A beautiful day full of sun and leaf-popping warmth was upon us as our Smolt Explorers gathered for their first outing of the season. Arroyo buzzed with the trill of varied thrushes and the long winding songs of winter wrens; the indian plum blossoms dangled like constellations in a sky of young green. We came prepared for exploration, knowing that the colors would soon fade, and eventually a dark, almost moonless night would overtake us. Spring 2012 is the Season of Fire for our Smolt Explorers, where we will learn the most ancient and primal art of making fire from our natural community. How fitting to begin in darkness, in an early Spring where the vanishing sun means an almost instantaneous rush of cold.
Once gathered, our Explorers made their way down the trail to our first meeting spot. We recognized right off the bat, that there were a few new faces in our group. We also were aware of the mission of exploring after dark, and that such a mission meant we had to perform well as a pack almost right away. As they say, a vision without a task is just a dream. The group rose to the task at hand. We played a little game that helped out with names and gave us the challenge of working efficiently
together. Then we gathered for our meeting and introduced Explorers’ Club culture. Our minds turned to safety and we considered how to be best prepared. The group jobs were explained and handed out. We wrapped up the meeting, eager to go exploring.
together. Then we gathered for our meeting and introduced Explorers’ Club culture. Our minds turned to safety and we considered how to be best prepared. The group jobs were explained and handed out. We wrapped up the meeting, eager to go exploring.
Of course, the rules of Hide had to be explained right away, as this is an inevitable occurrence when walking
the trail with Explorers’ Club. New and old Explorers took to it well. This Explorer has a suspicion that over the next year this game will evolve, and we’ll be able to unravel some deeper skills. Maybe we’ll even learn a thing or two from our animal allies. We had a few stops on the way up the trail, which included the discovery of a geocash and the discovery of our good, spiny friend, devil’s club. We got a good look at this plant, considered some of his properties, and resolved to fix our eyes to his overall shape and the terrain he grows in, as color and fine detail were already fading in the dimming light.
the trail with Explorers’ Club. New and old Explorers took to it well. This Explorer has a suspicion that over the next year this game will evolve, and we’ll be able to unravel some deeper skills. Maybe we’ll even learn a thing or two from our animal allies. We had a few stops on the way up the trail, which included the discovery of a geocash and the discovery of our good, spiny friend, devil’s club. We got a good look at this plant, considered some of his properties, and resolved to fix our eyes to his overall shape and the terrain he grows in, as color and fine detail were already fading in the dimming light.
Arriving at our “night base” just in time, we said goodbye to the sun and experienced the sensory transformation inherent in night exploration. We considered, through story, the role of sight with our balance, and a consequent drum stalk with some fox walkingproved a good way to aid our transition. Then came the finale… fire stalk… this Explorer’s absolute favorite game. All that we learn in this game is hard to list. To name a few: great embodied/somatic learning, sensory awareness, subtle psychologies, the feel and smell of wild ground, the joy of letting yourself play, empathy for the many night mammals around us. It’s a great game, and people of all ages should give it a try.
How fitting to end with a game involving sneaking into the fire ring. The epic, archetypal journey of “stealing fire” embodied. We’ll be sure to recall this experience again and again throughout the season. We’ll learn more and more just how beautiful, powerful, and essential fire is, and just what it takes to have a deep and abiding personal relationship with this element.
How fitting to end with a game involving sneaking into the fire ring. The epic, archetypal journey of “stealing fire” embodied. We’ll be sure to recall this experience again and again throughout the season. We’ll learn more and more just how beautiful, powerful, and essential fire is, and just what it takes to have a deep and abiding personal relationship with this element.
Much thanks to all the Explorers for a truly great job! Much thanks to all the parents for your enduring support!
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