Archive for the ‘MSI News’ Category
03/02/2012
Dr. Frank Hubbell started SOLO, (Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities) in the mid-’70′s and is still going strong. I was recently at SOLO’s base in New Hampshire, renewing my Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician qualifications and thought I’d share some footage of the place that many outdoor professionals know so well. SOLO offers a wide variety of programs. I met some interesting folks attending this re-cert, and will post an interview or two here in the coming days.
From their website: SOLO took root in the early 1970s and grew out of the vision of its founders Frank Hubbell and Lee Frizzell (husband and wife). As Frank recalls, pre-hospital care 
was in its infancy, and an organized EMS system didn’t exist yet in New Hampshire. The concept of providing emergency care to the sick and injured revolved around what is today referred to as the “Golden Hour.” “As skiers, climbers, and EMTs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, we would respond to the call for injured hikers and climbers,” Frank remembers. “It very quickly became apparent that the skills that we had learned as “street EMTs” did not work in the wilderness environment. We had to learn how to provide care outside the golden hour. But, that information was not available—we had to learn it through experience.” Frank’s frustration with the lack of an appropriate “wilderness” standard led to the creation of one of the first, if not the first, wilderness emergency medicine courses in the country. By 1975, a basic “Mountain/Woods First Aid” course was taken on the road by Frank, and taught to the few folks who could see its value.. Read more..
In addition to SOLO, there are also a number of organizations offering Wilderness First Responder and EMT trainings. I’ll probably cover a few of them in this blog at some point
Tags:Basecamp, Conway, EMS, EMT, Frank Hubbell, history, Mountain Spirit Institute, New Hampshire, NH, Solo, WFR, Wilderness First Responder, Wilderness Medicine
Posted in 1- Video Posts, MSI News | Leave a Comment »
11/01/2012
A New Zealand Farmer Does Good by Following His Passion
Tom O'Brien of High Country Walks
Tom O’Brien, owner of Blackmore Farm and founder of High Country Walks has followed his passion by offering up a little hut on the back side of his 5000 acre farm. Called the Chinaman’s Hut, it was restored some years ago, by local volunteers, Tom and his father. The hut is situated on the rolling mountains of the Slate Range, just south of the Remarkables Mountains, on the border of Otago and Southland. Tom took the afternoon to show me his farm, the backcountry and the Chinaman’s Hut. below is a short piece on the hut, and a chat with Tom about his philosophy and passion of sharing this part of the world with others.We’re in hopes, here at Mountain Spirit Institute of collaborating with Tom by running some programs on the Slate Range and Blackmore Farm. We chatted about providing Solo’s and other types of programs.
Thanks for the time you took to show me around Tom!
Note: I’ve met one of the volunteers who helped restore the Chinaman’s Hut, a neighbor of ours here in Kingston named Dusty, who I’ll see if I can get on tape in the next few days. He has an interesting story to tell of not only this restoration project by many others.
Tags:Blackmore Farm, Chinaman's Hut, Garston, Gold Rush, High Country Walks, history, huts, Kingston, Leadership, Otago, private land use, Race, Remarkables, Slate Range, Sluce, Solo, Southland, Tom O'brien, transport, Water issues, Wilderness
Posted in 1- Video Posts, Conservation, Holistic Living, Inspirational People, Mountain People, MSI News, New Zealand, Power of Place, Spiritual, Sustainable Travel, Traveling | Leave a Comment »
28/11/2011
Why are you here?
This post refers more to for-profit ventures, but it applies to anyone wanting to make a difference. I started Mountain Spirit Institute over 12 years ago, and still keep the fire burning.
Ed.
Startups Are Hard. So Work More, Cry Less, And Quit All The Whining
“I slept at work again last night; two and a half hours curled up in a quilt underneath my desk, from 11am to 1:30pm or so. That was when I woke up with a start, realizing that I was late for a meeting…But it was no big deal, we just had the meeting later. It’s hard for someone to hold it against you when you miss a meeting because you’ve been at work so long that you’ve passed out from exhaustion.”
Suddenly everyone’s complaining about how unfair things are in Silicon Valley. How hard everyone has to work so darn hard, and how some people don’t get venture capital or a nice sale to Facebook or Google even though lots of other people are getting those things.
Silicon Valley is an unfair place, say all the headlines. The CNN racism documentary was just one piece of this. Another are the cries from the press that Zynga would actually consider renegotiating contracts with highly compensated employees no longer pulling their weight. Expect more articles soon about the woes of being asked to work hard at a startup. People are working so hard, they’re crying themselves to sleep!
As if all of this was new. The quote above isn’t from some overworked Zynga engineer. It was written in 1994 by Jamie Zawinski, an early engineer at Netscape. Here’s more: Read the rest of this story..
