falls Park 

• Introduced the Seven Generation Principle with the following quote: 'We say that the faces of coming generations are looking up from the earth. So when you put your feet down, you put them down very carefully - because there are generations coming one after the other. If you think in these terms, then you'll walk a lot more carefully, be more respectful of this earth". This led to a rich discussion.

• Ended our day with a Circle of Thanks, powerful in its simplicity as we each paused to give gratitude to those who have come before, for the patience of nature, to Explorers Club for shaping us, trees, and our great good fortune. speaking of the seventh generation principle; 

Our words of the day? "Seven Generations of Whatcom Creek Wandering!"

Finally, a contribution from a past GEC girl, now 15, who wrote this short poem throughout the day while walking this same route along Whatcom Creek:

Life and Death

Everything struggles to survive.

Though some things live and some things die.

Even though there may be strife,

It all makes the circle of life.

If some die, yet others live,

feeding upon what the dead bodies give.

Death makes life and life makes death.

So close your eyes and enjoy your breath.

You may check out the slideshow from our day here. 

Service for H.E.L.P. Project: 10-11-15

This was a different sort of service day, with girls garbed in everyday clothes and us spending the days in cars and stores. Not your typical Explorers Club service, but certainly in line with our mission to inspire youth to identify community needs and take action. 

We gathered in our office with a flurry of activity: inventorying donated items, count funds raised, and to review the purpose of the H.E.L.P. (Help Everyone Live and Prosper) project. How satisfying to see a project suggested by another GEC girl years ago come to fruition again this year! We discussed the cycle of poverty and what it means to have a Safety Net, identified whose "cups" we're filling with this project, and reviewed our motto, "Walk Your Talk." The girls presented their donated items and monetary donations (an impressive total over $950.00!!), then we made a clear plan for the day, understanding that clarity and organization was key in bringing 16 people shopping!

Before we left, we did an exercise described here about privilege and inequality of opportunity. This led to a powerful discussion about the road blocks to success many people face, and helped us understand our own privilege and the good fortune we experience to have a safety net (aka "sitting near the wastebasket").

At every store we visited (Bellingham Grocery Outlet, Target, Costco), we made challenging decisions collaboratively and took seriously the act of spending donated money. While these discussions took time, they were an essential part of this project: What might a person most appreciate if they were without shelter? Why? And then, further, what type of item? For example, we knew how vital warm socks are, but should we spend less and get more thick cotton socks, or spend more and get less wool blend socks? All along the way, we delivered thank you notes for stores' donations, complete with a logo designed by a GEC member. 

With the generous donations received, we bought enough of these "basic needs" items to fill 200 H.E.L.P. bags: granola bars, Vitamin C packets and other basic medications, bandaids, bottles of water, and socks. We'll add donated dental supplies and personal hygiene items (e.g., travel-size shampoo) to the bags, as well. All items were previously suggested by Cheri, the Director of Hope House, who let us know what she thought ought to go in the bags. 

Speaking of Hope House, at the bottom of this report we've attached some posts from Cheri's blog about the realities of homelessness here in Whatcom County. Some have a Christian bent; but regardless of your beliefs, we hope you'll see the meaning and message for all about the reality for so many. Please share with your daughter if you feel Cheri's experiences would extend her learning in meaningful ways. 

What's next? Our work for H.E.L.P. Project Part Two will include a full inventory of donated and purchased items, preparing the handwritten notes for each bag, bag assembly, and deciding what to do with any remaining donations. How appropriate to do this on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January.  

We ended our day with a gratitude circle and our Words of the Day: 
Our words of the day? "Helping Everyone Live and Prosper!"

You may see the slideshow from our day here.

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HOPE HOUSE BLOG, FALL 2014

Here is how quickly your world can start to unravel around you: 

· You nurse your mother through her final days during the summer.

· Your sister is diagnosed with breast cancer and is scheduled to for a mastectomy in February.

· Your significant other suffers a fatal stroke at home and paramedics are unable to save him. In the process, the front door of your home and the stovetop are damaged.

· Six days later, your sister comes home from the hospital after her mastectomy and suddenly dies.

· By the way, you are also disabled with Multiple Sclerosis, and live in a remote part of Whatcom County. You have now lost a significant part of your financial support as well as all of your emotional support systems.

