Cathlapotle & The Naturalist

The Tree Scouts of P221 went on an outing this past weekend to complete their Naturalist Webelos Activity Pin.  They went to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge in SouthWest Washington just outside of Vancouver.

This is a great place to come to help satisfy many requirements at all levels, even into Boy Scouts.  While the Webelos did learn a lot from our guide and the walk around the Refuge, the side bonus was the Native American Village and Plankhouse of the Cathapotle (Chinook) Tribe.

What I find very fascinating is that this area was a central gathering area of all the rivers that brought many people together.  This Native American Tribe thrived and traded up and down the Columbia River.

Apparently there is a Tree that is supposed to be about 700 years old, next to the Plankhouse and is talked about in the Lewis and Clark Journals.  While I know that Lewis & Clark came through here and wintered at Ft Clatsop, it was neat to know they were romping around where I was.

We did carry out the goals of the Naturalist Activity Pin.  If you really spent a full, long day here, you could complete the Forester Activity Pin as well.  We did that at Magness Tree Farm last year about this time.

Again, another reason to be on the Journey of Scouting.  An opportunity to go some place, learn something and to be outdoors.

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Jamboree-on-the-Trail 2012

Today was Jamboree on the Trail.  It’s technically my first time.  Last year I was at Gilwell Field as a Troop Guide, so maybe I was on the trail?  I put JOTT on the Pack Calendar and incorporated it as part of my Cubmaster Hike.  This was the second in a six part set of hikes.  Today we went to Elk Rock Island.   Non of the people on the trail within the Pack had ever been there.   The land bridge that was supposed to be there, was under water.  We could have gone swimming, but I had no idea about the currents or what it was like.  Hence, we did not.  The adults could have walked on the  bottom of the river bed, but the water would have been up to our armpits.  Plus, it was VERY COLD.  Many of the people with us elected to wade in other areas and explore.

We did see several Osprey’s and a Bald Eagle.  As we were hiking in, we saw a lot of garbage, which we all picked up some of it on our way out.  We also went over the Cubscout Leave No Trace ideals again.  The Scouts and Parents did well.  It was shorter than I had really planned, but we did talk about the volcano & lava flows that we were on as well as the island itself.

Main thing is that we got out into an area that no one had ever heard of before and had a good time.

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The Great Outdoors

In my last post, it was about The Portland Outdoor School and what School District and City of Portland is doing with it.  Like I have said, it’s not a bad thing and it should be there and funded properly.  But what about OTHER camps and solutions and things that can happen to NOT have to go through this School?  Maybe a better solution is sitting right under your nose and you just do not know it.  Why does the Outdoor School only happens once a year.  Why can it not happen every week or every month?

In the quick googling of camps, Portland and Oregon I found a few that are cool, besides the Outdoor School.
TrackerPDX: This one seems to be geared all year round and for the home schooled crowd.  I like the Zombie First Responder class!
The Audubon Society of Portland is another.  These are basically day trips and wildlife based.
There is even Outward Bound.  Very cool stuff.

So a lot more in and around Portland.  I highly suspect the same is in your area where you, the reader are now in.  These activities and camps take a lot of money to send your child or children to!  It’s Gymboree or a Playdate.  These are classes/camps that teach you something, get you outdoors and experience things that make you stretch.

I am not going into the Sports Camps or Math Camps or other Academic Camps that you could go to.  Those are good and worthwhile.  I went to a few of them in my day as well.  Heck, I even went to a speed reading class for a summer.

All of these classes above are good.  But, why not do them ALL YEAR LONG?  Go on field trips called Go-See-Its to the Police Dept, Fire Dept, TV Station, Newspaper, A Tree Farm, Ape Caves (Mt St Helens) go to a Science Day at Intel.  Go hiking along a river, in a wildlife preserve, go to a Zoo and even sleep under the Spruce Goose. We had the normal Pinewood Derby and Raingutter Regattas.  During Summertime Activities, we learned about water bottle rockets and Disc Golfing.    All of these dealt with Nature, Science and how things worked.

All of these outing, expeditions and activities were through Cub scouts.  Specifically within the Pack I am Cubmaster for.  Scouting at any level (and there is Cubscouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity, Venture & Sea Scouts) is full of adventure, fun and learning.  My daughter is in Girl Scouts and is having similar fun and has gone to camp as well. While I am not knee-deep into Girl Scouts, I know that Girl Scouts has  similar offerings and Camps.

The whole Scouting Program offers all the items within its program, year round that the Outdoor School does several times a year.  The other Camps that cost a lot of money do to, but you do not build off a year round program.  Scouting as the youth progress gain leadership skills, build character and learn skills that can lead into hobbies and even careers.  While not every Scout will be an Astronaut, they will  have the basis to meet any of their goals and reach for their own star.

So, Outdoor School is good.  But, it’s my contention that Scouting via any program for any youth is good.  It is known throughout the entire world and was founded on helping promote peace and understanding to all.  To me, having instant friends in Canada, England, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, Libya, Mexico and any of the 140 nations is wonderful.   Be Prepared to have more friends and fun along the way.

Having a year round program that gets the youth out into the wild year round for very low-cost will be a great benefit to all. Scouting is your answer.

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Cubmaster Hike #1

Saturday afternoon (April 21st) was our first Cubmaster Hike.  I selected the Wood Memorial Park as our hike for several reasons.  First, it’s very close to the school.  It is actually right next to the SW Community Center & Gabriel Park.  Secondly, it’s an easy hike.  Nothing like climbing Mt Hood or Everest.  My goal was to get everyone out for awhile into  a place that they have not been to before.

