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.