If You Go Out in the Woods Today...

Our final meeting of January was devoted to earning the Forestry Badge and starting to work on the UN Challenge Badge on Forests.

As the girls arrived, each Patrol was asked to make two lists - one of products made from trees and forests, and the other of jobs related to or that rely on trees and forests. We then had our usual opening and played an active game before discussing the lists. In addition to what the girls had listed, we added some more unusual items and jobs that might not be considered such as medicines, fishing, road building, cooking, tape, cosmetics, and clean water.

We then talked about identifying Coniferous and Deciduous trees.

Coniferous Trees

• Are sometimes called evergreens
• Grow upwards and tend to have a triangular shape
• Leaves are long, pointed needles or small, flat scales and stay on the tree for several years before gradually falling off
• Seeds grow in cones, when the cone opens its scales, the seeds fall out.
• There are 500 species worldwide, but only 34 grow in Canada (i.e. Fir, Spruce, Pine)

Deciduous Trees

• Spread out as they grow and tend to have a more rounded shape
• Broad, flat leaves that catch a lot of light; leaves fall off in the winter as there isn't enough warmth for them to survive
• Most seeds are protected by a hard nutshell or fruit
• Many species (i.e. Oak, Maple)

Next we briefly reviewed the different types of forests found in Canada and looked at where they are located on a map:

1. Boreal Forest
• About 80% of Canada's forests, runs east from the Rocky Mountains and the border with Alaska across the country to northern Newfoundland
• Mostly coniferous trees, but some deciduous - i.e. Aspen, Willow
• Home to caribou, lynx, cougars, bears and more than 300 species of birds
2. Subalpine Forest
• Runs from the coast of BC, across the Rocky Mountains and into western Alberta
• Coniferous trees - i.e. White Spruce, Black Spruce, Trembling Aspen
3. Montane Forest
• Covers the central plateau of BC and valleys near the Alberta border.
• Mix of coniferous and deciduous trees - i.e. Blue Douglas Fir, Lodgepole Pine, Trembling Aspen, White Spruce
4. Coast Forest
• Runs along the Pacific coast of BC
• Almost all coniferous trees - i.e. Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce
5. Columbia Forest
• Covers southeastern BC between the Rocky Mountains and the central plateau
• Mainly coniferous trees - i.e. Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, Western Red Pine
6. Carolinian Forest
• Covers southwestern Ontario between Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario (where we live!)
• Mainly deciduous trees, but also some conifers - i.e. Beech, Sugar Maple, White Elm, Red Oak, Black Walnut, Tulip Tree
7. Great Lakes/St Lawrence Forest
• Runs from the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River to southeastern Manitoba
• Both coniferous and deciduous trees - i.e. Eastern White Pine, Yellow Birch, Oak
8. Acadian Forest
• Covers the Maritime provinces
• Many species of both coniferous and deciduous trees - i.e. Red Spruce, Balsam Fir, Yellow Birch, Maple, Red and White Pine

With our new knowledge of trees, we played a quick game of 'Find Your Partner' - each girl was given an information card about a tree and had to find the other girl with the same card. The girls then had to decide if the tree was coniferous or deciduous. The pairs all shared their pictures and decision.

We then used the same cards to play 'Tree Circle' (a Tree version of the 'Fruit Salad' game). The cards were placed on the ground and each girl stood behind one, with one girl in the middle. When one or more trees were called out, those girls had to change places, with the girl in the middle trying to get a place as well. The difference in this game is that the cards stayed in place, so the girls changed trees as well as places, which helped them become familiar with different trees.

Next we spent some time discussing forest enemies and the impacts of habitat loss. As well as looking at some of the ways people have a negative impact, we also looked at some ways people can have a positive impact on forests.

The final activity of the evening was the creation of artwork inspired by trees and forests.

Be Prepared in the Outdoors

Our third meeting of January was spent preparing for Winter Camp.

As the girls arrived, each Patrol was asked to make a list of meal and activity suggestions for camp. After our usual opening, we played an active game (Romeo and Juliet) before moving into our program.

Our first activity was Be Prepared Scenarios. The girls split up into 4 groups and each group was given a scenario. After the skits, we discussed the appropriate actions, prevention, and/or treatment.
A. What to do if you get lost and using the buddy system.
B. What to do if you get frostbite after playing outside in the snow.
C. What to do if you cut your finger while preparing vegetables.
D. What to do if you burn yourself while cooking.