Tags:donataions, motivation, Mountain Spirit Institute, Non-profits, Perserverance, Quotes, Start-ups
Posted in Experiential Education, MSI News | Leave a Comment »
21/11/2011
Peruviians on a Balcony - In the '90's
I took my first clients to Peru, on our first program ever for Mountain Spirit Institute in 1998. Who would have thought there would be the numbers at Machu Picchu that there are now. Who would have imagined the wholesale tour companies, that have transformed sleepy little islands such as Amantani, could change things so much. Being there in ’98 was sure different that it is today. It was right after the Shining Path and been put down. Back then, one didn’t need guides to do the Inca Trail, and the prices were affordable. So what to do? Hmmm. I love Peru, but I think we’ll have to go more into the bush, back beyond the hordes, shy away from the beaten path, or “Gringo Hiway” as they call it. There is much to see in Peru and like any popular place, go an hour or two off the beaten path, and you’re in “no-man’s land”. Also, see my post on Amantani in this blog.
R. Richards, Editor
One Million Tourists Visit Machu Picchu in 2011
by Andean Air Mail & PERUVIAN TIMES
The ancient Inca citadel of Machu Picchu, uncovered from overgrowth and obscurity 100 years ago by U.S. explorer Hiram Bingham, will have received at least one million tourists by the end of this year, according to Percy Canales, president of the National Chamber of Tourism, Canatur.
The number of visitors represents a 30 percent hike over last year — when 660,000 people visited the site— and is undoubtedly due in part to the mass promotional campaign surrounding the centennial. Of the total, 70 percent will have been foreign travelers and the remainder Peruvians, particularly school groups. The larger number of foreigners were visitors from the United States, Spain and Japan.
Canales said that the number of tourists was expected to increase read the rest of this story..
Tags:Alternaitve hikes, alternaive treks, Amantani, capacity, degradation, demage, Environment, Growth in numbers, Machu Picchu, Mountain Spirit Insitute, overloading, Tourism
Posted in MSI News, Peru, South America, Sustainable Travel | Leave a Comment »
08/09/2011
Mountain Spirit Institute’s Blog – Reader’s Appeal to Google News
If you like what you’ve been reading on Mountain Spirit’s blog since 2008, please help us spread the news by suggested they list us on their search site. Here’s how you can help.
Help our Non-Profit org, Suggest: blog.mtnspirit.org - Thanks!
Since we at Mountain Spirit Institute started our blog, 64,000 people have stopped by to read our posts and see our videos. By helping us build a broader base, we’ll not only get more readership and exposure, but possible needed revenue from advertising like-minded organizations on our site, as well as exposure to potential donors.
Started in 1998, Mountain Spirit’s mission is to facilitate one’s connection to the natural world, each other and a deeper connection to one’s self, through a wide variety of programs in the U.S. and abroad, ranging from wilderness programs to workshops.
Tags:articles, Blog, Donation, Environment, help publicize, journalism, Mountain Spirit Institute, online posts, promoting, Supporting, Supporting non-profit
Posted in MSI News, Supporting MSI | Leave a Comment »
07/09/2011
Louv's second book
“The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”
—Richard Louv
The immediacy of Richard Louv’s message in Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder galvanized an international movement to reconnect children with nature. We’ve touched base about his first book here on MSI’s blog.
Now, in The Nature Principle, Louv reaches even further with a powerful call to action for the rest of us.
Our society, says Louv, has developed such an outsized faith in technology that we have yet to fully realize or even adequately study how human capacities are enhanced through the power of nature. Supported by groundbreaking research, anecdotal evidence, and compelling personal stories, Louv shows us how tapping into the restorative powers of the natural world can boost mental acuity and creativity; promote health and wellness; build smarter and more sustainable businesses, communities, and economies; and ultimately strengthen human bonds. As he says in his introduction, The Nature Principle is “about the power of living in nature—not with it, but in it. We are entering the most creative period in history. The twenty-first century will be the century of human restoration in the natural world.”
Richard Louv makes a convincing case that through a nature-balanced existence—driven by sound economic, social, and environmental solutions—the human race can and will thrive. This timely, inspiring, and important work will give readers renewed hope while challenging them to rethink the way we live.
Editor’s note: I saw Mr. Louv speak in Park City about three years ago. He was a down-to-earth, (one would hope with a subject such as he covers) and passionate speaker. If you get a chance, go hear him speak, you can see his schedule on his website’s Appearances Page and if you can hear him speak, do so. Better yet, read his three books.
We’re honored to see that Mr. Louv has started to follow Mountain Spirit Institute‘s Twitter account. We’ve been at it since 1998, and started this blog in 2008 with 64,000 views since. We feel a kindred spirit with Louv, with our mission “to facilitate one’s connection to the natural environment, to each other and a deeper connection to one’s self”. Mr. Louv has had great success in spreading the word about getting kids of all ages outside, and we’re effectively joining him in that cause.
