Thank-you Poetry

Vancouver Waldorf student Keegan sent this poetry to SPL as a thank-you to Ryan Green, his instructor, who inspired him. Keegan agreed to let us post his wonderful poetry here.

Most birds teach their young to fly
and humans teach their children how to eat
And grow through life
But when you have no children
You can always teach those who will listenLife might be a song
you can hear it when you are deaf,
But you can hear the swallow
Live life with a smile
And become a happy warrior
That we should all be
and live on the edge
upon the douglas firs roots
and hug and climb him every day
but you dont have to climb to the top do your chalenges by choice
Ryan,
you taught me a lot
you're my inspiration for life
i will not live it like you
but i will have your words to help me
you passed down a mental and physical gift
And when i go on ling hikes
that may take months
I'll have the pack i brought to strathcona
And when i'm in a chilling field of snow
2000 metres off the oceans surface
i'll have the wool sweater you gave me
you taught me how to survive.

-keegan

this poem was inspired by the saying on your red backpack:

You can always believe in something that has no religion
To look at a tree as an idol
And feel the sun and earth as your god
to explore the untamed wilderness
and call it your pilgrimage
for your footsteps to end at the top of a moutain
and not pray to a god
but listen to the raven and watch the eagle.
you can always live your life as a happy warrior
who carries no sword but devotes itself to a cause
and feels no hate to those who are against it.
you can always laugh with tears and cry with a smile
you can always believe in something that feels right to you
to carry a backpack and discover something
that no one else has every seen b
open your mind to knowledge
you can believe in the circle
that holds us and nature
the earth; be kind to it.

-keegan

Like a flowing river the human mind can imagine and create landscapes of the imagination
like a swift river polishes ruff stones as they are flown to the sea
untamed masses of water rushing down the slopes of mountains and running of steep cliffs
in a rainbow of beauty smighting the dry earth bellow and funneling down the narrow corridors
of large old growth forests turning from river to stream
in small rapids that hit the under belly of small stones and calmly;
flowing in and out of coniferous forests,
flowing throught fields and creating valleys the stream moves on
into a canopy of cedars and fields of skunk cabbage and ferns
tunneling throught the roots of dead trees and cliffs of dry dirt
covered in long vines that droop over the edge and tough the granit bedrock and banks
a field of rocks racked in the middle and split in two by a flowing river surrounded by decomposing forests and ferns
the stream passes through with riples of heart beats carrying off the sotton balls of spring
and the fallen green leaves and the lost pieces of wood all to the ocean its resting place
and it birth?
the top of the mountain, the melting snow.

-keegan

Myrna's Book Launch

Strathcona Park Lodge and Outdoor Education Centre had its beginnings as a small fishing lodge on the edge of Upper Campbell Lake in 1959. It blossomed into a full fledged, internationally renowned Outdoor Education Centre and tourist lodge, and continues to attract students and guests from all over the world.

Myrna Boulding, who founded the Lodge with her late husband, Jim Boulding, will present the colourful history of the Lodge at the Museum at Campbell River on Saturday, June 20, from 1 to 3pm.

Based on the book she recently published called “Survival, Strathcona Style; Off the Grid and On the Edge”, the pictorial presentation is as varied as the book and includes early photos of Upper Campbell Lake, the original Lodge building, and excellent photos of some of people who contributed to the growth of the business over the years. There are also great pictures depicting wilderness adventure in remote areas of Strathcona Park and the West Coast.

Myrna will share anecdotes from the book – many of which are humorous and were contributed by former staff and associates of the Lodge. For the people who may not be able to attend the reunion at the Lodge the following weekend on June 26th, Saturday afternoon at the Museum provides a great opportunity to reminisce with Myrna and see old acquaintances.

Catherine Gilbert

Solar Panels on the OC

Tree huggers were up in arms in May as David Boulding and crew dropped the 2 big firs shadowing the Outdoor Centre. The Outdoor Centre houses SPL's commercial kitchen and laundry as well as the school for staff kids and 8 guest rooms. It is the largest propane consumer on property. Not for long. With the trees down the sun is shining on 120 vacuum tubes Richard Dugas placed across the roof. All the tanks and boosting systems are in place and with this improvement Jamie Boulding expects propane consumption in the OC will be reduced by one third.

As we continue to teach and practice 'stewardship' and doing 'more with less' the new solar panels will be a visible part of education in water use and alternate energy solutions.

Christine (Tina) Clarke

SPL 50th Reunion Schedule June 26-28, 2009

DJ All Good - Strathcona's 50th

DJ All Good is booked for the post BBQ barn party at the 50th Reunion. He's played the lodge to full dancing capacity twice before. Check him out at www.myspace.com/djallgood.

Saturday night features a live band "Flying Debris." Let me see if they have a website...

Christine (Tina) Clarke