Podcasts about y2y

Scott Niedermayer is a four-time NHL Stanley Cup Champion, two-time Olympic Hockey Gold Medalist as the captain for team Canada and is a Hockey Hall of Famer. Scott is widely considered to be one of the best defensemen in NHL history and the greatest winner of his generation. In addition to his illustrious professional hockey career, Niedermayer is a conservationist with a deep passion for the outdoors. Scott's love for nature developed throughout his childhood while being raised in beautiful Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada. In this podcast we talk about Niedermayer's love for the outdoors, the steps he's taken to further his understanding of the natural world and his current involvement with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative. Here is where you can find more information on Y2Y: https://y2y.net/The full podcast is also available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JfAXmHszI5U___Follow us on social!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safetravelspodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@safetravelspodYouTube: youtube.com/@safetravelspodSafetravelspod.com  

Can you imagine getting three full PAID months off of work (not including your vacation days!) to take time off to rest, reflect and rejuvenate? Today I am thrilled to invite Renee Krysko into conversation about the value of paid sabbaticals. Renee and I talk about the importance of how taking time to put herself first serves her family, her community and helped her excel at her job. Renée has a passion for people and creating connections. After serving Yellowstone 2 Yukon (Y2Y) as communications manager for four years, Renée moved into the role of donor relations manager, then director of donor relations, where her strong communications skills enable her to forge important relationships with Y2Y supporters. Prior to Y2Y, Renée worked with academics and company leaders to develop communications strategies and community relations programs. Born and raised in Alberta, and as a skier, hiker and cyclist the Yellowstone to Yukon region is both her home and her playground. In today's episode Renee shares the benefits of her sabbatical and how she carries forward her own self care practices and went back to work with a new perspective. I'm so grateful to Renee for joining us in conversation and thank you for making this a priority in your day. Please remember to like, review and share this podcast. Let's keep welcoming more people into conversation.

Are you ready for an in-depth look at the challenges and solutions of wildlife connectivity? The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, or Y2Y, is working on a grand scale to connect and protect habitats from Yellowstone to the Yukon, for the benefit of both people and nature.Today, we're joined by Kelly Zenkewich, Senior Communications and Digital Engagement Manager at Y2Y. We delve into the unique challenges of both the region and the scale of Y2Y's vision.As you'll hear, even if thinking about this area conjures up images of vast open spaces, there are still numerous highways, cities, fences, railroads, ranches, farms, and other human infrastructure that fragments the landscape.We discuss the charismatic animals of the area - from grizzly bears and wolverines to caribou and pronghorn - the diverse challenges faced by these animals, and the ways Y2Y is working to conserve them. We'll also learn about the unique approach of Y2Y, which works across 5 states, and 4 Canadian provinces and territories, as well as the territories of at least 75 indigenous groups. Kelly describes how they positively engage people across these communities using communication techniques such as asset framing and community-based social marketing.You can find more about Y2Y at y2y.net, and find them on instagram and facebook.FULL SHOW NOTESLINKSPeople, Animals, and OrganizationsAnat Shenker-Osorio - created approach similar to "Asset Framing"COP15 - recent biodiversity agreement was announced at COP15Doug McKenzie-Mohr - creator of community-based social marketingJodi Hilty, PhD - corridor ecology and connectivity expertMark Hebblewhite, PhD - studies ungulates including mountain caribouMichael Proctor, PhD - studying grizzly bear movements in BCPluie The WolfStoney Nakoda NationsTony Clevenger, PhD - wolverine researcherTrabian Shorters - creator of Asset FramingBooks and ResourcesNote: links to books are affiliate linksArticle about the new Trans-Canada Highway wildlife overpass that Kelly mentionsBeth Pratt discussing P-22 and Wildlife Crossings (Nature's Archive Episode 38)The following music was used for this media project:Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9616-spellboundLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist website: https://brianholtzmusic.com Support the show

After serving 26 years in law enforcement Cpt. Dana Mitchell spent no time in retirement, transitioning instead to civilian work coordinating Dover Youth to Youth, an empowerment program where students are part of “the solution” to the drug & violence problem. Each year Y2Y conducts a wide variety of programs, including educational presentations; creating & recording video/radio PSAs; and conducting a wide variety of awareness initiatives. In addition to winning several national awards, Dover Y2Y is well known for their multi-media, youth-taught presentations to students and/or adults on implementing youth empowerment programs, capacity building and advocacy skill development. The One Voice Toolkit of resources is available to coalitions and communities with staff & students continuously providing training on site and virtually. Email: mitchell@dover.nh.gov Links: http://dovery2y.org/resources/toolkit/ Resources: https://vimeo.com/dovery2y

Shortly after completing her PhD in Ecology at the University of Calgary, Dr. Hilary Young was thrilled to find work at the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) that blends her passion for the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her background in ecology and conservation biology. Now, as Alberta program director for Y2Y, Hilary and her team work with governments and dozens of partners to protect key wildlife habitats along the western margin of the province. Their focus on headwaters regions, wildlife corridors, and highway crossings ensures that wide-ranging species like grizzly bears, wolves, and elk can move between and beyond protected areas. Central to Y2Y's work is an equity- and justice-oriented lens so that the organization's efforts benefit both nature and people along the Rocky Mountain front. Hilary and her family spend much of their free time hiking, cycling, skiing and breathing deeply in the mountains. Yellowstone to Yukon Website Kawartha Land Trust Cumberland Forest Other sites that are great for understanding how to recreate in a low-impact, wildlife-aware way are: https://leavenotrace.ca/ and https://www.biosphereinstitute.org/wildsmart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, we chat with Michael Hunter, a chef, hunter, forager, and the co-owner of Antler Kitchen & Bar, a restaurant that specializes in cooking and serving game species in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I chat with Michael about how writing and publishing “The Hunter Chef Cookbook” inspired him to open his own restaurant and he shares some ideas about cooking a couple favourite species. On the conservation segment, we revisit the Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) Conservation Initiative and discuss a recent scientific paper that evaluated Y2Y's success in contributing to biodiversity conservation targets. The Hunter Chef Cookbook: https://thehunterchef.com/ Antler Kitchen & Bar: http://www.antlerkitchenbar.com/ An evaluation of the Yellowstone To Yukon Conservation Initiative: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.588

On this episode, we chat with Jessie Grossman, the U.S. Program Manager with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y). Jessie tells us about Y2Y's focus on connectivity and working to protect habitat that supports a range of wildlife and human activities. Y2Y takes a unique and refreshing approach to facilitating collaboration between multiple groups of stakeholders and rights holders in the Yellowstone to Yukon region. During the conservation segment, Hunt To Eat's CEO, Mahting Putelis, joins us to chat about the concept of “corner crossing”, the history of land management in the West, and what it means for accessing public land; recent changes to the Washington black bear hunt; and a new bill that could advance our understanding and management of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in the U.S. During the food segment, Judy Russ (of Episode 3 of the show) joins us once again to give a primer on spices that every wild game cook should have in their cupboard to impress guests without breaking the bank. Other news includes inside scoops on discount codes for the Hunt To Eat store and a limited time offer on Hunt To Eat Magazine subscriptions. As always, let us know what you think on social media or reach out to Paul at paul@hunttoeat.com. In this episode, we discuss: Jessie's article, titled “A Wild Experience: Hunting in the Yellowstone-to-Yukon Region”: https://y2y.net/blog/a-wild-experience-hunting-in-the-yellowstone-to-yukon-region/ Corner crossing in Wyoming: https://www.backcountryhunters.org/corner_crossing_in_wyoming The 2004 court decision on corner crossing in Wyoming: https://www.wyoleg.gov/InterimCommittee/2019/01-2019060313-04Trespass-CornerCrossing.pdf The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife commission's bear hunting vote: https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/nov/19/in-tied-vote-washington-commissioners-suspend-cont/ A petition to bring back spring bear hunting in Washington: https://www.change.org/p/jay-inslee-bring-back-spring-bear-hunting-for-washington-state-2022-season?signed=true The bipartisan “Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act”: https://www.nwf.org/Outdoors/Blog/12-08-2021-CWD-Bill-Passes-The-House Author Mark Kurlansky's fascinating book, “Salt: A World History”: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2715.Salt

North America's animals can't be restricted to living within park boundaries and must migrate freely. The vision of Y2Y is an interconnected system of wild lands and waters stretching 2,000 miles from Yellowstone National Park in Montana to the Yukon region near Alaska in Northern British Columbia, Canada. The nonprofit's U.S. Program and Adaptive Management Coordinator, Hannah Rasker, explains how the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) works with a network of partners, collaboratively, to knit this landscape together from one jurisdiction to the next. Their website is https://y2y.net/ In this 23-minute this interview in October 2021 with “In Tune to Nature” host Carrie Freeman, Hannah explains how wildlife corridors out west benefit species like grizzlies and wolves and elk, especially the highway overpasses and underpasses that are being built to funnel wildlife into safe crossing zones to traverse highways without deadly vehicle collisions. We discuss ways we can make these wildlife crossing bridges a priority across all regions. In Tune to Nature airs every Wednesday from 6:30-7pm EST on wrfg.org and 89.3FM-Atlanta on Radio Free Georgia. It is hosted by Carrie Freeman, Sonia Swartz, or Melody Paris. Please support non-commercial indie media like Radio Free Georgia at https://wrfg.org/   Subscribe to In Tune to Nature on major streaming sites. Take care of yourself and others, including other species!

SCN Change Agent Interview Series - Meet Claudia Körbler Claudia Körbler is a Policy Development and Outreach Specialist at the United Nations in Washington, D.C. Claudia's passion of eradication of hunger, elimination of poverty and creating social impact speaks through her engagements. Before joining the FAO, she worked at the World Bank Group as a Knowledge Management professional with an emphasis on South-South Capacity Building programs in the Latin-American and Africa regions. Her driving force is enunciating change and creating an impact through supporting developing nations. She is a Senior Advisor of the steering committee of the Youth2Youth Community (Y2Y) of the World Bank Group and the co-chair of the Youth Innovation Fund. The Y2Y community enables her innovative talent, efficiency and passion for creating an impact on youth to increase employability, community engagement, and life skills in developing nations. Additionally, as an Adult Third Culture Kid and cross-cultural mediator and trainer, she serves as the membership chair of an NGO called Families in Global Transition (FIGT) to promote and engage in the storytelling of the global nomad. As an Austrian-born global citizen and has lived and worked in the U.S., Spain, UK, and Italy and speaks five languages including German, English, and Spanish. Claudia has refined her skills in cross-cultural communication and continues to enjoy the beauty, challenges, and difficulties of living and working in different cultures. Her professional career in the US is based in the diplomatic service. She has served her native Embassy of the Republic of Austria and the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Washington, D.C. in different capacities. At the Embassy of the Republic of Austria, Claudia acted in an advisory role for the Cabinet of the Austrian Minister of Finance on trans-cultural communication and investment opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises in the United States and globally. https://claudiakoerbler.com/ The SC Nebula is a global online (and offline - Washington, DC area) hub where conscious leaders from corporate, spiritual, nonprofit and civic groups can connect, collaborate and create more social impact together. Interested in becoming a SC Nebula Member? info@soarcommunitynetwork.com Nominate a Change Agent for our Interview Series. https://nebula.soarcommunitynetwork.com In an effort to promote global champions of change, we have set an extraordinary goal of interviewing 1000 people this year who are change agents in their communities. Tune in as our interview guests share how they are contributing their gifts, skills, experiences, resources and wisdom to create a better world. Learn about the different causes and initiatives they care about. If theses causes resonate with you, reach out to our interviewees and offer up your superpowers. Join us. Let's not just stand for something ... let's do something!

In this episode of What the f*** is biodiversity, Ann talks with Aerin about the Yellowstone to Yukon region, how Y2Y protects and connects habitat so both people and nature can thrive and her work as a science communicator.

