Archive for the ‘travel’ Category
A Weekend at Skate Camp
I was lucky enough to experience Element YMCA Skate Camp in the Sequoia National Forest this past weekend. It was a magical place abundant in tall trees, lakes, beautiful rivers, and mountains, lots of mountains. And right smack dab in the middle of all this beauty was a camp where kids from all over the world come together to share their one true passion with one another: skateboarding. Skate Camp is a dream come true for these kids who come to skate, create, learn and grow.
I was so happy to have been able to add this to my list of adventures with Element.
Guest Blogger Jess Cramp’s Photo Journal: Part 3
Our guest blogger Jess Cramp finishes off her photo journal with her adventures in Palmerston.
” I was lucky enough to spend the entire month of April on a remote outer atoll called Palmerston, studying sea turtles. We spent every afternoon snorkeling the lagoon looking for turtles (and sharks!).”
PHOTO CREDIT: Tina Weier
“We brought everything we could possibly need….except women that could cook! Haha. This is Matua, teaching Kelly and I how to make proper coconut bread.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Tina Weier
“Wondering what “turtle research” looks like? Find the egg chamber, dig until your fingernails bleed and count the number of egg shells. Every once in a while- you find a baby turtle, and that’s worth every scratch.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Tina Weier
” While I love research and policy work, I revel in the time with kids. Sometimes, your attention makes the difference.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Tina Weier
“Part of living so remotely, is total self-reliance and of course, team work. We spent the day replacing thatch at the school.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Tina Weier
“While on Palmerston, my friend Tina and I ran a shark survey alongside the team’s turtle research. This baby grey reef shark is paying me a visit. They aren’t the killing machines that Jaws portrayed. I promise.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Jason Green
” It’s business time! What I love about my job is the ability to transform fears through open discussion and fact sharing. This is Mayor Bob Marsters of Palmerston writing a letter to the Prime Minister, in support of shark protection. If I had my way, the entire campaign would be run by locals.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Tina Weier
Thanks for reading! Here’s a sunset to keep you dreaming. What’s life without adventure?
With love and sunshine,
Jess
Learn more about Jess through her Matador Ambassador profile
Check out more of Jess’s experiences on Destination Global Good
Guest Blogger Jess Cramp’s Photo Journal: Part 2
Guest Blogger Jess Cramp shares more of her adventures in the Cook Islands and her volunteer work throughout the world through her photo journal.
“Last year, I was part of the 5 Gyres crew, which sailed from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) to Tahiti, trawling for trash and taking water samples every 50nm. We’re already well aware of our impacts onshore…”
PHOTO CREDIT: Kitt Doucette
“We were aboard Sea Dragon for 3 incredible weeks, reveling at the many faces of the open ocean.”
” This is a nurdle. These petroleum-based pellets are used to manufacture plastics. We found this nurdle on Henderson Atoll. It is uninhabited, in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, but still a victim of the industrialized World.”
“Next stop: Cook Islands. Almost a year ago, I committed to volunteering in marine conservation for PICI…and I don’t regret it. Lucky for me, looking for hawksbill sea turtles, like this little guy, is part of my job!”
PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Lyon
“But life in paradise isn’t always sunny skies! With an important meeting on the horizon and nothing but a scooter, what’s a girl to do?”
“One of my very favorite things about my new “career” is getting into local communities. Here are some local Cook Islands kids showing me their shark fins in support of our shark sanctuary efforts.”
“Surfing in the Cooks is not for the faint of heart. Here’s me, wondering if I made the right choice in paddling out.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Justin Bastien: www.justinbastien.com
With love and sunshine,
Jess
Learn more about Jess through her Matador Ambassador profile
Check out more of Jess’s experiences on Destination Global Good
Guest Blogger Jess Cramp’s Photo Journal: Part 1
Our Guest Blogger, Jess Cramp, shares with us some of her most incredible experiences, bits of wisdom, and beautiful photography in this photo journal.
“I’ve wanted to fly for as long as I can remember. So when I decided to take the leap and follow my dreams, this was first on the list!”
“First stop: Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. I volunteered in a field hospital as a pharmacist and learned fairly quickly that I was not tough enough for disaster relief. Haiti was heartbreaking and humbling.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Cody Doucette
“I remember being completely amazed at the smiley, relaxed faces on many of the kids, even with a panorama of unsightly tragedies.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Cody Doucette
“Next stop: Panama. I spent about six months volunteering in Bocas del Toro, Panama-mostly in water quality and marine science education. But my real passion was found in trying to help the local indigenous tribe, the Ngobe-Bugle, to start a sea turtle monitoring program.”
