By Ned Lundquist
www.yourverynextstep.com

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
- Lao Tzu

“I think that travel comes from some deep urge to see the world, like
the urge that brings up a worm in an Irish bog to see the moon when it
is full.”
~ Lord Dunsany

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a
cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged
to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to
lundquist989@cs.com.

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Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

You may note that our website (www.yourverynextstep.com) has received a
make-over. Bear with Ned as he learns how to use it.

Note: Watch for Jaunted’s Travel Cat of the week this Wednesday,
featuruing Ned’s photo of the Cat of the Ascension.

*** In this issue:

*** Travel news

*** 10 of the world’s strangest conventions
*** Pets Can Be Jetsetters Too
*** Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
*** Beef…or pasta…or curry…or…chicken tandoori…or…
*** If you live in Virginia, you live in bear country
*** National Train Day Comes But Once a Year
*** Slacker’s Guide to Gardening for Wildlife
*** Namibia: The African Experience

*** Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Volunteer positions, CONSERVATION WORK ON WILDLIFE PROJECTS &
RESERVES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, Enkosini Eco Experience, Lydenburg 1120,
South Africa

2.) Building Boardwalks for Twin Arches, Big South Fork River and
Recreation Area, Twin Arches Bottom Loop, Tennessee

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: April 2012
Connecticut’s Farmington Canal Heritage Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) President, Mass Audubon, Boston, Massachusetts

2.) Executive Director, South Shore Natural Science Center, Norwell,
Massachusetts

3.) Public Affairs Specialist, Forest Service, Department Of
Agriculture, Sandy, Oregon

4.) Environmental Restoration Crew Member, California Trout, Antelope
Valley, California

5.) Director of Programs & Outreach, Orange County Conservation Corps,
Anaheim, California

6.) Park Ranger (LE/Pilot), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Department Of
The Interior, Galena, AK

7.) Executive Director, Western New York Land Conservancy, Wales, New
York

8.) Biological Aid/Technician (Wildlife), Bureau of Land Management,
Department Of The Interior, MANY vacancy(s): North Bend, OR; Grants
Pass, OR; Carlsbad, NM; Rock Springs, WY; Tillamook, OR

9.) Another Fishing Job for Bass Masters Everywhere, Escanaba, MI

10.) Eagle Education Coordinator, Ketchikan Indian Community,
Ketchikan, AK

11.) Development Director, HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, UT

12.) Canoe Livery Attendant II, City of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on
the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for April:

*** Here are 10 of the world’s strangest conventions from Oddee.com.

1. Fur-Con
A furry convention (also furry-con or fur-con) is a formal gathering of
members of furry fandom — people who are interested in the concept of
fictional non-human characters with human characteristics.

2. Redhead Day
Every summer in the city of Breda in The Netherlands, thousands of
redheads gather for a free festival to celebrate having naturally red
hair.

3. High Times Cannabis Club
2012 marks the 24th year for the annual High Times magazine event, The
High Times Cannabis Cup. Held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, every
November.

4. TattooFest
TattooFest is an annual convention held in Tampa Bay, Florida, every
spring.

5. Sideshow Convention
Every year in Wilkes-Barre, PA the world’s only sideshow convention is
held.

6. Parkes Elvis Festival
At the Parkes Elvis Festival in Australia, the King is alive and well!
Well, not really; but Elvis Presley’s memory and music live on at this
annual event held in early January each year.

7. Official Twilight Conventions
The Twilight movies and the books they are based upon, written by
Stephenie Meyer, are a huge cultural phenomenon worthy of not just one,
but several official conventions. Thousands of fans gather for the
conventions, and stars of the movies, as well as Meyer herself.

8. LEGO World
Every Autumn in IJsselhallen-Zwolle, The Netherlands, over 20,000 people
of all ages gather to celebrate and play with LEGO toys.

9. Lebowski Fest
Lebowski Fest is a gathering of fans of the cult film/pop culture
phenomenon, The Big Lebowski. The festival has been held for ten years
in as many cities, and The Dude himself (actor Jeff Bridges) attended
the Los Angeles Lebowski Fest in 2005.

