Whatcom Wander 3-26-17

Wet, cold, and full of life! That's springtime in the Pacific Northwest and the Chickadees were all about it. We set out from Lake Whatcom on a drizzly morning to explore the winding channel of water that runs from the Lake into Bellingham Bay and all along the way, we searched for telltale signs of spring.

We found lots of plants, heard and saw many different species of birds, and even glimpsed some salmon in the hatchery! All of the girls met the Indian Plum plant and tasted its cucumber-y leaves. Did you know that it's one of the first things to bud in the springtime? Whenever you see its lovely white flower, you know that spring has sprung.

Another important and very useful plant friend that the Chickadees met along the trail was the Cattail. In meeting the Cattail, the girls learned about the different stages of a plant's life, in GEC we say Roots, Shoots, and Fruits. The Cattail is useful in all of its different forms. The roots are edible and the root system helps maintain wetland habits. The stalks are used for making mats and also as perches for the Red Winged Black birds (or the DooPaDeeDoop birds as we now call them). Perhaps the most exciting feature of the Cattail is that you can use its seedpod as a natural torch. So much for headlamps!

As we followed the water from Lake Whatcom to Scudder Pond and then into Whatcom Creek, the Chickadees talked about our local water cycle. We imagined the massive and ancient glaciers residing on Kulshan and the other mountains in the North Cascades and how those glaciers feed springs that lead into the three branches of the Nooksack River. The Middle Fork of the Nooksack empties into Lake Whatcom, which then flows into Whatcom Creek and eventually makes it way into Bellingham Bay. WOAH! Thats a really long trip!

Soon enough, we were nearly to the Stone Bridge and our pick-up spot. The Chickadees enjoyed a very peaceful place, with the sound of the waterfalls in the background and rain lightly pitter-pattering through the trees above. When we reconvened for our closing circle everyone shared in a round of Attitude of Gratitude and then came up with these great Words of the Day: "Cattail Torches and Noisy Waterfalls"

All things properly muddied, it was a great GEC day. We learned, we played, we built fairy houses, and of course, chucked large branches off of bridges... Only one season in and the Chickadees are already a strong and connected group! Can't wait to see what future explorations are in store.


 Mottos that were of particular use: Be Prepared, Collaborate and Compromise, Build Bridges Not Walls, S.T.O.P., Safety First, Meet Before You Eat, We are All Leaders