December 2023 Program Updates
Season's Greetings from Wolf Tree! We are just about at the end of our fall season for most of our youth programs, with some programs taking a break until spring and others carrying on through the winter. We may not have had much snow this December, but we've been having a blast out in the woods nonetheless. Read on to hear about what our youth programs have been up to this month!
Roots
Roots has been busy the last few weeks! They've worked on their flint and steel and bowdrill fire skills, and successfully completed a 50/40/30 challenge - naming 50 birds, 40 trees and 30 mammals all found in the northeast. Some favorite games were played - Tail tag, Bobcat Dodgeball, Fox and Rabbit, and endless riddles. Last week, Eliza who teaches at Rootlets and Red Foxes, came to visit and shared a song and a story involving a rare bird sighting. Roots also participated in a drum stalk - following the sound of a distant drum through the forest while blindfolded.
Rootlets
Rootlets had a wonderful end to their fall session, culminating in a big feast and honoring circle. The kids all had a chance to share kind words of friendship and appreciation with each other before the program takes a break until March. The week prior, they all worked on some holiday crafts, using persimmon and pawpaw seeds as beads for necklaces and earrings. And, as always, each week the kids work on their fire skills, learning about uses for different kinds of wood and practicing working with matches, flint and steel, and the bowdrill.
Wild Coyotes
Wild Coyotes also had a beautiful end to their fall session, ending in a feast and honoring circle where the children had a chance to honor each other with kind words and appreciations. The group has been working on their crafts - many kids have been making great progress on coal burning bowls from split cedar. As always, Wild Coyotes is a group that loves to play big games. It is wonderful to have a big field to play in to start each day when the children get out of school!
Rivers
For their December session, Rivers had a big day of crafting. They were also set up with a difficult bowdrill fire challenge - those who were touching the bowdrill set were blindfolded, the others could not go out of eyesight of the group leaders, and the only talking allowed was right by the fire circle. They were successful! For crafts, the group worked with deer legs for bone and hide crafts, along with jewelry making and pouches from buckskin. They also made a big soup followed by games and riddles in the chilly sunshine.
Red Foxes
For the last day of Red Foxes, the girls dove into jewelry making and crafts, using a variety of beads, some of which were handmade persimmon and pawpaw seeds. One of the leaders brought a new craft idea - making hair pins using a traditional method of coil wrap basketry. If you look closely at the photo you can find some earrings and rings and the beginnings of baskets! The group also made a batch of salve from beeswax and coconut oil and herbs to soothe their skin through the dry dark of winter.