A little update on all the great activities our Chapter has been up to this fall! In September and October the kids took down their conical wigwam clubhouse and moved it to a new location. This also involved trail clearing, bridge building, and lots of teamwork.
In November we had Chartered Herbalist, Evelyn Allen, guiding our group as they identified and gathered plant materials to make natural fabric dyes. The following week the kids got the plants and begin learning how to make the dye, and in December they’ll actually dye materials and yarns. In particular, they will create decorative flags for the MVYNC wigwam. The flags will be strung together using an old fashioned thumb braided technique, that Evelyn will show the kids. This is an amazing opportunity for the kids to mentor with such a skilled herbalist.
We also had retired forest technician and beloved naturalist, Dave Taylor, guide our group as they quest for the ‘lost Saunder’s trail.’ The Hurricane of 2003 toppled over 60% of woodlot, and the Saunder’s trail on the North side was never recovered. Can they find the missing boardwalk into a swamp? Dave will guided the kids to read the landscape in order to find the old trail.
While we are making our flags for our wigman, those not making flags will gather materials and create Yule Logs, while learning a bit about where this tradition came from and the symbolism behind it.