Night Exploration at Larrabee State Park: 2-18-17

"To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight.
And find that the dark too blooms and sings,
And is traveled by dark feet and dark wings."

Indeed, we discovered some of the magic and mystery of both the turning time of twilight and the dark after dusk, by exploring sans light but with the support of one another.

Rather than share the customary narrative of our time together, we thought we'd give you a sneak peek into some of the behind-the-scenes work we do to prep for our outing days. We always spend thoughtful time crafting a place-based curriculum and plan for each outing. While we print and bring these outing plans, we operate on the 50/50 principle: part of the outing honors the plan, and part of it always honors the teachable moments and girl-led explorations. Sometimes the ratio is 80/20, other times 10/90. Being fully present means being flexible and aware. So, without further ado, below was our plan for this outing. We followed much of it, and prioritized other in-the-moment learnings and inclinations for the rest. Perhaps it can be a starting point to conversations with your explorer!

First, here's a wee poem written by an explorer about night wandering:

I can't breathe, it is so beautiful. 

Stars, moon, darkness, silence.

My mind off my difficulties and stress. 

You should take a walk in the dark.

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ST Night Exploration at Larrabee State Park  2/18/17  4:30pm - 8:30pm

Materials: headlamps - candle lantern, candelier - extra layers (fleece, rain jackets), objects for “Blindfold Caterpillar”, long rope(s), bandannas, songbook(s), extra water to put out fire.

3:50-4:05 GATHER (across from stop sign near entrance to camping area, covered picnic table)

>> Mentors can arrive a bit early and place fire building materials at fire ring adjacent to gather spot (more time efficient since it’s right there).  If mentors choose, they can have a fire built and going as girls arrive, or light it after gather council and before check in.

Girls arrive! Buddy up and do a be prepared check on one another.

Got girls engaged in Bat and Moth right away, added more girls in as they arrived.

4:15-4:35 Opening Circle at meeting spot with a candle in table center

• Tonight’s plan - We’ll be connecting with one another around the fire, and then exploring along the Salish Sea setting out together to "know the dark" and discover its many gifts. We'll reflect on our dominant sense of sight and then prepare to activate other senses as we move together from dusk to dark, the sound of the sea always by our side.  

• We are diurnal animals - we’re mostly active during the day.

• What senses and skills do you think diurnal animals need to be particularly strong to be active in the daylight?

• Sense of sight, hearing, camoflauge so not seen and eaten, speed…

• What other diurnal animals can you think of?

•  What are some names for THIS time of day? Brainstorm! Twilight, Dusk, Evening, Dawn, In Between Time, the No Longer and Not Yet. Also called Crepusculur (Latin word for twilight).  It’s the turning time, the no longer and the not yet. Crepuscular also refers to the time just after dawn.

• Where else in life does this come into play, “crepuscular” times of life, when we’re straddling two worlds, time periods, experiences?

• Being on the cusp of childhood and adolescence, someone who is dying but not yet passed, straddling seasons (like right now, winter to spring), being engaged but not yet married, being in between when making a decision.

• What are some crepuscular animals? Brainstorm!

• Skunks, fireflies, deer, dogs, cats, rabbits, jaguar, rats, tigers,  bear, moose, some bats, hamsters, bobcats.
• This is a safe time for them to be active, to either avoid their predators or to find their prey.
• Most big cats are crepuscular… why is that? They have vision that improves as it gets darker while their prey’s vision decreases.

Mentor background info: The time of day an animal is active depends on a number of factors. Predators need to link their activities to times of day at which their prey is available, and victims try to avoid the times when their principal predators are at large. The temperature at midday may be too high or at night too low, so for many varied reasons, crepuscular activity may best meet their requirements by compromise. Some creatures may adjust their activities depending on local competition.

There’s a very smart reason for picking these dimly lit in-between hours to be active: crepuscular critters are avoiding predators. Many predators are most active at the peak hours of daylight and darkness, so animals like rabbits which are a prey species for countless carnivores, are active during twilight hours when predators are already tired from a night of hunting, or are just waking up. Plus, it’s tough to see during these hours, a fact that gives prey species an added edge in hiding from or escaping predators.

In hot areas, there’s another reason for crepuscular activity: it allows animals to be active when the temperature is most reasonable. Desert animals can escape the heat of midday and the chill of midnight by being active at dawn and dusk instead. And some species may shift from being nocturnal or diurnal to being crepuscular due to environmental factors such as competition with other species — for example, some owl species may be crepuscular to avoid competition with other raptor species — or disturbance from human activity.

