Podcasts about royal canadian geographic society

In this episode of From Startup to Wunderbrand, host Nicholas Kuhne dives into Bert's extraordinary journey—from solo expeditions to pioneering AI in healthcare with Leadbrain.ai.Discover how persistence trumps talent, why there are truly no shortcuts, and how AI is transforming customer acquisition in healthcare. Whether you're steering a startup or navigating your own leadership path, Bert's raw lessons on endurance, innovation, and entrepreneurship will anchor you.

How the wreck of famed Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's last ship was found off Newfoundland and Labrador (1:57) Guest: John Geiger, CEO, Royal Canadian Geographic Society and expedition lead.  How can parliamentarians tackle allegations of collusion with foreign governments in their ranks? (16:59) Guest: Stephanie Carvin, an associate professor at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa Journo Corner: Oilers mania, water main breaks and drought, War Room “shut down” and more (35:51) Guest: Dave Breakenridge, editor of the Edmonton Journal and Edmonton Sun, host of the 10/3 podcast Josh Ramsay tells a musical adventure story on the upcoming Marianas Trench album (52:02) Guest: Josh Ramsay, musician, songwriter, and lead singer of Marianas Trench Inside the mind of a sociopath: Truth, consequences, misconceptions (1:11:27)  Guest: Patric Gagne, psychologist and author of Sociopath: A Memoir

This week on Finding Your Bliss, Life Coach and Bliss Expert Judy Librach is joined by one of Canada

In our ongoing series of Inuktitut language podcasts, host Madeleine Allakariallak speaks with Ms. Aluki Kotierk about the International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022-2032.The United Nations named 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages. As that year came to a close the UN announced the International Decade of Indigenous Languages lasting from 2022 to 2032. A Canadian launch event is being held by the Royal Canadian Geographic Society in Ottawa on April 22nd, 2022.Aluki Kotierk is President of Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI), and a member of the Global Task Force for the IDIL Arctic Region, based in Iqaluit. She will be at that event.Aluki is originally from Igloolik, and has earned both a Bachelor's and Master's degree from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. She has worked at key Inuit organizations such as Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Pauktuutit, NTI and Nunavut Sivuniksavut. She has held senior management positions at the Government of Nunavut, and the Office of the Languages Commissioner.Aluki is a passionate advocate for our language – Inuktitut.Funding for this podcast was provided by Heritage Canada's Indigenous Language Component.ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦᐅᖃᐅᓯᖓᓄᑦᑐᓵᔭᔅᓴᑦ – ᐊᓗᑭᑰᑦᑎᖅ – ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒻᒥ 10 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖏᑦᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ  2022-2032ᑲᔪᓰᓐᓇᖅᑐᓄᑦ ᑭᖑᓕᕇᑦᑐᓄᑦ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑑᖅᑐᑦ ᑐᓵᔭᔅᓴᓂ, ᐅᖃᖅᑎ ᒫᑕᓕᓐ ᐊᓚᒃᑲᕆᐊᓪᓚᒃ ᐅᖃᖃᑎᖃᖅᐳᖅ  ᐊᓗᑭ ᑰᑦᑎᕐᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒻᒥ 10 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ 2022-2032.ᑲᑐᔾᔨᔪᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᑦᑎᖅᓯᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ 2019ᒥᒃ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒻᒥ ᐊᕐᕌᒍ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓄᑦ. ᑖᓐᓇ ᐊᕐᕌᒍ ᐃᓱᓕᓕᕐᒪᑦ ᑲᑐᔾᔨᔪᑦ ᒐᕙᒪᖃᑎᒌᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐅᖃᓚᐅᖅᑐᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᒻᒥ 10 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ 2022ᒥᑦ 2032ᒧᑦ. ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᐊᐅᓚᔾᔭᑦᑕᐅᓂᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᑯᐃᓐ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓄᓇᓕᕆᓂᕐᓄᑦ ᓴᓴᐃᐊᑎᖓᑕ ᐋᑐᐋᒥ ᐊᐃᕐᕆᓕ 22, 2022ᒥ.       ᐊᓗᑭ ᑰᑦᑎᖅ ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑳᖑᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᑐᙵᕕᒃ ᑎᒥᖓᓄᑦ (ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᑦ), ᐃᓚᒋᔭᐅᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕐᒧᑦ ᖃᐅᔨᓴᖅᑎᓄᑦ ᓄᓇᕐᔪᐊᕐᒥ 10 ᐊᕐᕌᒍᖏᑦ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᖏᓐᓄᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒧᑦ, ᑐᙵᕕᖃᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᖃᓗᓐᓂ. ᐃᓚᐅᓛᖅᑐᖅ ᑕᐃᑲᓂ ᑲᑎᑦᑐᓂ.  ᐊᓗᑭ ᐃᒡᓗᓕᒻᒥᐅᑕᔅᓴᔭᕕᓂᖅ, ᐃᓕᑕᕆᔭᐅᓯᒪᓪᓗᓂᓗ ᐹᑦᓯᓗᒧᑦ ᒫᔅᑐᔅᒧᓪᓗ ᐃᓱᓕᑦᑎᓂᕐᓄᑦ ᑐᕋᓐᑦ ᓯᓚᑦᑐᖅᓴᕝᕕᔾᔪᐊᒻᒥ, ᐲᑕᐳᕈ, ᐋᓐᑎᕆᐅᒥ.   ᐃᖅᑲᓇᐃᔭᖅᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᐊᑑᑎᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑎᒥᖏᓐᓂ ᓲᕐᓗ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᑕᐱᕇᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ, ᐸᐅᒃᑑᑎᑦ, ᑐᙵᕕᒃᑯᑦ ᓄᓇᕗᑦ ᓯᕗᓂᔅᓴᕗᒃᑯᓐᓄᓪᓗ. ᐊᖓᔪᖅᑲᐅᑎᐅᓂᖅᓴᐅᔪᓄᑦ ᐃᓂᓃᓯᒪᔪᖅ ᓄᓇᕘᑉ ᒐᕙᒪᖓᓂ, ᑎᑎᕋᕐᕕᖓᓂᓗ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓄᑦ ᑲᒥᓴᓇᐅᑉ.      ᐊᓗᑭ ᐊᒃᓱᕉᑎᖃᑦᑎᐊᖅᑐᓂ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑎᐅᔪᖅ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᑦᑎᓐᓄᑦ – ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ.ᑮᓇᐅᔭᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᔪᑦ ᑖᔅᓱᒧᖓ ᑐᓵᔭᔅᓴᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᑦᑕᕐᓂᓴᓕᕆᔨᒃᑯᑦ ᑲᓇᑕᒥ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᑦ ᐅᖃᐅᓯᓕᕆᔨᖏᓐᓄᑦ. Inuktitut Uqausinganut Tusaajassat – Aluki Kuuttiq – Nunarjuammi 10 Arraagungit Nunaqaqqaaqsimajut Uqausinginnut  2022-2032Kajusiinnaqtunut kinguliriittunut Inuktituuqtut tusaajassani, uqaqti Matalin Alakkariallak uqaqatiqaqpuq Aluki Kuuttirmik Nunarjuammi 10 Arraagungit Nunaqaqqaaqsimajut Uqausinginnut 2022-2032. Katujjijut Gavamaqatigiingittut attiqsilauqtut 2019-mik Nunarjuammi Arraagu Nunaqaqqaaqsimajunut Uqausinut. Taanna arraagu isulilirmat katujjijut gavamaqatigiingittut uqalauqtut Nunarjuammi 10 Arraagungit Nunaqaqqaaqsimajut Uqausinginnut 2022mit 2032mut. Kanatami aulajjattauniaqtut Kuin Kanatami Nunalirinirnut Sasaiatingata Aatuaami airrili 22, 2022mi.Aluki Kuuttiq Angajuqqaangujuq Nunavut Tunngavik Timinganut (Tunngavikkut), ilagijaullunilu Nunarjuarmut Qaujisaqtinut Nunarjuarmi 10 Arraagungit Nunaqaqqaaqsimajut Uqausinginnut Ukiuqtaqtumut, tunngaviqaqtuni Iqalunni. Ilaulaaqtuq taikani katittuni. Aluki Iglulimmiutassajaviniq, ilitarijausimallunilu Paatsilumut Maastusmullu isulittinirnut Turant Silattuqsavvijjuammi, Piitapuru, Aantiriumi.Iqqanaijaqsimajuq atuutiqattiaqtuni Inuit timinginni suurlu Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Pauktuutit, Tunngavikkut Nunavut Sivunissavukkunnullu. Angajuqqautiuniqsaujunut ininiisimajuq Nunavuup Gavamangani, Titirarvinganilu Uqausinut Kamisanaup. Aluki aksuruutiqattiaqtuni ikajuqtiujuq Uqausittinnut – Inuktitut. Kiinaujaqaqtitaujut taassumunga tusaajassarmut Ittarnisalirijikkut Kanatami Nunaqaqqaaqsimajut Uqausilirijinginnut.

