First Five - It begins...

First Five

Wild Corps XI is under way! These first five days have been jam-packed with technical training, community discussions, and a lot of food. This food aspect has been one of the most pleasant surprises for me so far. The program puts an emphasis on making delicious vegetarian food using unprocessed organic ingredients. We have made such staples as yogurt, peanut butter, and bread from scratch and learned how to use fancy equipment like a pressure cooker and high-powered juicer. All of the meals have been stupendous and I think it's safe to say that food has made our hard-working days a lot more joyous.

After doing some orientation with our two heavy-duty Wild Corps trucks, we set out to nearby Whitewater Preserve for two nights of camping. We heard reports of a bear who's been hanging out in the preserve recently, and though we didn't see it, the legend was fodder for many jokes and the “desert bear” has become an early symbol of our crew. After a night's rest under the stars, we hiked along the Whitewater River, learning some desert flora and fauna along the way. Near the end of that hike, we began some discussions on what helps and hurts communities, and I think our collective engagement in the process yielded some strong starting ideals and guidelines. The next morning we continued our technical training: changing flat tires on the truck (good life skill) and assembling our field tents.

Since then, we've been doing a lot of preparation and materials-gathering around the house for our big upcoming orientation (known as “Septoberfest”) where we'll meet other SCA restoration crews in the area. It has been exciting to acquire so much knowledge so quickly and to get acquainted with what seems to be a great group of thoughtful hard-working individuals.