Jessie is the US Program Manager for the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation initiative (Y2Y), whose mission is to connect and protect habitat across 2,000 miles (3,200 km) and inspire others to engage in similar work.   Jessie's conservation experience and academic background integrate forest ecology, biodiversity, species conservation, and climate change into collaborative projects in forest and watershed restoration, wildland protection, and human-wildlife coexistence. She currently lives in Idaho and enjoys incorporating her connection to its people and landscapes into her work with Y2Y.   Jessie joins the pod to talk about this awesome Y2Y initiative, the complexities of managing many relationships among hundreds of parties across multiple jurisdictions, and the wonderful rocky mountain range that she monitors in the Idaho / Montana area.

Carolyn Casey '87, founder of Project 351, is joined in conversation fellow alum and Project 351 volunteer, Jamie Hoag '98. They speak about Carolyn's career leading up to the founding of Project 351 and the many ways that the Holy Cross community has lifted her up and supported her along the way. Carolyn's journey exhibits the incredible difference that one person can have in making the world a better place. Interview originally recorded on September 25, 2020. Due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, all interviews in season 2 are recorded remotely. --- Carolyn: How can service be a unifier and remind us that we have more in common than what makes us different. Maura: Welcome to Mission-Driven, where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host Maura Sweeney from the class of 2007, director of alumni career development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome to today's show. Maura: This episode features a conversation with Carolyn Casey from the class of 1987. Carolyn is a native of Taunton, Massachusetts and hails from a Holy Cross family with her three siblings and father all attending Holy Cross. After studying as an English major, Carolyn began work as a hostess before launching her decades-long career blending government and service for others. Her career was launched on a political campaign leading to a role as the director of national affairs in the early years at City Year and a 20-plus year career running corporate social responsibility for Timberland. Maura: Today, Carolyn turns her focus closer to home running Project 351, a youth service nonprofit she founded that engages eighth-graders in service from all 351 cities and towns across the state of Massachusetts. She is joined in conversation by fellow alum, Jamie Hoag from the class of 1998. They speak about Carolyn's time on the Hill and the way that service fueled her successful career afterward. Carolyn's journey exhibits the incredible difference that one person can make in making the world a better place. Jamie: Hi, Carolyn, this is Jamie. Carolyn: Hi Jamie. This is Carolyn. Jamie: How are you? Carolyn: I'm doing great. So happy to be with you. Jamie: Where are we chatting? Where are you chatting from? Carolyn: Well, I'm happily in the backyard of our family's house in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Jamie: Very nice. I'm in Watertown where I've been held up if you will, since March, but I'll say behind me, you can see other, others won't on the podcast, but a picture of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and in a place of honor behind me. Carolyn: On a historic day. The first woman to lay in state in the Capitol rotunda. Jamie: Very historic, very historic. She earned it, that is for sure. I thought I'd start. We'll get into more about your time at Holy Cross and what you've done since, but I want to hear a little bit about where you grew up and I know you grew up in Taunton. As you know, I grew up in Fall River- Carolyn: Yes. Jamie: ...and I'm interested to see how did growing up in Taunton or how did Taunton influence who you are today? Carolyn: Appreciate that question. First of all, clear year from Fall River, because you say Taunton the way we say it in Taunton. And there's a very strong kinship between Fall River and Taunton and New Bedford. One of the things that links those communities is a heritage of the blue collar ethic, and a passion for family, and for faith and community. And so when I think about Taunton and 28 Briar Drive, where I grew up with my three siblings, all Holy Cross alum and my dad, Holy Cross alum, and my mom, not a Holy Cross alum, but she didn't have a choice. Jamie: By association. Carolyn: It was all men when she was growing up, so she went to the Newton College of the Sacred Heart, which is now part of BC. But Taunton was formative in many ways, and I think one of the first things I think about is my dad who was an educator, lifelong educator after graduating from Holy Cross. He was a coach and he was a teacher, and then he ultimately became a school superintendent. Carolyn: But for us, for the Casey kids, we were really fortunate that we grew up in an environment, our mom had been a teacher. And so education as a gateway to discovery, and to journey, and to wonder, and to edification of your values and how you make your way in this world, it's very much part of our ethos, but not... People used to think, because my dad was a superintendent that like he'd lord over us to do homework, or we had to get honor roll. Carolyn: It wasn't like that at all. It was very much just a culture of learning. So it felt very integrated into both our schoolwork, but also how our family lived our lives. We weren't tremendously financially blessed, so our outings were lots of times to things like Plymouth Rock and Battleship Cove, and the Museum of Fine Arts and things like that. And so just a rich and deep appreciation for how every opportunity and every individual is an opportunity for growth, and for education, and for deeply understanding the human condition. Carolyn: That was certainly formative. And then both of my parents, great faith. My mom is 83, still goes to mass every day and the church and our faith being very central to the values that defined us, but also the way in which we are responsible as human beings in this world, which is we are our brothers and sisters keeper. So both for Kizzy, Joe and Mike, my siblings, but also the broader community. That was most definitely a guiding principle. Carolyn: And then the final thing, and I feel like I'm saying three very typical things, which is like- Jamie: No, no. Carolyn: ... education, and faith, and community, but in Taunton, I was... Happily will say I'm 54 years old and my Taunton girls are still core to my everyday life. Those friendships forged at E Pole Elementary School, or in the girl Scouts, or brownies are still defining for me. What my friends taught me and what Taunton as a community taught me was the importance of loyalty and the importance of devotion through times that are easy and difficult. Carolyn: Taunton as a city, I know you can relate Fall River, Taunton had glory days as a silver manufacturing and the last 50, 60, 70 years have been challenging years for Taunton. Jamie: Sure. Carolyn: But there's something about that, there's something about struggle and triumph, and struggle again, and then triumph again, and there's that resilience. And again, that sense that if we all pull together, we can achieve extraordinary things. Jamie: I think there's a certain work ethic and communities like Taunton and Fall River, New Bedford, that if you grew up in that environment, you're influenced by it. And I think no matter what you do, where you go, that has a special place in your heart, in your soul, if you will, to... It's also not more work ethic, but it's also to appreciate people who work hard, and work hard and to raise families on very little and are loyal to community, as you said. Jamie: You mentioned that you grew up in a Holy Cross family with your dad, obviously, and then the three brothers also went to Holy Cross. Did you have any choice in deciding what college to go to or was Holy Cross a given? Carolyn: I did actually, I was the controversial one. Because she would kill me if I let the record go on- Jamie: Kathleen too, your sister Carolyn: The oldest sister, yeah. Kathleen is class of '84, Joe, class of '85 and Mike, class '90. I just want to give a, a shout out to them, my best friends and heroes, and to all their classmates, which I think is one of the things about Holy Cross that we know so well is that the friendships that just go on, and on, and on. And so all of those classes, '84, '85 and '90, and of course my class, the great class of '87 are just filled with the most extraordinary people. So I send all of them love. Carolyn: But yes, so most definitely I did. I was the third, I was the second daughter. Kathleen was at Holy Cross premed, Joe was there as well together. And my father who had been visiting Holy Cross since the mid '40s as a student was sort of burning out on Holy Cross and was strongly encouraging me to go anywhere, but Holy Cross. And I don't know if that- Jamie: Why was that, if I may jump in? Carolyn: I don't know if he was thinking, and my mom, actually, my mom wanted me to go to an all-girls school and I got into Mount Holyoke and almost a full ride and for our family, that was a really big deal. Anyone who knows me that would not have been a successful endeavor. I don't know. I don't know if my father... Parents are wise and maybe he was thinking it was important for me to step out of my sibling shadow or... I'm not really sure what motivated it. Carolyn: But ultimately I ended up at Holy Cross and with his blessing and my mom's blessing, or the tuition check would not have been written. And then I was really lucky because I was the one Casey who went to school with all of my siblings. When I was a freshman, my sister was a senior, Joe as a junior. When I was a sophomore, Joe was a senior, when I was junior, I was there by myself. And then when I was a senior, Mike was a freshman. Jamie: Wow. What an amazing opportunity to be able to share that with your siblings? Carolyn: Yeah, it was very special and I feel really lucky because my dad's license plate is HC52. And when he passed away, that was the only thing I wanted. So now my car has HC52. And I love it because there are still HC52-ers who will come up to me. They're like, "Is that Bill Casey's car?" "Well, not his car, but his license plate." It just goes to show they're everywhere. Jamie: They're everywhere, we're everywhere, and that's a good thing. We like that as a kid. It's certainly a community. What was your first experiences Holy Cross like? Especially growing up, I would say is growing up as someone from Fall River, going to Durfee Public school, Holy Cross in some ways at the time was a foreign place to me, because there are a lot of people went to this academy and private schools, is what I'm trying to say. Jamie: And it was just a different culture for me. And did you have that, what I would argue is maybe a mild culture shock when you went to Holy Cross? Carolyn: The one thing I felt lucky about is I had... and I don't know if it's... Maybe comfort for me was wasn't an important part of going to Holy Cross, but my dad had been president of the alumni association and chairman of his class. So when we were growing up, we were up there like every weekend and we'd sometimes sit in Hogan and be bored and complain because we weren't with our friends in Taunton. But I had a really very strong sense of place there and a very... I knew where everything was. Carolyn: Not in a overly confident way that I was superior in any way, but I just knew my way around. And then of course, because my sister and brother went there, I started visiting my sister when she was a freshman. So I was like 15 and I was a sophomore and I would go up for weekends and stay with my sister. So I got a little bit of that experience too, like the classroom experience, going to Hogan, going to Kimball, going to keg parties in Hanselman... Jamie: ... I'm not going to ask for the stories there. I'm sure there are some. That's for a different podcast. Carolyn: Exactly. Especially given my current constituents of eighth-graders that I will not tell those on the record, but. My earliest days of Holy Cross, they are... I'll say one thing about my earliest days is that they foretold my four years because I hit the jackpot with the friends that I met very early on. So down the hall from me were the two Leannes- Leanne Kearney and Leanne Martin. Carolyn: And I was just texting with my whole Holy Cross circle right before I got on this. They are still... Just like my Taunton friends, still in my life every day, and still my teachers and my cheerleaders, and I hope I'm the same for them. But for me it started first with those friendships and sort of the rituals that I think so many people know from Holy Cross, which are 10:00 PM mass on Sunday and meeting at the hand in front of the library before you go down to Kimball, and just rich conversations. Carolyn: It sounds idealic, and when I look back, it feels idealic because we were in a different space in time than young people going to college. Now we definitely thank goodness didn't have the social media, but there was a lot of... It was obviously prior to 2001 prior to the global challenges we're facing now. We definitely incubated in a way on Mount St. James. And that because we weren't venturing out, that just made the bonds of friendship even deeper and I think more transformative. Carolyn: Those are the things I remember, and I also remember, the intimidation for me was the classroom because I have to work hard on my academics. That's where I felt, as you were talking that sort of a little bit of, will I fit in, in the classroom? But I think you know, I was an English major and I felt like talk about an abundance of blessings of professors and classes and conversations. Jamie: Yeah, I think when you learn as much outside the classroom, as you do inside the classroom, I find that at Holy Cross. And I think that's something that's stayed consistent, which I think is a good thing across generations. Question for you, where did you live your freshman year? Carolyn: Freshman year I lived in Carlin. Jamie: Oh, Carlin. Wow. That was an upper class residence hall when I was there. They let the first years live there. Carolyn: They let all freshmen in and I lived over the bridge, so we had the window over the bridge. So when the classes changed, you got to see everybody. And then I went to Wheeler for two years and then Caro Street, my senior year much later. Jamie: What floor on Wheeler did you live on? Carolyn: Fifth floor. Oh goodness. My friends are going to be like, "She can't remember." I think it was second floor, sophomore year, fifth floor, junior, and then Caro street, which was a health department abomination. That house was like, we were all jammed in there and yeah. That's another thing that we'll just keep off the record. Jamie: That's another podcast, as I said. Carolyn: Those safety protocols were probably not adhered to. Jamie: I was a Wheeler three guy for two years, my freshman year, my sophomore year. And it was an experience living in Wheeler, that's for sure. Carolyn: Wheeler Beach. Jamie: But I loved it. Carolyn: Right? Jamie: Wheeler Beach. Wheeler Beach. And- Carolyn: Those were the days. Jamie: I still am, as you've mentioned, it's amazing how those bonds can last throughout the years, the bonds you make. And blow do you know when you first drive up to up the up Mount St. James, how it's going to change your life, but- Carolyn: And that's one of the things I remember meeting you the first time I met you. All you have to hear is Holy Cross and I'm like, "I know I'm going to love him." It just comes with that built-in comfort level and excitement. Jamie: Exactly right. Obviously, beyond the classroom, what type of extra extracurricular activities were you involved in when you were at Holy Cross? Carolyn: I wish I could say a ton, but... Because of my focus on academics, that took a lot of my time, but I was work study and I also did student government. And I worked at the library, which I loved. For me, I worked in the... Oh, I can't remember the name of the room, but it's where you had a sign out so that- Jamie: Oh sure. Carolyn: I can't remember what they called it. Jamie: The reserve room, but I don't that- Carolyn: The reserve room, that's right. That was where I was, so that's where I spent a lot of my time, was in the reserve room. And I love that because you got to see everybody, so it was social, and I also got to do homework. But our crew, we were very enthusiastic sports fans. We loved all the sports. A lot of our friends played football, hockey, basketball, baseball. That was a big part of our time. Carolyn: So road trips , stole my father's car once. That was a mistake. I went to William and Mary, and then of course somebody is like, "Hey, I saw your car in Virginia." So I was given up, that wasn't... I got to remember HC52. Jamie: That HC52 license plate does not come in handy. Carolyn: Yes, that's when it doesn't... "darn It, I thought I'd get away with that," but no, I didn't. I also did internships, which I always, when I talk to prospective students and I think everybody knows this now, it's again, not novel advice, but that was enormously helpful for me. I was an English major and when I was at Holy Cross, I wanted to go into sports marketing, and so I did marketing internships, and those were extraordinarily helpful for me. Carolyn: I didn't end up going into marketing, but those skills helped me in my current job Jamie: Where did you intern? Do you- Carolyn: I interned at a hospital, St. Elizabeth. Jamie: St. Elizabeth? Carolyn: Is that right? Jamie: Yeah, it's there. Yeah, it's still there. That's good. That's good. Carolyn: Was great. They were very kind to me. Jamie: What was your favorite class at Holy Cross? Carolyn: Oh, goodness- Jamie: If you can pick one, it's a hard question. It's like saying, who's your favorite sibling? I don't want you to answer that question, but- Carolyn: I know, all of them. One of the things that I'm known for is my terrible memory, but I know the class, I'm not going to remember the professor. But the class was a seminar on Martin Luther King and it was incredible. It was maybe 15 people in the class and it was probably my best class for sure. Jamie: What made it incredible? Carolyn: Well, I love the size of it and it was the students. No disrespect to the professor. Obviously I can't remember his name, which is terrible, but the students in the class, it was... I was an English major, so it was a bunch of students I didn't know and they were from different grade levels as well. For me, the diversity of opinion in that class was very rich because there wasn't a tremendous... when I was at Holy Cross, it wasn't tremendously diverse. Carolyn: That was a class where there was a lot of diversity in many ways, and including racial and ideological, and lived experiences. And so for me, it was more of an awakening as opposed to other classes. And I loved all of my English classes because I love literature, I love to write, but just in terms of getting me to think in new ways, that class was formative. And Dr. King is such an abiding figure in my life in terms of his philosophy and his teachings, and it really started there at Holy Cross in that class. Jamie: That's powerful. That's a great. I want to fast forward a little bit now and start talking about your post Holy Cross life, if you will. Carolyn: Sure. Jamie: Obviously we want to talk a lot about Project 351, which you're the founder and executive director of. But give us a little snapshot of what your first few years were after Holy Cross. I know you had some interesting jobs pre Project 351, so tell us a little bit about them. Carolyn: My first job right out of Holy Cross was I was a hostess at a restaurant because I couldn't make the cut as a waitress, so that goes to show. But I was- Jamie: Because your warm, charming personality, they wanted you to do the hostess. Carolyn: Yes. Well, they gave me one shot as a waitress and I dropped a tray of drinks on a bald man's head and I was, I was redistributed back to the hostess stand. Jamie: At least you don't have to wipe off his hair- Carolyn: No... Jamie: ... just wipe his head off, it's easy. Carolyn: Of course I started crying right away. But I was liberated by another Holy Cross grad. My cousin Maura Donlan from West Roxbury, also class of '87 who is like my sister. We're the same age, and she was working for Governor Dukakis, his presidential campaign in New Hampshire in the field. I went up for a weekend of canvassing and I'd never really done anything quite like that. It was one of these, they had me at hello. It was completely transformative. Carolyn: And I came home and my parents for some reason were in Europe or something, which would be rare. And I told them I wanted to quit my very