This week Sam Jones of 2% Jazz and Calen McNeil of Big Wheel Burger are joined by Canadian oceanographer Eddy Carmack. Eddy is a highly regarded scientist, and just so happens to be the father of Maryanne Carmack, Bread and Butter's president, and owner of Roast in Victoria's Public Market. The guys chat with Eddy about the state of the environment, climate, and what can be done to assist our Earth. And here's just a little more of Eddy's impressive background: Eddy Carmack is an Officer in the Order of Canada, a 2005 Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the 2007 Massey medalist of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, the 2010 Tully medalist for the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, and the 2018 recipient of the International Mohn Prize for lifetime achievement in research related to the Arctic.

(Starts at 0:55 mark) Mental Health counsellor Catherine Tansley completes items 7 through 12 on her ‘12 Tips Of Christmas" list for managing stress and improving mental health, (6:37) we get the latest booster shot and case count info from Western and Central Health, (20:00) two Central Nfld. restaurant owners discuss what the newest Covid restrictions mean for their business during the busy holiday season, and (27:51) Jason Hillier, who grew up in Gander, is among the newest members of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society's college of fellows.

Today, we highlight Judy Kasiama in the sixth installment of our Summer Series. Judy is the founder of Colour the Trails, a Vancouver-based outdoor community that advocates for inclusive representation in outdoor spaces. Judy works with brand partners, businesses, and organizations to break barriers and create accessibility by subsidizing outdoor adventures and creating diverse content.Sylvia and Judy discuss intersectionality and the complexity of identity, rethinking the old profit/nonprofit framework for businesses, the origin story of Colour the Trails, the danger of performative allyship, and much more.Topics Include: Judy's early years in Democratic Republic of CongoGrowing up abroad and moving from country to countryAccessibility in the outdoorsLimitations of nonprofits and alternative business structuresPerformative allyship and how to avoid itBuilding authentic relationships with BIPOC communitiesThe benefits of physical challenges and adventuresThe power of persistenceAnd other topics...Judith Kasiama is a change maker, entrepreneur, athlete, and outdoor enthusiast. She is committed to engaging underrepresented communities in outdoor recreation and adventure. She believes nature is our healer; our call to our inner child; our adventurous side. And that the outdoors is a place where we can grow, expand, learn, connect, and experience the beauty of this land. “Everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the great outdoors.” Judy has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Trinity Western University with an emphasis on International Relations and History. She also attended Gordon College studying international relations and affairs. She is also a Fellow with the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. Judy and Colour the Trails have worked with the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, they started The “Like Me - Outdoor Edition Film Festival” – a film series that focuses on stories of communities that have been intentionally and historically excluded from outdoor storytelling, and On has included Judy (aka Juju) in the environmental ones-to-watch list.Resources Mentioned:https://colourthetrails.com/IG: @colourthetrails, @jujumil#colourthetrailsListen to our full episode with Judy: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1423273/7592419Want to connect? Visit us online and signup for the monthly WWF newsletter!Website – https://www.whenwomenfly.com/Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest – @whenwomenflyEmail – hello@whenwomenfly.com

