The Joy Trip Project

An interview with director Louie Psihoyos The truths discovered in documentary films often reveal far more than meet the eye. In his Oscar winning movie "the Cove" photojournalist Louie Psihoyos takes us on an adventure that perhaps shows us more than we want to see. “I lead an elite team of activists to penetrate a secret cove in Japan to reveal a dark secret,” Psihoyos said. The Cove, part action thriller, part nature film is the exciting story behind a covert operation to document one of the most horrific atrocities of the 21st century, the systematic slaughter of dolphins. “They kill more dolphins than anywhere on the planet right there at this cove, which incidentally is in a Japanese national park, a marine sanctuary,” Psihoyos said. That’s the irony of this whole thing. But it’s also the scene of the captive dolphin trade. Most of the captive dolphins in the world come from this little cove.” Ever since I was a kid I’ve loved dolphins. These smiling marine mammals are the very image of fun and freedom. Growing up in Southern California I used love to see the dolphin and killer whale shows at ocean theme parks like Marine Land and Sea World. But I never really gave any thought to where these animals came from. The captive dolphin industry was started more than 50 years ago by a man named Rick O’Barry. “Rick O’Barry is the guy who captured and trained the four dolphins who collectively played the part of Flipper, the popular 1960s television series ‘Flipper’,” said Psihoyos. “And (he) spent about 10 years building that industry up and he’s sent the last 40 tearing it down. The turning point for him was when Cathy, the primary dolphin that played the part of Flipper committed suicide in his arms that he realized that they are more sentient, more intelligent than anyone realized including himself and really turned himself around after that, and he’s probably become the world’s best known dolphin advocate.” One of the greatest ironies in nature is the dolphin’s smile. In captivity that characteristic grin masks a deep sorrow of intelligent creatures that are rounded up and put on display for our amusement. And in the Cove those less suited for the marine mammal sideshow are killed and butchered to be eaten.  But here’s the greatest irony. With high levels of mercury in the world’s oceans brought on by industrial pollution dolphin meat is toxic. In this interview with Louie Psihoyos recorded at the Mountain Film Festival in Telluride  the Joy Trip Project brings you this incredible story. New music this week by Chad Farran from his album Another Ride. Find more of his work online at www.chadfarran.com. This podcast is brought to you thank to generous support of our sponsor Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the 

One of the great pleasure of putting together this podcast every week is finding those amazing individuals whose work bring art and culture together to tell the story of adventure. Unfortunately it’s not often that I can make a more direct connection to the active lifestyle through the performing art of music. But more two years ago I became acquainted with the work of climber and rap artist Kris Hampton, a singer known as O-Dub. His name was derived while a blending his love for music with his passion for climbing wide cracks on rock walls commonly called off-widths. “I was recording songs in a studio in a bad neighborhood in Cincinnati. I was the only white that recorded in the studio,” O-Dub said. “And I came out of the booth one day to record a song…the song “Off-Widths.” And these thugged-out guys with white T-Shirts down to their knees are all staring at me like I’m an idiot. Like what is this guy talking about? “They understood the spirit of the song, but they didn’t have a clue what I was talking about. So they caught onto the word off-width and started using it like ‘off the hook’ or ‘off the chain’ like ‘Man! That was off-width.’ So they used it all week while I was in there recording. And they started calling me off-width and then someone shortened it to O-Dub and it just went from there.” With topical lyrics and bouncy jams authentic to his own experience Kris O-Dub Hampton brings the art of song writing to the sport of climbing. Through his rap songs he’s creating new anthems to both inspire and chronicle the life of adventure but with a modern twist that still’s reminiscent of the poets and ballad writers in the classic style of the mountaineering tradition. The Joy Trip Project is brought to you thanks to our  sponsor Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Find a link to their web sites on ours at JoyTripProject.com Special social media coverage of the New River Rendezvous comes courtesy of Osprey, Prana, Trango, Sterling Rope, Evolv, Chaco, the New River Alliance of Climbers and Waterstone Outdoors. Social media is a vibrant exchange of ideas.  Join the conversation by becoming engaged.  Send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com. Or find us on Facebook or Twitter

