Sorry for not keeping everyone posted, but Aloha, my names Mike. I ended up not getting to do the original challenge I had planned on (cordage and knots) but because of some life changes, I had to move in with an old friend and their family. They have 4 kids ages 4 -> 11... they were the kind of kids who only played video games and stayed on their phones and ipods all day long, and super hyper active, always running around the house screaming and beating eachother up and not listening to anyone. Never setting foot in their own backyard, (they have a few acres of woods) I decided to take them out and show them the beauty of nature, taught them a bit on plant ID, ate some rosehips, show them how cool tracking can be, and we ended up by doing lunch and I asked them if they wanted to try something called sit-spot. after telling them stories of what Ive seen while doing my own sit spot they were stoked! So of course, we found a nice log to sit down on and just listen, quietly (which I was amazed they could actually do). after a few minutes they started to hear the birds chirping, and as a few more minutes passed we heard a bunny hopping away in the distance, after about 20 minutes I told them to be really quiet because I heard a deer in the distance. 10 more minutes had passed and a beautiful 8 point buck came within 15 yards of us, and finally they all started to get cold, so we backtracked quietly and took them home while not scaring the buck. They came inside and told their mother the wonders of the woods. Now every day they ask to go out in the woods every chance they get (whenever Im home) So now, my challenge turned into working on how to teach these kids different skills, and these are not the typical types of students I work with. but it has been a wonderful, and sometimes aggravating challenge to work with these guys to teach them about every question they have while we are out there, and trying to show them that magic does exist , in a day where the idea of magic is so blown away. They have become quieter, more helpful, more aware kids already with a huge curiosity that I never saw in them before. So this might not be a traditional challenge in working on one skill, but it has proven to be a challenge that works on many different aspects of earth skills. Today we worked on man tracking in the snow, and the importance of keeping warm, checking fingers and toes, and the dangers of ice (and the potential uses of ice). We harvested a fallen red cedar tree that we plan on using to make bow drill kits. So, its a busy busy time for us, and each new day brings new adventures.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Jan 2015 03:33:28 +0000