Milbry C. Polk (BA, honors) Radcliffe College, Harvard University, has lectured in more 150 schools, universities and public affairs organizations.  She co-founded and was executive director of Wings WorldQuest, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting women at the leading edge of science and discovery.  She also founded and directed programs for the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of the American Indian. She was Vice-Chair of the Conference on Affordable World Security (Newseum, March 27-28, 2012).   Among her writings are Women of Discovery (Library Journal award Best Books of 2001 and School Library Journal, Best Books); Egyptian Mummies (Margaret A. Edwards Award best books); editor, The Looting of the Iraq Museum, Baghdad; and Reviews and Contributing Editor of The Explorers Journal, 1998-the present.  She co-founded with Imagination Celebration, and wrote yearly curriculum for nine years for The Art of Exploration, a program for the Public Schools of Ft. Worth, Texas.    She led or participated in expeditions to Prince William Sound, Alaska; the Western Desert of Egypt (National Geographic); Yemen; Southern Sudan; Saudi Arabia; Iran; Pakistan; John River, Alaska; Nepal; Brazilian coast; Greenland; Baffin Island; Devon Island; India (American Museum of Natural History); Chinese Tibet; NW Greenland, and the Andaman Sea.     Ms. Polk's honors include: The Sweeney Medal, The Explorers Club, Capt. J-E Bernier Medal, Royal Canadian Geographic Society (2015), Anne Morrow Lindbergh Award (2011); Alumnae of the Year, Madeira School (2011), Environmental Leadership Award, Unity College;  Womens' ENews “Leader of the 21st Century”, Who's Who, Women of the Year Award; Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, Fellow of The Explorers Club and  Fellow of Wings WorldQuest. She is on the Board of The Explorers Club, serves on numerous Advisory Boards and served for ten years on the Board of Governors of the National Arts Club.     New episodes of the Tough Girl Podcast go live every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit the subscribe button so you don't miss out.    The Tough Girl Podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.   Show notes Introduction Her background Being born in Oxford, UK and growing up between Europe, Egypt and America Becoming a photo journalist in the 70s & 80s Working with Margaret Mead  Thinking of doing a PHD at Oxford Figuring out what she truly wanted to do  Following the route of Alexander the Great Starting to put together expeditions and selling them to magazines Working in the Middle East & Asia Wanting to be an explorer from a young age Using her initials to apply for a guiding expedition course Life as a photojournalist Respecting the local culture Taking photos of Yemen How exploration has changed over the past 40/50 years The importance of curiosity  Getting married and getting pregnant How life changed after having a baby Being introduced to women explorers Nicole Maxwell Book: Witch Doctor's Apprentice, Maxwell, Nicole, 1990   Having a library of 1,500 books on women explorers and adventurers Going to find women explorers from India Wanting to create a Women Explorers Library Wanting to keep the collection of books together The importance of learning women's stories Being driven by your passion Reading everything and being fascinated by history How Wings WorldQuest was started How it evolved Starting to focus more on education Women of the Deep, Explorers Club Why it's an exciting time to be a young woman Joining the Explorers Club in 1994 as a Fellow and now being on the board Working with Adventure Canada Going outside her comfort zone Doing adventures/expeditions without technology  Needing to be careful  Keeping positive during tough situations Building a fellowship of women Women supporting women  Future expeditions  Adventure Science - #domorewithyourfitness  Writing book reviews and writing a book on her great grandmother New book - Women of the Arctic  Babes & Death Women on pilgrimages  Going back to Oxford to do her PhD Needing to update her website  Final words of advice  Figuring out your passion Why there is no such thing as failure Listen to your inner self  Kristin Gates    Social Media   Website milbrypolk.com    Wing WorldQuest - WINGS was formed in 2003 to identify and support the discoveries and accomplishments of women explorers and scientists and to inspire the next generation of problem solvers.   Website -  www.wingsworldquest.org    Instagram - @wingsworldquest   Facebook - @WINGSWorldQuest    Twitter - @wingsworldquest  

Ray Zahab is a Canadian Adventurer, ultra distance runner and Founder of the non-profit impossible2Possible. He is Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Ray talks with Travis and Mace about moving from a lifestyle of smoking and drinking to one based around adventure, exploration, and family; how to prepare for extreme conditions; steering clear of lions and polar bears (not simultaneously, thank goodness); adventure sports for kids; what motivates him; risk management; and more.

In this episode, Part Two of my conversation with Jill Heinerth, cave diver, underwater photographer, and explorer-in-residence for the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. As we discussed in Part One, there's a visceral thrill for Jill in terms of pushing the limits of what she and humans might think they can do, as well as a sense of exploration and discovery that extreme cave diving brings. But as we kept talking, Jill opened further about a time she was unsure she might get back out of a cave she was diving, what kind of repercussions that had for her, and in the end, why she still finds magic in some of the darkest recesses of our planet. Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science.Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference.

In this episode part one of my conversation with Jill Heinerth, cave diver, underwater photographer, and Explorer-in-Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. I first met Jill at a dive industry convention, where she was promoting her book, "Into The Planet", which details her passion for exploring underwater caves around the world. The book is incredible and has some pretty crazy intense stories. So I wanted to talk with Jill about what drives her to such an extreme way of living and what the rest of us might be missing in terms of the rewards.Scuba Diving, Free Diving, Ocean Environmentalism, Surfing, and Marine Science.Please give us ★★★★★, leave a review, and tell your friends about us as each share and like makes a difference.

As mothers, we have higher powers! When we take care of our inner world, we impact our outer world. How empowering! Our children are our best teachers. Laurie J. Wilson explains the importance of supporting our empathic children and preserving their right brain intuitive side. She explains energy, the biofield, heart coherence, and developing our intuition by opening up our right brain through play, gratitude, meditation, being present with your children. A speaker, writer and ocean loving ringleader, Laurie J. Wilson is also the mother of two teenage girls. She is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, holds an MBA degree and a Certified Management Consulting designation. She is a Women Divers Hall of Fame honoree, an SSI Platinum Pro and was named a Top 100 Ocean Changemaker by Origin Magazine. For more about Laurie: https://blueocean.net/author/laurie/ http://www.wdhof.org/wdhof-memRosterDetail.aspx?mid=202

Mario Rigby is a modern day explorer that's not afraid to push physical and mental limits all while addressing the issues of diversity, poverty and sustainability. Mario has completed an astonishing 12,000 km trek northward across eight African countries, entirely by foot and kayak. He was tested physically and emotionally in ways that would make anyone stop short. He contracted malaria, kayaked 550 km across Lake Malawi for two months, dodged bullets with government soldiers in a war zone, was attacked by wild dogs, and was jailed for several days near a small village, to name just a few of the many challenges he faced. In 2019, he cycled unsupported across Canada, traveling 73,000 kilometres from Victoria, British Columbia to St. John’s Newfoundland and now during ,the pandemic summer of 2020, he kayaked the length of Lake Ontario. Rigby was chosen as one of the 200 nominees for the Most Influential People of African Descent global 100 list and is a Fellow-elect of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. Tell Mario and Jamie what you think about this episode by leaving a review and rating. It helps us get the message out there! Download your own FREE BIG MOVE PLAN TEMPLATE - Knock 2020 Part 2 out of the park! www.bigideabigmoves.com Follow us on Instagram : @bigidea_bigmoves Facebook @bigideabigmoves Access the Goldfish Strategy Find out more about Mario Rigby www.mariorigby.com

Let us introduce you to adventure runner, Canadian Explorer, author, Guinness record-holder, founder of impossible 2 Possible, and most notably proud Canadian...Ray Zahab. Ray crossed some of the world's coldest & hottest desserts, such as Death Valley, Atacama, Gobi, Namib, and the Sahara. With 17,000+ km (10,563 miles) under his belt, Ray dedicates his life to adventure running and education, a path that took him to over 70 countries. Ray is the recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada and became the Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. Ray on: quitting the “pack a day” lifestyle, what draws him to adventure running, his NGO impossible2Possible, as well as defying his own expectations of himself...this and much more in the new episode of AsTheySay.✌

