The third Wild Hearted Boys session has come and gone! This week the boys came together to construct their “Code of honor”- a group generated document outlining their agreements about how they want to treat each other and be treated by others within the program. Every participant at one point during this process had the opportunity to present their ideas, stand behind their opinions and be heard by the group. Instructors Coyote and Chickadee were left proud by how articulate focused and mindful the group was throughout the whole process.

After lunch the boys set off into the woods where they were met with their first one-match-fire challenge. Participants brought forward all levels of experience to share with their teams from knowledge of right kinds of tinder to the skill and practice using matches. Squirrel, one of our older boys, brought forth an incredible amount of leadership in assisting his peers in successfully making their fire and Red Tailed Hawk modeled incredible patience and commitment as he struck his first-ever matches in preparation for his role as fire-lighter.

During the last part of the afternoon the boys tied in to a safety rope and were able to climb over thirty feet up into one of our old beech trees. The day ended with our customary appreciation circle and an impromptu table, chair, bottle, drumming session.

The second session of Wild Hearted boys started off with a warm welcome to two new members of our group, participant Squirrel and instructor Crow. Crow brought a number of valuable tools with him, teaching us lessons about starting primitive fires with nothing but friction and the value of compromise which we had the opportunity to practice when designing our secret group flag. The children gathered together to co-create their group symbol which they later brought out to our new campsite out in the forest to display proudly over their home away from home. The boys were also introduced to the ‘talking stick’ as a tool to help them listen to each other and have their voices heard by the group throughout their creative process.

Coyote brought forward his background in swordsmanship to teach the children about responsibility, honor and respect. Throughout the day the boys were able to challenge each other to single combat using foam swords under the supervision of an instructor.

Highlights from this week include a precursor to knife safety instruction and workshops on how to properly use hammers, saws and screw guns. Children took turns using a hand saw to practice cutting so they will be prepared to clear a small area for their campsite. As the winter storms roll in we will all be working together to fortify our shelter from the snow, wind and rain.

Nestled amongst the craggy sandstone rock formations on the North-West side of Mt. Toby is perhaps one of the most enchanting hidden places in the Pioneer Valley…

The “Pudding Stone” cave, named for the conglomeration of small stones glued together by a sandstone mortar that make up this rock formation, is one of the few caves in the Valley that is actually large enough to walk through. If you are looking for adventure, this is the place to go.

Consisting of two main chambers connected by a twisting rocky hallway this cave is refuge to many local animals in both the summer and winter months. In the summer you’ll find (and smell) the porcupines that call this cave their home, evidenced by large piles of cashew-shaped scat and the occasional discarded quill. In the winter this cave is refuge for many hibernating insects as well as a small population of little brown bats.

Sign of porcupine living in and near this cave indicate that it has been in use by these animals for decades, at the very least. Exploring this section of Mt. Toby you will find many freshly cut hemlock and oak (depending on the time of year) twigs littering the ground. Many of the hemlocks that you find near a porcupine den with have a ‘bushy’ look to them as a result of annual trimmings from the powerful beaver-like teeth of this animal.

Small secluded caves like this are incredibly important to local bat species due to the introduction of ‘white nose fungus’, a European disease that is affecting bats all throughout the United States and Canada.

Also of note is the large and charismatic fissure that splits the ground a little further uphill from the caves themselves. The ground above the caves is covered with many smaller fissures which give this cave a very well lit, non-claustrophobic feel.

The Northernmost section of the cave opens up on a narrow, cliff-side path that leads around both sides of the rock formation. The main chamber is accessible through this entrance and is what makes this cave the hidden gem that it is. In the winter, if you are lucky, the combination of a cold Northern breeze and water dripping through the ceiling creates the most beautiful columns of ice which grow up from the floor in some of the most surreal and fantastic of ways. Reminiscent of crystal, these ice formations are sometimes over eight feet tall and shaped like something from a Dr. Seuss storybook. Glow sticks or colored flashlights make this place absolutely magical.

Happy exploring!