Looking for Outdoor Service Project Ideas

I was recently contacted about the possibility of hosting an outdoor service project next Spring for the Sunflower Society. We are looking at the month of April to be exact. I would like to elicit some feedback about what would make a great kid friendly service project. April is a great time to plant trees and other shrubs in the ground. Spring might offer a host of other service project opportunities that would be just right for children and their parents. Please post your ideas in the comments section below.

Dishman Hills Hike 11/28 @ 10:00 AM- Meet at Camp Caro

Rain or Shine we'll be hiking through Dishman Hills Natural Area Sunday November 28th. There might be some snow on the ground so we will pick a trail that doesn't have too many slippery sections. Most children find the "enchanted ravine" to be interesting so we will head there first. The parking is limited outside the gate, so please park on the western side of the road (right hand side-as you drive in) and comply with the local residents wishes. The park looks closed because the chain link gates are closed keeping cars out of the parking lot, but don't worry we can still go hiking.

It can be a lot of fun to return to the same area with children during all four seasons. Dishman Hills is a natural preserve that abuts the City of Spokane Valley. More can be read about this area by vising the Natural Area Association's website. This natural area is one of the many great assets Spokane has to offer. Not every city has a play-space this close. A map of the area can be found here.

Wolverines: Chasing the Phantom

Sunday 7pm KSPS

Wolverine: Chasing the Phantom: The wolverine, the largest member of the weasel family, is spotlighted. The solitary creature, which is native to the upper reaches of the northern hemisphere, is a fearsome predator capable of taking down prey as large as a moose.

Wolverines!

There will be a presentation at Auntie's Bookstore on Friday, November 12th at 7pm by wildlife biologist Douglas Chadwick. Doug will be discussing the ecology and behavior of the rare and endangered wolverine. As you may or may not know, wolverines now number fewer than 500, and possibly fewer than 300, south of Canada. New research has shown them to be closely associated with habitats with a deep, lingering snowpack and year-round cool temperatures. In fact, they are so closely tied to these factors that they are practically a land-based version of the better-known polar bear when it comes to the potential impacts of climate change. Wolverines' territories turn out to be so enormous that they stand as perhaps the lowest-density carnivore on the continent. This makes the scattered enclaves of these animals a prime example of the need for wildland connectivity -- for corridors, for conservation strategies that ensure their freedom to roam.

Doug has authored several books on wildlife and is a frequent contributor to National Geographic magazine.

Please come out and show your support for local conservation.

Thanks, Chris

The Road to Recovery

Knee surgery has put the outings on hold for the last two weeks. Keep checking for posts, we will be hiking, hitting the outdoors again soon. If you have ideas for a day trip, post a comment and we will get it posted to the blog. Be well, and get outside, Chris

Oh my, it's time for some mycology

Mushroom Hike!

Liberty Lake County Park

Sunday October 3rd, 9:00 AM.

Join the Sunflower Society on a hike sponsored by the Inland NW Land Trust, a group of local experts working with landowners and other partners to preserve the living landscapes that define eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

For the hike, meet at the trailhead for the loop trail (located in the campground) in Liberty Lake County Park for a hike that will be led by local outdoor enthusiast Rich Leon. This hike will focus on locating and identifying local fall mushrooms. Rich is a member of the Spokane Mushroom Club and an avid nature photographer (he deserves the photo credit for the one above). He has written several local nature trail guides published by the local group of the Sierra Club.

Wowing Audiences and Winning Awards

Tonight Chris Bachman and I acted on an invitation to talk about the Sunflower Society at the child care center down at the community building at 35 West Main St. I have known about the Reggio Inspired Community Building Children's Center for a few years now, but tonight was really impressive to learn more about how they work with children. I got to dig around in their worm bin, and was impressed by how they talk about the cycle of life when the children find something as simple as a dead bird on the playground. The quotes of the children's reactions to examining the dead bird up close were raw and beautiful. They noticed the birds eyes and empathized about how sad it was that the bird died. Tonight was a part of the Community Minded Enterprises Sustainable September line up of events. I became motivated to bring some great ideas home from tonight.