Ray Zahab… is extreme. Explorer-in-Residence for the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, he’s not content to simply run marathons or ultra-marathons. To bike trails or mountains. No, Ray wants to run and bike continents. Put foot and wheel to the world. The Sahara Desert. 70 kilometers a day for 111 days. 400 kilometers across Canada. The arctic. Namibia. Baffin Island. The Kamchatka peninsula in Russia. Death Valley. The Amazon. And the list goes on and on. What I love most about Ray, though, is that he doesn’t just go off on all these grand, extreme adventures alone. It isn’t just about beating nature or himself. No, his non-profit, impossible2Possible, brings students from around the world along with him, sometimes physically, often virtually. It lets them be be part of the adventure. And he uses a lot of Apple technology to do it: the Mac to edit and share videos and chats, the iPhone to record his explorations, and the Apple Watch to literally help keep him alive. What Ray does is fascinating and inspiring, but I just had to find out more about how and why he does it. SUBSCRIBE: YouTube SPECIAL THANKS: Patreon Patreon supporters help make these videos possible. Get access to exclusive Discord, previews, and the opportunity to see your name in the credits! LINKS: REFERENCES: Ray Zahab (@rayzahab) • Instagram photos and videos Ray Zahab - Challenge . Distance . Discovery MORE: Nebula Twitter: https://twitter.com/reneritchie Instagram: https://instagram.com/reneritchie Web

This week we present two stories from people who owe a debt of gratitude to somebody for their entrance into the science community. Part 1: A chance meeting with a stranger on an airplane has a huge impact on Melanie Knight's life. Part 2: Joshua Adams-Miller has never seen college in his future, until he receives encouragement from an unexpected source. Melanie Knight is CEO and Co-Founder of Ocean to Eye Level Consulting which supports coastal communities around the world open public marine education centres. Melanie is also the founder and past Executive Director of the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium, a non-profit education centre in Newfoundland. Melanie had the opportunity to share her story of ‘bringing the ocean to eye level on the TEDx stage in Vancouver, November 2014. Melanie graduated from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a BSc. in Biology and a minor in Business. For the past 10 years, Melanie has been working with the largest and the smallest aquariums in Canada fostering curiosity for the underwater world. Melanie worked at the Vancouver Aquarium as a marine educator and manager of volunteers. Melanie has since been recognized for her work environmental work with the Petty Harbour Mini Aquarium becoming a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, receiving the Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Award, TechGirls Portraits of Strength and the Canadian Network of Environmental Educators Award in 2014. She lives in Vancouver with her husband and K9. Joshua Adams-Miller was born in 1989, in Sun Valley Idaho, to a family that has been in Idaho since 1873. He grew up in SE Boise under the care of his mother, who provided him more opportunities than anyone could ask for. However, he developed a sense of independence very early. Whether he was riding the city bus alone at 10 years old to get home from summer school programs or organizing large groups of friend to sneak out in the middle of the night, he’s always had a curious mind, and it wasn't beyond him to break the rules if it meant he got to learn something. He has always loved music and learned the viola and saxophone in school and self taught himself the piano and guitar. In his teens, he was sent to a jazz camp on a scholarship to hone his skills on the piano. Over his life, his curiosities have drawn him to the sciences repeatedly but by no means was it a clear path that brought him to his studies at Boise State as a Material Science Engineering Major. Like a sunrise, slowly illuminating the horizon, he realized that the best way for him to contribute to the future he wants to see was to bring to the world the materials that will make it possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m thrilled to share this week’s guest, Ray Zahab with you. He is truly an extraordinary human being. I was captivated by his story and the many videos he has on his website of his many adventures and expeditions. I love his story and the way he lives his life so much. Ray is a Canadian Adventurer, ultra-distance runner, and Founder of non-profit impossible2Possible. and has traversed some of the world’s most inhospitable regions on foot. He runs through the most incredible and fascinating landscapes from the desert to the arctic. What I think is really special about Ray is that he really cares about the people that he meets and the love that he has for connecting with them on a human level.  He is running and educating the world about all these places and I believe deep down he is literally running for his life. He used to drink and smoke “too much” as he said and had a very negative mindset. Then one day he got tired of himself and vowed to change. It took him 3 years to quit smoking but he stuck with it and stayed on the path of reentry. He wanted to be DEEPLY happy.    “Every person has the capacity to be extraordinary in their own way.” ~ Ray Zahab   Ray shares his near-death experience and the even deeper shift he found within himself as a result and how it changed his life. I also ask him about his tips and advice for moving toward a healthier way of living both through food and movement. I can’t wait for you to listen to this conversation and to be inspired. I hope that it reminds you that you are capable of extraordinary things too! I’d love to hear what you think of this conversation. Be sure to comment below or connect with me on Instagram to tell me all about it. More About Ray Zahab Ray Zahab is a Canadian Adventurer, ultra-distance runner, and Founder of non-profit impossible2Possible. A recent recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, Ray is an Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada’s Top Explorers. He has run 14,000+km across the world’s deserts and completed multiple unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet. You can connect with Ray via his website, Instagram, or Facebook. Things We Mention In This Episode Ray’s Foundation, impossible2Possible Book: Running For My Life by Ray Zahab Book: Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book: Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter  Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

In this episode of the Wired Educator Podcast, I had the privilege to sit down in person with Ray Zahab after his keynote at the Leadership and Learning Academy 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. Ray is one of my heroes. I love how he connects with educators and students. You are going to love this episode. Than you for listening! Ray Zahab is a Canadian Adventurer, ultra distance runner and Founder of non-profit impossible2Possible. A recent recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, Ray is an Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada's Top Explorers. He has ran 14,000+km across the world's deserts, and completed multiple unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet. On November 1, 2006, former “pack a day smoker” turned ultra runner Ray Zahab and two friends, Charlie Engle and Kevin Lin, set out on an expedition to cross the Sahara Desert by foot. 111 days and 7,500 kms after leaving the coast of Senegal, Africa they completed their journey by stepping into the Red Sea. The expedition had the trio running an average of 70kms a day without a single day of rest, for 111 days. National Geographic tracked the expedition by web, as well as the documentary film ‘Running The Sahara', produced by Matt Damon and directed by Academy Award winner James Moll, was created in an effort to raise awareness for the drinking water crisis in North Africa. After witnessing and learning about the water crisis in North Africa, Ray decided to leverage his future adventures to help raise awareness and funding for causes, like this one, that he supports and believes in. Ray founded impossible2Possible (i2P) (impossible2possible.com) an organization that aims to inspire and educate youth through adventure learning, inclusion and participation in expeditions. Youth Ambassadors are selected from around the world, and then participate, at no cost, in all aspects of the expedition, from logistics and running to creating educational content and team support. Ray has also found the time to write two books about his life and adventures. Running for My Life published in 2007 and Ray's second book, geared at youth readers, Running to Extremes, which recently became a National Best-Seller in Canada. He is currently writing his third book. In addition to being an adventurer, youth advocate and runner, Ray speaks around the world at events such as TED, IOC World Conference, Idea City, The Economist World in 2010 and 2011, World Affairs Council, and numerous Apple Distinguished Educator events internationally, as well as numerous corporate events. He has been interviewed and appeared on several talk and news programs including CNNi, CNN, The Hour, CBC, CTV, BBC, Jay Leno, OLN and Discovery, and has connected his expeditions live, using satellite to both mainstream and social media. He has also appeared in print media globally, and has been interviewed on numerous popular podcasts. Ray was the host of Project Guatemala which aired on OLN, and co hosted-guided a few episodes of Finding Sarah on OWN. Outside of his own organization Ray has volunteered as a board member, Ryan's Well Foundation, volunteered as Athletic Ambassador of the ONExONE.org, and SpreadTheNet. He continues to volunteer with Run For Water, and various other initiatives. Ray received the ONExONE Difference Award in 2007, and the Torchbearers Award in 2010. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and Royal Canadian Geographical Society. In spring 2012, Ray was invited by H.E. Tsogtbaatar Damdin (Minister of Environment, Mongolia) to join their Internal Advisory Committee. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada's Top Explorers. In December 2015 Ray was presented with the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada by the Governor General of Canada. In 2018 Ray was named Explorer in Residence by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. He continues today with life as an adventurer and as a volunteer with impossible2Possible. ‘Running The Sahara' would begin a lifelong journey of discovery. A journey of learning that some of the greatest barriers to achieving our goals are the ones we put upon ourselves. By breaking these down, Ray has learned that we are all capable of achieving truly extraordinary things…a message he continues to share with his two young daughters! Mentioned in this podcast: Ray's TEDtalk Ray's website Ray's Instagram Ray's Foundation: Impossible to Possible Ray's book: Running for My Life Ray's book: Running to Extremes Ray's book: Just Deserts Kasey Bell's Google Certification Online Courses for listeners of The Wired Educator Podcast! This course closes Dec 3, 2019. 

