Y-LINC Day Three: "The lake is calling and I must go"

Pretending to be beached walruses.

First thing in the morning after a warm pancake breakfast cooked by +Alberto Gomez and his team, our campers headed out the Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area in the Davy Crockett National Forest. They were briefed about alligator safety and swimming safety beforehand, and had a safe and fun time.

Group Photo!

Captain Chris Crane manages the law enforcement officers of the National Forests in Texas and Louisiana, and blessed us with his wisdom that afternoon. He shared what it was like to be a FS law enforcement officer and showed us his multiple survival kits that he carries with him on the job on a daily basis. The campers learned that the seeming disparate worlds of law enforcement in a city and law enforcement in the forest were not so different.

Treetops in the Forest

Mike Ross then spoke with us after lunch about what he does for the Forest Service: he manages the fleet for the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. It's his job to make sure everyone has a vehicle, that every vehicle is maintained, that there is enough money for fuel, and that old vehicles are replaced in a timely manner. This sparked a lively discussion about how the Forest Service as well as the Texas Forest Service are doing research to develop alternative energy sources for vehicles.

Happy to serve!

The campers then traveled over to one of our favorite destinations for Y-LINC, a little environmental learning center called Treetops in the Forest. Founded and ran by Dr. Christine Kallstrom, the center has been teaching children about the environment for decades. The participants threw themselves into the task of cleaning up the lawn and the inside as best as they could. We then played Animal Charades from the Project WILD curriculum and walked a labyrinth constructed on the property, releasing our stress and personal problems to the healing, absorptive ground.

Then it was back to HQ, for swimming, quesadillas, and S'mores. As part of our leadership skills training, Dave Clipson started a truly thought provoking discussion on ethics, asking the students "How do you tell the difference between right and wrong." Dave gave them the body test to illustrate there are many factors at work in determining right versus wrong: including perhaps our own bodies. Dave had a few students hold one arm out straight, and the other hand held an object close to their chest. Dave pushed down on the free hand, while the student tried hard to push against it: when they held a cup water to their chest (something healthy), their arm was strong. When they held a cigarette to their chests, their arms couldn't resist Dave' s force, as if the body knew that cigarettes were bad for them. 

Tomorrow, we will be exploring a school that our kids may soon be calling their alma mater: Stephen F. Austin State University.

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