Wild Earth Integration

Hey all!

I’ve got some good news and some great news today, annnnd it just might happen to involve some free stuff for you, too!

Some of you might recall my post about New Zealand travel secrets. (If not, that’s okay I won’t track you down or anything). Well, the nice folks at Tripbase have recruited me, and along with a group of other authors and bloggers they’ve put together a series of travel ebooks. Hurrah ebooks!

That’s the good news. The great news #1 is that these books are available free to you. Great news #2 is that for every person that nabs one, they’re going to donate $1 to Charity:Water. That’s something worth celebrating.

I know my readers are a well informed crew, so I don’t have to tell you that fresh water is a privilege that many people on this planet don’t have.

In fact, almost one billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water.

One billion.

To top if off, this lack of clean water kills more people than all forms of violence, including war, and causes 80% of all disease.

But you can help.

What you need to know:

• For every downloaded ebook, a $1 donation is made to Charity:Water – these fine people work to build freshwater wells and provide clean drinking water to those in developing nations
• Charity:Water ensures that 100% of donations directly fund water projects.
• Our target is to build 4 freshwater wells, to provide clean water for an entire school for the next 20 years.

All aboard?

Click here to grab your free ebooks (there are 7 for you!) and join the growing group of people helping provide life saving fresh water to those who need it.

Oh, and feel free to pass this page along to friends to get the ball rolling, hmm? Let’s get this party started!

Roz Savage rocks.

If you haven’t been following Ted talks (what’s wrong with you?!), you should definitely check out this little gem. Roz is a British lady, who woke up one morning and felt like her life wasn’t quite right.

To figure out what to do about it, she decided to write two versions of her obituary.

The first obituary was for the life path she was currently on, a good life, but not quite the life she had envisioned for herself.

The second obituary told another story – of a her life full of adventure, excitement and most importantly, meaning.

Looking at the two versions, she realized that was a large discrepancy between them: if she wanted the life she really wanted, she would have to make some changes.

In true hero form, she quit her job (I love it when people do that) and decided to row across the oceans. Alone.

I hate to be a Stevie Spoiler here, so I won’t go into the details of the rest of her story. But I will draw your attention to one part: before going on her adventure, Roz had a very specific idea about what ‘adventurers’ were supposed to look like.

Might be worth thinking about whether you see yourself as an adventurer too?

Of course, we’re all about saving the planet here. Yes, she talks about that too.

Click here to see this awesome video.

You don’t need a blog post to tell you that the Earth could use our help right now.

So instead, this Earth Day, I challenge you to do something.

People protect what they love – so take a moment and think about what you love.

Now the important part:

How you feel only matters to you. What you do and how you act are the real game changers.

If you love dolphins, take a stand and head on over here to visit the website from the video. If you love your pet, support your local SPCA. If having wild spaces on the planet is important to you, check out WWF. If your heart is tugged by the plight of animal cruelty, WSPA might be more for you.

Of course, supporting organizations such as these isn’t the only way to protect the Earth. You could also:

Plant a tree, pick up litter, participate in a shoreline cleanup, educate children, educate seniors, walk not drive, turn the lights out, recycle, unplug everything, reverse your fans, create a wildlife habitat, compost, use both sides of the paper, buy less, hike more, turn the water off, ban disposable cups, check your car for leaks, read earth saving books, buy used, clean with vinegar, switch to energy efficient bulbs, make sure your fridge is at 40 degrees, use cloth bags, respect what you eat, support local farmers, stop junk mail, snip 6-pack rings, buy dolphin safe tuna, avoid tropical hardwoods, carpool, aerate your faucet, take a little less, give a little more…

and last but not least: spread the word.

This world has been mighty good to us, so this Earth Day, I challenge you!

Keep it wild!

Sometimes, you can see patterns in nature when you look at the bigger picture. Stepping back, widening your view and taking stock from afar can elucidate a lot of nature’s secrets.

Then, there are times when looking very, very closely can help open your eyes.

This is one of those times.

I hope you enjoy this video, all about the nature, numbers and grace.

Keep it wild!

Where oh where have I been? Writing!

I’m currently working on two books right now and the whole literary gauntlet has gotten me thinking about the nature of writing.

While staring aimlessly out the window slaving away at the computer, I realized that nature has a lot of lessons to offer, even to the big, bad world of publishing. So for my fellow writers out there (or readers, we’re all friends here), here are a few thoughts on writing, and nature.