· You are unable to continue having a phone, due to money issues.

· Your car dies and you purchase another one from an acquaintance. Unfortunately, the tabs are over a year old, and you get stopped by the police and your car is towed. You have no money and no one to call, so you walk a long way home.

· You take what little money you have left to get the title and registration updated for the car, now you have to go to court for the ticket you received.

· In the meantime, you are being charged $45 per day for the impound fees. You have come up with almost half of what you need to get it out, but if you don’t get the rest asap, the fees will become insurmountable.

At this point, the woman sitting in front of me is fighting back tears, because the totality of all the bad things is finally pressing her down. Also at this point, our Assumption Financial Assistance kicked in and paid for the rest of her impound fees so that she could start to breathe again!

What is the point? The point is that we often see ordinary people to whom bad things/luck have happened and their world started falling slowly apart. The little request for diapers may hide the despair of unpaid bills, a missing husband, a lost job, a broken down car….any of the circumstances that send lives spiraling out of control. At Hope House we try very hard to “see” past the simple request and meet the unsaid needs, if only as a sounding board (which is what the woman had asked me to be that day).

I’ve said it before, sometimes the needs are not visible nor physical, but emotional or spiritual.

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We live in a beautiful part of this world, here in Whatcom County. We have mountains to ski and hike on, forests to camp in and water to boat on. We have one university, one community college and one technical college; a minor league baseball team and a symphony; parks and playgrounds, an aquatic center, more golf courses than we should need….the list goes on. The point is that this is a wonderful place to live—if you are a wealthy retiree or have a family history here with family business/land to count on.

 For a good many of our neighbors, the good life is out of their reach. Skiing, golf, ball games and swimming fees are way beyond their limited budgets, and while parks and hiking are free, their time isn’t. They spend their days working part time at minimum wage jobs, and then continue their day with standing in line at the food bank, meeting with case managers or coming to Hope House or the Salvation Army hoping to receive hygiene items, clothing, gas vouchers and bus passes. Or they pick up their phones and spend 4 hours trying to get through and get an appointment for energy assistance at the Opportunity Council. In other words, their jobs don’t end when they get off work.

To make it all worse, the cost of living in Whatcom County is 23% higher than the US average. Rents are out of control and food costs rise every day. For those who live on very small budgets, often paying the rent takes everything you make, so the rest of your monthly expenses come from food stamps, TANF and social service agencies. We see families at Hope House every day who are working but simply cannot make it through the month.

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These last few days at Hope House have been all about “reminders” for me. You know, those moments when the situation in front of you “reminds” you of God’s love, grace and mercy? I’ll admit I don’t always pay enough attention, so sometimes; He has to be very clear! 

Reminder #1: As Amy Grant sings, “The honest cries of breaking hearts are better than a Hallelujah”. One morning this week, I sat helplessly watching a women silently weep as we did her intake and discerned her needs. As I assured her we are a safe place, and we would love to help, her tears continued to flow. Did she doubt us? No, she was upset at needing help, relieved at getting it, and overwhelmed by the compassion offered. By the time she left, she was smiling through damp eyes, and promising to come back for Christmas assistance. We are God’s hands on earth.

Reminder #2: Like the Little Engine That Could, some never give up. I talked today to a young man who is currently homeless and living in a tent  in his mother’s yard—with his 5 year old daughter, who he has full custody of.  They have been homeless for about a month, she is in kindergarten and is having fun “camping” with her daddy, and he is trying desperately to find work and shelter for them. Today we were able to help with the paperwork he will need to get housing through the local housing authority. He told me he was a foster child, and would never let his daughter go through that system. He referred to her as his shining star. We are God’s eyes on earth.

Reminder #3: Gloria Gaynor’s song “I will Survive” says all you need to know about Linda. A single mom of three beautiful girls, working in the healthcare industry here, but unable to afford the cost of living, she came to me in early summer with a plan to move her family to Oklahoma to a town with jobs and housing. I encouraged her, set her up with financial aid from several area churches, and cheered when I received this email about her: Linda has a job with good wages and benefits, has a 3 bedroom apartment for $500 per month and is doing very well. She expressed her thanks to all who helped and asked that I be told how well she is doing. We are God’s ears on earth.