important hostess job and move to New Hampshire and worked for Mike Dukakis. And thankfully they said, yes. That was the beginning of the path of service that I've been on ever since around public service and around mission-based organizations or campaigns. Carolyn: But I was really fortunate, I worked up in New Hampshire, and I was like 22 or whatever and I was the deputy to the state director, Charlie Baker. Not governor Baker, but the other Charlie Baker. Jamie: No, very well. Dewey Square Group Charlie Baker, yeah. Carolyn: Dewey Square Group. And his dad, Charlie Baker was a professor at Holy Cross. Jamie: Exactly right. French professor, I think. Carolyn: Yeah. French in like movies. Did he do something on movies too? Jamie: Yeah. No, Charlie is a wonderful person. Carolyn: Yes. You know how lucky I was to work for him and John Geezer, who you probably know well. Jamie: Sure. Carolyn: And so I got to work for Charlie all the way through the general election, and that was just in his philosophy was, everywhere I go, you go. And so I'd be in the room with Jesse Jackson and the negotiations. And I was for the nomination, and down in Atlanta, and I just did my best to soak it all up, and to be as... I remember thinking that then, as I was in the job was around trying to... I wasn't a political animal, so I didn't really have great scale on the politics side. Carolyn: And so my focus was on being kind and responsive. I just wanted to, how can I help as many people and try to prove myself that way, because I wasn't going to be the policy work. And from that ended up... Of course governor lost and I went to... So I moved to D.C. and I worked for the democratic Senate campaign committee, and that's a whole bunch of wild and crazy stories about... Not wild and crazy, but in that I can't believe that I had this job at age 23 where I was doing at the time, it was their major funding program. Carolyn: So I set up weekends that donors would go to with like eight or nine senators and their spouses. And then it would be me on the plane with like George Mitchell and- Jamie: Wow. Carolyn: Wyche Fowler, and John Kerry and they listen to me. I was giving them a brief and the this and the that, and we would do a weekend of like policy retreats. That was incredibly inspirational, informative and real insight on how relational politics works. Jamie: And I would take away two things just to jump in here for a second. One, this path that you were sent on, that you started down, began through your relationship with Maura Donlan, your cousin, but also a fellow Holy Cross Crusader. And so it's again the power of the Holy Cross network to open up opportunities for the students or recent grads. But I would say something, I just want you to comment on one thing too, is you said something that caught my attention that... You said you don't have the political skills necessarily that are... you don't have the political experience, but you said you wanted to focus on being kind and responsive. Jamie: And I would argue with you and say that those are extremely important political skills, especially in our day and age. I think being kind and responsive to people's needs are two skills that a lot of people in politics lack today. Not to go off in a different direction with this discussion, but I would just say that I think you're a perfectly suited for politics because of those two skills of being both kind and responsive to people. And so I just wanted to make that point. Carolyn: Right back at you because you're a model of that. When I think about Holy Cross throughout my life and my professional and personal life, one of the things about if it's... there's sort of a built-in confidence if it's a Holy Cross person asking you to do something, inviting you just have a... For me, I'm more likely to take that leap of faith because it's somebody who I... There's that bond, and that trust, and that sense of shared values. Jamie: Sure. I just want to talk briefly before we get to the important work that you're doing at Project 351, and I want to hear all about it obviously. You worked in Timberland for a little while and did social responsibility? Carolyn: Corporate social responsibility, yeah. Jamie: How was that? How was working in the private sector? Carolyn: It was incredible. One thing I'd say, that there's sort of one theme from my career path would be that I was really very lucky in that I worked for a lot of visionaries, and so people who were very bold about the kind of either organization or world that they wanted to build, and would be sort of relentless in pursuit. And not relentless in like a criminal way or mean way, but in terms of relentless about galvanizing the resources to enable that vision. Carolyn: After I left D.C., I worked at city year for eight years, and the co-founders Michael Brown and Alan Khazei who had this bold vision of building a national service movement and started with 50 young people in Boston. And today, millions of young people have served through AmeriCorps, which- Jamie: Amazing. Carolyn: ... City Year the model for. And through city Year, while I was at City Year. And I was there in the early days, so people who do nonprofit work who might be listening to this know that in the nonprofit sector, you often have like 12 jobs and a lot of them don't relate. And so I was... President Clinton was the president at the time and I was responsible for media, our national convention fundraising, the Clinton relationship and managing the Timberland partnership and new site development. It was like this crazy mosaic of things. Carolyn: And from the relationship managing the partnership with Timberland, Jeff Swartz was the CEO of Timberland, invited me to come to work for him and to help direct corporate social responsibility. Jeff is a person that I always I wanted him to speak at Holy Cross, because his leadership is driven by faith, his deep faith as a Jewish person. And he grew over the time that I worked for him a comfort level and talking about that in the business space, which was fairly rare at the time. Carolyn: But he was also incredibly visionary, and bold and courageous around pushing the edge of the envelope around the role and the responsibility of the private sector as a catalyst for social justice. This is like 25 years ago and there... I still see things now from companies and they regard them as breakthroughs, I'm like, "Jeff was..." I don't mean this in a dismissive way at all- Jamie: No, no. Carolyn: ... but Jeff was doing this like 30 years ago. If you worked at Timberland, you had 40 hours of paid time for volunteerism, a full week to donate to community. And the entire business model and operating systems were built around the notion that commerce and justice are inextricably linked. And so when we're thinking about manufacturing our boots, where we're manufacturing them? How are we giving back to those workers in that community? What materials are we using to make sure we're not despoiling the planet? Carolyn: How can those boots be a lever for change through a consumer point of sale that invites them to come serve with us? Jamie: Wow. Carolyn: So it was this very creative time to be able to work for somebody like that, who, when you would have like crazy ideas, he wouldn't say they were crazy. He'd say, "Yeah. Let's try it." Jamie: That's a sign of a good leader. Carolyn: Yes. My time there, many, many, many gifts, including my relationship with Jeff, who is a teacher and a mentor and like a brother to me. But the other thing that came out of my time there was a friendship with Congressman John Lewis, which transformative. I love how Jon Meacham talks about John Lewis as a saint, as an American saint. I'd never heard of him referred to him that way, but Jon Meacham puts him within the context of faith, and holiness, and- Jamie: The beloved community. Carolyn: And the beloved community. And that John Lewis' ability to endure what he endured throughout his life, including 45 arrests, and a fractured skull, and multiple beatings, and humiliations that no human should ever have to endure was a deep faith in God. Jamie: And after all that, still having a faith in people too. After all those experiences that he suffered through, to still have faith and hope in the human spirit, it was remarkable. Have you read Jon Meacham's new book about- Carolyn: I'm reading it right now. Jamie: I finished it last week. What a powerful... I was in tears. At some part of the book, I was laughing, at other parts and I just think it's such a powerful life. I had the opportunity to meet him once, John Lewis, once when I was waiting for an elevator on Capitol Hill and the elevator was for members of Congress only. But he said, "Oh, come on, ride with me. You can ride with me." He asked me where I was from, who I worked for, Jim McGovern at the time. And he was just the nicest man. The only thing is he got off the elevator before I did. Carolyn: Oh no. Jamie: I still had two floors to go and other members of Congress got on and they were looking at me like- Carolyn: They were like, "Who's this guy?" Jamie: ... why are you on our elevator? I said, John Lewis let us to be on. John Lewis let me on, and they believed it. They didn't second guess me, because I guess it was a typical practice of John Lewis to invite people on the members-only elevator. Carolyn: Yeah. He was pied-piper for sure. But learned so much from him and just... Such perspective that any sort of hardship or challenge that I would ever face either personally or professionally, whatever, I would always draw on his, keep the faith, keep moving. I remember one time I was going through really hard time personally and I was talking to him and he said to me... I said, "What do you do when you feel like there's hate coming at you?" And he said, "You go at hate with love, and then more love, and then more love, and then more love." Carolyn: And I was like, "Okay, I got it." Jamie: Yeah. And those were certainly not just words to him. That's the way lived- Carolyn: No. Jamie: ... words in action, so to speak. Well, it's remarkable that you got to know him. We'll have to talk more about that at some point, because I think he's one of my heroes, and I think he should be one of everyone's heroes because of the life he led. But I want to move on here too and- Carolyn: Sure. Jamie: ... I have a question about your gap year. Carolyn: Yes, the gap year. Jamie: Gap year, it wasn't a... People think of gap years typically is years right after high school, between high school and college or maybe the year after college. But your gap year was a few years after, after having some work experience. Right? So tell us a little bit what you did. I think some of the stories are remarkable from what I've heard already, but why you took the gap year. Carolyn: It was after my Timberland tenure and I decided to drive across the country from California to Savannah, Georgia and do service in civil rights history. My motivation for doing it was, I'd been on this durable wheel, whatever that is, hamster wheel, for about two decades and working. Working for Jeff was amazing, but it was 24/7 and then City Year was the same way because we were trying to build City Year, the institution, and it was just sort of non-stop. Carolyn: And, and then I know you know my sister-in-law who's class of '90 was killed- Neilie Casey, who's another love and incredibly important person in my life. She was killed on September 11th, and that experience, and that tragedy, and the emotion. And so I was really burnt, I was really fried. And I had been doing commerce and justice and service with Timberland and at a global level, and so traveling to South Africa, and Prague, and Italy and all across the United States with John Lewis doing service, and it was amazing. Carolyn: But I wanted to get back to the essence of service, so without the corporate funding behind me, which was great to have a budget actually going into community and really do one-on-one with people who were on the frontline of some of our country's most critical issues. And so these are all people who no one would know their name. They were running a domestic violence shelter in Birmingham, Alabama, or working on native American health in Chinle, Arizona. Carolyn: I did four days with a bunch of Vietnam vets, building a home after Katrina, it was still in the aftermath of Katrina in Mississippi. Serving the City Year core members in LA, which was incredible, but also very depressing because these children had nowhere near the educational resources that they needed to learn and to succeed. And this was pre smartphone. I think we had cell phones or blackberries or something. Jamie: Flip phones. Carolyn: Yeah. And so I was able to... It was quiet and there was only one time where my sister, thank goodness came out early on in my journey because she's a surgeon and extraordinary. She came with me to Chinle, Arizona because we... My service partner there was the John Hopkins Center for Native American Health. And she was very interested in it from her perspective and she knew that I needed her. Carolyn: So she came out and we did that and we did the Grand Canyon. So, that was also a bonus. But that trip, it was incredible on so many levels. The opportunity to serve and be humbled by the example of people who are truly, people talk about this all the time, like unsung heroes and this. These are the truest unsung heroes who are working day in and out to feed families or provide compassion for seniors or protect women from domestic violence and to bear witness. Carolyn: Billy Shore, who's one of my heroes and mentors who's the founder of Share Our Strength. Billy always talks about the importance of bearing witness, and to bear witness and to listen and learn and to just be quiet. To be in a space of reflection. And then I get in my car and then I would drive like 10 hours or whatever. Going through Western Texas was scary because I lost my cell and you had like for eight hours, no gas station. Carolyn: They're like, "Fill up here or you're not going to make it." And so you just have that quiet to sit and reflect. That's where the spark for Project 351 started to come, but it was... And not to sound overly hokey or, I don't know, silly in any way, sentimental in any way. But just for me was just this deep sense of gratitude for this country and just how diverse... Now even more, now it's polarized. Carolyn: Then it was diverse and not so polarized. Now it's diverse and so polarized. But I remember every interaction was a lesson in humility and a lesson in grace, and that these people from every background you could imagine who were doing things driven only by devotion to cause greater than self, and that the character of the American people. And I remember just... Certainly, our family was very blessed and changed by the extraordinary, and Holy Cross being one of the most extraordinary sources of love and comfort and care after 9/11. Carolyn: And how important it is to access that through memory when we are in times like this, that feels so divisive, that what this country stands for is not what we're witnessing on the television. Jamie: There are people out there doing God's work, if you will, and doing it quietly, but doing it so well and making a difference in people's lives. One life at a time. But you multiply that in the aggregate and there are a lot of lives being touched out there by a lot of people. And so including you, I would argue, I would say, without a doubt- Carolyn: With your help, Jamie. With your help. Jamie: Well, let's transition I know to Project 351, because obviously, that is close to my heart. Obviously, a part of your heart, this is your heart. Tell us a little bit about Project 351. And I want to hear its origin story, if you will, as they say in superhero movies these days. The origin story of Project 351. Carolyn: I want to make sure, because I'll forget is to say upfront one, how grateful I am to Holy Cross the institution, the civic space because of you, Jamie and Elizabeth Rice and so many wonderful people at Holy Cross. Holy Cross is a little bit of Project 351 West because we have our educator advisory group meetings there, we have alumni summits there and I love it. I love every time I can bring my alum on campus and tell them that they all should go to Holy Cross. Carolyn: But I always tell them, "We are very intentional about everything we do at Project 351." So we convene in places of meaning, and that Holy Cross is devoted to developing men and women for others. And so that's why we meet there. Because we can meet anywhere in Worcester, but we meet there because of that ethos. Jamie: It's our honor to have you there for sure. Carolyn: Then the broader gratitude to all of the Holy Cross alums specifically and the class of 1987, my best friends, Jen White, and Julie Foley, and so many friends who have... Frannie and Danny and everybody who have believed in Project 351 and encouraged, and have volunteered. I just feel really lucky shout out also to Ellie and Michael Hall, our other family members, Jamie: The San Francisco wing of Project- Carolyn: Yes, of Holy Cross. Exactly. The origin story is, it's one of these things where the path is so unclear what the origin story is, it's sort of one. But the way I always think of it is that, and I think most people probably would have a similar is that, Project 351 is a mosaic and every one of those beautiful cuts of glass is a gift that someone has given me along the way. Whether it's John Lewis whose passion for the beloved community and insistence on leading with love. Carolyn: If Jeff Swartz who's courage and bold vision around creating cross sector collaboration and social change. Michael and Alan and my partner at Project 351, and my third brother, Charlie Rose, from City Year whose fierce belief in young people as a catalyst for transformative change. And then there's a million pieces of glass that I picked up all over Mount St. James. So those are the lessons of faith, and those are the lessons of partnership, and respect, and inquiry and reflection. Carolyn: The philosophy around Project 351 comes from all of those lessons, but the reality of Project 351 comes from, it was the first Baker Patrick contest. Right? I think, the first one? Jamie: Yeah, 2010. Carolyn: 2010, yes. And there were two other candidates, right? Jill, Stein? Jamie: Jill Stein, yeah, yeah. Carolyn: And I'm forgetting the independent. So there were four candidates running in a state small like Massachusetts and governor Patrick and Charlie Baker, and Charlie Baker, I'd known, he was a friend of mine for, at that point like, I don't know, 15 years. And that campaign was, you'll recall because you were probably in the middle of it. It was an unkind campaign, shall we say? Carolyn: And I remember thinking as someone who just loves Massachusetts and loves the quaintness of it that we're so small and thinking, wow, this division, first of all, we have four candidates, and then it's a race that's divisive. It's kind of mean, which felt not that things are like hunky dory in Massachusetts politics, but it felt a little bit out of kilter. And I remember thinking like, well, how do you bring the state together again after a time like this? I'm thinking, well, through service and through young people. Carolyn: We're small enough to do it. You're not an eighth-grader from each one of the 351 cities and towns, but we're big enough where it feels bold. Where it's like, how the heck are you going to get one eighth-grader from every city and town? That prompted me. It was really around, how can service be a unifier and remind us that we have more in common than what makes us different? Governor Patrick would always talk about turning towards one another, not against one another. Carolyn: And and I didn't know him. I'm a Democrat, but I had never engaged with him. I supported him, but I didn't know him. And a mutual friend of ours, David O'Brien- Jamie: Exactly. There you go. Carolyn: ... was the head of his campaign inaugural and reached out to me. And he said, "You're like my service community person and the governor wants to focus on service and community. Any thoughts?" And I was like, "Well, actually, yeah. I have this concept paper called Project 351." And I sent it over and they presented it with options to the governor and the governor said, "I want to do this." It's not that exciting, but that's- Jamie: Wow. No, it's powerful. Carolyn: That's how it happened. But it was conceived as a one-day event. This happened very quickly. It was end of November, the inaugural was middle of January and I started calling superintendents in the first week of December saying, "How you don't know me, but we would like an eighth-grade unsung hero from your school district." And they're like, "We're about to go on Christmas break and you can call us back in January." Carolyn: And as it is in all things, there's always one person. And so Tom Scott who's executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents said yes, I was calling the first yes. And because of Tom and a lot of amazing people, we were able to assemble, you were probably there, a class of celebratory event called Project 351 that was really, and nothing to do with me, everything to do with Governor Patrick and the young people. Carolyn: But it was a celebration of Dr. King and it was these young people, literally from 351 cities and towns, including Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard, and Provincetown, and North Adams. Those young people getting up at 4:00 in the morning to get on a bus to get... And it's so amazing because the bus, not only the bus routes, but the bus captains from that first go are still the same today. Jamie: They're still involved today. Wow. Carolyn: Yep. Jamie: That speaks to the organization. Carolyn: And it speaks to how amazing educators are too. Right? Jamie: Yeah. Absolutely. Carolyn: But we figured out then how the heck to get young people in and out safely and programmatically, in and out in one day. And then the day itself was highly programmatic, celebration of Dr. King, transformational service across Boston, reflection and celebration at the end of the day. And the cool thing about Project 351 that you know and that everyone who's listening is welcome to come is, in the morning, you can't hear a sound, they're petrified. Carolyn: They're eighth grade, 12 years old or 13 years old. They're the only person from their town. They were selected, you don't apply, and so you are a quiet leader, so by nature, you're quiet. And they come into Faneuil Hall in the morning and you could hear a pin drop until Charlie gets them going on the building. And at the end of the day, they have found their voice, they have found their tribe. Carolyn: Some of them have found the love of their life, they think and their best friends. And the noise at the end of the day is like the symphony of service and idealism and it's at like fever pitch. It's so- Jamie: That is so true. That is so true. I've noticed that before. It's more than just the fact that they're early in the morning. I think the nerves are real in the morning, but they've become such a community by the course of the day that it is just wonderful to see. And they see their personalities come out, their spirits come out, and it's just really heartwarming to see. Carolyn: And to make sure for all the listeners, the kind listeners if you're still listening is, the very important role that Jamie has played as champion, and advisor, and friend. And also is the chairperson of the selection committee, our most highest award at Project 351, which is a $20,000 scholarship named after Myra Kraft, who those at Holy Cross know there's a deep relationship between Myra Hiatt Kraft's family, and Holy Cross. Right? Jamie: Absolutely. Carolyn: So all roads lead to Holy Cross. Jamie: Yeah. The wings of the library are the Hiatt wings- Carolyn: The Hiatt wings. Jamie: ... named after her family. So you have this launch day then you also have a reunion day. So tell us about reunion day. Carolyn: Well, the one thing I'll tell you about the first original launch day is that at the end of the day... How do we go from a one-day event to a program? At the end of the day, the young people were standing up, and a lot of them were crying. It was very, very emotional. A lot of the educators were crying and the young people kept standing up. And the governor who you know better than me is magical with young people. Carolyn: So he was in this community discussion and a beautiful discussion. And they would stand up and say, "No one's ever called me a leader before," and all these things. But a number of them set up and they said, "Okay, so now what? You called me to serve, and now what?" The governor was on a microphone and I was way in the back of the room. He's like, "Where's Carolyn?" On microphone. I'm like, "I'm here." Carolyn: And he said, "This keeps going, right?" And I was like, "I don't know." I'm like, "Yeah, I guess." Then that night, we created a Facebook page and that's how we started. Every bit of advice I ever gave to her nonprofit when I was at Timberland like do a market scan, build a board, raise the money, do a strategy, blah, blah, blah. No. Jamie: No? Carolyn: All of that went right out the door. I was building programs under me. And sometimes I feel like we never caught up, but from that moment. But so fast forward now, we're 10 years old, a decade. And now we are a youth-led movement for social change. There are 3,753 eighth-graders have embraced the obligation to serve through Project 351. And it's awe call it the ambassador journey, so it's a 12-month ambassador journey. Carolyn: And they're still selected, can't apply. Still unsung hero, quiet leader. And it is a year of developing their courage, and their compassion, and their capabilities to lead change. And we do that in very intentional ways through milestones throughout the year that are both enrichment-based, and also hands-on civic leadership and service leadership. I can talk about those, but I don't want to go on too long. Jamie: I think, I'm curious to hear from you what your thoughts are and what inspires these young leaders? What inspires them to serve at such a young age especially? Carolyn: One of my probably overused words when it comes to Project 351, there are two probably remarkable and extraordinary, because I run out of words for our young people and they are both... they're remarkable and extraordinary. And I think anybody listening who has children, nieces, nephews know that young people have innate goodness and hopefully for as long as possible, no judgment. And so bias or prejudice, we all know that that's taught, right? And so- Jamie: Yeah absolutely. Carolyn: And they are unfortunately increasingly sophisticated because of the world that we live in, but there's also when we were intentional about picking eighth-graders, because again, wanted them to be sort of young enough to feel as if this was an honor, that spending time with the governor. Now it's not Governor Patrick, it's Governor Baker. That felt like a big deal, not a cynical response to that, but that they're old enough as eighth-graders to be able to grow into the role of change agent and to understand nuances around the issues of hunger and the intersectionality between race and homelessness. Carolyn: What motivates them is probably motivates you and me, Jamie, is that injustice, and lack of opportunity, and a planet that's burning, and the gap in educational opportunities. Our young people are so motivated by the challenges of other young people. That is causes deep pain for them, in their reflections when they write, when they learn about... One of our partners is the only youth-led youth homeless shelter in the state, why to, Y2Y, you might know them. Jamie: Yeah, I do. Carolyn: And just that reality that there's a youth homeless shelter for our young people, they have to reflect and process that. But the other thing that's really important is, it's one person from every city and town, and so you know Fall River and I know Taunton, right? Jamie: Yeah. Carolyn: We know Brockton, you think about these rural communities. We are blessed in the state where we have communities of extraordinary wealth and we have communities of extraordinary poverty. And so our young people are from those communities, so we've young people who have parents who have extraordinary wealth and young people who... We've had young people who are homeless. Carolyn: We have one young woman who stood up at the end of last year's launch day and said, crying because she said, "I've never been..." How the day made her feel so special and that she and her mom had slept in a car the night before because they had no place to go. Right now we're preparing, potentially with the help of Jim McGovern to kick off our efforts on hunger for our next service campaign. So many of our young people are going to be serving food pantries that serve their family. Carolyn: I remember distinctly, one of my young women writing in her reflections after service about, it was one of her proudest moments. She brought her grandmother shopping. She put in air quotes at the food pantry, and he said, "And my grandmother was taking cans off the shelf that I had placed the day before- Jamie: Wow. Carolyn: ... from the donations I had collected." And she said, "And it made me so proud that- Jamie: Wow. Carolyn: ... I was helping my grandma, but I was also helping all these other families." Jamie: Wow, how powerful? For eighth-graders. It's amazing. Carolyn: It is amazing. And then the other is that on the other end of the spectrum, you have these young people who know that they're from families of good fortune, but have such sensitivity and then struggle. Every year on launch day, you may recall this, that we always have a couple of young people who stand up and have a tremendous sense of guilt- Jamie: Yes. Carolyn: ... because their family has resources. Governor Patrick would always say... and he was always so compassionate and he would always go right over to the young person and put his hand on their shoulder and say, "I hear you. I hear you and I understand what you're saying, but it's a good thing that you're blessed. It's a good thing that you're blessed. But your reaction shouldn't be guilt, your reaction should be generosity, engagement, compassion. And that's what you're doing right now." Carolyn: He had four classes of ambassadors every year, it was an experience at that because there was always one young person who would say, "I was at Cradles to Crayons, we ran out of socks and this morning going from my bed to the shower, I stepped over like 100 pairs of socks and I feel so guilty that I don't respect my socks." So it's that awakening and empowering across all demographics and backgrounds and life experiences. That's what Dr. King tells us, right? Everybody can be great. Right? Jamie: Exactly right. Everyone can learn from each other, learn from each other lived experiences and share your lived experiences with one another. That's one of the many powerful things about Project 351, and that exposure that these young men and women get. One question I would have, I always might have ask you this. These students, the young men and women, these young leaders are facing a lot of challenges in their lives. Jamie: Whether it be hunger or whether it be what's going on in the world, how have those changed over the past 10 years since the Project 351 was first founded? Have their lives gotten more complicated or have things stayed the same? I'm just curious about their lived experience, because you're keeping up with the world through their eyes, and you're helping them deal with the, not the outside world, it's the real world, I don't know how to describe it, but. And how has that affected Project 351 and these young, remarkable men and women? Carolyn: There has been a stark change in the last four years of what our young people are dealing with, and right now is very intense. Mental health challenges for young people, especially at this age group, so middle school are spiking. They're spiking and then COVID has made it worse. Social isolation, the fact that they aren't able to be with their friends and socialize. But we have had in the last, really the last three years, a lot of very deep and painful conversations around identity. Carolyn: Either because of their race, or gender, or gender identity, or who they love, and those young people feeling under attack and how that affects them and their self-confidence and self self-worth. The last probably six months have been... I will say there is a difference between our ambassadors in eighth grade and then our alumni leadership council, which you know is our governance body and they are the mentors to the eighth-graders. Carolyn: We put our eighth-graders for 12 months, they're 45 teams, geographically diverse to build those relationships that we talked about across all metrics of demographics. And those are named after service heroes, so John Lewis, Malala, Mandela, we have a Governor Patrick team, a Governor... Team, Devin McCourty team. So people who we consider service heroes and those are led by a high school alum, who's trained to be a mentor and team leader for 12 months. Carolyn: Our high school and college alumni are very... there's activism and it's across the political spectrum and across the causes right now that are very dominant, Black Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, so within our community. Of course, it's a microcosm of the world and a microcosm of Massachusetts. We have those perspectives and work to... What we are trying to do is trying to model and teach how to respect... how to have empathy, first of all, and respect for the dignity of all. Carolyn: And how to be an active and engaged listener where you may not leave a conversation condensed, but that you have been respectful and maybe you've learned something. It might not be enough to convince you in another direction, but the idea... So we're doing work on that now, how can we be more directive and deliberative around teaching collaborative leadership models and skill around communication. Carolyn: So civic dialogue, how do you do that in an authentic way, but in a way that respects the opinions of all? Jamie: That's so important. And you've mentioned this word a couple of times, empathy, teaching them empathy. To put themselves into other people's shoes and understand that we all come to the table with our own backgrounds, and our own perspectives, and how to listen and learn. Doesn't mean sacrificing and giving up what you believe in, but it actually, I think you grow in your own understanding of your own beliefs by listening to others and learning from others. Carolyn: Absolutely. Jamie: And I think that's a powerful thing. And Project 351 represents that because it was started by a Democratic governor and now very much supported by the current governor, Charlie Baker, who's a big supporter- Carolyn: Huge. Jamie: ... and he's always at launch day. Carolyn: Lauren. Jamie: And first lady Lauren is a force. It's one example how they can... I know you've made that point before that it's a bipartisan organization in that way that it started by Democrat and has continued and supported by a Republican. I think- Carolyn: I think ... sorry. Jamie: No, no. Go ahead. Carolyn: No, I was going to say, I think one of the things that feels just more and more important to starting Project 351, part of it is, it's marveled at the fact that if you just deeply believe in young people and are consistent in that messaging, where it's like I always tell... We have a very small team, but I always tell our team, I'm like, "I want Project 351 to be the source of affirmation only, like we believe you can do it," and constant, every day. Carolyn: And because then they believe it and they do, but you need to... One, you need the affirmation, two, they need the platform, then they need the tools, and then they need the microphone. Right? Jamie: Yeah. Carolyn: So their voice. That combination is also important right now, which is to say, because one of the things I fear is this just escalating violence as we get closer to the election, it terrifies me. I'm 54 years old, so I being the young person at this time, how terrified they must be or scared maybe. So how do we model and teach, create that form, create that affirmation, give them the tools and the platform, hand them the microphone, but in a way that is about, like you said, empathy, that is about inclusion. That's about deescalation around these issues that are polarizing, so that they can... Carolyn: And that's one of the things, I just did the end of week email to them. And I was closing it by saying that these are challenging times, but we have the opportunity to demonstrate when we serve and when we lead with compassion, that love wins and that you can unite through empathy and compassion. And how proud I am of them for continuing to do that work during these challenging times. And that adults are paying attention to them, those eighth-graders and those high school students. Jamie: That's right. Well, I have to say, one thing that being involved in this organization has given me is hope. Hope in the future, not only because of the young leaders and obviously definitely because of them, but also because of you and because of the people who are involved in the Project 351 family. People who show up just to volunteer for one of the events or serve as a bus captains who are just there. The adults in the room, so to speak, who are inspired and are inspiring is what I would say. Jamie: I think they also serve as an example, and in this day and age, I think we all could use a little hope. So thank you, Carolyn, appreciate it very much. Tell people how they can learn more about Project 351. Carolyn: Sure. You're the best. Before I do that, I want to just make sure one group that I didn't recognize, which is so important, because it's full circle coming back to my dad and mom is Project 351 would be impossible without our educators. Jamie: Yes. Carolyn: And I know that so many graduates of Holy Cross are either teachers or in the education field. Little shout out to my friend, Danielle who's an educator and others out there who are educators, and especially now with COVID what those professionals have been managing and experiencing and doing what they can to ensure that children are educated during this time remote or otherwise. Carolyn: I would be remiss if I didn't, because ours is a school-based model, partnering with schools to build social and emotional learning skills. And we're very outcomes-based, which is a little more wonky to get into, but an important part of what we're trying to do is trying to be a solution provider for school districts who are looking to build character, education, civic, engagement, social, and emotional learning and to build unity around diverse communities. Carolyn: And so I just want to make sure I appreciate all the educators and certainly my parents who were educators and extraordinary teachers and my siblings who aren't educators, but teach me every day still. Jamie: Thank you. Carolyn: Oh, how can they find out. You can come visit Project 351. We are www.project351.org and we welcome... Obviously with COVID, we're doing everything virtual, we're sort of... but one thing in terms of hope, you would think that the environment our young people are in and COVID, social distancing, and our engagement, our service impact has gone up. Jamie: Really? Carolyn: We're doing 9/11 tribute service which honors and remembers through service our largest in history. Our spring service with like 514 projects. Young people are looking to make a difference, they're looking for meaning, they're looking for connection. They want to be part of building the beloved community and creating opportunity for their neighbors. And if you want to be a part, we're a .org. Normally we have volunteer opportunities on launch day and reunion, and hopefully we'll get back to that in 2021. Carolyn: We're always grateful if anybody wants to support us financially because we're a small organization, but we leverage every dollar because we have this extraordinary volunteer army across the state. And so, grateful for the time, grateful to Maura for inviting me to be part of this, and to you, Jamie who's somebody that we hold up at Project 351 as leader, and friend, and role model and you made this so easy. I was so nervous and... Jamie: I really appreciate all you do, and I appreciate who you are, and I appreciate all your contributions. It really is comforting to know that there are people like you out there and there's a future generation who we're putting a lot on their shoulders to be sure, but I think they can carry it. I think they can carry it. And it gives me comfort to hear that, but thank you. This has been a lovely conversation. Carolyn: Thank you, and thank you to... If anyone listening, we just say thank you for sharing time with Jamie and me. Jamie: Thank you. Maura: That's our show. I hope you enjoyed hearing about just one of the many ways that Holy Cross alumni have been inspired by the mission to be people for and with others. A special thanks to today's guests and everyone at Holy Cross who has contributed to making this podcast a reality. If you or someone you know would like to be featured on this podcast, then please send us an email at alumnicareers@holycross.edu. If you like what you hear, then please leave us a review. This podcast is brought to you by the Office of Alumni Relations at the College of the Holy cross. You can subscribe for future episodes wherever you find your podcasts. I'm your host Maura Sweeney and this is Mission-Driven. In the words of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, now go forth and set the world on fire. Theme music composed by Scott Holmes, courtesy of freemusicarchive.org.