• Great things take time. Even the best books out there started with a first line. If you really want to see how important they are, grab some classics and read only the first sentence. Call me Ishmael, indeed. But the point here is that everything starts small. A great example of this is the butterfly. Everybody’s favorite flying tapestry started out first as a little grub, then a caterpillar, then a chrysalis and then and only then the beautiful butterfly we all recognize. Go easy on yourself during your grub stage.

• Go with it, but don’t go crazy. You wouldn’t expect a cheetah to run 70 clicks an hour without stopping. The writing process has its ups and downs – sometimes you’re off with a vengeance, clicking away on the keys like a hummingbird on speed. These moments normally arrive after percolating for minutes, hours or even days. But inevitably, they end and you’re left with either a piece worth keeping or a rant. The cheetah doesn’t know if it’s going to catch the gazelle, but it runs like mad when it can anyways. If it doesn’t, it saves its energy for the next run. It’s all about taking the chance when it’s there without overdoing it.

• Rest. This is one of the most important yet overlooked parts of the writing process. Everything needs time to recoup after working hard. What the hell do you think winter is? You may not realize it, but when you’re ‘resting’ you’re also taking in ideas, forming new ideas and practicing phrasings in your head. In the same way winter incubates new life for the spring, your mind incubates new ideas when you’re chilling!

I hope you’ve all been doing well out there – keep it wild!

“Simplify, Simplify” – Henry David Thoreau

THEN: sandbox

NOW: sanitizers

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THEN: conversation

NOW: American Idol

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THEN: Tag

NOW: Teletubbies

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THEN: Sunshine

NOW: Vitamin D tablets

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THEN: Homework

NOW: www.allfreeessays.com

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THEN: reality

NOW: virtual reality

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THEN: farms

NOW: factories

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THEN: grass-fed

NOW: hormone-fed

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THEN: Books

NOW: e-books

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THEN: soil

NOW: landfill

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THEN: tree-climbing

NOW: corporate climbing

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THEN: Salad

NOW: Snack Size Fruit & Walnut Salad – Apple slices and red grapes [apples, red grapes, calcium ascorbate (a blend of calcium and vitamin C added to maintain natural freshness and color)] Vanilla Lowfat Yogurt [cultured pasteurized Grade A reduced milk fat, sugar, food starch-modified, fructose, whey protein concentrate, corn starch, kosher gelatin, natural (plant source) and artificial flavor, potassium sorbate (added to maintain freshness), artificial color], candied walnuts [walnuts, TBHQ and BHT added as preservatives) sugar, peanut oil, dry honey, salt, wheat starch, maltodextrin, xanthan gum, soy lecithin, natural (plant source) and artificial flavor.]

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THEN: leg warmers

NOW: global warmers

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THEN: Pad of paper

NOW: iPad

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THEN: filling minds

NOW: filling houses

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THEN: off-the-clock

NOW: ’round-the-clock

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THEN: coffee

NOW: double decaf latte with mocha sprinkles

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THEN: green space

NOW: no space

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived” – Henry David Thoreau

Hey!

It’s Family Literacy Day.

Or as I like to call it, “put down the joystick and pick up a book’ Day. Rock on.

As you know, we go pretty nutso about nature and animals here. So I thought I’d inspire you with some nature and animal inspired reading for you and yours on this literary occasion.

I organized (or at least, attempted it) my bookshelves yesterday. We’ve recently had to install a handful of extra bookshelves because *someone* has too many books. Alas, I admit it – my name is Jess and I’m a book-a-holic.

The good news is, I found some gems in there you may love. Here are the tops gracing my shelves, for the nature adventurer in you:

• Walden and Other Writings by Henry David Thoreau – This guy basically said ‘Bah! Enough of society!’ and took off to live by himself in a cabin for 2 years. He grew his own food, talked with the animals and pulled the ultimate ‘unplugging’ known to man. His writing will make you want to go outside immediately and start preparing lists of vegetables.

• The Survival Handbook by Peter Darman – A book that everybody should have, in my opinion, because you just never know when you’re going to end up in the mountains without anything but some toothpicks and a shoelace. Learning the survival skills of “the world’s elite forces” will make you a better person, not to mention make for some great party tricks.

• The Sacred Balance by David Suzuki – Should be required reading for people who live on Earth. That is to say, everyone.

• The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff – Bekoff is easily one of my favorite writers and scientists. I was lucky enough to meet him at a lecture and his passion is contagious. This book outlines his work as a cognitive ethologist (someone who explores animal minds) and is a must read for animal lovers.