Once you reach a certain point in your career it’s great to be able to sit back and reflect upon what you’ve accomplished. It’s gratifying to see in hindsight how far you’ve come and this vantage point you can also look forward to what you have yet to achieve in the future. At the age of 29 professional climber Chris Sharma is in a good position to see the route his life has taken so far and start making plans to a forge a new line, a course of travel into the years that lie ahead. Known as one of the strongest sport climbers in world today, Chris Sharma continues to set the curve for aspiring and professional rock monkeys alike. Appearing in several feature films he first came to my attention back in 2007 during a pre-release screening of the movie King Lines. In this production from Sender Films Sharma introduced audiences to the emerging discipline of deep water soloing where climbers scale incredibly hard routes on rock faces high above ocean pools. In King Lines he works a particularly difficult problem whose crux is a 7-foot dyno to be stuck or risk a 60-foot fall to sea below. Combining athleticism and a profound appreciation for the natural world Chris Sharma is a climber of both strength and grace that defines the lifestyle and passion of a man comfortable in the profession he loves. See Chris Sharma in  Sender Film's "First Ascent: The Series" available on DVD and online download in September Music by Chad Farran and new contributing artist Erich Lenk The Joy Trip Project is brought to you thanks to our  sponsor Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Find a link to their web sites on ours at JoyTripProject.com Special social media coverage of the New River Rendezvous comes courtesy of Osprey, Prana, Trango, Sterling Rope, Evolv, Chaco, the New River Alliance of Climbers and Waterstone Outdoors. Social media is a vibrant exchange of ideas.  Join the conversation by becoming engaged.  Send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com. Or find us on Facebook

If your friend jumps off a bridge does that mean you should too? Moms’ old admonition doesn’t mean what it used to as BASE jumpers, friends of my mine, are leaping from high dangerous spots all over the world. Sorry mom. I can’t wait to try it. About a week ago I watched for the first time as a friend hurled himself off the bridge that spans the New River Gorge in Fayetteville, West Virginia. I’ll refer to him only as my friend because a jump from this 876-foot structure is illegal. And though he landed safely with the aid of a parachute, twice in fact, I don’t want to see him get into trouble. Certainly my friend risked his own life and potentially put others in danger (but that’s a stretch). As a legal matter BASE-jumping, in my opinion, is a victimless crime that, rather than prosecution, deserves recognition as a legitimate sport and regulation by a body of experts to assure its safety. Not unlike any hazardous sport BASE-jumping offers many inherent risks. But these risks are mitigated with training and experience. The two jumps depicted in this short film were the latest of more than 65 successful dives from an Antenna, a Span or the Earth. “I’m only an ASE-jumper,” my friend said. “I haven’t jumped from a building yet.” Prior to hurdling himself off landed structures, my friend first received instruction in skydiving, jumping from airplanes. He learned to pack his own shoot and properly maintain his equipment. Safety among BASE-jumpers is their first concern. Should I take up the sport and can assure you that I’ll take every precaution and learn important skills before I even attempt a jump from a great height. And though many people have died while BASE-jumping despite their advance preparation, as in any risky venture, those who do it accept the danger as an intrinsic aspect of the sport they love. What remains to be considered is the crime of trespass, when BASE-jumpers like my friend seek and acquire unlawful access to private or public property to ply their skills. While there are many legal places from which to plummet these guarded and prohibited spots bring with them a different kind of risk that’s also quite alluring. That begs the question: should illegal BASE-jumpers who land successfully be prosecuted if they are caught? As long as they do not damage property or cause harm to others should they be fined or incarcerated? I for one believe they should not. What do you think? Greater risk would likely ensue should BASE-jumpers try to flee from authorities, taking flight desperate not to get caught. But there would also be the risk of chaotic lawlessness should BASE-jumpers of varying degrees of experience and expertise attempt leaps without the fear of legal ramifications. What’s to stop them? It’s human nature to explore and push the boundaries of our natural environment, our comfort zone. Adventure is the acceptance of risk in the hope of an ecstatic experience that will affirm the very life we put on the line. The alternative is a life without passion or purpose tethered to the Earth chained down in an existence of mediocrity. The law and safety not withstanding there will always be an intense appeal to those of adventurous spirit with the utter audacity to presume that they can fly. Happy landings.   -JEM Special social media coverage of the New River Rendezvous comes courtesy of Osprey, Prana, Trango, Sterling Rope,