This weeks episode features Ray Zahab who is a Canadian Adventurer, ultra-distance runner, and Founder of the non-profit impossible2Possible.  A recent recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, Ray is an Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada’s Top Explorers. He’s run 14,000+km across the world’s deserts and completed multiple unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet.  Of note on November 1, 2006, the former “pack a day smoker” turned ultra-runner and two friends, Charlie Engle and Kevin Lin, set out on an expedition to cross the Sahara Desert by foot. 111 days and 7,500 km after leaving the coast of Senegal, Africa they completed their journey by stepping into the Red Sea. National Geographic tracked the expedition by web, as well as the documentary film ‘Running the Sahara’, produced by Matt Damon and directed by Academy Award winner James Moll, was created in an effort to raise awareness for the drinking water crisis in North Africa. In 2008, Ray founded impossible2Possible an organization that aims to inspire and educate youth through adventure learning, inclusion, and participation in expeditions. This one's a keeper!

About the Book: Sovereignty in the 21st Century and the Crisis for Identity, Cultures, Nation-States, and Civilizations describes a world already at war with itself. It is a world in which urban globalists fear and despise regional nationalists, and vice-versa. It is a time when the concept of the nation-state sovereignty incarnate has slipped from the minds of many. The populations of the mega-cities have as they have in different ways in the past assumed that they alone represented the state . The response to this has been a voter revolt in many areas of the world and the sudden re-appearance of the schisms between cities and regions. Nationalism has become, for many in the cities, a pejorative term, but an expression of hope for revival of many in the regions. But what do we know of the issues which are really at stake in this changing century? Can we adequately describe the meaning of sovereignty of individuals as well as states or the fundamental differences between republics and constitutional monarchies; between empires and suzerainties? Yet all these issues will determine whether we will live in calm and prosperity, or chaos and fear. This may be the most remarkable book yet by Gregory Copley. About the Author: Gregory Copley, an Australian, is the President of the International Strategic Studies Association (ISSA), based in Washington, DC. He has served as an adviser on strategic issues to a number of governments and leaders. He has authored or co-authored 35 books on strategic and geopolitical issues, history, energy, aviation, and defense. Some of these works include: Sovereignty in the 21st Century, and the Crisis for Cultures, Nation-States, and Civilizations, UnCivilization: Urban Geopolitics in a Time of Chaos, and The Art of Victory. He co-authored Rise of the RedMed: How the Mediterranean-Red Sea Nexus is Resuming its Strategic Centrality, and Pakistan's Metamorphosis: The Defense & Foreign Affairs Handbook on Pakistan. He is Editor-in-Chief of Defense & Foreign Affairs publications, and the Director of Intelligence at the Global Information System (GIS), an on-line, encrypted-access, global intelligence service which provides strategic current intelligence solely to governments. In 2007, he drafted the grand strategy framework document for Australia, called Australia 2050. He authored and edited the encyclopedia, The Defense & Foreign Affairs Handbook, from 1976 until the present time, taking it from a 2,500 page print book to an even bigger online publication in recent years. He has received a significant number of orders and decorations from governments, including, in 2007, being made a Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions to the international community in the field of strategic analysis. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society in 2011, and was awarded the Society's Erebus Medal in 2015. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Canadian Forces College Foundation. He received the Asian Council Award in 1990. Mr Copley also has had an extensive career as an industrialist, owning several shipyards and engineering companies in the United Kingdom, a naval architectural firm, and a chemical company in France. Among his other activities, he founded Argonaut LLC, a company exploring — and delivering — remote area, mobile energy and water purification solutions. He also served as Vice-Chairman of the Scottish national airline, Highland Express.

George Kourounis of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society speaks about the great treasure hunt now going on along the Trans Canada Trail.

Cedar is a nature lover to the core. On top of being a founding member of Canadian Women for Nature, fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and member of the Explorers Club, Cedar is the CEO of Adventure Canada; An expedition company founded by her father that specializes in ship-based arctic cruises as well as land-based trips. The company operates tours around the globe with a focus on connecting people with nature as well as local communities. Cedar has grown up surrounded by the world’s foremost adventurers and explorers, she believes that fostering connections to people and land is critical to the longevity of conservation work, and is dedicated to cultivating meaningful relationships that strengthen our ties to nature and each other.

Natalie is a passionate explorer with a focus on the stars. An engineer currently on the team designing a Mars rover for the ESA 2020 ExoMars rover program. Natalie’s pursuits have earned her membership in The Explorers Club and she is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. A prominent champion of the women in STEM movement in Canada, Natalie has received accolades from the Women’s Executive Network, and recently Forbes magazine. Growing up in the Canadian Rockies fuelled her desire to spend her days exploring and pushing the boundaries of technology. She has visited many remote locations in Canada and abroad to feed her desire to explore and lives by the mantra “dare to achieve the impossible”. Learn more about Natalie at www.thepanekroom.com

Matthias Breiter is an internationally renowned author, Emmy nominated cinematographer and wildlife photographer. He has spent most of the last 30 years studying bears and is considered one of the greatest authorities on bears. Holding an advanced degree in biology, he is presently completing his doctorate on brown bears in Alaska. The author of nearly twenty books, he has appeared as a guest lecturer at the Smithsonian Institution. Matthias Breiter’s award-winning nature photographs have appeared in National Geographic, GEO, BBC Wildlife, Terre Sauvage and numerous other publications worldwide. He is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and a fellow of the prestigious Explorer’s Club, both in recognition of his contribution to our scientific knowledge of bears and the Arctic. Matthias is also a founding member of the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP), and remains deeply involved with conservation efforts involving the American and Canadian Arctic and Subarctic. He resides in Kenora ON when he’s not walking with bears.

