Category Archives: Uncategorized

10 parks and monuments for Black History Month | Wilderness.org

10 parks and monuments for Black History Month | Wilderness.org

Buffalo Soldiers in Yosemite National Park, 1899.

Yosemite Research Library

Black History Month is a time to remember and honor the many groups and individuals who contributed to the success and achievements of this country as well as to advancement for African Americans as a people.

These historical spots host incredible evidence of the achievements, struggles and lives of African Americans during the history of the continent. The monuments also testify to the role of our National Park Service and other land agencies in preserving important pieces of our nation’s story and cultural heritage.

10 parks and monuments for Black History Month | Wilderness.org

Four Interesting Facts about Mushrooms in Our National Forests – National Forest Foundation

I though aspen groves are considered a single organism and among the largest. (I think this fungus was on an X-Files a decade ago.)

Four Interesting Facts about Mushrooms in Our National Forests – National Forest Foundation

Did you know that the biggest organism on earth is a fungus? One specific honey mushroom fungus ( Armillaria solidipes ) spans 2.4 miles across the Malhuer National Forests in the Blue Mountains of Oregon.

Four Interesting Facts about Mushrooms in Our National Forests – National Forest Foundation

Great Divide Ride | A Journey for Hope on the Continental Divide

Gen Shimizu resides in Charlottesville, VA. He has hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Pacific Coast Trail. This summer, he rode a unicycle (!) along the bike route that roughly parallels the Continental Divide Trail. (Cycles and other machines are not allowed in the wilderness that much of the actual Continental Divide Trail passes through.) His accomplishment is absolutely amazing.

I recommend you dive into his blog at one of these points:

Great Divide Ride | A Journey for Hope on the Continental Divide

Howdy! My name is Gen Shimizu. This past summer I pedaled my mountain unicycle 2,755 miles through the Rockies in an effort to bring awareness to modern-day slavery and raise funding for Polaris Project. My journey followed the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff, Canada, to the Mexican border, and took 88 days to complete.

Great Divide Ride | A Journey for Hope on the Continental Divide

My Blog | Great Divide Ride | A Journey for Hope on the Continental Divide

  • 2754 Miles Long
  • 28 Continental Divide Crossings
  • 200,000+ ft of Elevation Change
  • 90% Off-Pavement
  • Highest Point: 11,910 ft
  • Bears – Yes
  • Mud – Yup
  • Wheels – One?

My Blog | Great Divide Ride | A Journey for Hope on the Continental Divide

A vile beast stalks the woods: a pathetic human being

Somewhere in Arizona or New Mexico, one or more disgusting people are dedicated to destroying wolves – to slaughtering, murdering, extinguishing the creature who lived here before us and have every right to recover in some of their historic range. I can only hope that these idiots step in a leg-trap or shoot one another.

Another Wolf in Pack Killed

Alpha Female’s Body Discovered

By Rene Romo

Journal Southern Bureau

LAS CRUCES — A wolf pack in Arizona that lost three wolves in the last 14 months under suspicious circumstances has suffered another blow: the death of the alpha female.

Arizona Game and Fish Department personnel found the body of the Hawks Nest pack alpha female, identified as AF1110, Monday evening in the pack’s territory in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

No obvious cause of death could be found during a preliminary examination, and the wolf’s carcass was sent to the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., for a complete necropsy.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the 13-yearold Mexican wolf recovery project, described the Hawks Nest alpha female as one of the most consistent breeding females in the last few years.

The alpha female in the spring whelped at least six pups, which had weaned. The pack was one of three in Arizona whose territory was scorched in June by the massive Wallow Fire, but the pups managed to survive the blaze’s march through the forest.

In June and July 2010, the Hawks Nest alpha male and another adult male from the pack were killed in cases that are under investigation.

In April, a young male that had wandered away from the Hawks Nest pack’s traditional territory in Arizona was found dead with an apparent gunshot wound near Grants.

After her mate was killed, the alpha female had formed a bond with another adult male earlier this year, wildlife officials said. The remaining members of the pack continue to feed the alpha female’s surviving pups, according to Fish and Wildlife.

The wild population of endangered gray wolves in southeast Arizona and southwest New Mexico numbered 50 at the end of 2010, an increase from the previous year but still well below the 100 wolves that biologists estimated would inhabit the recovery area by 2006. Illegal poaching was the primary cause of wolf deaths in 2010, when five wolves were shot.

Federal and state agencies, along with a variety of conservation groups, have pledged a total of $58,000 for information leading to the conviction of anyone responsible for illegally killing a Mexican gray wolf.

We make a mistake accepting the cold, dispassionate scientific notation for these animals. Let’s give each wolf a heroic, noble name and report: Hero shot down by villain.

Tap Congress to Get Off the Bottle

Tap Congress to Get Off the Bottle – Fooducate

Billions of $$$ in advertising budgets to convince us that bottled water is a normal way to consume H two O. Here is a quote from a Susan Wellington, former vice president of marketing at PepsiCo:

When we are done, tap water will be relegated to showers and washing dishes…

But consider this:

  • Bottled water costs over 1000 times more than tap water per fluid ounce.
  • Bottled water uses over 2000 times more energy to produce and deliver.
  • The purity of tap water is far more regulated than that of bottled water.
  • Most bottled water sold today is simply tap water that has been filtered and then bottled.