10. ‘The Office’ Convention
Scranton, PA is the city in which the Emmy Award-winning TV show The
Office is based, which is why it became the unlikely location of a
yearly convention.

http://www.successfulmeetings.com/Event-Planning/10-More-of-the-Strangest-Conventions/?cid=eltrMtgNews

*** Fur-st Class:

Pets Can Be Jetsetters Too
Deals, Enhanced Service, & More

Alaska Airlines loves all its customers, especially the furry ones. And
with our PetStreak® Animal Express program your four-legged flyers will
love us, too – as they experience our
Fur-st Class® Care. We’ve even partnered with Banfield® Pet Hospital to
help travelers prepare their pets for stress-free travel as well as
enjoy valuable discounts. Whether you are traveling with your pet or
sending them along without you, rest easy knowing they’re traveling in
style.

http://www.alaskaair.com/content/cargo/petstreak.aspx?wc_mid=1506%3A16599%3AWHA_IN_20120410_4_Else&wc_rid=1-5RI0W8P&wc_lid=Greeter_||20120409_AW||

*** Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

When you support TrailLink.com and Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)
today, we’ll send you a free Mid-Atlantic guidebook or one of the other
five regional guides.

https://secure2.convio.net/rtt/site/Donation2?3280.donation=form1&idb=1236489046&df_id=3280&JServSessionIdr004=zb27sjij01.app202a

*** Beef…or pasta…or curry…or…chicken tandoori…or…

http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/4/9/123648/0516/travel/AirAsia%27s+Incredibly+Long+List+of+Onboard+Meals

(Ned flew Air Asia when he went to Malaysia for dinner last year.)

*** If you live in Virginia, you live in bear country

Things to Remember in Bear Country

“If the bear enters the tent fight back and yell. Many bears have been
driven off this way.” Want to learn more?

http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear/things-to-remember-in-bear-country.asp

Yes, Virginia, you’ll have to bear with us

Black Bear (Ursus americanus) Facts

Of the three bear species (black, brown, and polar bears) in North
America, only the black bear lives in Virginia. Shy and secretive, the
sighting of a bear is a rare treat for most Virginians. However, bears
are found throughout most of the Commonwealth, and encounters between
bears and people are increasing. A basic understanding of bear biology
and implementing a few preventative measures will go a long way to
helping make all encounters with bears positive.

Physical Description

Adult black bears are approximately 4 to 7 feet from nose to tail, and
two to three feet high at the withers. Males are larger than females.
Black bears have small eyes, rounded ears, a long snout, large non
retractable claws, a large body, a short tail, and shaggy hair. In
Virginia most black bears are true black in color unlike black bears
found in more western states that can be shades of red, brown or blond.

Depending on the time of year, adult female black bears commonly weigh
between 90 to 250 pounds. Males commonly weigh between 130 to 500
pounds. The largest known wild black bear was from North Carolina and
weighed 880 pounds. The heaviest known female weighed 520 pounds from
northeastern Minnesota.

Distribution

The American black bear is found only in North America. Black bears
historically ranged over most of the forested regions of North America,
and significant portions of northern Mexico. There are approximately
900,000 black bears in North America. Black bears reside in every
province in Canada except for Prince Edward Isle, and in at least 40 of
the 50 states in the US. In the eastern United States, black bear range
is continuous throughout New England but becomes increasingly fragmented
from the mid-Atlantic down through the Southeast.

Longevity

Bears may live up to 30 years in the wild. The oldest documented wild
bear in Virginia was 26 years of age when it was killed.

Solitary or Social?

Black bears are generally solitary, except sows caring for cubs. Adult
bears may be seen together during the summer breeding period and
occasionally yearling siblings will remain together for a period of
time. Bears may also gather at places with abundant food sources.

Daily Activity Time

Black bears are typically crepuscular (active at dusk and dawn), but can
be active any time of day.

Movements

Female black bears have smaller home ranges (1 to 50 square miles) than
males (10 to 290 square miles). A male’s home range may overlap several
female home ranges. Bears may move further in times of less food like
early spring. Dispersing yearlings, especially males, looking for new
home ranges may also travel a great distance.

Breeding and Cubs

Female black bears mature as early as three years old. Breeding occurs
from mid-June to mid-July, but in the eastern deciduous forest, mating
season can extend into August. Female black bears usually breed every
other year and cubs are born from early January to mid-February weighing
½ to ¾ lbs. Anywhere from 1-4 cubs are born at a time and are raised by
their mother for about 1½ years. First-year cub mortality rates are
about 20%, primarily due to predation (foxes, coyotes, dogs, bobcats,
other bears) or abandonment by their mother. Adult bears do not have
natural predators except humans.

