One thing you will find among the serious explorers of the world is an ardent interest in identifying the things they come across in their adventures.  Among foragers,  identification of things they might ingest becomes of critical importance.  Whether you are an explorer, a forager or just someone with an interest in mushrooms,  you will […]

The mission of the non-profit U.S. National Whitewater Center is to build stronger communities by: Promoting healthy and active lifestyles Developing environmental stewardship Encouraging family and civic interaction The National Whitewater Center has a unique way of doing that.  It is located on 1,100 acres near Charlotte, North Carolina adjacent to the Catawba River and […]

  When I think of rooftop camping,  I think of these great tents that set up on top of your vehicle.  They get one off the ground and offer quick setup, a flat floor,  a comfortable mattress and heavy duty construction.  Because you are off the ground, you are farther from the little critters that can […]

We’ve mentioned conflicts between people and wildlife in these past posts: Animal Safety Lessons Learned from Death by Grizzly Bear Liability for Injuries Caused by Animals If the People Were Bears and the Bears Were People Yet,  done safely, watching wildlife can be a terrific reason to get out and explore.  In fact a program called […]

The Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program of the National Park Service and the Healthy Community Design Initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention got together and produced a Parks, Trails and Health Workbook.  It is widely recognized that parks are critical to the health of communities and the people that live in them.  This […]

Avenza makes a simple, yet elegant app for iOS and Android devises.  The app is called PDF Maps and it shows your position on a map.  Beyond that,  it allows you to download free USGS topographic maps for the U.S. as well as a variety of other free and paid maps from around the world.  If […]

The Backbone Trail opened officially today, June 4, 2016.  The trail begins at Thornhill Broome Beach in Point Mugu State Park on the coast just west of Malibu, California.  It extends 67 miles up, into and through the length of  the Santa Monica Mountains to Will Rogers State Historic Park near Santa Monica, California. Decades of Development […]

  Next Saturday, June 4, is National Trails Day. The event is coordinated by the American Hiking Society and includes events in every state.  These include hikes, biking and horseback rides, paddling trips, birdwatching, geocaching, gear demonstrations, stewardship projects and more.  It’s a great opportunity to kick off your summer adventures with one of many pre-planned […]

The National Bicycle Challenge in the U.S. began on May 1 and ends September 30.  The idea is to ride your bike more miles and the challenge offers a commitment device to help you do it.  To get committed to your bicycling goals, hop on over to nationalbikechallenge.org and create an account with your email address. […]

May is National Bike Month in the U.S.  During the month, the benefits of bicycling are highlighted in an effort to encourage more people to get their bikes out of storage and onto the roads and trails. Urban Bicycling People around the world enjoy bicycling on a daily basis and you can too.  If you […]