The Four Shielders arrived at a new outing location, coined
the Yew Street Woods, and quickly began to slide down the dome-shaped water
reservoir that was extra slick with morning dew. After getting their energy out
we circled up for an opening meeting to bring our focus towards the days outing.The mentors informed the group that our day would be all
about skills, specifically frying Big leaf Maple blossom fritters and
processing a tinder fungus. After reviewing our three group commitments and
introducing Adam Yost, a newer EC mentor, the Shielders were anxious to get
to know what tinder fungus was. 
The mentors passed around an object that looked like a piece of
fruit leather and felt like suede while explaining that the object was called
tinder fungus. Fomes fomentarius or Horse Hoof fungus is a polypore that grows
on Birch tree snags. The name, Fomes fomentarius means, ‘to use as tinder’. It
is extremely flammable and has a nice slow burn, which makes it excellent for
starting fires.Elaborating the mentor explained that in 1991 hikers found the
preserved remains of a naturally mummified man who lived between 3400 and 3100
BC in a glacier in the Otzal Alps between Austria and Italy. Ötzi the
5000-year-old “Iceman” was found with a similar polypore fungus in his pocket.
He is thought to have carried the mushroom to preserve fire, use as insect
repellent, and as a bandage. How exciting to think that in harvesting,
processing, and practicing the technique of using tinder fungus as fire starter
we’re carrying on a tradition that is at least 5,000 years old. 
Connecting the
boys to the natural history and stories behind Earth skills brings relevancy,
responsibility, and an element of sacredness to learning this knowledge. The
process of turning the raw fungus into usable tinder involves cutting the
middle of the fungus (the Amadou or trauma layer) into thin slices, boiling it
for a few hours with the ash of a Paper Birch then pounding it flat with a
mallet. Before heading out we took the opportunity to harvest some Big
Leaf Maple Blossoms from a low hanging branch. As with any harvesting we do in
the forest, it is important for the Four Shielders to really get to know what
they’re harvesting. With a bag full of blossoms we headed down Yew Street to
connect with the power line trail that would lead us to the west side of
Galbraith Mountain.Spring in the Pacific Northwest is a wonderful time to be out on
the land. A full spectrum of the color green engulfed the forest as buds
sprouted in leaves. 
Salmonberry flowers were in peak bloom and the Cottonwood leaves sent their sweet aroma into the air. The boys too felt this seasonal change and it is wonderful to hear them expressing their gratitude for their connection with the seasonality of the land.Finding an opening in a logging clearing half of the group set up
our stoves while others carefully carved off the trauma layer of the Horse Hoof
fungus. The knife skill and technique required to remove the trauma layer from
the inner and outer layers provided just the right amount of challenge for the
Shielders. The fungus would need to boil for at least an hour in order to be
malleable enough to pound into a flat layer.
While the fungus was boiling away we got roughly a half an inch of
Canola oil hot in a cast iron skillet and mixed up a batter very similar to
what you would use to make funnel cakes. Click here
to see a full recipe for Maple Blossom fritters on a wonderful blog called, Fat of the Land. The
fritters sizzled and fried in the oil sending a sweet carnival aroma out into
the forest. The boys joked that we could set up a fritter stand and sell them
to hungry mountain bikers for a profit!Once the maple fritters were nice and crispy we dusted them powdered
sugar and dipped them in maple syrup, YUM! The group leisurely sat and ate
fritters until we could eat no more. While we ate the boys practiced igniting
pieces of some already processed tinder fungus and were surprised to see how
long the tinder smoldered.
We spent the rest of our day
finishing out our skill process, following our interests, and enjoying the
sunshine. While exploring the logging land we found some clear indicators of
spring, a Red Legged Frog and Trillium flowers. A Trillium can take up
to ten years to produce its first flower and seed. The flowers are common in
the forest, but important in the ecosystem for pollinators and ants that eat
off the seeds before discarding them and dispersing them in the process.Remembering that play is important even when your in Middle
and High School we went through a couple rounds of Hide and circled up for a closing meeting. The boys shared thanks
for the opportunity to engage in skill work, especially cooking, for the signs
of spring, for the decompression and release they feel after a day on the land
away from life’s stressors, and for the beautiful weather which was deeply
nourishing after a long winter. Our mentors are thankful for each opportunity
with your arriving adults and for the conversations that grow while our hands are
occupied with skills work.