Here are two ideas shared tonight that were so good that they are worth mentioning here. The first is a concept put into action, and the second idea only requires dirt. The first idea is "loose ends" toys and games. These are ones that don't have fixed outcomes, but that can become anything and go a myriad of different ways. The concrete example pitched tonight involved a set of sticks and thick twigs that parents can cut the edges off and sanded down to be nice and smooth. With a little string and some yards of cloth the children built the most amazing school yard forts. I am definitely going to start foraging for downed sticks and start a collection for my children soon. The second idea was a tasting and smelling garden. A simple but effective way to foster experiential education right in your backyard.

Chris and I took the stage to talk about the Sunflower Society, but not until after John Thielbahr from the Children & Nature Network spoke to the audience of 30 parents assembled. He did a great job laying the foundation of why and how nature clubs for families make so much sense. His presentation was much like how I imagine Richard Louv, the founder of the nature clubs for families movement, would have done.

I hope that some of our audience members will come join us on a outing in the near future. After all, one of the co-founders of the Sunflower Society now has national prominence. Chris Bachman almost didn't make this speaking engagement because he just returned from San Francisco, where he accepted the Madelyn Pyeatt Award from the Sierra Club in recognition for his work with youth in the Spokane Inner City Outings program.

These presentations and press coverage opportunities will soon end, and we will be back on track with some more outdoor family fun.

Kids Racing Bikes in the Wet

Free bike races are just good fun!

Berries at Green Bluff & Free Bike Races

At 10:30 Sunday morning (9/19) meet Chris Bachman at Knapps Farm on Green Bluff for some blackberry picking.
If bike races for your children sound fun, then come check out the Group Health Kids Bike Races. The start times are dictated by the children's ages. See you there.

Great Recognition!

Take a minute and read this article from today's Spokesman-Review. Then go check the air in your bike tires and get ready for Spokefest!

Spokefest!

Spokefest registrations are nearly 1/2 the cost if you register online in the next 24hrs. This year marks the third anniversary of this growing event. Biking as a family is a great way to get around and enjoy the scenic route. This year our family is going to try out the Spokane Falls Route on the morning of Sunday September 12th. Let's hope no one has a total gear failure like this poor tire pictured above. Spokane is a great place to live with wonderful events like Bloomsday in May and Spokefest in September!

All The World's A Stage

Sometimes the most impressive things happen when you don't expect them. The bugs and wild animals were out in force today, but the children were the real gem. After hiking 20 minutes the children took a pause from walking to start telling stories to each other. They sat right on the side of the Centennial Tail and made it happen. The kids were so polite and would call on another child to tell a story once they were done. "Story Time" ranged from short to long and included fiction and non-fiction. Most every story was punctuated by laughter and giggles. I guess this is the sort of thing that can happen when you take hike at a child's pace.

Deep Creek delivered a great children's play area once again. There is plenty of sand and rocks to keep the little ones entertained. We were treated with a plethora of sport climbers for the children and adults to watch. We were reminded just how dangerous it is to be spectators of rock climbing when one of the climbers knees accidentally knocked loose some pretty big and dangerous rocks. Luckily no one was hurt. Deep Creek will be an interesting place to visit during different seasons in the years to come. In the future we might use bikes to get us from the parking lot to the trailhead a little quicker so we can spend more time exploring the area.

Children's Pace Hike Sunday @ Deep Creek

It is time to go hiking! This Sunday we're meeting at 10:00 am at the McLellan Trailhead on the Centennial Trail. We will be walking north from there at a child's pace to explore Deep Creek. This is a pretty easy hike but may require some little ones to be carried in backpacks or on their parents shoulders. The driving directions are quite easy: take SR 291 to the Seven Mile road, left on Seven Mile road until you cross over the Spokane River, then make an immediate right onto Riverside Park Drive, which dead ends at the trailhead.

Bugs Beat Out Berries

We are back from huckleberry picking on Mt. Spokane.

The highlight of the day for most of the children seemed to be when Nelson caught a grasshopper with his lightening quick hands and shared his catch with the children. We did come across some people on horseback and one other pail carrying hiker during our outing. The weather was 100% cooperative with temps in the 70's, lots of breeze, and unstoppable sunshine.

