Kids in the woods
Brian Baxter | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 7 years, 10 months AGO
A serene quiet envelopes the Timberlane campground as the flora and fauna station instructor scouts his area. Along Pipe Creek, named for the Kootenai-Salish practice of collecting semi-soft stones from the creek bottom to carve smoking pipes, a pair of common mergansers hunt for fish in a backwater eddy. A spotted sandpiper cruises along the muddy bank, above the dipper tracks and the beaver chews. Warblers sing in the background.
It’s a cold morning for June, and the instructors put on their polar fleece. Katie Andreeson hands the day’s schedule out to Seth, Becky and the fire crew as Paige, Jason, Matt and company start a warming fire. The quietness is broken by the arrival of the fifth-grade children. Dedicated teachers Sharon Ostroski, Samantha Haley, “Big Ben” and the parent advisors shuttle the kids off the bus and into groups. The stations include flora and fauna, fire, archeology, forestry and “leave no trace” camping.
In Kootenai country, we are blessed with many good hearted volunteers. At Libby Dam, Josh, Susan James, Keeli and Brian put on a quality birding program, focusing on locally found birds. We spot and study Bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, mergansers, ducks, ravens, crows, kingfishers and owls. The volunteer staff puts out a great effort as we all do our best to provide a quality program for the fourth graders. Tyler shows the kids tree planting techniques at the Dunn Creek reclamation site. We do three of these programs together.
On July 21, instructors with Friends of Scotchman Peaks and Silver Cloud Associates will combine efforts for kindergarten-age kids at Ross Creek Cedars. Britta Mirely has organized this program, and we have several volunteer parent advisors helping us out too. The little elf-like youngsters have a ball, and also learn a lot. The ancient cedars speak to the child in all of us.
In September, Montana Wilderness Association will provide a program for Renee Rose’s high school biology classes at Alvord Lake. Grete Gansauer and Silver Cloud instructors will organize and instruct this program with the help of local volunteers who are retired professionals and outdoor enthusiasts.
It’s not an easy job, folks. These programs take months of planning, coordination, inventive minds to keep things interesting and good old fashion hard work. Instructors and volunteers have to deal with some kids who apparently are not taught respect and lack discipline. But there are many respectful, sharp and appreciative young folks who get it. These kids come up with some amazing answers and observations. Many of them are high achievers who may go on to become outdoor science professionals.
In 1971, T.C. McLuhan compiled a selection of writings by native peoples about their relationship with Mother Earth in a book called “Touch The Earth.” Maybe more of us adults and kids should touch the earth more and the computer keys less.
If you know someone who has helped out with these kinds of programs, please tell them thanks. It will surely bring a smile to their faces and warmth to their hearts. Most certainly, they earned it.
Brian Baxter is a volunteer with the Flathead Kootenai Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association.
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ARTICLES BY BRIAN BAXTER
Voices in the Wilderness: Forest Choir
After the snowfall, Old Man Winter rests. He is warm now, with his long white hair flowing down his shoulders. After conjuring up infinite patterns of snow flakes, each one unique, and gently laying down the soft blanket of albescence, he tucks his chin into his full beard and begins to dream. In the mountains, the creatures of the earth begin to stir after the quietness of the last flake falling has been fully appreciated.
The Camaraderie of Hunters
Although the rather unexpected warmer temperatures and lack of snow at low- to mid-elevations during most of our recent hunting season did not help much, many hunters had a great season. And seasons are measured in a variety of ways, depending on each individual hunter.
Please thank our tireless firefighters
In the pitch dark, with layers of smoke blocking out the moon and stars, a lone driver takes off on a mission. He meanders his pickup through a maze of old logging roads that would trap a man easily. He feels a slight adrenaline rush of the fight or flight syndrome as he encounters ridiculously steep drop offs at every switchback. It’s a long, treacherous drive, and as he approaches an alder tunnel he fears he has missed his drop point. There are no turnouts on the hill where the Bay Horse fire is active. The old road warrior continues through the brushed in access road in hopes of finding the initial attack team that is spike camped out for the night. Busting through the one last bottleneck of vegetation, the wheel man arrives at the bivouacked squad’s location. Justin Figgins’s exhausted, black-faced crew are glad to see the driver, who has hot meals, Gatorade and other goodies, as well as humorous comments for the men and women of this squad.