When the mother is ready to breed again, she will send her yearlings to
fend for themselves during the summer months when food is usually
abundant. Always hungry, these yearling bears, particularly the males,
will seek easy sources of food. The ability to access human related food
sources can spell trouble for these bears.

Denning

Bears may feed up to 20 hours per day, accumulating fat (energy) prior
to winter denning. An adult male can gain over 100 pounds in a few weeks
when acorn production is heavy. Depending on weather and food
conditions, black bears enter their winter dens between October and
January. Bears will not eat, drink, urinate or defecate while denning.
Bears are easily aroused and may be active during warm winter days. They
emerge from their dens from mid-March to early May. In Virginia, most
bears den in large, hollow trees. Other den types include fallen trees,
rock cavities, and brush piles in timber cut areas, open ground nests,
and man-made structures (culvert pipe).

Foods

Black bears have a very diverse diet. They consume herbaceous plant
parts, woody plant parts, flower/nectar/ pollen, fruit, terrestrial
insects, juvenile and small mammals, juvenile and adult amphibians, and
carrion. Bears are omnivorous and opportunistic feeders, eating mostly
plants in the spring, berries and insects in the summer, and nuts and
berries in the fall. Carrion (dead animals) is often a part of a bear’s
diet. Although not typically and an active predator, rare occurrences of
livestock predation is reported each year.

Spring Foods
•Grasses/Forbes
•Insects/Larvae
•Skunk Cabbage
•Squaw Root

Summer/Fall Foods
•Berries
•Hard mast (Acorns, Other tree nuts)
•Autumn Olive
•Dogwood
•Wild Grapes
•Serviceberry
•Mountain-ash
•Hawthorn
•Chokecherry
•Pokeberry
•Sassafras

Bears on the Move—You Live in Bear Country

As new spring growth emerges, so do bears, and they are following their
stomachs in search of food.

With a healthy and growing black bear population, bear sightings are
becoming the norm throughout Virginia. While the highest concentration
of bears occurs in the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains and around the
Great Dismal Swamp, bears are likely to be seen just about anywhere in
Virginia. During the months of April and May bears have left their dens
and are ending their winter fast. Bears do not eat, drink, urinate, or
defecate while they are in dens. Additionally, while denning, female
bears may give birth to cubs. Cubs are born weighing less than a pound
and are reliant on their mother’s milk.

In Virginia, bear diets consist of 80% vegetation and only 20% protein
from common sources like insects and carrion. Bears are highly adaptable
and intelligent animals and can learn to associate human dwellings with
food. In their search for food, bears are attracted to residential areas
by the smell of food around homes. The most common food attractants are
bird feeders, garbage, and pet food. Additionally outdoor grills,
livestock food, compost, fruit trees, and beehives can also attract
bears.

How do you encourage a bear that’s hanging around to move on?

The best way to encourage a bear to move on is to remove the food source
that is attracting it. Do not store household trash, or anything that
smells like food, in vehicles, on porches or decks. Keep your full or
empty trash containers secured in a garage, shed or basement. Take your
garbage to the dump frequently, and if you have a trash collection
service, put your trash out the morning of the pickup, not the night
before. Take down your birdfeeder temporarily until the bear moves on.
Consider installing electric fencing, an inexpensive and extremely
efficient proven deterrent to bears, around dumpsters, gardens,
beehives, or other potential food sources.

If addressed quickly, wildlife problems caused by food attractants in
people’s yards can be resolved almost immediately. After you remove the
food source on or around your property, the bear may remain for a short
time, but after a few failed attempts to find food, it will leave your
property.

What should you do if you see a bear on your property?

Bears generally avoid humans, but in their search for food, they may
wander into suburban areas. So, what should you do if you see a bear?
The most important response is to keep a respectful distance. Black
bears have a natural distrust of humans, and in most cases would rather
flee than have an encounter with people. If a bear is up a tree on or
near your property, give it space. Do not approach or gather around the
base of the tree. By bringing your pets inside and leaving the immediate
area, you give the bear a clear path to leave your property.

If you see a bear cub in an area do not try to remove it from the area
or “save it”. Female bears will wander to find food usually with her
cubs in tow. If she feels nervous she will typically send her cubs up a
tree and can leave the area. The mother bear will leave the cubs there
until she returns and calls for them. Bear cubs left where they are will
almost always be retrieved by their mother as long as there are no
people or pets around.

Please don’t feed the bears.