With coal exploration already happening on the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, Y2Y conservation scientist Dr. Aerin Jacob explains what's at stake, and what it means for Canadians and our water supply. Last week, our Question of the Week asked you about quality in politics. Today's Real Talk Round Table taps into your replies, as we check in with Conservative MP Mike Lake, former Ontario PC chief of staff Sarah Letersky, former Colorado Democratic strategist Conor Brown, CEO Julia Anderson, and CFL legend Adarius Bowman. And, of course, Ryan wraps up the show with another rousing edition of Trash Talk!

Jessica Sexton and Koen Schwenk sit down with Jodi Salvo to discuss Red Ribbon Week. Learn all about Red Ribbon Week and what it is, how it came to be, and what school districts in Tuscarawas County are doing to celebrate, including a door decoration at the home of County Commissioner Al Landis. Jessica works for OhioGuidestone and serves as the Youth Facilitator for the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and Youth-to-Youth (Y2Y) programs in the county. Koen is a junior at Dover High School and is an active member of both the YAB and Y2Y groups. Jessica and Koen provide information and share their experiences about these youth prevention programs. They talk about drug prevention and awareness in our youth, especially during this season of COVID when kids may have increased access to drugs due to school closings and remote learning. Parents! Listen as a high school student puts you on notice and provides insight about the world your kids are living in. Koen's willingness to be open and honest might help you recognize warning signs in your own children. Visit https://my.captivate.fm/www.adctusc.org (www.adctusc.org) for all your information about the Coalition and different types of drug use and prevention. Listen at https://my.captivate.fm/www.getlevelpod.com/adc (www.getlevelpod.com/adc). Or find the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts. Watch on YouTube! HELP SUPPORT THE SHOW! Please help support the show at https://my.captivate.fm/www.glow.fm/adctusc (www.glow.fm/adctusc) Support this podcast

