Explorers Club Year 3
We look forward to exploring with these groups in Explorers Club Year 3!
Peppered Moons | Questionable Rock Frogs | Tree-Ruffled Liverworts
Standard outings and curriculum are below. Individual Explorers Club group schedules and curriculum may vary based on group needs, mentor discretion, previously canceled outings, group progress with technical skills, etc.
Outing dates, times, and locations for all groups are subject to change.
SKILLS FOCUS | YEAR 3
Navigation | Bird Language | Storytelling | Collaborative Decision-Making
OUTING 1 | EXPLORATION
North Lake Whatcom Park is truly a Whatcom County treasure and it will be a magical place for our first outing of the season. Prepare yourself for epic views of the lake, colorful autumn forests, and roaming pebbled beaches. We’ll spend the day reconnecting, welcoming new friends, and exploring the natural beauty that surrounds us. What will we find as we traverse the water's edge - a felled beaver tree, owl pellets, mushroom blooms? There is more wildlife here than there are humans and if we move quietly through nature, hopefully, we’ll see more than just tracks! If you have a squid for a kid, please remind them to pack closed-toed water shoes, a towel, and a swimsuit.
North lake whatcom Park
OUTING 2 | SKILLS
Navigation is an essential skill to master when exploring. Whether you are out for a day or a week, on or off the trail, far away or close to home, knowing where you are and where you are going is essential. But what happens when your map gets wet? Or if your compass breaks? The skill of navigating without these aids is a practice in tracking the land and learning to use other tools. As the group winds its way to Chuckanut Falls, the Art of Navigation will help us see the trail with fresh eyes and will lead us safely back again.
Chuckanut Falls
OUTING 3 | Exploration
As salmon swim upstream, so too will we travel upstream on this urban exploration, following Whatcom Creek through downtown. We'll begin near the creek's mouth at Waypoint Park and follow it up into the city, discussing the history of both creek and human habitation, making observations and asking questions about what we encounter along the way. We’ll work together to navigate both physical and emotional landscapes as we traverse across space and time on this very special outing.
Waypoint Park
OUTING 4 | EXPLORATION | Night hike
On this very special night outing, we will get to know the forest from dusk to dark and focus our attention on the transition from light to dark. Weather permitting, we will observe constellations, reflect on how people have related to the night sky throughout time, and hear stories from the group about their lives and lineages. Important: Please send your Explorer to this outing with dinner, a sleeping bag, and a sleeping/sit pad. The forest at night is much colder than in the day, so dress and pack as if it were a snow day. We also ask that you touch base with your Explorer about what story they’d like to share, whether it be a myth or legend from their ancestry, a story of their ancestors, or an important chapter of their own lives.
Sehome Arboretum
OUTING 5 | EXPLORATION
In Explorers Club, we learn and practice many different types of skills. On this day, the group will work to deepen their socio-emotional skills, in particular. We’ll do this by engaging in activities designed to enhance communication and teamwork, and by playing games that build connections to each other and ourselves. Above all else, this day is meant to be filled with laughter, questions, and reflection. Hopefully, Explorers will leave this outing knowing a little more about their friends and themselves. Make sure to pack warm layers and your nature journal.
Cornwall park
OUTING 6 | SERVICE
On this day of service, we’ll join with thousands of other volunteers around the globe to clean up the world’s beaches. During last year’s cleanup, over 400,000 people around the world removed nearly seven million pounds of debris from more than 17,000 miles of coasts, shorelines, and underwater sites - the total weight of the garbage collected matches the weight of 18 blue whales! Explorers will be a part of this global effort and contribute in our own small, yet meaningful way. Please send your Explorer to this outing with gloves and waterproof shoes.
Coastal Site (TBA)
OUTING 7 | SKILLS
For our first birding outing, we’ll have our own migration from Fairhaven Park to Marine Park. Along the way, we’ll practice listening for birds, learning their calls, and using specific features to identify them in bird books. From the forest, we’ll walk past the heronry (also known as a heron rookery) and talk all about nesting Great Blue herons. If we’re lucky, we may even spot some heron chicks at feeding time! We’ll end at Marine Park, where we’ll see plenty of waterfowl and other marine wildlife. Please pack your nature journal and a pair of binoculars if you have them.
Fairhaven Park to Marine Park
OUTING 8 | EXPLORATION
We'll put our motto, "It's About the Journey, not the Destination" into practice as we wander from Larrabee State Park to Clayton Beach on a little-known connector trail. For our last outing of the season, we’ll get great views of the Salish Sea, discover hidden waterfalls, and identify many different tidal creatures. We’ll travel with fox feet and owl eyes and perhaps we’ll even wander across a Dragon’s Spine. Either way, this last outing will provide us with plenty of opportunities for free exploration, games, and seaside adventuring. Please remind your Explorer to pack closed-toe watershoes and a bathing suit.