Forest Fires Spreading across British Columbia and now threaten parts of Alberta When I wrote last week's fire focused episode, little did I know that my own community of Canmore would be smelly and smoky this week as fires continue to spread and the number of evacuees in British Columbia climbs. The hot dry weather is showing no signs of abating and over the past week, the number of people forced out of their homes and communities in British Columbia has swelled from 14,000 to more than 45,000 as of July 18, 2017. This makes it one of the largest mass evacuations in the history of the province. The previous record was an evacuation of 50,000 due to fires near Kelowna in 2003. Heat waves that year also caused massive fires across both Alberta and British Columbia. Over this past weekend, high winds caused a number of fires to rapidly expand in size and has subsequently resulted in more evacuations. In other areas, the fires around Williams Lake and 100 Mile House have stayed fairly stable over the past few days allowing firefighters to make some headway. Some people are being allowed to return to their communities, although many may return to find their homes have been destroyed. Members of the Ashcroft Indian Reserve and the community of Cache Creek are returning home after an 11-day absence. Residents of 100-Mile House may also be returning home soon. Province-wide, there are still 155 active fires burning and there is still no sign of significant rain on the horizon. Closer to the Alberta border, a fire in the Verdant Creek area of Kootenay National Park ignited last week. This fire puts flames within just 2.5 kilometres of Sunshine Village in Banff National Park. In just 24 hours it swelled in size by a factor of 10, growing from a few hundred hectares on Sunday to some 2,000 ha by Monday. The fire is considered to be out of control and crews are working in the Sunshine area to try to prevent the loss of any structures should the fire continue to spread eastward. Huge water pumps are also at the ready in order to keep buildings wet if the fire encroaches the resort area. As you can imagine, there is now a total fire ban throughout the mountain national parks. Kootenay National Park has also closed the Verdant Creek area all the way to the Simpson River in the south and Banff has closed Sunshine Meadows and Village, as well as access to the Egypt Lake area, Healy Pass, Citadel Pass, Whistling Valley and Pharaoh Pass. I would expect additional closures to occur as the conditions continue to evolve. Even in towns like Canmore and Banff, the mountains are barely visible and the air quality is dropping fast. Currently, the Verdant Creek fire is approximately 24 km from Banff and 31 km from Canmore. Environment Canada has issued an air quality warning for Banff, Canmore and Kananaskis warning that: "Due to the smoke, the AQHI (Air Quality Health Index) will likely reach 10, or high risk, in parts of Central and southern Alberta on Wednesday. There is some uncertainty as to where the thickest smoke will set up, but current indications are that the corridor of thickest smoke and poorest air quality will be between Hinton, Red Deer, and Edmonton." "Individuals may experience symptoms such as increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath. Children, seniors, and those with cardiovascular or lung disease, such as asthma, are especially at risk." "In general, wearing a mask is not the best way to protect your health during a smoke event. In fact, masks may lead to a false sense of security, which may encourage increased physical activity and time spent outdoors, meaning increased exposure to smoke. They can also make breathing more difficult." The smoke is not only affecting communities in the Rockies, but it has spread as far west as Vancouver and as far east as Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. These smoke plumes can carry for hundreds of kilometres and as the fires continue to spread, we can expect air quality to suffer along with it. In the interior of B.C., near Williams Lake, the Air Quality Index was reportedly as high as 23, and that is on a scale of 1 to 10 with a 10+ reserved for very high-risk air quality. Today should see some of the winds shifting to send more wind westward to the coast, but the eastern slopes are still completely smoked in. Also in last week's episode, I talked about the need to ramp up our use of prescribed burns as we see summer weather regimes shift with the shifting of climate norms. As summers see more and more prolonged droughts, separated by severe storms, lightning caused fires may become far more prevalent. To complicate matters, we have had years of fire suppression leaving many of our western forests susceptible to large fires. Even places like British Columbia's Interior Rainforest, some of which may not have burned for a millennium or more, are susceptible to large fires if their normal weather regiments continue to change. The interior rainforest is unique on the planet as more than 97% of all rainforests occur in coastal areas. However, while it is considered a rainforest, it doesn't get enough rain to truly qualify. What it does get is huge accumulations of snow. The slow melting of this snow releases vast amounts of moisture and essentially allows it to simulate a true rainforest. Should that change, these forests could also burn. With changing climates we need to look at fire in a very different way. After my comments last week, I came across a CBC News article that interviews a fire ecologist by the name of Robert Gray, of R.W. Gray Consulting. Gray consults with communities to help them reduce their overall fire risk and he echoes my previous comments. He recommends a minimum of doubling the current number of prescribed burns - especially if we see a continuation of the hot summer drought conditions that are becoming more common in the mountain west. The extreme heat this summer created tinder that was ignited by thousands of dry lightning strikes. According to David Phillips, senior climatologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, the number of lightning strikes increases by 15% for every additional degree of warming. To complicate things further, years of mountain pine beetle infestations have left tens of thousands of standing dead trees which are extremely flammable. While the potential for large, catastrophic fires has been building over the past decade, the incidence of prescribed burns has dropped in British Columbia from 150-200,000 hectares in the 1980s to just 5,000 in the past few years. Prescribed burns are a hassle. They're smoky and smelly, and tourists hate them, but they are still a way better option than ignoring the problem and waiting for conflagrations to ignite. For generations, first nations used prescribed fires in order to improve wildlife habitat. We need to recognize that these forests are going to burn, there is nothing we can do to prevent it. Robert Gray is very clear that there is no way to avoid smoke in a prescribed burn, but as he puts it: "There is no 'no smoke' option…How do you want your smoke — wild or controlled?" Recent studies have also shown that by having smaller, more controlled burns, the amount of smoke is reduced as are the amount of unhealthy particulates that are floating through the air at the moment. Let's use this as a wake-up call to begin looking at our forests and our climate as a pair. As the climate warms, the fires burn. Let's ramp our prescribed burn schedules up to help keep the mountain west a little safer. For some areas of B.C., fire breaks are being created the hard way at the moment. Let's try to make the next decade one of adaptation to new fire realities. Bear 148 Gets a Reprieve In episode 34, I talked about the challenges that the Provincial conservations officers seem to be having when dealing with Grizzly 148, the daughter of Banff's beloved Bear 64. If you'd like to listen to the story, check it out at www.mountainnaturepodcast.com/ep034. After an incident in the Peaks of Grassi area where 148 bluff charged a man with a stroller and two dogs, conservation officers live-trapped her and relocated her back to her home turf in Banff. They also made it clear that they planned to euthanize her should a similar incident occur in the future. This was despite the fact that a bluff charge is simply a way of telling an intruder that she is in charge. Bluff charges are especially common when people bring dogs into bear country as dogs are easily perceived as a threat by bears. She was in a designated primary wildlife corridor doing exactly what she was supposed to be doing. The people were in her turf, not the other way around. As we encroach more and more on wilderness corridors, we can only expect to see more and more incidents like this one. After the relocation, a petition was started that attracted more than 4,000 signatures from people that did not want to see 148 killed for no good management reason. Even the individual that was involved in the bluff charge encounter supports the right of 148 to use that particular corridor. She is just at the age where she may have mated for the first time and female bears are critical to the stability of the local bear population. After this huge public outcry, conservation officers have softened their stance on 148. Alberta officials are now talking about a partnership with Banff Park Wardens when dealing with bears like 148 when she leaves the boundaries of the park and wanders into Provincial lands. Despite this, Conservation Officer Jay Honeyman did reiterate that "bears cannot be within the developed footprint of the Town of Canmore", despite the fact that the designated corridors force them to be within this supposed no-go zone. In a recent article in the Rocky Mountain Outlook Honeyman was quoted: “When that bear comes out we’re trying to do what we can to enable her to live on the landscape without causing public safety concerns,” Honeyman said. “Nobody is taking this lightly. Nobody, more so people who work with wildlife, want to harm or euthanize wildlife … but we can’t and won’t ignore public safety.” This is particularly important as the area she was spending time is an area where buffaloberries are now ripening. Many more bears will be attracted to the lower Bow Valley over the next several weeks as these berries ripen. If you don't know how to recognize this plant, then stop right now and watch this safety video that I've put together to help you understand the critical importance of buffaloberries. Buffaloberries mean bears and so over the next 6-8 weeks, or until the first frost of the season, bears will descend to the valley bottom to feast on these critical berries. Don't walk along the town trails without bear spray on your belt - especially in the areas around Quarry Lake and the Peaks of Grassi primary wildlife corridors. Things are only going to get tougher for bears in the Canmore/Quarry Lake area as the Town of Canmore pushes forward with its proposed mountain bike park in the Quarry Lake area. Mayor John Borrowman supports this ecological madness, continually claiming that the area is NOT a habitat patch and therefore not of importance to wildlife. This is something that I have a lot of background in. I wrote two books on mountain biking, including Mountain Bike! The Canadian Rockies and Mountain Bike! Southwestern British Columbia. I also designed the original route for the famous Trans Rockies Challenge that ran from Fernie  British Columbia to Canmore. It was called the  "Toughest Race in the World" by both Mountain Bike and Bike magazines. I've spent the past 30 years out on foot and pedal and, as a biologist, I'm always working to educate people on bear safety. I understand the Mayor saying that there are already too many pirate trails that go through wildlife corridors and they should be dismantled. Wildlife corridors should be signed and marked off limits. This would have to be tempered by the reality that the corridors west of the Peaks of Grassi are already mostly useless - especially if we punish bears for using them. Areas adjacent to the corridors are NOT places to put intensive development. If a bear is using the corridor and feels crowded, it will move into adjacent habitats. New trails will be used by bears if they are perceived to be quieter than the wildlife corridor due to less human use. Building trails does NOT mean that bears will not use them, just ask the Nordic Centre. I would also argue that the off-leash park should also be moved to an area not adjacent to critical habitat - especially since the town does NOT enforce illegal off-leash use outside of the dog park. It's time for this community to make a choice. Do we stand with wildlife, or do we stand with development? Do we want a vibrant community surrounded by intact ecosystems or do we want Disney? If you want the latter, hang out in Silver Tip as they are planning a wildlife apocalypse. Please join with me in opposing this bike park, regardless of the faulty reasoning that the mayor presents to share its ecological basis. His logic is false and his support of this development indicates that maybe it's time for a change at the helm. Next up…no national bird for Canada No National Bird for Canada Way back in Episode 14, recorded in November of last year, I talked about an effort to get the government of Canada to designate a national bird. If you'd like to hear more about the story, check out the full episode at www.mountainnaturepodcast.com/ep014. When I first began writing this story, I was unaware that Canada DIDN'T already have a national bird. After all, we had a national animal, a national tree and even a national horse - but alas, no bird. In 2016, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society sought to put an end to this obvious oversight by doing a national poll to see what bird should win the right to be Canada's feathered flagbearer. There were many contenders. People were invited to submit their suggestions for the best avian representatives and these were compiled to create a feathered list of frontrunners for a national vote. The ballot contained a list of birds that would make an Canuck proud. They included the black-capped chickadee, the Canada goose, the snowy owl, the loon and the Gray (or Canada) Jay. There were ardent avian allies of all the birds submitted. Any Canadian that has set up a winter bird feeder knows the black-capped chickadee with its habit of chirping its name as it collects sunflower seeds. It is a steadfast Canadian and refuses to leave in even the harshest of winters. They are friendly, and faithful to feeders from coast to coast. The Canada goose is another bird known to all. However it has, a dark side as one of very few waterfowl that do most of their feeding on land. This leads them to gather on golf courses and public parks where they have become a nuisance, so their votes suffered accordingly. The snowy owl seemed like a good options, but it is only known to a few dedicated birders and as a result, never garnered the numbers needed for a win. Now the loon. That was one that I thought would be a shoe in. Most of its worldly breeding range is in Canada and its call has become symbolic with the northern wilderness. Few Canadians don't recognize the haunting call of the loon and it has made many a camping trip memorable as campers try to imitate the call with their hands cupped tightly. The Gray (or Canada) Jay has been selected as Canada's candidate for a National Bird The rightful winner was the Gray jay. It's a bird with many names, gray jay, Canada jay, camp robber, whiskey jack, Perisorius canadensis…take your pick. It's an ever present companion to most outings in the wilds of Canada. Gray jays will quietly stalk your forays and appear just when the sandwiches are ready to be eaten. Turn your back on them and you may catch your corned beef flying off into the spruce and pine forest. I was an early advocate of the loon, but I la  ter sang the praises of the gray jay and it ended up taking the title of the bird most likely to become Canada's National Bird. Alas, this hope all came crashing down earlier this month when the federal government sent a terse message that they were not considering any additional national symbols at this time. Is that the end of it? I hope not. Perhaps a flock of crafty camp robbers will roost on Parliament Hill and carry off politicians lunches until they cry "uncle" and demand the liberals move forward with this feathered designation. And with that said, it's time to wrap this episode up. If you would like to explore the Canadian Rockies, Ward Cameron Enterprises is your one-stop shop for step-on and hiking guides, nature workshops and keynote presentations. We will make sure that your next mountain experience is one to remember. And with that said, the valley is smoky, so I'm hanging out with the ashes. Talk to you next week.