• The Tale of Peter Rabbit (the whole series) by Beatrix Potter – This woman is one of my heroes. She was not only a talented writer and artist, she had the observant eye of a scientist. Back in the day when women were expected to seek nothing in life other than a rich dude (gag me), Beatrix was writing nature journals in code and publishing what would later be the most successful children’s books of all time. Treat yourself to one of these classics.

• White Fang by Jack London – Nobody writes nature like Mr. London. To the best of my knowledge, this was one of the first books told from the perspective of an animal main character. You might want to move to the North after this one and buy some sled dogs.

• Supernature by Lyall Watson – I’ll bet a dollar to a donut that most people haven’t heard of this one. But don’t let its obscurity fool you. It’s a book about the ‘natural history of the supernatural’, but it’s not talking about ghosts and zombies. This book is about communication between living things, including plants. When science catches up with the natural world, I have a feeling this book will resurface and we’ll all say “Ohhh.. here it is written down already!” Definitely one for the ol’ noodle.

• Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr. Don’t lie – you’ve fantasized about living on a tropical island. Feed your imagination with this book and revel in a life where coconut is a staple. Also a great one to read to your kids during the grey of winter.

There you have it! I know there’s a lot I haven’t covered here, so I’d love to hear what books you pull out for a dose of nature – leave ‘em in the comments!

Happy Literacy Day, stay wild!

I have some happy news this week – as of 12:26 on Sunday morning, I officially have a new baby nephew!

My brother and his wife had their first child – a happy, healthy 7 pound 7 ounce wonder – born exactly on his due date. He clearly understands the importance of being punctual.

We are all ecstatic of course, and all of this baby business got me thinking about how much the world has changed since I was a wee one. Being a child of the 80′s (yes, I’m still rather young, but I *have* seen four decades), my generation has seen the rise of the Internet, globalization, climate change and yes, the Wii.

In the digital age, it’s easy to get seduced by the details. The high-res-high-def-high-speed-surround-sound-microwaveable-would-you-like-fries-with-that mentality is everywhere. I wondered what things my little nephew would see in his lifetime. How would the landscapes of the world change?

Then it hit me – the best things in life, those things that truly affect us, are timeless. The things I enjoy most about the world are the things my parents enjoyed, and theirs before them. They are also the things I hope any children I have would get to see. Incidentally, they’re also free.

Bonus.

So here, little nephew, is a list for you and other children (and kids-at-heart like my lovely blog readers), to remind you of the timeless things in life.

In your life, I wish you:

• Birds outside your window, singing away the night every morning.
• Mud to squish between your toes. Don’t worry what your parents say, just tell them that feet wash.
• Snow-fort building snow, and lots of it.
• Hot summer days, shared with lemonade, cool breezes and true friends.
• Open fields with itchy grasses that tickle your legs while you run.
• Flat rocks to skip, and big ones that just make huge splashes.
• Stars to count while you’re camping, or just to gaze at when you’re feeling small.
• Bugs! Watch them, follow them, enjoy them and set them free again.
• Trees to climb, with perfectly placed ‘helper’ branches.
• Polar bears, tigers and gray wolves. Remember every life has its place.
• Waterfalls that take your breath away.
• Heights that do the same.
• Hot sand on a beach that makes you do the anti-burn dance.
• Strawberry baskets for catching crayfish in ponds.
• Bridges. Some will lead you to better versions of yourself.
• Crackly piles of raked-up leaves in the fall. Feel free to leaf-dive.
• Rain on your face and inside your rubber boots. *Squish*
• Winter coat zippers that never nip at your chin as you do them up.
• A warm towel after a cool swim in the blue ocean.
• Books. These will take you to rainforests, deserts and the depths of the ocean.
• Grass stains on your legs and the perfect walking stick.
• Feathery, furry and scaly friends to learn about.
• And last but not least, a trusty dog. He’ll be a friend for life that you’ll never forget.

Happy Monday everyone! I’d love to hear about your timeless nature thoughts, so leave ‘em in the comments if you’re up to it!

Keep it wild!

I’ve been tagged! For an adventurous game of blog tag, that is. That’s right, Tripbase is putting together a series of posts on travel secrets. I’m a big fan of tag, so I’ll gladly accept this challenge!

Being a proponent of the motto ‘Go big or go home’, my first trip away was to New Zealand. After 23 hours on a plane (3/4 of which was spent listening to James Blunt concerts on loop – Lord save me), I found myself in what I can only describe as ‘a postcard on Earth’.