We had a pretty good turn out today for our foraging on Mt. Spokane. There were a few more pickers who didn't quite make it into this photo. The ruse of berry picking worked well to keep the kids excited for about an hour and half of searching the underbrush. Sadly this year's crop of huckleberries has either already been picked over or just not as good as most years.

Stay tuned for more fun outings!

Huckleberry Picking This Friday On Mt. Spokane

The Sunflower Society is headed up to Mt. Spokane this Friday (8/20) to forage for those tasty little berries that happen to be the state fruit of Idaho. We will meet at the Argonne Library parking lot at 10:00 am and then head up the mountain to the Nordic ski area.

This week had held big plans for a camping trip, but those goals had to be re-evaluated and this berry picking mission is going to be our exciting outdoor adventure instead. I am not sure our little legged participants will walk more than 1/8th of a mile from the cars. Beyond the regular kid gear you might want to bring something to carry huckleberries in!

"Kid Friendly" Hikes

Yesterday Chris Bachman and I hiked up Scotchman Peak to rejuvenate our souls and go spend about an hour with two wild mountain goats on the summit. The hike is categorized in local hiking guides as strenuous for good reason. We discussed two important Sunflower Society topics during our trip.

The first was the need to pick children friendly hikes. This goes beyond just picking flat terrain but includes the need to not be goal oriented when hiking with children. Letting the little ones set the pace and being open to the outcome is important. Some children will be more interested in the bugs and birds along the way than the panoramas awaiting at the summit. If we don't make the lake or the lookout with our little ones we try to listen to them and turn around before our outing begins to look anything like a forced march. This Zen task of going at a child's pace is harder that it sounds for most parents.

The second topic that reverberated throughout the day was the need to still get outside without your children from time to time and do an adult type hike where you are goal oriented and the exertion level is beyond what most children will expend. Scotchman Peak definitely fell into this adult category. As you can see from the picture of one of the residents up above 7,000 feet, the hard work often yields great results.

Time to get MOMENTUM back!

In late July our family welcomed our third child. I have taken a bit of parenting leave from the blogging world, but now I am back and ready to resume with timely blog posts!

Child Size Kayaks

I stopped to take a picture of a painted turtle with my camera on my phone so I could help with some habitat mapping using the NOAH app for my phone. The painted turtle decided I was a predator and took the plunge before I got a picture. I felt a little bad about startling the turtle, but then I noticed what appears to be a family out kayaking. More detailed photo here and here.

This picture was taken from the side of the Centennial Trail near the upriver dam. If you look closely there is a dad in a blue kayak in the upper right, a mom in the yellow kayak to the left, and what appears to be a grade school age girl in a very small kayak in the middle. I didn't know that they made child size kayaks. Maybe this is something I will have t0 look into.

The Roots of the Sunflower Society

I am getting a lot of my inspiration for this idea from Richard Louv's book "Last Child in the Woods" and the C&NN (Children & Nature Network) which has a big online presence and some pretty cool tool kits and a ning site for networking.

My co-organizer is a great person named Chris Bachman and he leads the local chapter of Sierra Club's Inner City Outings. He has tons of ideas and know how. The core people that I have been sharing the outdoors with are a group that I met in climbing course taught by the Spokane Mountaineers in 2005. After summiting peaks in Canada together we all rushed home and started families. We have children spaced out at almost the exact same ages. We also have armada's of canoes', bike trailers, and loads of climbing gear that we can't wait to play with.

Exploring Deep Creek

Here in Spokane we have a great local resource adjacent to downtown, Riverside State Park. A month or so ago I met up with some other local parents and their children and went for a family hike through Deep Creek. It is great to watch children crawl over rocks, dig in the sandy soil and generally feel free to be themselves in the great outdoors. Consider this picture one of the main motivations for the Sunflower Society.

We are on Facebook!

The Sunflower Society is a group on Facebook. That medium may be easier for some people to follow us and hear about upcoming events.

Our First Piece of Literature

If you are interested in hearing more an being a part of the plan please contact my partner in crime Chris Bachman at chrisbachman@comcast.net

Welcome

This is a brand new blog created to host the communication for a new group in Spokane, Washington designed to help children and families enjoy the outdoors more. If you are interested we hope you come along on some great adventures with us.