I just got a  new set of tires from my Volkswagen Jetta. Got an oil change and I’m packing my gear for the next Joy Trip. I’ll be heading east for the first time to report from The New River Rendezvous in Fayetteville, West Virginia. The three-day event is another one of those terrific gatherings of our tribe, we who find adventure in play at climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, trail running. Maybe one day I’ll try BASE Jumping. In the heart of the New River Gorge there’ll be parties, clinics, a climbing comp, slide shows there’s even going to be a contest to see who can wear the most obnoxious, sexy or outrageous lycra tights. Should be a great time. But you know the thing I love most about a trip like this is having the opportunity connect with old friends, folks I haven’t seen a while. Festivals like the New River Rendezvous bring together some amazing people, climbers mainly, men and women who’ve traveled all over the world and do daring things most of us only dream about. Someone who I look forward to seeing over the weekend is Lynn Hill. In a career that spans more than 30 years, her contributions to the sport of climbing have been both groundbreaking and inspirational. One of the first female climbers to reach a position of prominence Lynn made a name for herself in 1979. She was the first woman to establish a 5.13 route called Ophir Broke in Ophir, Colorado. She’s perhaps best known for being the first person, man or woman, to free climb the Nose route on El Capitan in 1993 with legendary climber John Long. In 1994 she did it again with her partner Brooke Sandahl. Then she was the first to make the climb in a 24-hour period. I had the opportunity speak with Lynn back in Bend, Oregon during the annual meeting of the American Alpine Club. This interview was originally recorded and produced in 2007 for the outdoor industry online trade magazine specialty news also know as SNEWS. In anticipation of the New River Rendezvous we’re bringing you this Joy Trip Flashback, a conversation with climber Lynn Hill. Music by Jake Shimabukro The Joy Trip Project is brought to you thanks to our  sponsors, Recreational Equipment Inc, REI and Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Find links to their web sites on ours at JoyTripProject.com Special social media coverage of the New River Rendezvous comes courtesy of Osprey, Prana, Trango, Sterling Rope, Evolv, Chaco, the New River Alliance of Climbers and

It says in the Talmud, the sacred text of Jewish law, “Save one life and you save world.” Dr. Rick Hodes has saved dozens of lives and his continuing work in service of the children has made the world a better place for us all. A pediatric oncologist who specializes in the treatment of heart disease, spine disease and cancer, Dr. Hodes compassionately practices medicine at Mother Theresa’s Mission in Ethiopia. Caring for sick and destitute children in one of the most impoverished regions of the world he’s also the subject of a new book and a film for HBO called “Making the Crooked Straight.” I met Dr. Hodes last year at the 2009 Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride Colorado. At an event packed with adventure movies and travel logs from around the world “Making the Crooked Straight” was a stand out favorite taking the top prize for best film and a cash award of $5,000. Immediately after the closing ceremonies Dr. Hodes shared with me his story and few pictures of the children whose lives he saved. Making the Crooked Straight - MF09 Trailer from Mountainfilm in Telluride on Vimeo. Music this week by the Ahn Trio and new contributing artist John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light. This podcast is brought to you thank to generous support of our sponsors Recreational Equipment Inc. REI and Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com. Share your stories. share your passion for outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving, and practices of sustainable living. You just might inspire our next Joy Trip together. But most of all don’t forget to tell your friends. Until next time take care.

I got up this morning already with a full plate. I was at my computer typing away at 6AM trying to get a head start on several projects in hopes that I could enjoy a gorgeous weekend outside. With three looming deadlines, including the latest edition of this podcast, the last thing I planned to do today was to watch streaming video online. But I got an email from my friend Audrey Peterman. She and her husband Frank are environmental activists based in Atlanta and the co-authors of the new book "Legacy on the Land.” Frank and Audrey are working to raise awareness for the importance of outdoor recreation especially as it pertains to people of color and the urban poor. The two of them along with a few other friends and colleagues are gathered today in Washington DC to attend the White House Conference on the Great Outdoors. A few hundred dignitaries from around the country were meeting to discuss new initiatives to get more people off the coach and outside. Audrey wrote in her email that the conference would be televised live and included an address from president Barack Obama. So naturally I dropped everything, set up the computer and plugged in my digital recorder. If you missed it, I’m pleased to bring you the president’s comments. I’m not sure what the White House or the FCC will have to say about broadcast his speech, but until I get busted I hope enjoy what he had to say. Immediately after the president’s address he signed a memorandum acknowledging his adminstration’s support for a national movement to get more people outdoors and directly involved in environmental conservation. If you’re interested learning more about how you might get involved check first lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative. The president and his family are working to help all Americans live a more active, healthy lifestyle. You can too. Visit www.letsmove.gov.