So why are you still drinking bottled water?

Tap Congress to Get Off the Bottle – Fooducate

Electric ATVs

E-Force | Eco Electric ATV 

E-Force

Built in Ellicottville, NY the E-FORCE is the first all electric zero-emission, adult sized ATV with adult sized power and torque for extreme terrain. The E-FORCE ’s Torque on Demand electric drive system has more than three times the torque of similar sized gas ATVs!

Camo Electric ATV

E-Force | Eco Electric ATV

Also:

An electric ATV from Doran EV, the e-ATV

Bad Boy Buggy Models

I think these are a great idea, even for a tree hugger like me. Anyone have experience with all-electric ATVs?

Hiking Lady

From Carol Roberts, the Hiking Lady:

The Ultimate Resource for Women Who Love Hiking and the Outdoors!

Are you new to hiking?  Are you an expert?  There is always more to learn!  

The goal of HikingLady.com is to be a comprehensive resource for all of us who love the outdoors, whether your idea of a hike is a walk on a trail close to home, a serene day hike in a beautiful National Park like Yosemite, or a backpacking adventure to the peak of  a “14ner”! 

Come explore, learn the secrets that will make you a trail pro, and share your own hiking tips and tricks with the Hiking Lady!

  • Did you know that women naturally are colder than men, so really need a women’s specific sleeping bag?  
  • Did you know that there are easy ways to prevent getting blisters?  
  • Did you know that the best way to get a backpack that fits you is to have your spine measured, something that you can have done at a reputable outdoors store?
  • Did you know that you really can be comfortable on a backpacking trip… if you remember to take your Down Booties and pack a stuff sack with a fleece lining that can be used as a pillow?    

Explore HikingLady.com, and get prepared for adventure!

Hiking Lady

Good info for men, too.

Pedometer Review/Recommendation

Over the years, I’ve had a few different pedometers. Most have been cheap. Some only count steps; some are difficult to calibrate. When I decided to buy pedometers for my wife and me, I did a little research, starting with Amazon.com. I chose the Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer .

I like the fact that with the press of the Mode button, I have the following information for the current day: total steps taken, total aerobic steps, calories (kcal) expended, and miles walked (to the hundredth of a mile). At midnight, the Omron rolls today’s info over to “1 day ago” and starts over automatically. Pressing the Memory button displays separate info for each of the prior seven days.

Note that the Omron is always on – there is no power button. The benefit is that you can’t forget to turn it on. I regret the continuous power usage, although it is minor. If only there were rechargeable button-type batteries or if the Omron drew its power from motion. Next generation.

The Omron clips to your belt, waistband, pocket, or earlobe (kidding). You can also easily slip the Omron out of its clip and carry it in your pocket or purse – it is just as accurate carried that way.

There is some evidence that walking as few as ten minutes at a sufficiently fast pace can have a beneficial effect. The current recommendation is to walk 30 minutes cumulatively at 100 steps per minute or more every day. That is not race-walking but it is more than a stroll. Three thousand aerobic steps per day is the goal. (With my stride, that’s about 1.5 miles.) Another goal is 10,000 total steps (any pace) per day. The Omron will help you track your efforts to meet these goals.

Note that the Omron counts a pace of 60 steps per minute as aerobic (below the 100 steps per minute guideline). However, because it tracks minutes at that pace or faster, you can easily see whether or not you’ve achieved 100 steps per minute.

Regarding calibration: You don’t have to calibrate steps per mile if you don’t care about the accuracy of the mileage indication. The owner’s manual explains the easy steps to calibration. I refined my calibration by carrying a GPS on several walks.

I’m not thrilled to endorse a product, but this one is good enough to overcome that reluctance. My wife and I both like having our own pedometer and it has definitely boosted our walking. I haven’t lost much weight in the four months I’ve had mine, but I have moved my belt in another notch and enjoyed the neighborhood a bit more.

Power Of Wilderness Experiences As A Catalyst For Change In Young Offenders

Professor Jules Pretty, Jo Barton and Rachel Hine were involved in ‘The TurnAround 2007 Project’, initiated by the Wilderness Foundation UK to help seven vulnerable young people in Chelmsford and mid-Essex. This nine-month project used the power of nature and wilderness experiences a catalyst for change, enabling the young people to re-evaluate their destructive lifestyles and gave them the self assurance to take responsibility for their future.

Senior Research Officer, Jo Barton, explains: ‘The programme consisted of monthly workshops and weekly life coaching but the key element was getting them in touch with nature and away from negative distractions in their usual urban environments.’

‘This involved two wilderness trips – one to the Isle of Mull in Scotland and one sailing on the Thames. The first took place at the beginning of the project and the second at the end. The difference in behaviour was amazing!’

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090105091536.htm