We want YOU to listen to Y2Y! *cue Uncle Sam ~vibes~* This week Stacey and Katy bring on Haley to discuss what it's like to be a politically active adult...but don't worry, Haley isn't weird about it!!! The ladies discuss how to stay #relevant in politics, why you should even care, and what it's like starting out in a non-traditional job. Katy also gives her HOT TAKES on her Tampa Airport experience, and Stacey relieves her weekend in Charleston...oh, they also talk about podcast cycles #wut. Listen, like, share, subscribe, comment..you know the drill on Spotify, SoundCloud, and iTunes Podcasts- oh! and Instagram too @Yolo2YoPro

Why did the grizzly bear cross the road? Maybe for love or maybe for a snack! Many animals need room to roam, and sometimes the areas we protect just aren’t enough. This week we talk to renowned biologist Mark Boyce and Yellowstone to Yukon president and chief scientist Jodi Hilty as we learn about just how much space wildlife needs to thrive and survive. Learn more about Nature Needs Half at natureneedshalf.org. Follow Nature Needs Half on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. If you have a comment, question, or idea for the show please email us at podcast@natureneedshalf.org. This episode was written and produced by Courtney Burk and Ruth Midgley and edited by Josh Brouwers. Special thanks to everyone at the WILD Foundation for their support. More info:Pluie the Wolf The Y2Y region Ecologist Mark Boyce Support the show (https://www.wild.org/support/natureneedshalf/)

Kevin is in his third year studying evolutionary biology at Harvard College. In his free time, Kevin works at Y2Y Harvard Square, a student-run homeless shelter for young adults. Y2Y employs a youth-to-youth model to provide a safe and affirming environment for young adults experiencing homelessness. Y2Y guests have opportunities to collaborate with service providers, other youth experiencing homelessness, and student volunteers to create sustainable pathways out of homelessness and develop skills for long-term success. In this episode, Kevin talks about finding happiness in helping others, managing a homeless shelter and his aspiration to contribute to global health. Consider becoming a Listener Supporter. Be a part of the Afflatus community and enjoy exclusive membership rewards. Full details here: https://bit.ly/2PFDUS8 Subscribe here: https://anchor.fm/theafflatus/support Follow The Afflatus: www.facebook.com/aalok.rathod www.facebook.com/unciafilms www.instagram.com/al_rathod Follow Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-eappen-45514017a/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/theafflatus/support

Cambridge City Councillors Alanna Mallon and Sumbul Siddiqui return with a discussion on "Crazy Rich Asians," the Hysteria podcast, Evolve Fitness, Ayanna Pressley, the Middlesex DA's race, Sancta Maria, and the Y2Y youth shelter in Harvard Square. Recorded at Cambridge Community Television.

"DACA and the Crapholes" Hosts: Darren Weeks & Vicky Davis COMPLETE SHOW NOTES AND CREDITS AT: https://governamerica.com/radio/radio-archives/22097-govern-america-january-13-2018-daca-and-the-crapholes Hawaii is the victim of a false missile attack alarm. We break the news live on the air. How did this happen? Is this the 21st century version of "Duck and Cover"? Are elites building floating cities to be away from chaos when things go bad? As expected, the Bundys are freed as their case is dismissed with prejudice. Has the media begun to change their tune on the Bundy family, now that the corruption of the feds have been revealed? The Establishment media draws parallels between the Battle at Bunkerville, and the massacre of the Branch Davidians at Waco, Texas in 1993. Federal courts, judicial conference, and prosecutorial misconduct. Oddities associated with the latest California wildfires. Are people being burned off of their land to fulfill Agenda 21? We revisit the Y2Y initiative, and putting rural areas off limits to habitation by people. More and more restrictions are being put on property owners, pertaining to what they can do with their own land. The plan to get people out of their cars. Also, President Trump's alleged comments about "shithole countries" and the associated fallout. As the media condemns Trump for mere words, not a word is mentioned about why Haiti and Africa are in the state they are in. We address what the Establishment propagandists refuse to cover. Several phone calls throughout the show.

Host Jeff Olivet talks with Sarah Rosenkrantz and Sam Greenberg, co-founders of Y2Y Harvard Square—a student-run overnight shelter for young adults experiencing homelessness. They discuss how Y2Y provides sanctuary, pathways out of homelessness, and opportunities for advocacy in a trauma-informed environment. Visit thinkt3.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more resources to grow your impact. Organizations Mentioned During this Episode: Y2Y Harvard Square Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Boston Youth Advisory Board Phillips Brooks House Association A Way Home America   Resources: For info on many of the kinds of training mentioned by Sarah and Sam, check out t3’s course offerings. Access the TICOMETER to evaluate your organization’s need and progress in implementing trauma-informed care.

Host Jeff Olivet talks with Sarah Rosenkrantz and Sam Greenberg, co-founders of Y2Y Harvard Square—a student-run overnight shelter for young adults experiencing homelessness. They discuss how Y2Y provides sanctuary, pathways out of homelessness, and opportunities for advocacy in a trauma-informed environment. Visit thinkt3.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for more resources to grow your impact. Organizations Mentioned During this Episode: Y2Y Harvard Square Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Boston Youth Advisory Board Phillips Brooks House Association A Way Home America   Resources: For info on many of the kinds of training mentioned by Sarah and Sam, check out t3’s course offerings. Access the TICOMETER to evaluate your organization’s need and progress in implementing trauma-informed care.

Interview with Sarah Rosenkranz and Sam Greenberg, co-founders of Y2Y, an overnight shelter for homeless youth in Harvard Square, Cambridge, founded in 2012. Y2Y is a student-run or ‘youth-to-youth’ model, where volunteer college students – not human service professionals – staff and manage the program, run services and provide a safe environment for homeless youth. Once at the shelter, these youth can access a range of mental health, housing, education and job development services from partner agencies to help them create pathways out of homelessness. At the same time, Y2Y provides opportunities for both homeless youth and college student volunteers to become advocates for youth-driven solutions to homelessness and other social challenges. To date, Y2Y has provided shelter and support services to 193 homeless youth, and recruits 236 student volunteers per year.

