Adventure Camp – reflecting on a moment

The drum beat softly and rhythmically in the pre-dawn dim of the morning. Soon afterwards you could hear the rip of sleeping bag zippers and tent doors. Heads materialize to the cool, quiet morning. It was the dawn emergence of Adventure Campers. They silently coalesced as if pulled by a force. The force was in fact greater than they knew or understood. The found themselves drawn to the edge… to the edge of wetland… the edge of the horizon… the edge of their experience.
In the quiet there were whispers. "Look". In the muted morning light and in succession, a handful of Bald Eagles had just landed in front of them near the beach on various perches. Their backs were to us… their interest seemingly towards a common point across the water. In the still of the moment, two small birds hustled from their nighttime roost to a better vantage point. Then it happened in the genesis of a moment. Illuminated in the top of a tree to our right, a small bird began to sing. As if orchestrated, Bald Eagles joined chorus simultaneously with their squealing cackle. In a moving and powerful moment, the incredible intensity of the sun peered over the edge of the world. A new day had dawned. The bird world had uttered their thanks.
Fifteen 6th, 7th, and 8th grade campers came from different directions to share a common experience. They were one of the first groups to attend 'Experience Salmon', an education/outreach program developed by the HCSEG. For four days and three nights, with sleeping bag under arm, these folks traveled a complete path around Hood Canal. They experienced how salmon relates to the land, water and people of the Canal. The journey included stream walks, bug kicks, beach life, fish traps, supplementation, hatcheries, nutrification research, native ceremony, canoe rides, professional resource folks, insights to naval presence, wilderness appreciation, journaling, reflection, campfires skits and of course, smores. The focus on salmon provided a thread which tied many elements of Hood Canal together for a fairly comprehensive sense of place.
We were changed by the early mornings, campfires, observations, journaling, reflection and camaraderie. In the end we all uttered our own thanks for Hood Canal.
The Experience Salmon Adventure Camp gave the students an incredible opportunity to understand the many different elements and different points of view regarding salmon. By traveling to the Union River and streams on the Dewatto River system, they were given a hands-on approach to learning about the life of a salmon and its environment. They experienced events that few of us have the opportunity to be involved with such as hearing the story of the "salmon people" told by the Skokomish spiritual leader Bruce Miller and paddling the traditional canoe of the Port Gamble S'Klallam tribe. Throughout the week, the students were exposed to sights and ideas that hopefully have instilled in them a knowledge and appreciation for salmon, the forests, the streams, and the marine environment that will influence their decision-making as they grow older.