We were treated to absolutely beautiful warm autumn weather today as we began our first day of the FOREST semester. It felt great to gather up in such a large and supportive Opening Circle. Today we oriented to the land and the culture that each one of us actively tends. We went over our group’s agreements: Respect for the earth, each other, and self; active participation; inclusivity; positivity; helpfulness; lifting each other up by recognizing one another’s positive qualities … and that’s just for starters. Having these shared values from the beginning goes a long ways toward creating a positive community and experience.
First thing, we had a fire challenge with two teams. The goal was to retrieve their knives, which were locked away inside a bucket with a lid, suspended by a string from the treetops that reached out across each fire pit. Once the fire was lit, it would burn the string, releasing the bucket to come crashing down (safely away from students, of course). They raced against the clock to gather enough supplies, build a functional fire structure, and light it with their partners, using flint and steel sets, birch bark, and cattail down. This epic showdown ended in a spectacularly timed tie: Both buckets came crashing down at literally the same time to loud cheers from the successful teams. It was also a great orientation to our fire-crafting methods, which we will employ throughout the coming weeks.
Next, we oriented to knife safety: We have good system for remembering it all and keeping beginning and more experienced carvers safe. We call it ASTABS: A–Ask, S–Sit, T–Threaten Not, A–Away (carve away from yourself), B–Blood bubble (an imaginary arms’-length circle of safety around you), S–Sheath (when you’re done). The new carvers did great, and we will continue to monitor their safety and help them develop further competency. We carved pegs for our backpacks with a gentle taper that fit snugly into holes drilled in a board for a backpack rack to keep us organized. The students pounded them in with a wooden mallet for a nice fit.
After lunch, we had some some free time—this is so valuable for the kids to connect socially, explore the woods, make observations of wildlife, and have unstructured time to be a kid in the great outdoors. Today it looked like this: moving logs around to build a shelter, circle games around the fire, exploring the forest to find just the right stick, observing mysterious bumblebee nests, and grasshoppers, and much more.
We then gathered them up for a big forest game: Jays and Songbirds! This is a wildlife simulation game involving food gathering, nest building, nest robbing, group cooperation, stealth, awareness, and evasion! This game involves Songbirds, Blue Jays, and the fearful bird-eating Coopers Hawk. After playing hard for almost an hour, we debriefed. What must it be like to be a songbird? They gained some insight and empathy for our feathered neighbors, and had a great time doing it!