This episode takes an in-depth look at the developments currently threatening to close off the last wildlife corridors moving through the Bow River Valley at Canmore. These developments include the Three Sisters and Smith Creek Developments, as well as the proposed development and gondola at Silvertip. http://traffic.libsyn.com/mountainnature/Ep024_Mountain_Nature_and_Culture_Podcast.mp3 Story 1 - Development Chokes off Wildlife Corridors Well, it's here - the moment that most Canmore locals have been dreading for decades - the day where we finally have to decide whether we want the Bow River Valley to have functional wildlife corridors or not. I first moved into Canmore in 1987 when there were only around 3,500 people that called this former coal mining town home. In 1988, Canmore hosted the Cross-country ski and Biathlon events for the Calgary Winter Olympic Games and suddenly, a billion people were introduced to this pristine mountain town. Since that time, the growth has been increasing exponentially. In 2016, the Canmore's official population was just shy of 14,000. Today, the town and province are faced with the task of deciding the future of three megadevelopments within the townsite. When these developments are completed, the population will swell to 34,000 in just a few years. Even more importantly though, these developments threaten to choke off the last few viable wildlife movement corridors in the Bow River Valley. This valley is significant on a continental level as part of the web of connecting corridors allowing wildlife to move through the entire Yellowstone to Yukon corridor. Towns like Canmore have the potential to pinch off these corridors, forcing wildlife onto steeper and steeper terrain and reducing the opportunities to safely move through the area. With developments currently planned for BOTH sides of the valley at the moment, protecting corridors becomes even more essential. Wildlife corridors only work if the animals using them feel safe and confident while they are traversing them. The longer the corridor, the wider it needs to be. Current guidelines specify a corridor of at least 450 m (1,500 feet) wide on a slope that does not exceed 25 degrees. Steep slopes make it more difficult for animals to travel and reduces the effectiveness of any corridor. However, hard and fast rules don't work in reality. Think about walking out of a shopping centre at midnight and having to walk to your car. If your car is in the middle of a well-lit parking lot with no obstacles blocking your view, you'll likely feel very confident. However, if your car is at the end of a long narrow alley obstructed by dumpsters, than you will likely have a very different feeling when it comes to walking towards your car. Wildlife corridors connect patches of habitat. The longer the corridor, the wider it needs to be. The corridor in Canmore is some 8km long. Previous studies recommended that a corridor that long should be at least 800 m wide. We also have to remember that we don't live on an island. Corridors are not just a pathway for animals to move, but routes through which vital genetic diversity also moves. When we talk about wildlife, connectivity is critical and animal movement simply doesn't happen if the corridor is too narrow, too busy or too steep. If we look at the history of grizzly bears over the past 150 years, they originally ranged from Mexico to the Yukon and Alaska, and eastward across much of Canada and the Northwest Territories. As more and more people settled the landscape, corridors got pinched off and disconnected populations became islands. In every case, those island populations eventually disappeared with one exception - Yellowstone. Today the map of grizzly bear populations also has a narrow peninsula and it runs right through the Bow River Valley. By not protecting the free movement of animals like grizzly bears, we risk helping to close another pinch point which could see many of the southern populations of grizzlies struggle to remain viable. This corridor is the very last to be negotiated through the Bow Valley. To the east and west, wildlife corridors are already protected within a variety of national and provincial parks. Much of the western portions of the valley already have established corridors. What remains to be defined are the eastern portions of the corridor through the Three Sisters and Smith Creek developments. Let's look at the challenges that wildlife must already negotiate as they approach this valley from the west. If you're grizzly 148 following the lower slopes of Mount Rundle and looking to head towards the Wind Valley or Skogan Pass, your first obstacle will be the labyrinth of trails that make up Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park. Depending on how busy the trails are, you may find yourself pushed up the slopes of Mount Rundle to bypass mountain bikers rapidly wending the twists and turns of the trail system. Riding these trails requires vigilance as bears also take advantage of these movement corridors. Mountain bikes move fast and quiet and there is always the risk of a close encounter. Once 148 bypasses the Nordic Centre, she hits her next roadblock - the Rundle Forebay. This linear canal completely blocks all movement east-west through the valley. 148's only option is to head towards Spray Lakes and eventually the wildlife bridge at the head of the valley. Originally, as part of the G8 legacy, the wildlife crossing was supposed to be much lower on the forebay but, as is often the case, the cost of bridging this wider section was considered too great. Instead, the current bridge sits less than a few metres from the bridge designed for hikers and mountain bikers. Once clear of the forebay, she passes Quarry Lake and the dog park with its huge numbers of off-leash dogs - many of which illegally venture beyond the boundaries of the off-leash area. Next up is the Peaks of Grassi subdivision. As a former resident of the Peaks, bears like 148 are constantly having to negotiate the many homes in this development. Finally, after passing that final house, 148 will enter the currently approved corridor. This should have been her final challenge on her journey towards Skogan Pass and the Wind Valley. Unfortunately, as we mentioned on episode 22, the wildlife corridor is crowded with extensive human use and high numbers of illegally off-leash dogs. Any agreements on corridors has to include increased enforcement of human use within designated corridors. These areas are already off-limits to human use but a lack of enforcement has led to more people than animals using the corridors - and unfortunately, many of those people have off leash dogs. There is also little in the way of signage to warn people that they are entering areas that are closed for wildlife usage. Any program to protect these corridors must start with extensive signage making it impossible to 'accidentally' find yourself in a closed area. Banff National Park has followed this route and it is very difficult to wander into a closed area without seeing a very clear sign indicating that entry is forbidden. Now back to bear 148…After running the gauntlet of people and dogs, she approaches the east end of the valley and her final hurdle. Bringing us to the current debate in terms of Three Sisters and Smith Creek. This is where she'll either be forced upslope to avoid even more development…or not. This is where she, along with wolves, cougars, wolverine, lynx, and bobcats will either make it through the valley…or not. Every obstacle to movement increases the likelihood of animals deciding that it is simply not worth the endless challenges to pass through. This is the point that we'll have closed the last corridor off and rendered the last 20 years of negotiations towards keeping the area viable moot. So let's take a closer look at the current proposals. The most pressing issue in terms of timeliness is the pending approval of Quantum Place Development's Stewart and Smith Creek proposals. There's only a very short time to make your voice heard on this issue. As I record this on April 10, 2016, there are less than 10 days to let your provincial and local politicians know that you stand for wildlife and that development must not come at the expense of working corridors. If you want to get a really great look at how development and wildlife corridors intersect, check out a video that I've linked to in the show notes. It's dated from 2013 and is hosted on the Yellowstone to Yukon website. It's narrated by Karsten Heuer who's one of the best-known conservationists in the valley. Most recently, he was in charge of the bison re-introduction program in Banff National Park. You can view the video below: https://vimeo.com/61105253 Because wildlife corridors have been a contentious issue in this valley for decades, there is a wealth of scientific research detailing the historic use of the valley by wildlife. Three Sisters would like you to think that wildlife use in the proposed corridor would be unaffected by their development and that their corridor would be equally effective to other proposals. By looking at the historic use of the valley by grizzly bears and wolves, it is clear that the preference of these animals is for flat, low elevation habitat. By overlaying grizzly and wolf movements from the 1990s and early 2000s on an aerial image of the valley, it's instantly evident that prior to development, wildlife definitely preferred areas that have since been made unavailable due to increased housing development. Historic studies show a great deal of use the currently unfinished golf course. While it was not built at the time, it shows a bias towards low elevation, flat portions of the valley. Currently, it is listed as a conservation easement, but truly should be part of the wildlife corridor. The proposed Smith Creek corridor shows almost no historic use by wolves or bears. In fact, all of the historic use was in areas that are now scheduled to be developed as part of the Smith Creek site 7 development. What does that mean for wildlife using the proposed corridor? Up you go. This Smith Creek corridor has lots of steep terrains that simply doesn't work as a corridor. In a 2010 report on wildlife movement through the valley, it was found that cougars spend 95% of their time on slopes less than 30°, wolves on slopes less than 21.3°, lynx 23.4° and deer 3.7°. It's obvious that animals look for slopes that don't exceed an average incline of 25°. If you look at an aerial photograph of the proposed corridor, and then overlay slopes in excess of 25°, then most of the corridor to the east of Smith Creek becomes completely unusable. It's simply too steep to be considered viable. There is also a fair amount of steep terrain impinging on the unfinished golf course which forces animals downslope towards the developed areas of the valley. If we agree that a corridor that is over 8 km long should be at least 800m wide, this would take the Smith Creek corridor almost right down to the Trans Canada Highway. When the Stewart and Smith Creek developments are completed, it will almost double the population of Canmore, adding another 10,000 residents to the census. Ironically, the same company that is currently assisting Quantum Place Developments to push through this development is also the same company that reported in 2002 that: "the original along-valley corridor design was based on a uniform width of 450m and was placed on slopes above the proposed development with little regard for potential pinch points". They also went on to say "The design is NOT recommended given our increased knowledge of wildlife movements and proper corridor design" In this same report, they came up with a compromise. Instead of an 800m corridor, they would settle on 635 meters plus a buffer of the unfinished golf course fairways. Ironically, this is very similar to the proposal that organizations like the Yellowstone to Yukon would like to see happen. Yellowstone to Yukon has proposed a true 450m corridor that would ensure that the corridor remains below 25°. Experts agree that it should be as wide as 850 to 1000m for a corridor of this length. The 450m corridor currently proposed by Three Sisters does not come close to a workable solution. Corridors also need to follow a fairly straight line because that's how animals travel. They may take detours and zig zag as they move, but having a straight corridor has been shown to be more effective. As it is, most of the proposed development already lies within the landscapes that wildlife prefers to be. Y2Y's proposed line would move the upper boundary of the corridor downslope to make sure there was a 450m corridor that remains in good terrain. When it comes to the south corridor, this is our last chance. There won't be any future opportunities to undo the decisions made in the valley today. Decisions we make here also affect wildlife populations both to the south and north - especially if we cut off the ability of key species to move freely. So what can you do? Visit the show notes for this episode for a list of ways you can directly engage with decision-makers before it is too late. I'll have links, email addresses and ways that you can make your voice heard at this critical time. Three sites that are very helpful include:  http://www.bowvalleyengage.com www.canmorecommons.com as well as a petition on change.org. Change.org Corridor Petition Most importantly, write a letter to: Roger Ramcharita, Executive Director, Environment and Parks South Saskatchewan Region. He is the final arbiter of the corridor design through the Three Sisters Development. His email address is: AEP.wildlifecorridor@gov.ab.ca cc: Cam Westhead, MLA, Banff - Cochrane: banff.cochrane@assembly.ab.ca cc: Shannon Phillips, Minister of Environment and Parks: AEP.minister@gov.ab.ca In your letter, be firm in your desire to see a corridor no less than 450m wide on slopes less than 25 degrees.  This is NOT to be determined by the developer but by an independent assessment. While an 800-metre width would be better, there should be no area less than 450m and the current proposals allow too much steep terrain to be considered an effective corridor, especially in the area of the undeveloped golf course and the Smith Creek Corridor. This valley is significant on a continental scale as a key connecting corridor for the entire Yellowstone to Yukon ecosystem. We cannot afford to lose any threads in this interconnected corridor. Finally, ask for a full cumulative impact assessment that will take into consideration ALL of the proposed developments in the valley including Stewart and Smith Creek, Silvertip and Dead Man's Flats. Don't forget to share this with your social network. Urge your friends to reach out to the decision makers right away. The clock is ticking out. Next up…gondolas and gambling Story 2 – Silvertip Finally, let's look at the proposed development at Silvertip on the north side of the Trans-Canada Highway. This single development would add 3,000 residential units to the community along with a 300,000 square foot conference centre, 1,300 additional hotel rooms, a casino and a gondola ascending to the old teahouse site on Mount Lady Macdonald. The development would also squeeze off one of the two principal wildlife corridors in the Bow Valley. This valley is already the most highly developed landscape where grizzlies are still able to survive. By adding a gondola that traverses the wildlife corridor within Bow Valley Wildland Provincial Park, we risk adding thousands of more visitors to this critical movement corridor. The developer would like you to believe that since the gondola will quietly ascend from high above the animals that it will have little impact. However, by looking at Sulphur Mountain Gondola in Banff National park, you can get a much clearer picture of what will likely take place here. Once the gondola is built, the number of trail users walking the trail is going to increase to numbers vastly larger than today. With a trail that takes you up to a gondola, you can easily descend down at the end of the hike. Sulphur Mountain Trail in Banff is a steady stream of ill-equipped walkers wearing flip-flops and trainers. Most of them don't have any water, a backpack with extra clothing or even bear spray. Do we really want to attract this brand of hiker to wander into an active wildlife corridor without the necessary safety equipment or the knowledge of how to stay safe in bear country? Vancouver's Grouse Grind is a classic example where ill-equipped hikers head onto a challenging trail resulting in rescues, searches and in some cases deaths. The biggest component of this development is its 300,000 square foot conference centre. To put this into a simple context, it's the equivalent size of combining both the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary AND the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton! Do we really need a facility of this size in Canmore? A few weeks ago, the developer, Guy Turcotte hosted a public open house to help locals better understand the development. During his presentation, he touted historic studies indicating that the wildlife corridors showed 'little' impact from the Silvertip development. To support his position, he quoted a study by biologist Paul Pacquette published more than 15 years ago. What he doesn't realize is that Paul Paquette, just this past summer, described the Bow Valley somewhat differently. In his words: “It’s a wildlife ghetto. People need to understand, the Bow Valley has two townsites that are growing, two highways, a corridor for high transmission power lines, dams, golf courses, ski hills … They’ve got all that in the valley, so you can imagine the responses for the wolves and wildlife – it’s a ghetto for them and they’re trying to survive in there.” This is not the voice of a biologist supporting development, or the developers approach to wildlife corridors. If you're going to invoke the word of a respected scientist, you might want to find out his current opinion. Turcotte also repeatedly stressed a few critical aspects of the development: First, he needs the casino and the gondola to provide a steady flow of cash to satisfy billion dollar investors. He also insisted that the entire development has to be built in a single stage in order to put an entire Whistler-style development on the market with little delay, again so he can maximize returns to investors. There are still some major flaws in his current plans. First, wildland parks prohibit developing facilities such as gondolas. He is hoping to take advantage of a small leasehold excluded from the park boundaries. This is the site of a long-abandoned helicopter teahouse, however the scale of his development would dramatically exceed its outer dimensions. He also needs permits for all of the towers and other structures within the park that would be necessary to support a gondola, and these would also violate the rules of a wildland park. We also need to take a province-wide look at this. Making an exception is this park creates a precedent that puts all the other 33 Wildland Provincial Parks at risk. Another casino in Alberta today is nothing exciting - it's just another casino. The province is crawling with them. He'll be competing with 24 other casinos in the province. It's a bit of fluff to tickle the wallets of investors From a conservation standpoint, the fact that the whole enchilada has to be developed in one step could just be his Achilles heel. If opponents to this development can delay any single aspect, then they can help derail the entire development. At the presentation, the room was full of people and not one of them seemed to be supporting the project. When you get a moment, take a drive up the Silvertip road. It's a narrow winding road not nearly built to handle the amount of traffic that would result from this scale of Rocky Mountain terraforming. I will definitely be putting pressure on Alberta Environment and Parks. If we can stop the gondola, we can help to stem the flow of cash and hopefully make a development like this far less attractive to investors. At the very least, it will dramatically reduce the human use in the existing corridor if there is not the siren song of a gondola calling tourists up the steep slopes of Mount Lady Macdonald. I hope that I never see the day that Silvertip has to rebrand itself after playing a role in forcing grizzly bears to abandon the valley. As a community, we need to join together to make sure that the valley we choose is one which we want our grandchildren to be proud to call home. It's time to draw a line and say enough is enough.