We then moved on to creating Be Prepared Kits for different scenarios - Camping, Hiking in Summer, Hiking in Winter, and Playing in the Park.

As each group presented their poster and described their kit, we discussed the importance of having the right equipment for the activity and how to stay safe.

The final activity of the night was to design outdoor activities. The girls could work alone, with a partner or in a small group, and we asked to come up with an activity that could be done outdoors. They had to include information about what the participant would do, rules, equipment needed, etc.

Zoe Goes to China

The second meeting of January was devoted to working on our annual Zoe's Trek Around the World Challenge.

As the girls arrived, they were asked to start filling in the information in a passport. On the first inside page they had to draw a picture of themselves and on the facing page write in their personal information (name, address, birthdate, etc.). While they waited for everyone to arrive, they could also use the display poster to answer the questions about Guiding in Hong Kong.

 

After our opening we played a quiet game (Wax Museum) as we were in the upstairs meeting room instead of our usual hall. We then spent some time learning a bit about China and the Chinese New Year using atlases and pictures.  

We then split up into 2 groups to do crafts. One group made their own tangram puzzles out of cardstock and the other group made origami jumping frogs.

For our active part of the evening, we had a chopstick relay where each group had to try to get the largest number of sponges, carried using chopsticks. We also tried some Tai Chi, including "Awaken the Chi", "Bridge Over Water", and "Wild Goose Looks for Food".

The last activity of the evening was the reading of a Chinese Folk Tale, "The Four Dragons", which tells how the four great rivers of China (Heilongjian, Yellow, Yangtze, and Pearl) came to be.

Teamwork Challenge

Welcome to 2015! Our first meeting in January was all about Teamwork and based on the UK Guide Program's "Go For It! Teamwork".

As the girls arrived, each Patrol was asked to make up a short skit showing ways to manage a different situation. The Bluebells had problems with bullying; the Hollies had problems with someone making fun of their hair, clothes, etc.; the Violets had problems with homework and school-related stress; and the Daffodils had problems with fighting with siblings.

After our opening, we played an active game (Tag), and then each patrol presented their skit.

Our next activity was the Monster Memory Game. The girls were divided up into groups of 3-4 and chose one player to the be the artist. Nine information cards were hidden around the room. At a given signal, the other team members had to get up and find the instruction cards. They could only take the information on the card (not the card itself) back to their artist to draw the monster.
Instruction Cards:
A. It has 4 eyes and 3 ears.
B. It has green hair.
C. It has feathers.
D. It has 4 long, skinny arms.
E. No body part is the same colour as another.
F. It has 7 legs.
G. It has a big smile.
H. It has 6 fingers on each hand.
I. It has 3 toes on each foot.

We then moved on to a series of Teamwork Challenges, encouraging the girls to work in different groups and with different people.

• Cross the Ocean - Each patrol has to "sail" their "boat" (a sheet of newspaper) from one end of the room to the other and back. Everyone must be touching the boat at all times; when "Shark Attack" is called, the girls have until the count of 3 to get everyone onto the boat to save the boat from sinking; when "Swim" is called, everyone picks up their boat and runs.
• Pass the Can - Players sit in a circle. An empty coffee can is put on on person's foot. Players have to pass the can around the circle using only their feet. If the can falls to the ground, they must start over. (Hint: It helps if the players take their shoes off.)
• Back to Back - Girls divide into pairs. Challenge each pair to sit down on the floor with their backs to each other, link elbows, and stand up without unlinking their arms. Once a pair is successful, they find another pair to form a larger group, and repeat. Eventually, the entire group is in a circle and tries to stand up from a sitting position.
• Tied - All the girls line up across one end of the room. At the start signal, they all move to towards the finish line at the other end. The catch is that everyone must cross the finish line (or touch the end wall) at the same time.

The final activity of the evening required the girls to work in groups. Each group linked arms so that the people on the ends each had one hand free. This gave the group a left hand and a right hand to complete their task. They were given paper and markers and a series of drawing instructions were given. The people in the middle of the groups could speak and give advice to the hands, and also remember instructions. The results were very unique!