Story 1 - Canada Jay selected to be our national bird For the past year, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society has been listening to Canadians suggestions for a national bird. While the Americans have the bald eagle, Canada has never adopted a national bird. The Royal Canadian Geographic Society listened to some 50,000 submissions from Canadians to whittle down the many suggestions into 5 finalists. After long deliberations, the Canada jay beat out the finalists which included the common loon, Canada Goose, black-capped chickadee and snowy owl.  Story 2 - World Cup Cancelled The first men's World Cup Downhill of the season, scheduled to be at Lake Louise Ski Hill on November 26-27th has been cancelled. After a great start to the winter in October, suddenly the weather warmed to more than 10 degrees above average for this time of year. The warm temperatures made it impossible to make enough snow to safely run the event and organizers had to make the hard choice to cancel the event. The women's downhill season kicks off, also at Lake Louise on Dec 2-4th but the conditions seem to have cooled down significantly so hopefully they will be able to go ahead with these races. Story 3 - Desperate Measures for Johnson Lake Recently, Parks Canada has been looking at some drastic measures to see if Johnson Lake can be rehabilitated. The challenge with whirling disease is that once it infects a lake, the parasites produce spores that can last for decades in the lake sediments. Johnson Lake is an ideal home because it is shallow and warm during the summers with a nice muddy bottom. The goal at the moment is to keep it from spreading upstream towards Two Jack Lake, Lake Minnewanka and the upper Cascade River system. In particular, the Cascade holds some critical populations of westslope cutthroat trout. How can they clean the lake? Well it would take several steps. The first would be to remove all of the fish. That would interrupt the life cycle, but not do anything about the spores. New fish populations arriving in the lake would still be susceptible to the long lasting spores and be reinfected. To deal with the spores in the muddy bottom, on idea is to largely drain the lake and allow the mud to freeze during the winter. This has been shown to kill the spores. Freezing, when combined with removing the fish, may allow parks to clean up this particular body of water. Johnson Lake would then not only provide a buffer between downstream infected waters and the upper Cascade River, but it would also make it possible for Parks Canada to reopen Johnson Lake for summer recreation. It is one of the only lakes in Banff that gets warm enough to swim and so on hot summer days, it is one of the busiest places in the area. The challenge now for officials is to balance the ecological and financial consequences of the various mitigations against the option of leaving things as is.

