The day dawned cold and crisp but warmed up considerably, gifting us with another gorgeous autumn day. The FOREST group gathered together in the field and expressed our thanks for the day, the land, the people, and all the good things to look forward to. We had a fun circle activity and sat down to snack at the Base Camp.
As we arrived at Base Camp, we took notice of the extent of last week’s storm damage. The high winds had ripped down two large tents and two large tarps! We pulled the downed tarp off the benches and sat down to a friction fire demonstration. Our two teenage counselors expertly demonstrated the bow drill and hand drill kits; they each produced a coal and kindled it to life with the aid of a shredded Cedar bark bundle and a song by the FORESTers!
Theresa set up the day with a very nice story about Rainbow Crow and the gift of fire that comes from the Lenni Lenape people of this region. We then split up into three groups for the day’s main events:
- Trapping: This group used sticks and string to build live bird traps. They carefully constructed a wooden cage and carved an elaborate trigger system. They baited the traps with seeds and, although we have not caught anything yet, we have high hopes that we will get to hold a bird later this semester!
- Awareness and Stealth: (the other two groups): The first of these groups, practiced their stealth and awareness skills by sneaking up very carefully on the Woolly Bears (Forest K) group in order to surprise them with a jar of maple syrup. Rumor had it that they were cooking acorn pancakes! They were indeed, and it was a fun meeting of the two groups. As this group departed from the Woolly Bears camp, they were surprised to find that they had been snuck up on by the OTHER group. As is usual, we engage in very friendly competition! They finalized the meeting with a good game in the field on the way back to the forest.
In the afternoon, each group was further divided into two smaller groups (4–6 students each) for a group “survival challenge.” Each group was given a tarp, a few flint and steel sets, and tinder. The goal: Set up a tarp using knots that they had learned, make a fire pit, build a fire, and cook the food item that they had brought today.
As the students worked together out in the woods, the staff made the rounds to visit each group, checking in on their challenge, offering tips and support, and gently guiding the process, while allowing them to experiment with technique and work through challenges. These times are SO great for building competence, collaboration, and the ability to navigate the social terrain of working together.