Always remember that a bear is a wild animal, and that it is detrimental
to the bear, as well as illegal in Virginia, to feed a bear under any
circumstances. Even the inadvertent feeding of bears is illegal.

You can help manage the Commonwealth’s black bear population by keeping
your property clear of attractants and communicating with your neighbors
to resolve community bear concerns. If you visit outdoor recreation
areas in bear country insist that the area supervisors manage their
trash properly.

If you do see a bear in your area, enjoy watching it from a distance. If
you experience a bear problem after taking appropriate steps of
prevention, please notify your Virginia Department of Game and Inland
Fisheries Regional Office. Phone numbers for the regional offices can be
found by visiting the office locator.

How can I learn more about bears in Virginia?

Living with Bears in Virginia, a video produced by the Virginia
Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, provides tips for peacefully
coexisting with bears. Please visit the Department’s black bear website
to view the video, print a brochure, read more about bears in Virginia,
and view other useful links to bear information.

Remember, if you live in Virginia, you live in bear country.

Things to Remember in Bear Country

If You Encounter a Bear at Home:

There are no definite rules about what to do if you meet a bear. In
almost all cases, the bear will detect you first and leave the area.
Unprovoked bear attacks are very rare, and have never been documented in
Virginia. If you do meet a bear here are some suggestions:
•Stay calm. If you see a bear and it has not seen you, calmly leave the
area. As you move away, make noise to let the bear discover your
presence.
•Stop. Back away slowly while facing the bear.
•Give the bear plenty of room to escape. Bears rarely attack people
unless they feel cornered or provoked.
•Do not run or make any sudden movements. Running could prompt the bear
to give chase, and you cannot outrun a bear. If on a trail, step off the
trail and slowly leave the area.
•If there is a bear in your yard and it approaches you, make yourself
look big and make loud noises. Remain at a safe distance and throw rocks
to make the bear feel unwelcome.
•If there is a bear in your house prop open all doors to the outside and
get out of the way of the exit. Never close a bear into a room. Make
noises and yell at bear to leave the house. Don’t approach the bear but
make sure it knows it is violating your territory.
•If you surprise a bear speak softly. This may reassure the bear that
you mean it no harm.
•Fight back. If a black bear attacks you, fight back. Black bears have
been driven away when people have fought back with rocks, sticks,
binoculars and even their bare hands.

If You Encounter a Bear While Camping:
•Do not store food, garbage, or toiletries in your tent!
•Keep your camp clean.
•Store your food safely. Use bear-proof containers. Metal ammunition
cans ($10-20) and Bear Canisters (approximately $50-60) are easily
packed and transported.
•Keep your tent and sleeping bag free of all food smells.
•Store the clothes you wore while cooking or eating with your food.
•Burn all grease off grills and camp stoves.
•Wipe table and clean eating area thoroughly.
•Store food and coolers suspended from a tree at least 10 feet off the
ground and four feet out from the tree trunk.
•Dispose of garbage properly. Secure it with your food and then pack it
out.
•Do not burn or bury the garbage.
•Sleep away from food areas. Move some distance away from your cooking
area or food-storage site.
•Store toiletries with your food; the smell of toiletries may attract
bears.

Scents and use of perfume or cologne is sometimes an attractant to
bears.

A Bear Outside Your Tent:

If you hear a bear or other animal outside your tent make sure it is
aware that there is a human inside by using a firm monotone voice. Turn
on a flashlight or lantern. If the bear enters the tent fight back and
yell. Many bears have been driven off this way.

If You Encounter a Bear While Hiking:
•Hiking at dawn or dusk may increase your chances of meeting a bear.
•Use extra caution in places where hearing or visibility is limited,
such as brushy areas, near streams, where trails round a bend and on
windy days.
•Reduce your chances of surprising a bear on the trail by making noise,
talking or singing.
•Make sure children are close to you or within your sight at all times.
•Leave your dog at home or have it on a leash.

*** National Train Day Comes But Once a Year

From Jaunted: Look, train travel is great. We regularly hop Amtrak, VIA
Rail Canada and various lines elsewhere in the world, but just about the
last thing we equate riding the rails with is Rosario Dawson.