I had eight Scouts show up five other siblings and seven parents. not counting myself.  Awesome!

With any Scout outing we needed to go over a few things.  I went over the Cubscout Leave No Trace items, asking the Scouts what they are.  They are slightly different from the normal LNT.   I wanted them to think about LNT and being out in nature.  We did talk about what Respect meant.  Knowing that they would be loud and running as boys normally do.

I also talked about some of the trees and plants that were there.  Mind you I am not an expert, but I did.  I pointed out the Pine tree, Red Cedar Tree and the English Ivy and a bunch of ferns.  We talked what an Invasive Species is and what we can do.  We had a couple of Girl Scouts with us as well, and they were very helpful.

There were several fallen logs over a stream and even over our heads.  We talked about what might be living in them. Why they fell, how they fell and if no one was in the forest did it make a noise?

While at the Stream area, we talked about the trail work that was being done and why.  We talked about erosion and what it really is.  I explained that the fences that were up were really for the people to keep out of the area so plants would grow.  Some Scouts thought it was to keep the plants off the trail.

As we hiked towards the end, there was a fork in the road.  All the Scouts took it immediatly.  I asked why are they taking it?  They said because it’s there and it goes back to the cars.  I asked if they knew that.  They did not.  I said, that it looks like the other way does.  So we continued.

As we went the other way and up a nice size hill, I reminded them that they needed to make sure that everyone was with us.  We stopped at the top and looked where we were..  That is when I pulled out my iPhone and looked at the Map that I had downloaded.  I asked the Scouts if they knew where we were.  They said that they were close to the cars cause they could see the houses.  Which, actually we were on the complete opposite side of the park.

I showed them the map and explained where we were.  Explained that we needed to go back to the fork in the road and take it! (I remember a Yogi saying that once!)

As we got to the Fork and took, it we got to the road that we needed  to take to the cars.  It looked very similar to where we all parked.  It confused the Scouts.  They said that there was still a lot to walk since they realized it was not the same area.

Good, they thinking about where they were.  They had the idea of Planning Ahead.

Overall, it was a great day.  70 degrees and warm.  The day before was RAIN and Cold!

This hike served several purposes.  We got out and connected to Nature.  We thought about Leave No Trace, thought about planning, learned about erosion and learned about an area that we had not been to yet.

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The Cubmaster Hike

I have been thinking for awhile about how to put the OUT in Scouting.  Many of my Cubmaster brethern throughout the land have hiking clubs.  As the person who gets to set the tone and program of the Pack, I have decided that I will host a Cubmaster Hike.  It’s independent of any Pack or Den Meeting.  It’s up to anyone who wants to come, come.  We will always practice YPT, Leave No Trace and be on the lookout for cool nature stuff.

I am not a subject matter expert on nature or animals.  So, we will all learn as we go.  Yes, I will study up on the area and present facts as I can.  However, I am hoping that there are parents and scouts that can help point this out.  My main goal is to get us OUT.

This stems (no pun intended) in my recent post on the Nature Deficit Child post.  I have also started on thinking on how to incorporate STEM into the Pack Meetings. Later on this.

Because of this, I have worked up a Cubmaster Hike within the Portland Metro Area.  Our second hike will be on May 12th, which is the Jamboree on the Trail day.

I hope that you can take this information and ideas and create your own program within your Pack.

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The Nature-Deficit Disorder

This past week while traveling for work, I picked up a great book.  Now, I generally get books in the Airport and are related to CIA/Spy Novel stuff about blowing stuff up.  I read a lot of history as well.  But this was different.  First off, I picked it up in the Scout Shop in Spokane, Wa.  The Inland Northwest Council.

It is called “Last Child in the Woods” by Richard Louv.
While the book itself is really long and filled with a lot of facts of this and that, tells stories about nature and the author’s upbringing.  Something hit me about this book and the children of today.  Even the young 20somethings as well.  They do not know what it was like to grow up and be with nature.  This is something that I am currently experincing with my children and even with those that I train at work.  They do not get or understand nature and some of the cultural references that I know.

While reading this book I am constantly going back to my childhood in Billings, Mt and all the stuff I did and got away with.  I played outside, built forts, huge holes in the ground, built snow forts, hiked, fished, rode bikes, walked up/down streams and so much more.  I did this with neighborhood kids including my best and oldest friend John Fillner.  I also spent days, weeks and months up at East Rosebud Lake and hiked everywhere. (I should have done more really).  I played at the Beaver Pond, Shannon Inlet, Head of the Lake and the Outlet.  I went to Camp Lincoln and learned how to sail and canoe.  Even spent 4 days canoeing down the Mississippi River. It’s where I first realized that I liked being the camp cook. Note that I also figured out that  Blackberry Strudel mix and Beef Stew really does not mix well when cooking dinner.  Need seperate bowls/pots.

Fast forward to now.  Now as the book spells out, parents are hyper sensitive to “NATURE” and getting hurt and the Lawyer & Insurance crowd.  If your kid gets hurt, parents sue whomever into the ground.  So, kids do not get out and play.  They play Wii/XBOX.

One of my main reasons of being in Cubscouts is to get the Scouts OUTSIDE.
Suffice to say, I am going to be working on making changes within my family (already have) but also working to do more within Scouts.

I am going to use this Resource guide from the book and see what we can do.  I also want to incorporate hiking within the Pack.  Which, on May 12th, is Jamboree on the Trail. I also think that the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights is very cool, which is from the Leave No Child Inside website.

In the coming months, I hope to report back on what my family is doing as well as the Scouts as it deals with this subject.  I have already because of Scouting started to get out more.  This is just forcing me outside more.

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