You might have heard that not everyone agrees when it comes to climate change. While living in New York City, after graduating from college photographer Alan Winslow and journalist Morrigan McCarthy came to realize that across the America people have a difference of opinion. "Because living in New York City you can kind of feel like you’re in a bubble. Maybe any city is like that," Morrigan said. "But that everyone around you has the same opinion and is in the same boat, especially when it comes to the environment. You know we should be recycling, we should be taking care of the planet." In a community full of liberals Morrigan and Alan believed that everyone would be eager to embrace sustainable practices and a lifestyle to mitigate the damaging effects of climate changes. "But then we would see these poles and watch the news and it didn’t seem to be that way elsewhere, Morrigan said. "Otherwise every body would just be in the same boat and something would be happening. But we decided to take off and figure out what Americans were actually thinking. And Americans have all sorts of opinions." So the two started making plans to travel around the county taking pictures and asking questions. Through their journey, called Project Tandem Alan and Morrigan wanted to connect with everyday Americans across all walks of life to discover what they thought about the planet’s changing climate. "So basically we decided to do it on bicycle, which almost started by default," Morrigan said. "My father told me once about a friend he had in college who had biked across the country and we thought oh that’s so cool." Alan said it started with biking across the country. "And then we got to talking about it more and we figured how hard could it be to bike around the country and so it would give us the full diversity of America," he said. "Because if we only went across the country we would only hit a certain thin band of America where we wanted to get as much of the population as we possibly could." Traveling just the two of them Alan and Morrigan peddled two bicycles 11,000 miles around the United States. Project Tandem aimed to illustrate the true opinions of the American people and what they truly believe when it comes to protecting the environment. New music this week by Chad Farran from his album Another Ride. Find more of his work online at www.chadfarran.com. This podcast is brought to you thank to generous support of our sponsors Recreational Equipment Inc. REI and Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com. Share your stories.

An interview with climber and writer Majka Burhardt If you’re a writer, there are few things better than to combine your passion for storytelling with something else that you truly love. For writer Majka Burhardt climbing has long been the subject of her many articles in adventure magazines. A certified rocking climbing instructor and a member of the American Mountain Guides Association Burhardt blends her love for the outdoors with vivid descriptions of scenic landscapes and literary portraits of the many interesting people she encounters. But it was on a trip to Africa a few years ago that she discovered a unique opportunity to add one more passion to the mix. On a journey to explore the industry and culture of Ethiopia coffee, Burhardt found that when you least expect it you can find adventure in the most unlikely places. "Well interestingly enough I saw a lot of crumbly basalt on that first trip," Burhardt said. "But I realized that there was just so much potential in Ethiopia that was really unknown to rest of the world, mainly because we all associate with it drought, famine and war, and instead I’m in this bucolic countryside searching for wild coffee and I looked at these basalt faces and said, O.K. there’s got to be more because the topography is amazing.” You have things from the third highest peak in Africa all the way to one of the lowest points on earth. So there’s got to be climbing." So Burhardt put together to small team of her best climbing buddies all of them women, and one photographer, guy named Gabe Rogel, and headed back to Africa climb a few first ascents on mountain spires in the cradle of our most ancient civilizations. Her book Vertical Ethiopia tells the story in words and pictures behind this expedition to explore a world of new possibilities. Check out Majka's new film on climbing in Africa called Waypoint Namibia Music this week by the band Khumbula Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com. Share your stories. share your passion for outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving, and practices of sustainable living. You just might inspire our next Joy Trip together. But most of all don’t forget to tell your friends. Until next time take care.