4:35-5:50 Walk to firepit and enjoy a fire, discussion and activities (be mindful of timeframe)

• Girls should eat dinner while we’re gathered around fire
• Have check in
• Discuss nocturnal (see below) and then:
• Play Adaptation Game and Stretch Edge activity before it gets dark (see below)
• Stormie story (Wolf’s Eyelash) and Aimee leads songs
• Consider reading the Wolf’s Eyelash. Tie this into inner wisdom, & motto Let That Quiet Voice Inside Be Your Guide. http://goldenillustration.deviantart.com/journal/also-The-Wolf-s-Eyelash-by-C-P-Estes-227709608

• Explain why pirates wear patches: http://mentalfloss.com/article/52493/why-did-pirates-wear-eye-patches

Continue Discussion about nocturnal:
Nocturnal animals are primarily active during the night.

• Examples of nocturnal animals? Owls, cats, ferrets, rodents.  

• Nocturnal animals are usually more vulnerable to predation, so keeping active only during the night makes them somewhat "invisible"(mice). Nocturnal predators usually have a sensitive sight and/or do not rely on visible light to see(infrared vision). They can also have very well developed senses of smell and hearing.These animals are usually appropriate for pet owners who stay up late, and are ready to provide for them then. Usually you could only stay up late if you wake up late, which is quite a common trend. So a small number of these animals may prove to be surprisingly appropriate pets for some! (more info about different nocturnal animals at bottom of plan).

What skills and senses (adaptations - explain what this is) are strong in crepuscular and nocturnal animals?

• Excellent hearing (notice cat’s and deer’s big ears),  eyes more sensitive to light, sense of smell (rat has the best smell of any animal, except the African elephant. Rats possess 1,207 olfactory receptors, whereas dogs, often employed as scent trackers, have only 811)

• While we can’t take on those senses in one night, adapting ourselves with the skills of jaguar, bat, owl, we can learn to be comfortable in the night, even though our dominant sense is dimmed. Vision is just one way of knowing - dimming it opens up to other ways of knowing.

Take a stand up break from discussion and play the ADAPTATION GAME using nocturna/crepuscular animals (if it’s too dark at this point, play this next time or go to an area with more light and play it, like under street light. But keep eye on coming darkness and aim to play this before it’s dark. If short on time, prioritize below edge stretch activity)

REGROUP and finish council with this experiential activity:

Stretch Your Edge. Because we’re losing/dimming our dominant sense by exploring at night, it might bring up some edges that you didn’t know that you had. We will work through them together and as a group…

Briefly explain Comfort Zone - Challenge/Growth  Zone - Panic Zone using concentric circles with ropes, backpack, or on paper. Best to do it on the ground so kids can step into each zone when mentor gives examples. Eg. “Place your foot in the zone that is a match for you with this scenario”: 1. Backpacking overnight (most feet go in comfort zone), 2. Backpacking for 10 days (some stay in Comfort Zone, most move to Growth Zone, others to Panic), 3. Backpacking for 4 months. Mentor can go on with many examples, eg swimming in deep water, getting on an airplane, exploring at night in the pouring rain, dissecting a frog, building a house, etc…

ASK: How can we support each other moving into Challenge Zone? How can we LIBK if our edge is stretched too far (or we want to stretch it more)?

Before we set out:

• Brainstorm S.T.O.P Risk Assessments. Helping maintain body safety and heart safety.
• What are the risks of hiking at night? How can we lessen those risks?

• Buddies. LIBK. Use owl eyes. Howl if separated from group! Keep group close together.
• Emphasize the importance of guiding / talking to one another throughout the walk in the dark.
• Also talk about “seeing with your feet” - using your feet to guide you along (so much information through our feet!).

• Gather and read:

To Know The Dark (W. Berry) Read with feeling

“To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.

To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,

and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,

and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.”

*What does this poem mean to you?

*Why are we not using lights tonight? What do you see in the dark when you travel with light? How does it affect your night vision (experiment with this)? When we let our eyes adjust to darkness, we can actually see better, more comprehensively!

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EXPLORE 5:50-7:30

When we get to the Clayton Connector trail at top of old park road, it gets really dark - be sure a mentor who knows the trail is in front (Aimee still couldn’t follow the trail if it weren’t for white-furred Gus showing the way - it was DARK). At that place:

• LIBK that this is a giant group trust walk, building connections, building trust. How can we offer trust to one another?

POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES

“Blindfolded Caterpillar” (sit group in circle with bandana blindfolds & pass nature/non nature sensory items around circle, about 10 items) - or do this at campfire when it’s dark. Or at PP debrief if time.

GAMES - Sleeping Miser / Firestalk

Peaceful Place near creek/waterfall (15-20 minutes + debrief by candlelight) -

7:25-7:35ish Walk to closing circle area at bottom of stairs

7:35-7:50 - Closing Circle at bottom of stairs

• How has it felt to be without your most dominant sense? What lessons has nature and the darkness taught you that you’ll take home with you tonight?

• Revisit Comfort Zone - Challenge/Growth  Zone - Panic Zone and ask them to show which zone they were in before the outing, imagining the outing and night exploring, and which zone they’re in now about night exploring. Or do this at next outing.

• Circle of Thanks

• Words of the Day?

No photos this time - it was dark!

- Aimee