Story 1 - Life In a Rut Now that September has arrived, thoughts will be turning to romance in the local elk population. The antlers that have been covered in velvet since late-April are now beginning to peel as the blood supply is cut off to the velvet. Big bulls, properly called stags will begin to rub the antlers against trees to get rid of the itchy skin as the velvet dies. At the same time, they'll get more standoffish with other males and begin to collecting the cows, or hinds, into a harem. The strategy of the elk is not one guy, one girl, its one guy and all the girls! Story 2 - Famous Fall Hikes This story looks at some of the great places for fall colours in the Canadian Rockies - and in particular, the autumn golds of the alpine larch. We look at several trails and the important information for getting the most out of your autumn hiking experience. In particular, we talk about the following walks: Larch Valley and Sentinel Pass in Banff National Park Sunshine Meadows as well as Healy Pass, also in Banff Burstall Pass and Chester Lake in Alberta's Kananaskis Country. Story 3 - Jasper's Dark Sky Festival In many places in the world, the opportunity to see the milky way has been thwarted by urban light pollution. Jasper is one of the largest dark sky preserves on the planet. This year, between October 14 and 23, they'll be hosting the Jasper Dark Sky Festival. Of particular note are presentations by Bill Nye the Science Guy and George Takei of Star Trek fame. For more information visit www.jasperdarksky.travel. Story 4 - Canada's National Bird Believe it or not, Canada does NOT have a national bird. The Royal Canadian Geographic Society is looking to change this and we'll look into their efforts to find the most Canadian of birds.

Caroline hosts the wondrous cultivated and cultivating Diana Beresford-Kroeger who embodies the assignment before us all of wedding science and myth, that our story-telling be irresistibly beguiling. Born into a notable family of Druid scholars, orphaned at an early age, schooled in Druid lore, multiple degrees in science, dedicated to Global Forests…http://www.stuartbernstein.com/dianaberesford-kroeger.html “Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a world recognized author and scientist with a unique background in both western science and the traditional ways of aboriginal peoples and the ancient world. Orphaned in Ireland in her youth, Beresford-Kroeger was educated by elders who instructed her in the Brehon knowledge of plants and nature. She went on to study classical botany and medical biochemistry and worked as a research scientist at Ottawa University and then at the Canadian Department of Agriculture Electron Microscopy Centre, where she discovered cathodoluminescence in biological materials. From 1973 to 1982, she conducted research at the University of Ottawa physiology department in conjunction with the Ottawa Heart Institute, specializing in hemodynamics. In the early 1980s, Beresford-Kroeger embarked on a significant change in her life's work. It began with an expansion of her private research garden and arboretum: Carrigliath. Having identified an absence in the scientific community of the ability to present science to the public and the urgent need to address the degradation of nature, she began her career in writing, broadcasting and lecturing. Flowing from her research and experience at Carrigliath, Beresford-Kroeger published over 200 articles in magazines, journals and newspapers in Canada, the United States and internationally. She also published five critically acclaimed books on nature and gardening. Her books include THE SWEETNESS OF A SIMPLE LIFE, THE GLOBAL FOREST, ARBORETUM BOREALIS: A LIFELINE OF THE PLANET, ARBORETUM AMERICA: A PHILOSOPHY OF THE FOREST, and A GARDEN FOR LIFE. She has served as a scientific advisor to a number of organizations, including the Irish Woodland League, Ecology Ottawa, Hidden Harvest of Ottawa, Canadian Organic Growers, Archangel Ancient Tree Archive and the Acadian Forest Research Centre and others. She has lectured widely across North America and Europe and has appeared on television and radio in Canada, the U.S., Europe and international short wave radio. For the last several decades, she has worked at Carrigliath, growing rare and endangered medicinal plants and trees. Beresford-Kroeger was inducted as a Wings Worldquest Fellow in 2010 and named one of Utne Reader's World Visionaries for 2011. In 2013, she was elected to the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. In 2016, CALL OF THE FOREST: THE FORGOTTEN WISDOM OF TREES, a feature film, television program and mobile app will be released. Please visit www.dianasjourney.com for more information. http://www.stuartbernstein.com/dianaberesford-kroeger.html The post The Visionary Activist Show – Caroline hosts the wondrous cultivated and cultivating Diana Beresford-Kroeger appeared first on KPFA.