Chatting with Y2Y.net Alberta Program Coordinator, Hilary Young (of Canmore, Alberta). She and Ryan get into into how this important corridor figures into the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, issues along the front range, developments in the Bow Valley, and much more.

Many Albertans identify with wild landscapes and in southwestern Alberta, the Castle region is iconic. The struggle for protection dates back more than a century, when the young government of Canada set aside much of the Eastern Slopes in Alberta as a forest reserve to protect water sources and to benefit future generations on the Prairies. For several decades in earlier times, the Castle was part of Waterton Lakes National Park. Fast forward to January 20, 2017, the Alberta Government announced the establishment of the Castle and Wildland Provincial Parks. That all came about after years of advocacy and lobbying by many individual and groups, among them the Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition (CCWC) and Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y). The widely applauded protected area covers 105,500 hectares. However, there are concerns and voices about what a protected area should look like. The speakers will present science-based research and area-focused surveys that suggest legally protecting the area is in the best long-term interest of Albertans, despite special interests concerns. Speakers: Andrea Hlady and Connie Simmons Andrea Hlady is passionate about working to protect our natural spaces. In her current role as President of the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition she leads a group of scientists, land-owners, and concerned citizens to use their voices and skills most effectively to advocate for legal... protection of the Castle Wilderness area in SW Alberta. Andrea has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Lethbridge and a Master's of Arts in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. In addition to her work in conservation, Andrea advises NGO's on how to increase the numbers and strength of women supporters to the organizations. In 2013, she founded the Women Pronghorns Basketball Endowment fund at the University of Lethbridge. Connie Simmons has been actively involved in watershed stewardship, environmental education, and activism for over 30 years. She has a PhD. from the University of Alberta within the discipline on environmental ethics and conservation history, and has used this focus to chart paths through many positions, including working as a coordinator for the First Nations led Keepers of the Athabasca; as Executive Director of the Athabasca Watershed Planning and Advisory Council; and as Planning Manager with the Oldman Watershed Council to complete the Oldman Headwaters Action Plan 2014. Currently, Connie is actively working with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative to bring their perspectives to the Draft Castle Management Plan process, and will be continuing her work with Y2Y as their Crown Program Coordinator. Moderator:   Klaus Jericho Date: Thursday, March 2, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea)

Many Albertans identify with wild landscapes and in southwestern Alberta, the Castle region is iconic. The struggle for protection dates back more than a century, when the young government of Canada set aside much of the Eastern Slopes in Alberta as a forest reserve to protect water sources and to benefit future generations on the Prairies. For several decades in earlier times, the Castle was part of Waterton Lakes National Park. Fast forward to January 20, 2017, the Alberta Government announced the establishment of the Castle and Wildland Provincial Parks. That all came about after years of advocacy and lobbying by many individual and groups, among them the Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition (CCWC) and Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y). The widely applauded protected area covers 105,500 hectares. However, there are concerns and voices about what a protected area should look like. The speakers will present science-based research and area-focused surveys that suggest legally protecting the area is in the best long-term interest of Albertans, despite special interests concerns. Speakers: Andrea Hlady and Connie Simmons Andrea Hlady is passionate about working to protect our natural spaces. In her current role as President of the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition she leads a group of scientists, land-owners, and concerned citizens to use their voices and skills most effectively to advocate for legal... protection of the Castle Wilderness area in SW Alberta. Andrea has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Lethbridge and a Master's of Arts in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. In addition to her work in conservation, Andrea advises NGO's on how to increase the numbers and strength of women supporters to the organizations. In 2013, she founded the Women Pronghorns Basketball Endowment fund at the University of Lethbridge. Connie Simmons has been actively involved in watershed stewardship, environmental education, and activism for over 30 years. She has a PhD. from the University of Alberta within the discipline on environmental ethics and conservation history, and has used this focus to chart paths through many positions, including working as a coordinator for the First Nations led Keepers of the Athabasca; as Executive Director of the Athabasca Watershed Planning and Advisory Council; and as Planning Manager with the Oldman Watershed Council to complete the Oldman Headwaters Action Plan 2014. Currently, Connie is actively working with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative to bring their perspectives to the Draft Castle Management Plan process, and will be continuing her work with Y2Y as their Crown Program Coordinator. Moderator:   Klaus Jericho Date: Thursday, March 2, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea)

Many Albertans identify with wild landscapes and in southwestern Alberta, the Castle region is iconic. The struggle for protection dates back more than a century, when the young government of Canada set aside much of the Eastern Slopes in Alberta as a forest reserve to protect water sources and to benefit future generations on the Prairies. For several decades in earlier times, the Castle was part of Waterton Lakes National Park. Fast forward to January 20, 2017, the Alberta Government announced the establishment of the Castle and Wildland Provincial Parks. That all came about after years of advocacy and lobbying by many individual and groups, among them the Castle Crown Wilderness Coalition (CCWC) and Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y). The widely applauded protected area covers 105,500 hectares. However, there are concerns and voices about what a protected area should look like. The speakers will present science-based research and area-focused surveys that suggest legally protecting the area is in the best long-term interest of Albertans, despite special interests concerns. Speakers: Andrea Hlady and Connie Simmons Andrea Hlady is passionate about working to protect our natural spaces. In her current role as President of the Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition she leads a group of scientists, land-owners, and concerned citizens to use their voices and skills most effectively to advocate for legal... protection of the Castle Wilderness area in SW Alberta. Andrea has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Lethbridge and a Master's of Arts in Philanthropy and Development from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota. In addition to her work in conservation, Andrea advises NGO's on how to increase the numbers and strength of women supporters to the organizations. In 2013, she founded the Women Pronghorns Basketball Endowment fund at the University of Lethbridge. Connie Simmons has been actively involved in watershed stewardship, environmental education, and activism for over 30 years. She has a PhD. from the University of Alberta within the discipline on environmental ethics and conservation history, and has used this focus to chart paths through many positions, including working as a coordinator for the First Nations led Keepers of the Athabasca; as Executive Director of the Athabasca Watershed Planning and Advisory Council; and as Planning Manager with the Oldman Watershed Council to complete the Oldman Headwaters Action Plan 2014. Currently, Connie is actively working with the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative to bring their perspectives to the Draft Castle Management Plan process, and will be continuing her work with Y2Y as their Crown Program Coordinator. Moderator:   Klaus Jericho Date: Thursday, March 2, 2017 Time: Noon - 1:30 PM (30 minutes each for presentation, lunch and Q & A) Location: Country Kitchen Catering (lower level of The Keg) 1715 Mayor Magrath Dr. S Cost: $12.00 (includes lunch) or $2.00 (includes coffee/tea)

I’m so thankful for my friend, Alice Colegrove. For nearly twenty years, Alice has worked on initiatives to help youth and young adults exit homelessness. She has worked on the issue of homelessness at nearly every level including local direct service, city and state policy initiatives, and national academic forums.  Locally, she has over fifteen years of direct service experience, including street outreach with homeless youth and young adults in Boston and Cambridge, MA, and she is an active member of the advisory board for the Y2Y youth shelter in Harvard Square. And today she came on the podcast to tell us her story and teach us about homelessness and what we can do to alleviate the suffering of so many people.  This episode was particularly special for me because of the make up of our church, we're so close to Skid Row and oftentimes I feel out of my depth. I know I want to help and I'm moved by the need every time I drive downtown, but I don't know where to being. Alice really spoke to those concerns and gave me the pep talk I need.  If you've been wondering where you fit in to God's story of shalom for those experiencing homelessness, I know this is an episode you'll love.   I’m amazed at her story; as a young girl in D.C. she had a heart for persons experiencing homelessness.  I loved her person-centered language in “say this not that” segment and how she encouraged us to learn the names of the homeless we meet. I was so challenged by that! Alice empowered us with the Shalom Steps of: I also appreciated her thoughts on when you first start to volunteer at a homeless shelter that go along with Shalom Step #1: Instead of thinking about what you're doing, think about but you're seeing and let that guide you on what to do next. When I’m downtown L.A. I want to have courage and compassion to make eye contact and say hello. On this Episode We Walk About What a day in the life of a youth experiencing homelessness looks like. The answer to the question, “Should I give change to a homeless person” How she balances motherhood and ministry The biggest needs and challenges for homeless youth. It was a really important conversation for me, especially since I've been thinking about this putting together the homeless care packages from last episode with my kiddos, but didn't want to do it just to pat myself on the back, I wanted it to mean something.  With Alice's advice to "check my heart" and funnel my desire to help alleviate the suffering of those experiencing homelessness through the lens of Micah 6:8, I feel to energized to seek shalom of homeless youth and young adults. Shalom in your earbuds, Sistas!   ~Osheta    

Feature #1: Last month, astronomers working on the Hubble Space Telescope announced the discovery of another, fourth moon around Pluto; this moon is so small that it could fit easily inside Boulder County (a pretty tricky thing to find at a distance of three and a half billion miles). The researchers who found the new moon were making observations in support of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, which is en route to fly by and study Pluto in 2015, and continue onward to explore the mysterious region beyond Pluto’s orbit known as the Kuiper Belt. How On Earth’s Ted Burnham recently met with Alan Stern, principal investigator on New Horizons, to talk about what the discovery means for that mission. [An extended version of the interview also is available.] Feature #2: The significant loss of species on Earth is primarily due to human destruction of habitats, forests and other wild nature, to make room for new development and agriculture. Climate change is also accelerating the rate of species extinction. Among the efforts worldwide to protect wilderness and nature so wild animals can survive is a Boulder-based nonprofit called The WILD Foundation. Harvey Locke is the organization’s vice president for conservation strategy and he helped launch the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) several years ago and oversees a global campaign called Nature Needs Half. Y2Y's goal is to create a continuous 2,000-mile corridor for wildlife from Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. to the Yukon in Northern Canada. Harvey joins us in the studio to talk about that campaign and the science behind wildlife preservation targets. Co-hosts: Susan Moran and Joel Parker Engineer: Joel Parker Executive Producer: Susan Moran Show Producer: Joel Parker