Put it this way – you could give a monkey a camera and set him free in New Zealand, and within a week he would return with the most gorgeous pictures you’ve ever seen. The landscape writes itself. As a zoologist, naturalist and writer, I was in heaven.

My 3 Wild Secrets to exploring this stunning destination? Read on, Frodo.

#1. Risk your life (in the presence of a trained professional).

A good place to do this is at the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Glowworm cave exploring sounds like a nice, safe adventure doesn’t it? That’s exactly what I thought when a feisty little tour guide named Snappy was describing our task. (Looking back, her name should have tipped me off).

I’ll let you in on a secret – when black water rafting to see glowworms, there is no raft. Instead, you are given an inner tube and propelled into the deep, black abyss of glow worm caves. You are told to hang onto your partners hand (if you don’t, you could actually float away) and that the water is quite cold, so don’t be surprised if you lose feeling in your hands. Yes, the very hands that are meant to keep you attached to your peers. Excellent.

The most harrowing part of the adventure is reaching an underground waterfall. Here, you are told to “turn around, face your butt (contained in said inner tube) away from the falls, and jump off backwards”. Of course, you can’t actually see the falls because of the inky blackness, nor can you judge exactly how high you are jumping from. At this point I was considering how quickly one must get medical attention after a concussion. What do you do? You take a deep breath, listen to Snappy and jump! I promise, this adventure is one for the books!

Why it’s worth it: Glowworms are nature’s reply to the constellations in the sky.

#2 Go glacier hopping.

Franz Josef Glacier is one of a handful of temperate glaciers in the world. This means it’s situated in a rainforest, but is somehow still a frozen block of ice that can be seen all year round. This is one not to miss on your trip to NZ, because of its sheer awesomeness. I mean that in terms of its actual size, and also its badass-ness.

Whenever you glacier hop, you’re given a pair of metal spike attachments for your boots. These will not only make you feel like a superhero, but will help you out immensely in those moments of sheer terror. (Did I mention I have a bit of a fear of heights?)

While climbing Franz Josef, you will learn you have muscles in places you only dreamed of. This glacier is a bit of an optical illusion – while climbing (and looking only at the white in front of you), you don’t realize how high you are. It is only when you arrive at the top and look out over the landscape that it hits you. For me, this realization was a mix of awe and ‘oh $#!t how am I going to get down?!’. Luckily, you have your superhero boots on and are free to enjoy the view.

Why it’s worth it: The paradox of being surrounded by snow while feeling hot is out of this world.

#3. Get up close and personal.

During my entire month-long stay in New Zealand, few places rivaled the natural beauty of Abel Tasman National Park. Here you are free to canoe, sea kayak, hike and generally traipse about feeling fantastic to have survived your previous adventures. As New Zealand’s smallest National Park, Abel Tasman is like the Mona Lisa of parks – it captivates everybody with its beauty, but is actually smaller than you’d expect.

It is also a great place to take some time and explore the local flora and fauna. New Zealand is home to many endemic species – those that live there and only there – so grab your camera (bring extra batteries and memory cards) and shoot to your heart’s content. Close by and not-to-miss is also a Sculpture Park and natural garden center, with mind-blowingly beautiful natural artwork like this:

Why it’s worth it: Two words: Photo Ops.

There you have it! I’d love to hear about your travel adventures, so leave your secrets in the comments! Kia Ora and stay wild!

Well, winter is full swing around here and the temperatures have quite literally been dipping to what I call ’20 degrees below cold’. Brrrrr! But cold or not, there’s always something to be learned out there.

As I don my ever-so-classy fingerless gloves, I thought I’d let you in on some of the things that wintry nature has taught me. Relax, grab a cocoa and read on, winter traveler.

• Walking the dog: Make plans, but be flexible if something unexpected pops up. Follow your nose in all circumstances – all roads lead to new smells.

• Climbing Trees: You’d be surprised of what you can accomplish when you’ve got good footing. Start with the basics and go from there.

• Snowstorms: Sometimes the landscape of life is never more beautiful than after a storm. Stay hopeful, no matter what the forecast says.

• Icicles: Over night success is overrated. Slow and steady acts can bring dramatic change.

• Longjohns: It’s what you have closest to you that matters most. Don’t waste your time on things that don’t warm your heart.

• Watching the Birds: Life is too short to eat shoddy food. Go for the prize, even if others think it’s out of your league.

I know we’ve got a lot of winter explorers out there, so on this fine and chilly Monday, I’d love to hear what winter has taught you. Bundle up out there!

P.S Stay tuned for the next post – I’ve got a giveaway up my sleeve!