This year, Amtrak is celebrating the 5th annual National Train Day on
May 12 and though it doesn’t mean any discounts on summer train travel
(yet! fingers crossed!), it does mean that Dawson will be at New York
Penn Station to talk about her love of trains. WEIRD.
While specific activities around National Train Day haven’t been
announced, the party will go down at train stations in Philadelphia,
Chicago, Los Angeles and, of course, NYC. Essentially, this serves as a
notice that it could be very fun to travel on Amtrak from one of these
stations on May 12…not so much because of Rosario, but because there
are bound to be giveaways and little bonuses.
[Photo: Jaunted}

*** Slacker’s Guide to Gardening for Wildlife

from Wildlife Promise

“Animals are such agreeable friends – they ask no questions, they pass
no criticisms.” ~George Eliot

You’ll never see my garden in the pages of Better Homes and Gardens. I’m
just not that ambitious. But, this doesn’t seem to faze the critters in
my neighborhood that frequently pay me a visit. To them, my unkempt
backyard is a little oasis complete with food, clean water and plenty of
places to hide out.

That’s right. You can attract the sweetest-sounding songbirds and most
vibrant butterflies to your backyard even if you’re a lazy gardener like
me. With a little up-front effort now, you can sit back and enjoy your
wildlife haven all year long. Just follow these simple guidelines:

Go native in a big way: Native plants are fantastic at attracting birds
and butterflies and generally require less fertilizer and less water.
That means less work for you. To find carefree natives for your
landscape, visit the American Beauties Native Plant Finder.

Don’t be stingy with the mulch: Mulch helps keep water in the soil and
available to your plants, thus cutting down on the need for manual
watering. Plus, when mulch breaks down, it provides nutrients to the
soil, which can help reduce or eliminate the need for additional
fertilizers. Moreover, if your mulch is the proper thickness, you could
also cut down on weeding.

Say “so long” to your lawn: Grass lawns often require chemicals and
frequent mowing. Moreover, they provide little value for wildlife. So,
by replacing some or all of your high maintenance grass lawn with native
wildflowers, bushes, and trees, you’ll be providing the food and shelter
that local critters need to survive and thrive. And, to avoid any
misunderstandings with your neighbors about natural landscapes and their
benefits, download this handy guide to neighbor-friendly wildlife
gardening.

Keep the deadwood: You can create a refuge for hundreds of woodland
creatures by not removing dead trees from your yard. Many animals,
including birds, bats, squirrels and raccoons make nests in hollow
cavities and crevices in standing deadwood. Make sure that upright dead
trees called “snags” don’t pose a threat to your home or a neighbor’s.

Let the kids help: Little hands can really come in handy in the
garden–from helping to create a brush pile for small mammals to filling
birdfeeders. For older children, give them a small garden plot to plant
natives and call their own. Visit 16 Tips for Wildlife Gardening with
Kids for more ideas.

http://blog.nwf.org/2012/04/slackers-guide-to-gardening-for-wildlife/?s_email_id=20120421_BOT_ENG_Newsletter_April_Edition|STBot

*** Namibia: The African Experience – By Brian Kilgallen

The flight from Germany, to Namibia in southwest Africa was long -
the longest I had taken in the same time zone. We boarded in late
afternoon and flew directly south over Italy, Libya, Chad, Daiquiri,
Boogaloo, D’Isenteri and Drambui, finally arriving in Johannesburg,
South Africa, the following morning. After a two-hour layover, I was on
another plane for the final leg west over the Kalahari Desert in
Botswana to Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It was nearly one o’clock
in the afternoon – 18 hours after I had set out.

As the plane made its approach, I tried to catch a glimpse of
Windhoek, but there wasn’t a building in sight except for the small,
rather unpretentious airport. The landscape was sparse and looked
remarkably like the desert southwest in the United States. It could
have been El Paso, southern New Mexico or Arizona except for the
Kalahari baboons scrambling along the two-lane road into town, which was
roughly 30 lonely miles from the terminal.

I asked the driver why they built the airport so far from
civilization.
“The ground was flat there,” he said.
“That’s it?”
He shrugged.

I checked into the Windhoek Country Club Resort where I met some
acquaintances I hadn’t seen in a few years. Later that night, the hotel
bused us into town to Joe’s Beerhouse. The name itself had a certain
manly earthiness appeal and it did not disappoint. It’s what most people
imagine when they think of Africa – a sprawling, simple, yet intimate
setting under the stars Thatched candlelit dining areas bordered the
perimeter. It was bench seating, with maybe ten people to a table. I
ordered a beer and checked out the menu. Most of the group had decided
on skewered zebra, ostrich, wildebeest and crocodile over rice. I opted
for the same. I would be eating a lot of game during the next week.
Contrary to the rumor, the crocodile did not taste like chicken and had
the consistency of a Goodyear tire. I did not order it again.
It was spring in the southern hemisphere and it was hot. Death
Valley hot. But the heat was dry from the low humidity and the constant
breezes helped to make it more comfortable than bearable. The night was
cooler and the air fresh.