We are the human and physical representation of God here on earth, and we all need to reach out with love to each other. Together, we can weep, pick up the pieces, and move forward.

You can read recent Hope House blog posts here. They certainly tie into what we discussed on Sunday!

Hike to Heliotrope Ridge: 9-18-15

Glacier Glory! Those were our words of the day last Friday, and they were fitting. But so could they have been: Hiking Heyday! or Connection Cacophony! All happened, and Laurel and I and EMA Mel are grateful to have shared in the experience with this great group.

The connection cacophony began immediately - is there such a thing as Fall Fever (like spring fever)? If so, many of these girls had it and words were spilling out like the cascades we passed later along the trail. We bottled that energy into Stubbs and headed east, checking in with one another about summer and autumn changes.

We also discussed the Ten Essentials in some depth, and agreed that yes, they are essential even for a day hike (and talked about why that is).

1. Navigation (map and compass)
2. Sun protection (sunglasses and sunscreen)
3. Insulation (extra clothing)
4. Illumination (headlamp/flashlight)
5. First-aid supplies
6. Fire (waterproof matches/lighter/candles)
7. Repair kit and tools
8. Nutrition (extra food)
9. Hydration (extra water)
10. Emergency shelter
11. Communication (emergency communication device)

We also pointed out different life zones that we would pass along the trail (and then really noticed these as we were hiking):

Hemlock, Redcedar, Douglas-Fir Zone Elevation 0-2,000 feet (most of the drive up)

River Valleys: Forest Floors Thrive on Soil

Most recipes for life in nature's kitchen start on the forest floor with fertile, moist soils, teeming with life. The hemlock, redcedar, Douglas-fir forest contains a great diversity of plants and animals, including more than 3,400 species of "bugs".

Silver Fir Zone 2,000-5,500 feet (on the drive up)

Mountain Forests: Wet and Wooded Mansions

If mountain forest habitat was a many-roomed house, the rivers and streams would be its hallways. Thousands of watery corridors connect the mountain slopes to the sea. These wet and wooded forests of the silver-fir zone provide shelter for many animals, including insects and birds.

Subalpine Zone 4,000-7,000 feet (Heather Meadows)

Mountain Meadows: Winter Welcome Mats

Subalpine creatures nestle down in a habitat that invites chilly weather and nearly shrugs off summer. Stunted trees cluster on humps amid open meadows and rocky outcrops awaiting snow melt for a brief chance to grow after eight months of cold in the subalpine zone.

Alpine Zone Elevation 7,000+ feet

Rocky Ridges: Life in an Icebox

At high elevations, nature's freezer defrosts drip by drip. Cracking blue clusters of ice bury the tops of treeless rocks. Frigid winds and constant snowfall challenge organisms to adapt. Ice worms and red algae are some of the few life forms nurtured at the summits of the alpine zone.

After a double-check of gear at the trailhead, we headed up to Heliotrope! Aimee was in front with the jackrabbits, who leaped and sprung up the trail faster than most groups she's ever hiked with, while Laurel and Mell noticed nature more along the trail with the following group. We checked the map frequently along the way to practice navigation skills, and crossed many beautiful waterways.

After a great hike through old hemlock, we emerged into the subalpine zone, had a lovely conversation with a marmot, and had our breaths taken away by the site of the massive Coleman glacier. Wow. Impressive is too small a word to describe this mammoth block of wavy ice. We discussed why we couldn't glissade down it, the danger of crevasses, and then brainstormed all the things glaciers are connected to – streams, rivers, lakes, sea, electricity, drinking water, storage system, clouds, mountains, salmon and myriad other species – and why they're so important to our region. We also discussed the human history of the area and the importance of what we name things and why - is it Baker or Komo Kulshan? Both? Does it matter? 

We enjoyed a too-short (and cold) Peaceful Place by the glacier (check out the photo below of Makenna in her Peaceful Place - she's the blue speck in the corner) and then, far too soon, it was time to descend (many girls could have happily gone up and up and up)

We had a long, productive, and interesting conversation about the H.E.L.P. Project on the bus ride home (see email sent previously) and ended our day with our very fitting words of the day: Glacier Glory!

Mottos especially in use today: The Trail is the Teacher, Stretch Your Edge, Be Prepared, Safety First

You may see the full slideshow from our day here.