An interview with author John Francis In 1971 John Francis witnessed a catastrophic oil spill in San Francisco Bay. The greasy black sludge that coated resident sea life and stained nearby beaches left an indelible impression him as well. As a young man at the dawn of the environmental movement he felt compelled to act. But what can one person do to change a society bent on its own destruction? Left with little do that would make a difference in world Francis abandoned all forms of motorized transport. He started walking. But still hoping to make an impact on his community and himself Francis took his devotion a step future and swore a vow of silence. For 17 years he did not utter a word. And yet he still managed to earn college and graduate degrees in science and environmental studies. Dr. John Francis went on to become the United Nation’s goodwill ambassador to the world’s grassroots communities and the U.S. Government hired him to help establish policies for the management of oil spills. Music this week comes from singer/song writer Sean Michael Dargan and the band Rani Arbo & Daisy Mayhem Special thanks to our sponsors Recreational Equipment Inc, REI and Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com. Share your stories. share your passion for outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving, and practices of sustainable living. You just might inspire our next Joy Trip together. But most of all don’t forget to tell your friends. Until next time take care.

An interview with Love Hope Strength executive director Shannon Foley A couple of weeks ago I got an email from my friend Maitri. A friend of hers was in serious trouble and she wanted my help. "I’d seen her the day before and everything was fine. And she said, 'I think my husband has leukemia'." Maitri said. "And they’ve checked him into the UW cancer ward." Here in Madison the University of Wisconsin is home to one of top research facilities in the county the Carbone Cancer Center. With very little notice Maitri’s friend was immediately admitted to the affiliated community hospital. "I was most surprised with how quickly it happened and how urgently the medical profession had to respond," Maitri said. "Sunday I was at church with her. She went home after church. Her husband said 'I have some pain in my legs. I think I’ll go to the doctor tomorrow.' And she said 'Let’s give the nurse on call a quick phone call and just make sure this is fine.' The nurse said you need to go to the emergency room now. We went and they were ready to check him into the hospital that afternoon. So one minute fine, leg cramp, next minute checked into the UW Hospital ward." "With leukemia,"I said. "Correct," she said. I’m no doctor. So from me it was not medical assistance she was looking for at least not directly. What Maitri wanted was my bone marrow. You see the best chance anyone suffering from Leukemia has is to receive a bone marrow transplant. And while there are more than 8 million bone marrow donors registered in the United State it’s nowhere near enough. With very specific genetic requirements an exact match for a bone marrow donor is very hard to come by. "It’s easiest to find a genetic match with someone who’s related to you and secondarily of the same ethnic background, etc," Maitri said. "And 70 percent of people cannot find a match within their own family. So they need to find an unrelated donor and unfortunately only about 4 out 10 people that are looking for an unrelated donor actually do." Hearing this it didn’t take much to convince me that it would be worth it to register as a bone marrow donor. And though I was not a good match for Maitri’s friend someone somewhere out there may one day need my help. Fortunately her friend's husband found a match. He's undergoing treatment. But the plight others who might not be so lucky got me thinking. Less than a week after signing up for the national bone marrow donor registry, I reconnected with another friend named Shannon Foley. She’s the executive director of an organization called Love Hope Strength. "Tell us what your organization is and what it does," I asked Shannon in an interview. "We are I guess the one and only, therefore the largest, rock n roll cancer foundation," she said. "And we started about 3 and half years ago. And we travel the world, putting on concerts in order to raise money to build cancer centers in regions of the world that have no access to cancer care. And here in the United States, we go to concerts and we find matches for people in need of bone marrow transplants. So we swab peoples’ cheeks It’s a very simple process. We wave to processing fee, which is normally $65. And we get you registered to see if you can be the match to a patient with leukemia, sickle-cell anemia, any kind of blood disorders, blood cancers." In the summer of 2009 Shannon and her team at Love Hope Strength managed to register 4,000 new bone marrow donors to the national database. So far this year they’ve matched 30 cancer patients for bone marrow transplants that will save their lives.

