It was a cold day in Port Townsend today! As prudent mariners, the beginning of each Bravo Team class starts with a weather observation. We bundled up to head outside and noted that the wind was onshore and gusting to 15 knots, there was a small craft advisory posted for the East entrace to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the temperature with wind chill was well below freezing. These three factors led the group to decide to stay onshore today.

We started a brainstorm today on our upcoming Environmental Project. We spent sometime with our journals and looking at three aspects of projects: need, solutions, and resources. A few ideas bubbled up but we needed more– so we headed out on a walk and decided to look at our maritime environment through these new lenses. What needs do we notice? What solutions can we envision? What resources surround us?

We started with a few group challenges (Ants on a log) and then began to walk. Enjoying the crisp cold and thinking about what we service we could do to make a difference.

One of the needs we were curious about was controlling pollution running off buildings and streets and entering the ocean. Our walk took us right past a raingarden, designed to help control pollution from run off. “Do they need help with this garden?” we wondered. Then we noticed on the sign that WSU is a partner in this raingarden. We kept our lenses on and eventually spotted the WSU office later in our walk.

We were also curious about birds and bird habitat. Were there any bird boxes around Point Hudson? Would it be possible for us to create bird habitat?

Back in the classroom, we enjoyed some hot chocolate and snacks. Then it was back to brainstorming– what did we notice on our walk with our new lenses? We filled out our list with more needs, solutions, and resources. Then we paused to consider what we are concerned about in the environment: climate change and it’s impacts on animals and humans, habitat loss, ocean pollution, Ocean Acidification, nuclear energy, and oil and energy production.

We were happy with our great list of ideas and started some preliminary whittling down to come up with a project that will be uniquely ours and help with needs we see and care about. Stay tuned to hear about our final plans.

In Bravo Team, we know that our impacts are stronger if we work together.We all enjoyed this quote that Lia chose to end our moment of silence today, “Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together.”