Author Archives: zakira

Campfire Theme Meeting

In honour of Fire Prevention Week and the upcoming Burnaby Area Beavers Campfire, we held a Campfire theme meeting.  After a rollicking game of Freeze Tag, we did three campfire related activities.

Edible Campfires helped the kids learn how to prepare a safe campfire area and how to arrange sticks and kindling for a good campfire. Plus, they got to enjoy a snack!

Then, we split into two groups and prepared skits for each other. Group 1 performed The Invisible Bench. Group 2 performed Bubble Gum In The Street.

Finally, we gathered in a circle and sang several camp songs. We sang Ging Gang Goolie, The Button Factory, and Alice the Camel.

Next week: Investiture! All the Beavers are instructed to wear their uniforms and be prepared to repeat the Promise, Law and Motto.

Greenheart Canopy Walk – UBC Botanical Garden

On Saturday October 4, some of the Beavers and their parents went on an adventure to the Greenheart Canopy at UBC Botanical Garden. We explored the fantastic garden, investigating the latin names of the extensive asian plant collection near the entrance to the garden, before embarking on the walk to the Canopy entrance.

The Beavers used their map reading skills from their previous session to read the maps and find our route. We stopped along the way as they found spiders, interesting leaves and magnificent, massive vines. At the Canopy Entrance, we went over the rules and then entered to walk along swinging suspension bridges between treetop platforms 40 feet in the coastal rainforest canopy.

We talked about the Cedar, Fir and Hemlock trees that comprise the rainforest. We also touched the bark, smelled the moist cedar, and saw how the sun coming through the treetops disappears into shade before reaching the forest floor.

When the last of our wobbly, bright-eyed participants finished the Canopy, we took advantage of the sunlight and decided to walk further in the garden. We enjoyed the growing Garry Oak meadow, saw examples of high yield espalier orchard fruit, and examined the sun dial and medicinal plants in the Physic garden.