An interview with Time Magazine reporter and author Pico Iyer From a very young age  Pico Iyer has had a close personal relationship with one of the worlds great spiritual and political leaders. In 1960 his father a professor of philosophy and a student of world religions was among first westerners to seek an audience with the Dalai Lama.  Traveling from his home in England Iyer’s father journeyed  back to his native India to meet the Dalai Lama then around the age of 24.  In their conversations the Tibetan Buddhist ruler in exile and Iyer’s father discussed ancient mystic wisdom that had been unavailable to the outside world for centuries. And with the exchange of a single simple gift, they also established a connection between the Dalai Lama and Iyer that now spans almost 50 years. "At the end of his conversation with the Dalai Lama in 1960 he said 'I have this little three year-old boy back in England and he was already quite interested in the story of your dramatic flight from Tibet into India'," Iyer said.  "And so the Dalai Lama, with his great gift for the perfect gesture found a photo of himself when he was 5 years old and sent it to me. And so from the time I was three I had this photo of this little boy, 5 years old, already ruling 6 million people. I didn’t understand who or what the Dalai Lama was. But I could make a contact with this little boy sitting in this place. And I could see all the responsibility he had. So in that sense I grew up with the image of the Dalai Lama and stories of the Dalai Lama from the time I was a little boy." From the gift of that photograph to their first meeting years later Iyer and the Dalai Lama have been become good friends. And through the course of his career as a journalist Iyer has cultivated a deep insight to the philosophy that has guided the Dalai Lama toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict between China and Tibet. In his new book The Open Road: The Global Journey of the 14th Dalai Lama Iyer shares his view of the spiritual and political path we all take to find peace in our lives and the world in which we live. Music by Jake Shimabukru This recording from season 1 of the Joy Trip Project was originally brought to you thank to a generous grant from KEEN Footwear. Also thanks to our current sponsors, Recreational Equipment Inc, REI and Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Find links to their web sites on ours at JoyTripProject.com Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send ...

An interview with adventure filmmaker Dominic Gill I don’t know about you. But I’ve got a hard time getting motivated, especially when it comes to doing something hard, something that might take a lot of time, cost a bit of money or might even be a little scary. Life’s journey can be tough enough just trying to get by making it from day to the next. But every once in a while, someone comes along that prompts you to action. They get you psyched up and excited because you can see they’re going places and the next thing you know you get swept up in the momentum and just like your own life’s journey heads in a whole new direction. You follow that person right down a new road of adventure. Last fall I met a guy just like that. Dominic Gill was one a one of a few dozen movie producers I met during the 2009 Banff Film Festival. His documentary called Take A Seat follows his two-year journey by tandem bicycle over 20,000 mile of open road. Asking total strangers to pedal behind him on what his calls the stoker seat his travels brought a fresh sense of adventure into hearts and minds of everyone he met or who tagged along for the ride. Music this week by the band Trees On Fire Special thanks to the New Belgium Brewing Company for underwriting travel expenses to Banff that made this podcast possible. Also thanks to our sponsors, Recreational Equipment Inc, REI and Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send us an email to info@Joy Trip Project.com. Share your stories. share your passion for outdoor recreation, environmental conservation, acts of charitable giving, and practices of sustainable living. You just might inspire our next Joy Trip together. But most of all don’t forget to tell your friends. Until next time take care.