Tags:Last Child in the Woods, Mountain Spirit Institute, Nature Deficit disorder, Richard Louv, The Nature Principle, Twitter
Posted in Blogs, Books, Experiential Education, Health, Holistic Living, Leadership, MSI News, Power of Place | Leave a Comment »
01/08/2011
Machu Picchu ©Mtnspirit.org
Peru Gov’t looks to increase visitor limit to Machu Picchu
From: Andean Air Mail & PERUVIAN TIMES
Peru’s Ministry of Tourism and Foreign Trade said Tuesday that a recent study supports more than doubling the number of visitors to Machu Picchu, the ancient Inca citadel perched on a mountain top in Cusco region.
Currently, the daily limit on tourists that can enter the Machu Picchu site is set at 2,200. According to state news agency Andina, the ministry’s study suggests the citadel can withstand 5,479 visitors a day. This would allow Machu Picchu, a World Heritage Site, to receive approximately 2 million tourists a year.
The study is in direct contrast to the opinion of UNESCO, read the rest of this story..
Tags:abuse, Conservation, eroision, Limits to visitors, Machu Picchu, Mountain Spirit Institute, overuse, problems, protecting, Sustainable Travel, UNESCO
Posted in Archeology, Conservation, Environment, MSI News, Peru, South America, Sustainable Travel, Traveling | Leave a Comment »
31/07/2011
Guillermo and Family
Guillermo Seminario, leader of the Peruvian band, Chimu Inka, with is wife Lourdes and their new son, born in Trujillo, Peru about 8 months ago. They just sent us this shot, which we wanted to share with you. Congrats to Familia Seminario. Chimu Inka has come to the U.S. under sponsorship from MSI in the past and will be visiting again in 2012.
Tags:Chimu Inka, Guillermo Seminario, Lourdes Usca, Mountain Spirit Institute, Peruvian Music, Peruvian Musicians
Posted in Mountain People, MSI News, Music, Peru | Leave a Comment »
18/04/2011
Jen White, Kathleen Hurley join Mountain Spirit Institute in Advisory Role
Jennifer White of New London, NH and Kathleen Hurley of Portsmouth, NH, have been recently named advisors to Mountain Spirit Institute. In the newly created advisory role, both White and Hurley will contribute expertise and advice to the organization based on their respective fields of experience. Mountain Spirit Institute, founded in 1998, runs wilderness based programs both domestically and internationally, as well as a wide variety of workshops and retreats. The newly created advisory role broadens the scope of the institute while providing support to the board of directors. The role also engages those individuals in the community who are interested in, and have strong skill-sets and knowledge related to, MSI’s mission.Kathleen Hurley
Kathleen Hurley
Kathleen Hurley brings a wealth of corporate and online communications skills plus enthusiasm, writing and publishing acumen and keen business management experience to MSI’s advisory board. Kathleen has been a contributing writer to various New England magazines, and a director-level Marketing and Communications executive for almost a decade. Hurley was also a founding member of the steering committee for the successful Sunapee SunFest, a holistic health, alternative energy, and sustainability festival which Mountain Spirit Institute created and ran for a number of years in Sunapee. Hurley currently serves as the Director of Corporate Communications for Actio Corp, Boston, MA.
Jennifer White brings a purpose-driven, holistic approach to sustainability education at MSI. White has been an educator for over fifteen years in a wide variety of academic and community settings, and has a multidisciplinary
Jennifer White
background in physics, psychology, systems science, permaculture design, and sustainability. She served as the Executive Director of a national nonprofit called the Simplicity Forum, and was the Co-Founder and Director of Education for the Green Heart Institute which was created to help people “understand the global impact of their choices, connect with their values and live sustainably from the heart.”White has a long history of dedicated volunteerism with community based organizations including being a founding member of the Rocky Mountain Earth Institute and Transition Town Lyons, both in Colorado. She is currently the Sustainability Coordinator and an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Colby-Sawyer College, New London, NH and founder of the Root Systems Institute.
Tags:Actio Corp, Colby Sawyer College, Colorado, Environmental Studies, Green Heart Institute, Jennifer White, Kathleen Hurley, Lyons, Mountain Spirit Institute, New London, NH, permaculture design, Rock Mountain Earth Institute, Simplicity Forum, Sunapee, Transition Towns
Posted in Conservation, Environment, MSI News, Power of Place | Leave a Comment »
was in its infancy, and an organized EMS system didn’t exist yet in New Hampshire. The concept of providing emergency care to the sick and injured revolved around what is today referred to as the “Golden Hour.” “As skiers, climbers, and EMTs in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, we would respond to the call for injured hikers and climbers,” Frank remembers. “It very quickly became apparent that the skills that we had learned as “street EMTs” did not work in the wilderness environment. We had to learn how to provide care outside the golden hour. But, that information was not available—we had to learn it through experience.” Frank’s frustration with the lack of an appropriate “wilderness” standard led to the creation of one of the first, if not the first, wilderness emergency medicine courses in the country. By 1975, a basic “Mountain/Woods First Aid” course was taken on the road by Frank, and taught to the few folks who could see its value.. Read more..
mtnspirit
cindy heath
Amanda Richards
kenwylie