“Interesting sky,” I said to the woman across from me. Her name was
Doris and she was German. She had been working in the area for about ten
years.

She nodded. "We have different constellations in this hemisphere.
The Southern Cross, Ungowa the Warrior, Silvia the Hairdresser, Stanley
the Plumber...."

While the crime rate is relatively high, as it is in most African
metropolitan areas, Windhoek is regarded as one of the cleanest cities
in sub Sahara Africa, testament to the Europeans in general and the
Germans in particular, who had settled what was then West South Africa.
Some of the locals claim the tap water is actually purer than the
bottled variety.

Colonized in the 1884 by Germany, Namibia today is a hodgepodge of
cultures – Dutch, British, German and others. But the German influence
is the strongest and it was the Germans who built the railroad there in
the early 1900s. Vehicles drive on the left. Most Namibians speak
English, German or Afrikaans. And, the influence of the Bushman is
everywhere, particularly in the primitive artwork.

The following day, I set out to explore Windhoek. It was mid
morning and the temperatures, while still comfortable, were already
building toward the heat of the day. Namibia's capital is small and
spread out like Albuquerque across the high desert sands, with the
downtown area clustered into maybe eight or ten square blocks with
high-rise buildings. The street vendors were already setting up on the
sidewalks and in the pedestrian shopping areas. The quality of their
wares was surprisingly good and while many of the better shops carried
similar items, the best bargains were to be had in the streets.

There were two main areas for outdoor shopping in the town. I began
with the larger one, which was spread out across the pedestrian shopping
mall. The vendors had laid out their goods on the sidewalks in what must
have been a daily ritual, first unpacking them from the large cardboard
boxes and then arranging the items uniformly row after row. Most were
objects d’art, carved from wood or semi-precious stone. Masks, letter
openers, wildlife, necklaces, earrings, T-shirts, baskets, bracelets,
fertility symbols, pottery, trinkets.

Some of my friends and I had apprenticed in haggling when we
visited the souks in Morocco and Tunisia in my salad days and was
confident that I could hold my own with the street vendors.

I stopped at the first stall and flashed a friendly smile at the
tall, wiry native. “Hakuna m’tata,” I said.
He didn’t smile back. Most of the Namibians I met were virtually
expressionless and yet always seemed to comprehend. You would order a
meal in a restaurant and wonder if they were actually going to bring it
to you, but they always did. Waiters are like that.

He scowled at me. “What you want to buy?”

I pointed. “I’d like to look at that.”

He picked his way through the display and held up a carved ebony
map of Africa. “This?”

“Yes. How much?”

He made his way back and offered it to me for examination. “Two
hundred dollar, Namibian.” It was the equivalent of about 25 U.S.
dollars.

“That’s seems high,” I said.

“Make me an offer.”

“One hundred.”

He snatched the carving back from me. “It cost me 140 dollar.”

I produced a 100 dollar bill and offered it to him.

“One hundred forty dollar,” he said. “You want it?”

I held steady. “One hundred. Here, take it.”

He put the carving down. “Get out of my space.”

“One hundred ten.”

“Go!” He followed that with a string of what I assumed were vulgar
obscenities in a language I was not familiar with.

I moved on to the other outdoor shopping area near the office of
tourism at the intersection of Independence Boulevard and Fidel Castro
Street. Many of the items were similar to those I had seen before. I
hefted a malachite elephant, held it up to catch the glint of green in
the sunlight, then turned it over to see the price. Eight hundred
(Namibian) dollars!

“You like?” She was a bruiser with arms as thick as a rhinoceros’
neck, complexion of rich, dark mahogany and short tightly curled hair of
steel wool.

“It’s very expensive.”

“Make me an offer.” She had a voice that could strip paint off a
garage door from twenty paces.
I put it down and started to move on.

“How much you want to pay?”

“I want to look some more.”

She dogged me to the next stall. I reached down and picked up a
carved oblong mask that had been rubbed smooth to a lustrous sheen.
Again I looked at the price. Seven hundred dollars.

“How much you want to pay for that?” she said.

“The price is high.”