“Bocas is a Caribbean jewel with gorgeous beaches and amazing waves, but there’s so much litter along the roads, in the drains and along the back beach that it hurts my soul.”
“I felt so lucky to be a part of the Water for People team in Santa Cruz del Quiche, Guatemala. They work with communities on clean water, hygiene and sanitation. And my favorite part is that they stick around to ensure the systems work.”
“Hand-washing can save lives in developing countries. These little ones are on the right track thanks to W4P’s commitment. Kid sized washing stations at a cistern full of water!”
“Guatemala. Imagine someone coming to your home unannounced and asking when and how often you wash your hands? When you travel, spend time with locals. Drink the water they offer, even if it has six teaspoons of sugar in it. Sit in their home. Listen. You will have no choice but to adapt your views of the world.”
With love and sunshine,
Jess
Learn more about Jess through her Matador Ambassador profile
Check out more of Jess’s experiences on Destination Global Good
Planted like angelic seeds in my life I love watching them grow by Brooke Reidt
Element Eden asked me who I surround myself with and what draws me to those people. I thought I would introduce you to some of my friends who inspire me. Somewhere along the way they were planted like angelic seeds in my life and I love watching them grow! So many of my close friends are artists, constantly creating their own art and living out their dreams. There’s too many people like this in my life that I simply adore and are hugely inspiring to name here, so consider this a sliver. (A big sliver since I didn’t post yesterday.)
Meet Ixchel, such a small girl filled with so much magic! Ixchel is named after a Mayan goddess and she seems like she’s from another universe or perhaps a whole universe exists within her. She creates photographic images that you want to climb inside of and make a new life for yourself without boundaries. Just looking at her photographs takes you on a trip to places you can’t find on any atlas. All shot with film and no photoshopping! Look!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ixchelara/
This is Niki. I met her on a porch of a house called “The Legion of Doom” in Ohio when I was hitchhiking across the country at 17. She very much seems a part of me. Living on opposite coasts I still feel like I grew up right beside her. She’s a genius the way she moves color around on canvas, wood or paper. You know that story about the boy who turned everything he touched to chocolate? Well this is the girl who turns everything she touches to beguiling beauties. Niki and her art are a spellbinding sea yours eyes need to swim around in. http://planticandwingishscenery.blogspot.com/
Mariqueen is a mermaid. No seriously, you’ve heard the lore of singing sirens that make ships wreck? This is her! Her voice gives you shivers and it does kind of kill you in a way. She’s a mother, lover and singer of the supernatural descent. Currently hypnotising, mesmerising and making waves in her band How to Destroy Angels drown your ears. http://howtodestroyangels.com/
Steve is cosmic. If Picasso came back to life as a hunter of life his name would be Steve. Steve is a magician of the arts, he dances to the beat of his dreams. From sculpture, mosaics & installations, to abstract paintings erupting in color he manifests a world of love you can live inside of. His art is not only a life of dedication but a life celebration. http://stevefawley.com/
This is Chris. I think you can see just from this picture that the energy of this being is extraterrestrial. Yep this picture was taken from one of his performances somewhere on a moon orbiting in the outerest parts of outer space. I know I wish was there too! The energy this alien invests into the music he makes can take you there! Listen to his project Free the Robots it will take you on that universal voyage you’ve been dreaming of. Chris is also one of the owners of a really impressive restaurant here on earth who is celebrating their 4th anniversary this weekend, The Crosby go! http://www.myspace.com/freetherobots
June June she’s sucha swoon you just want to spoon her forever! Aside from being sweet like a pile of puppies, she’s made of crystal prisms that cast rainbows of light on everything in her path. You know that Rolling Stone’s song “She’s a Rainbow”, that’s June. June is an artist, designer, blogger, film maker and snowboarder. She’s kind of a mystic sometimes she disappears and then resurfaces with some new zesty project or film that captivates your heart. http://blog.boatpeopleboutique.com/ http://www.peepshowfilms.com/
Finally there’s Paul who is one of my oldest friends. He divides his time between New York and traveling to the edge of earth. Right when he’s teetering so close to the edge you wonder if he’s fallen off and disappeared forever, he propels himself back to the present dimension sharing stories of people through photographic artifacts. His photographs transport you into intimate introductions with people and places that are so alternative to the nature you know, you wonder if it’s a dream. Paul has dedicated his life to exposing these hidden treasures through portraits you can see here.
http://www.paulnemirahcollins.com/
I Couldn’t Agree More!
As I head to France today for the Adaptive Snowboarding World Championships, I leave this quote behind. Life is an adventure, live it up!
~Amy