Even though temperatures across the country are still well below freezing there are still plenty of people out there riding their bikes through the winter. On this blustery day in Madison Wisconsin a small class of avid bikers have gathered together to learn the finer points of riding around town in some pretty rough road conditions Dwyer: So on one of the hills practice unweighting your seat a little bit and see if you can pedal standing up a little bit, maybe practice how that feels to change it up. So lighten your seat, you might feel the rear wheel. Yeah that it! Great! Just to get the feel for that. James_002 The students practice making tight turns in a circle. All bundled up in cold weather clothing they plow their bicycles through snow some would hate to drive a car. Angie Lauersdorf is a stay-at-home mom who wants to ride her bike year-round. Lauersdorf _001 I normally road bike. I started about two years go. And I just really enjoy it. I used to do it pretty much every day and I was missing biking. So I wanted to get out in the winter and do it in snow. James_003 But before Lauersdorf set out on her bike into the snow. She and the other members of  Viola and Allie Dwyer offer specialized classes in bike maintenance through a training program called We All Mechanics. But on this day Viola said the class is all about bike safety while riding through the winter. Viloa_001>> It seems that a lot of people like the idea of winter biking, but don’t now how to start. And so our classes try to have an access point for people with the mechanical side of things, while clinics like this are an access point for people just with general biking skills. So if you’ve never biked out in the winter, but always thought it would be a fun thing to do, this is a really supported way to do it. James_004>> The clinic provided handy tips on winter riding. The students learned bike maintenance, the importance proper lubrication of the chain and gear mechanisms, the inspection of brakes. Viloa_003> And then temperature regulation can be hard. It’s easy to over heat and get cold and over heat and get cold and so figuring out what types of layers you can wear so you can peel some off along the way. Or do you have to start off cold? That kind of thing. Just getting comfortable with the elements and getting used to the range of normal comfort and what you just have to sort of put up with. James-005> Some might suggest that there’s nothing normal about winter biking. Viola’s co-instructor Allie Dwyer let’s her students know that riding through ice and snow is about a lot more than just staying warm Dwyer_001>> A big, big deal is having ice tires. So whether or not you feel like investing in both maybe just one, the front ice tire is very important. It’s got studs in it so it makes it very easy to go across ice. James_006> And of course there are other vehicles to consider. Dwyer_002>> Another big important thing is being visible.  So lot of lights, a rear light and a front light for sure.  Lots of reflective clothing is really going to let you be seen by other cyclists and motorists if you’re out on the same roads that motorists are driving on. Fade up sound of vehicles: Even though the price of gasoline has come down dramatically since the beginning of winter, there will always be those like Angie Lauersdorf who prefer bikes to cars. Lauersdorf _002 For me it’s fun. I mean I really enjoy being out and I…just being outside. You know the wind when you’re biking in your face and just nature kind of. Just being out there is the big thing about biking or the thing I...

An interview with Peggy Shepard executive director of West Harlem Environmental Action Inc. Racism is a word that seldom comes up in a discussion of environmental protection. Clean air, water and soil are universal human values that transcend ethnic identity or the color of one’s skin. But in metropolitan centers around the United States minority communities are being inundated with a disproportionate burden of pollution. Industrial waste, municipal garbage and sewage treatment plants are routinely deposited in areas predominately populated by low income African Americans and Hispanics. In 1988 a community organizer named Peggy Shepard was asked to help address concerns around the creation of one such sewage treatment plant. A facility built in the New York City burrow of Harlem. ” It’s interesting how you can walk by things everyday or they can be in your community and it just never registers what they are," Shepard said. "And so we began to organize around getting people jobs there because we thought that was the issue. But once it fully began operating we realized that emissions and odors were making people sick. And we began an eight-year organizing campaign to get the city to fix the plant and we were successful." By bringing people in the community together Shepherd’s organization compelled the City of New York to commit $55 million to clean up the facility. They were also successful in creating environmental safety policies that would prevent further contamination at this and other sites in the future. With a lawsuit settlement of $1.1million Shepherd create a new organization called West Harlem Environmental Action Inc. And today known as WEACT the group fights to prevent minority communities from suffering illness and premature death due to acts of environmental injustice. "When we look at the glaring health disparities that we have between communities you’ve got to wonder about the contributing factors to that illness and excess mortality," Shepard said. "And we believe that it’s housing conditions and the desperate burden of pollution." For those of us who care deeply about protecting the environment we should take a real close around at the world in which live. Clean air, water and soil aren’t only at risk in the distant wild and scenic places of our national parks, but in the spaces where we work, play and make our homes. And in these places segments of our society, often still segregated by race are being unfairly targeted with more than their share of our pollution. We’re not just talking about environmental protection. The issue now is environmental justice. In this edition of the Joy Trip Project we talk to Peggy Shepard the executive director of West Harlem Environmental Action Inc. Music this week by Brett Dennen Thanks to our sponsors, Recreational Equipment Inc, REI and Patagonia. We don’t take money from just anyone. Sponsors of the Joy Trip Project support our mission of an active lifestyle through outdoor recreation and community involvement. Support us by supporting them. Thanks for listening. If you enjoyed this podcast help spread the word by posting a link to it on your Facebook page. Or send it as a tweet to your followers on Twitter. Social media is vibrant exchange of ideas join the conversation by becoming engage. Post your comments the Joy Trip Project blog or send us an email to