For more pictures please visit the Four Shielders’ photo album from the day. Thanks for reading!
The mentors passed around an object that looked like a piece of
fruit leather and felt like suede while explaining that the object was called
tinder fungus. Fomes fomentarius or Horse Hoof fungus is a polypore that grows
on Birch tree snags. The name, Fomes fomentarius means, ‘to use as tinder’. It
is extremely flammable and has a nice slow burn, which makes it excellent for
starting fires.Elaborating the mentor explained that in 1991 hikers found the
preserved remains of a naturally mummified man who lived between 3400 and 3100
BC in a glacier in the Otzal Alps between Austria and Italy. Ötzi the
5000-year-old “Iceman” was found with a similar polypore fungus in his pocket.
He is thought to have carried the mushroom to preserve fire, use as insect
repellent, and as a bandage. How exciting to think that in harvesting,
processing, and practicing the technique of using tinder fungus as fire starter
we’re carrying on a tradition that is at least 5,000 years old. 
Connecting the
boys to the natural history and stories behind Earth skills brings relevancy,
responsibility, and an element of sacredness to learning this knowledge. The
process of turning the raw fungus into usable tinder involves cutting the
middle of the fungus (the Amadou or trauma layer) into thin slices, boiling it
for a few hours with the ash of a Paper Birch then pounding it flat with a
mallet. Before heading out we took the opportunity to harvest some Big
Leaf Maple Blossoms from a low hanging branch. As with any harvesting we do in
the forest, it is important for the Four Shielders to really get to know what
they’re harvesting. With a bag full of blossoms we headed down Yew Street to
connect with the power line trail that would lead us to the west side of
Galbraith Mountain.Spring in the Pacific Northwest is a wonderful time to be out on
the land. A full spectrum of the color green engulfed the forest as buds
sprouted in leaves. 
Salmonberry flowers were in peak bloom and the Cottonwood leaves sent their sweet aroma into the air. The boys too felt this seasonal change and it is wonderful to hear them expressing their gratitude for their connection with the seasonality of the land.Finding an opening in a logging clearing half of the group set up
our stoves while others carefully carved off the trauma layer of the Horse Hoof
fungus. The knife skill and technique required to remove the trauma layer from
the inner and outer layers provided just the right amount of challenge for the
Shielders. The fungus would need to boil for at least an hour in order to be
malleable enough to pound into a flat layer.
While the fungus was boiling away we got roughly a half an inch of
Canola oil hot in a cast iron skillet and mixed up a batter very similar to
what you would use to make funnel cakes. Click here
to see a full recipe for Maple Blossom fritters on a wonderful blog called, Fat of the Land. The
fritters sizzled and fried in the oil sending a sweet carnival aroma out into
the forest. The boys joked that we could set up a fritter stand and sell them
to hungry mountain bikers for a profit!Once the maple fritters were nice and crispy we dusted them powdered
sugar and dipped them in maple syrup, YUM! The group leisurely sat and ate
fritters until we could eat no more. While we ate the boys practiced igniting
pieces of some already processed tinder fungus and were surprised to see how
long the tinder smoldered.
We spent the rest of our day
finishing out our skill process, following our interests, and enjoying the
sunshine. While exploring the logging land we found some clear indicators of
spring, a Red Legged Frog and Trillium flowers. A Trillium can take up
to ten years to produce its first flower and seed. The flowers are common in
the forest, but important in the ecosystem for pollinators and ants that eat
off the seeds before discarding them and dispersing them in the process.Remembering that play is important even when your in Middle
and High School we went through a couple rounds of Hide and circled up for a closing meeting. The boys shared thanks
for the opportunity to engage in skill work, especially cooking, for the signs
of spring, for the decompression and release they feel after a day on the land
away from life’s stressors, and for the beautiful weather which was deeply
nourishing after a long winter. Our mentors are thankful for each opportunity
with your arriving adults and for the conversations that grow while our hands are
occupied with skills work.
For more pictures please visit the Four Shielders’ photo album from the day. Thanks for reading!
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