June 20
What a final day!! We first set up at the mines, then took a hike up and around the coulee top. The constant storytelling on this trip is a treasured memory.
Along the way, we snacked on gooseberries straight from the bush, foraged, and turned our finds into wild lemonade. After refueling, we made our way to the mini forest where each group was given limited supplies to build a shelter.
We saw a tall shelter, a tiny one, one with a built-in water collection system, and even one team that challenged themselves to build it all without using any string!
Thank you so much for trusting us with your most precious cargo. You guys are absolutely amazing and we will forever be grateful ❤️
Previous Weeks
What an exciting day! Spending time in a new place is always an adventure, and even though our fire day turned a little upside down because of the wedding, these wildlings were not even phased!
We quickly got right to the menu they set last week after much discussion, which was veggie soup, hotdogs, and s’mores!
We ended the day planting our native cottonwood trees alongside the city workers. The trees had grown from stumps made by a beaver. The workers taught us about the importance of cottonwoods and the protection they offer to the river and animals. The kids got to pick three trees (of course we chose the healthiest-looking ones!), dug holes, planted and placed them, reburied, stomped, heavily watered, mulched, pounded posts, and then placed fencing around each one 💪. They worked hard!!
These cave dwellers eagerly decided on heading that way on the perfect overcast day! We slid on the new favourite, MASSIVE windy slide, and these wildlings spent most of the time with each other, playing tricks, laughing, telling stories, and relaxing as a community.
They then took it upon themselves to search for the perfect cacti, and they did not fail. Most ended up taking one to five of those yummy plants home to try and plant! 🪴
We ended the day in hammocks, playing a game and discussing plans for next week’s fire treats 🙂
We kicked off the day with a wild foraging walk, gathering goldenrod, liquorice, cottonwood, asparagus, and willow catkins, then stirred them into our lemonade for an extra wild twist!
From there, the wildlings settled quickly under the sun at the train bridge site, where they splashed, explored, built dams, dug into mud pits, and followed whatever adventure called to them most. There was a lot of communication and teamwork going on today 💪💪
It’s a rare sight in life to see a group of kids eagerly spend three full hours in the rain, but that’s exactly what happened this week! The excitement was palpable, and the day couldn’t have been more perfect for a challenge!
After a “HUGE” hike (bigger than we anticipated!), we quickly discovered two things: no one had any water left, and… half of our crew had “broken” their arms 😬🙃. With spirits high, we divided into teams, grabbed tarps and slings…
Each team had about 20 minutes (though we stretched it out—they were having way too much fun!) to do two things:
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Practice applying and receiving an arm sling.
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Strategize how to use the rain and tarps to collect the most fresh, drinkable water.
I’ve waited years for a rainy day like this to run this challenge, and it was possibly one of my favourite days ever. Watching the kids fully engaged, problem-solving, communicating, laughing, and getting soaked—it was truly beautiful.
After the challenge, the group split. Half stayed back to relax in hammocks, whittle, snack, and tell stories, while the other half headed to the pond to explore and build. That’s when we had an unexpected encounter…
A fish, slowly dying, bobbing at the surface, followed shortly by a fisherman who had been tracking his catch that got away. He called out to us to help retrieve his catch. When he arrived, he humanely and swiftly ended the fish’s suffering, which sparked some powerful conversations. We talked about:
• Respectful fishing and hunting practices
• How to identify a pike
• What was used for fishing
• What fish are in the river
• The idea that wild animals destined for food live a full life in nature
• The importance of tracking an injured animal to prevent suffering
The kids asked thoughtful questions and shared their own ideas. It was one of those moments that invites real reflection about nature, responsibility, and our role in the world around us.
It was a day of resilience, exploration, empathy, and connection. A little rain didn’t dampen any spirits—in fact, it made the experience all the more memorable!!
These wildlings were so geared up to explore the caves today, and the weather couldn’t have been more perfect! They settled in right away, diving into their own little worlds of discovery, swinging, hammocking, and exploring to their hearts’ content.
We foraged dandelions, dipped them in tempura batter, and fried up a golden treat. They were a huge hit!
Before heading back, we picked a bundle of fresh mint for tea, cut up a cactus to share, and set off for homebase just as the rain began to fall. Within minutes, it was a full-blown downpour — the perfect way to end the day!
Red Shale & Mother’s Day Magic
We crossed the bridge to one of our favorite spots—our red shale site—where nature effortlessly invites kids to be wild, free, curious, and adventurous. The wildlings eagerly explored, climbed, and soaked in all this special place has to offer.
To celebrate Mother’s Day, we made nature casts. After mixing their mortar and tapping out the bubbles, the children thoughtfully selected natural treasures to create a unique piece of art just for Mom.
Swinging into Summer at the Train Bridge
On a sun-soaked day, we ventured down to the train bridge and set up a giant swing! With the heat rising, our wildlings naturally gravitated toward the mud and the cool river shallows.
What followed was a joyful blur of mud play, water splashing, and learning to be kind to animals—big and small—as they searched for minnows and crawfish. Of course, there were impromptu mud wars, and a few kids even took it upon themselves to do a little humanitarian work, covering up a “scary graffiti face” with mud. 🙂
Three (maybe even four!) porcupines in one day—a first for us, and definitely something the kids won’t forget! We spotted Pickles, Cheese, and… Mystery Man? (Looks like our newest porcupine still needs a name!)
We grabbed our amber bottles and whipped up some homemade tick and mosquito spray using essential oils, glycerin, witch hazel, and distilled water. After a quick cougar safety review—thanks to a sighting the day before—we set off to explore a new area, full of adventure around every corner.
The kids dove into all sorts of activities… some built magical fairy houses, others set up cozy tarp lounges or bushwhacked new trails. They tested out our handheld chainsaw for the first time, discovered massive fungi (another first for us in the Coulees!), which one child then turned into a tic-tac-toe board. Some even wrapped up the day with stick-throwing challenges.
Their creativity and sense of wonder never cease to amaze!
We kicked off our first day of Forest School with a magical egg challenge! Each child was given a special egg to protect, with the promise that if it was cared for all day, it might turn into a golden egg! Excitement quickly turned into a hilarious mission—not only guarding their own eggs but also attempting playful egg heists to collect others!
After a group vote, we ventured to the caves and discovered a new trail—plus a mysterious hole that refused to be filled, no matter how much dirt we tossed in! I have a feeling the mystery of that seemingly bottomless hole will keep the curiosity alive at the caves for a long time.
We also had a very exciting moment when, after years of trying to dig out a massive boulder, it finally became dislodged, and we all got to watch as it made its final tumble down the hill!
We ended the day chasing riddle after riddle, each clue leading us to new spots—until finally, we discovered the golden eggs!
(P.S. I barely got any photos this day 😬)
