100 Acre Wood Exploration

"As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen" Winnie-the-Pooh.

The Ospreys last fall outing was into the 100 Acre Wood for exploring and adventure.  The girls gathered and we all checked in with each other around being prepared.  The Ospreys were ready - multiple garbage bags, many rain coats, gloves, hats, rain pants. Many of the girls joked they could hardly move! We waddled our way to our opening circle to talk about our day. We reviewed both the excitement and challenge of a purely exploration-based day. The girls knew that on an exploration day they would be in charge of where we went and what we did, but they also knew that with this comes Collaboration and Compromise. We talked about how the Ospreys would work together on this day and how we would follow the motto It is about the journey, not the destination.

We started our exploration with some orientation skills. We talked about the value of being oriented to place and talked about ways to get oriented. Using compasses, the girls determined which direction was north, east, south, and west. We practiced using landmarks (the sea, the mountains, and the city) to help us, and thought about how tricky this skill can be. With a bit of practice a number of gals got really good at using compasses. It was fun to check in with our navigators as the day went on to see which direction we were walking and which direction the wind was blowing.

In addition to a mini-skills lesson on navigation we learned some of the history of this amazing forest. We learned that at one point, it was almost sold to be developed! We talked about what usually happens when land is sold, and one girl joked and mimed with her hands, "chop, chop, chop, build, build, build, house, house, house!" We all laughed and returned to this multiple times over the day as we talked about habitat and species preservation/conservation.

As we wandered down the trail, we immediately began to notice some of the treasures of the 100 Acre Wood. The girls found some amazing nurse logs to climb on, wonder at, and ponder. Nurse logs are true treasures. The 100 Acre Woods even has nurse logs that have completely decomposed just leaving raised, exposed roots.

We found dead standing trees and discussed how these dead trees are CRITICAL to the forest. One particular dead tree had wonderful cavities, and we talked about how, when near bodies of water, these cavities provide the perfect habitat for wood ducks. However, humans frequently remove dead standing trees and leave wood ducks with no where to lay eggs. This led to an amazing conversation about reproduction. Specifically, how reproduction is essential for species to be successful. We focused on wood ducks, and how without these dead trees, wood ducks can not reproduce, and in time, this leads to fewer wood ducks. And without any place to reproduce, they may go extinct.  Our reproduction talk led to questions about tree reproduction, species with male and female parts (slugs!), gender, and even how the Ospreys can deconstruct gender norms! It is amazing how much the natural world can teach us about ourselves.

With more wandering, came more learning. We practiced our tree identification skills by learning different ways to identify cedar, doug fir, and hemlock. Girls learned to use ALL their senses to identify trees. We smelled the needles, touched the bark, and examined the shapes of the needles. We learned about what makes a cedar The Tree of Life, and imagined living in a world where we would get so much from one tree!

This day was so full of learning; as we explored, some gals found a cavern created by an uprooted tree. We decided that if we had to sleep in the forest, this would be our shelter. Despite the wet conditions, this cave was very dry! We also found a tree that split into two half way up the trunk. We questioned whether or not this was one tree of two - none of us really know! We made guesses and found ways to say both answers were right. Deep in the 100 Acre Woods, we came upon an impressive wetland. We walked out onto the mossy roots just above the wet ground, and imagined being different creatures that would have live in this space.

We ended our day with a peaceful place. During this peaceful place the sun was starting to set and darkness was approaching. We collectively listened to the wind, watched the trees dance around us, and spent some quiet time in the woods.

At this point, it was time to conclude our day. We headed back towards the trail head to meet our families and have our closing circle. This closing circle began with a discussion of our season. We remembered our earlier outings, shared funny memories from the season, and talked about the plants, animals, and concepts we connected with. Reflecting on the season past, we ended our day by creating a Web of Life. Each girl became something from nature she had connected to this fall: mud, water, wind, leaves, explorers…Through this web, we underline our EC motto All Things Are Connected, and understand that whenever one thing in the web is altered, it affects all the other aspects. 

For photos from today, click here. There are fewer photos than usual because I really struggle to remember to take pictures (Hannah always takes them!) and it was cold and rainy, so I was focused on keeping my hands warm. :)

This has been yet another fantastic Ospreys season. I have loved getting to explore with these gals!
- Laurel