It was a wonderful day of community learning and adventure in our local Ollalie State Park. Ollalie is a Chinook word for salmon berry, a favorite local native plant fruit. The Twin Falls Trailhead takes us on a 2.4 mile round trip excursion to see some excellent water features on The South Fork of The Snoqualmie River. Yes, the lands are ancestral to Lushootseed Speaking people of the area, and we acknowledged this important legacy before starting our hike. The recent historic flooding in our area was evident along the trail and in the river, where huge logs stood atop glacial erratic boulders, hanging nearly ten feet in the air. It was an impressive reminder of what water can do to a landscape. The same powerful flow of this water is harnessed for hydroelectric by Puget Sound Power and Light, but you will not see any of the industrial facilities in the park, they are hidden high above the cascading falls, with turbines hidden down a drilled tunnel through the mountain to avoid disturbing the natural views.
Our group was energizes, and listened with great attention as I shared knowledge about medicinal and edible plants along the way, forest ecology basics and what to look for in the environment, and practical survival skills introduction, including shelter construction, water purification, and how to build a fire safely in a forest. It was a class for all ages of adult women, and we kept up a great spirit of camaraderie throughout the hike. There were some challenging obstacles, including slick black ice on part of the trail, that brought some of us to our knees as we ascended. Patience, cooperation, and good communication got us up and through that skating rink, and our group was able to make it to the middle falls before the trail closed for flood repair. Spirits were high as we turned to make our decent, with plenty of learning in our heads.
The highlight for me was sharing my knowledge, and reflecting with others. It was a full four hours of download, sharing plant information, answering questions about survival skills, and collectively pondering on how to help restore our temperate rainforests. We noted the recreational impact of the trail, how people engaged with nature in public parks, and what we could do to continue our learning in nature together. Some of the questions these amazing folks offered were great food for thought, part of why, at least for me, group learning is crucial to community connection and shared understanding. From the start of the day, I made it clear that we would be learning together, sharing our insight, and forming new understanding of ourselves and the environment around us. The group was wonderful, I could not have asked for a more engaged and authentic crew of people to be out in the woods with.
EEC Forest Stewardship 