10/27/2024
Saturday afternoon, the pack ventured to Camp Salmen Nature Park for a mile hike, exploring both the foliage and the surrounding structures throughout the park.
Cubmaster Ken discussed the differences in poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac as well as differences in the banding on Black Cherry trees and Elm trees. The Scouts also learned about palm fronds that grow in the swamp areas of the park.
We even got an up close look at a water snake, who was camouflaged quite well in his habitat!
We even got to see an Eagle Scout’s project(Layla Peck) in the park, where she constructed some Bat Houses to ensure the bats of the area have a safe home, out of humans’ homes.
After we returned to the camp, a Cubmaster from another troop stopped by to engage the Scouts in differentiating s**t droppings from various animals, and how to identify which ones are from prey and predators. This will help the Scouts gather information about what animals could be around our camp, especially deep in the wilderness. A Scout is always prepared to observe details of his/her environment.
The Scouts also enjoyed an intense battle of Tug’o’War against the Scout Dads!
What an amazing weekend this inaugural campout was. We learned so much about each other, what it means to use the Buddy System, team work to accomplish a mutual goal, and of course, have fun!