“Make me an offer. How much? Five hundred dollars?

“I just want to look around,” I said.

“Three hundred?”

“Please…”

She was in my face now, clutching my arm. “Pay me something!
Anything!” Then her voice became a desperate plea. “I need your
support…!”

I gave her 900 dollars. The mask is hanging in my study.

Of course, no visit to the region would be complete without a
safari and the Okapuka and Duesternbrook game preserves were only about
two hours away, off the TransKalahari Highway that linked Windhoek to
Botswana in the east and South Africa to the south. The bus from the
hotel lobby arrived at the lodge where we enjoyed a buffet lunch before
heading out in the Humvees to the bush where we spent an afternoon
observing and photographing game.

"Do you think we'll spot any cheetahs?" I asked our guide.

"No. They already have spots," he deadpanned.

"Okay. Do you think we'll SEE any cheetahs?"

"Unlikely. They run very fast."

I let that go by. “So, what can we expect today?”

“Giraffes, rhinos, warthogs, crocodiles, springboks, apes and…
yors.

“Yors?”

“Yes.”

I looked at him quizzically. “What’s yors?”

“Thank you. I’ll have another beer.”

Except for the streets named after revolutionaries like Castro, Che
Guevera, and Nelson Mandela, Namibia today bears almost none of the
scars of 25 years of armed conflict that led to independence from South
Africa in 1990, the result of a tripartite agreement among South Africa,
Angola and Cuba, with the Soviet Union and the United States as
observers. The country today is thriving as a popular tourist
destination and for me it was truly one of the great experiences of a
lifetime.

City park in Windhoek

Street market in Winhoek town center

Sign in a bar in downtown Windhoek pretty much says it all

On safari at the Okapuka game preserve north of Windhoek

Springbok in the wild

Close encounter with the Rhinos

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Volunteer positions, CONSERVATION WORK ON WILDLIFE PROJECTS &
RESERVES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, Enkosini Eco Experience, Lydenburg 1120,
South Africa

Enkosini Eco Experience offers self-funding volunteers a unique
opportunity to work abroad at leading wildlife conservation,
rehabilitation and research programs in South Africa and Namibia.

A wildlife conservation program is the ultimate life changing and
rewarding experience. Volunteer programs range from 1-12 weeks, giving
volunteers the opportunity to become involved in a wide variety of
wildlife conservation activities in Africa; including anti-poaching,
wildlife research, animal rehabilitation and reintroduction, hands on
animal care, game tracking and capture, bush rehabilitation and everyday
reserve maintenance and management. Volunteers can choose to focus
exclusively on one program, or alternatively experience a number of
different programs. All of our conservation projects have a strong
element of continuity. The work of one volunteer is carried on by
subsequent volunteers and, collectively, the Enkosini Eco Experience
network makes a lasting impact on local communities, wildlife and
wildlands of South Africa and Namibia.

Founded in 2003, Enkosini Eco Experience allows you to volunteer in a
way that fills your heart, mind and spirit and maximizes your financial
contribution to the projects you choose. Enkosini’s carefully selected
projects are our colleagues, our mentors, our partners. A tight-knit
community in South Africa and Namibia, we work together to achieve
higher standards in conservation and to fight unethical wildlife
activities through advocacy, media exposure and legislative change.
Enkosini Eco Experience supports our partner wildlife projects with the
necessary financial and volunteer assistance required to achieve our
goals in conservation and community development in Africa.

The staff of Enkosini Eco Experience has traveled extensively through
South Africa and Namibia - teaching, working, volunteering, studying,
backpacking, and managing tour groups. Our knowledge and understanding
of where to go, when to go, what to do and how to do it will prepare you
for traveling abroad to Southern Africa. You‘ll enjoy Enkosini’s
complete support before, during and after your volunteer experience
including emergency phone lines, in the field coordinators, full
training where required, independent Africa travel advice, and most
importantly a team with the experience to answer all your questions. We
are well-informed about local issues and culture, and help ensure that
all the organizational details for your volunteer project are covered so
that your experience is safe, enjoyable and fulfilling.

Our overseas volunteers come from all walks of life – from gap year
students to career breakers to retired people – and we organize
volunteer programs for people of all nationalities. Whether you are
burned out from running the rat race, exploring a new direction in your
life or just aching to see the world, an Enkosini Eco Experience is an
absolute must for anyone who is enthusiastic about wildlife conservation
and the environment. Enkosini’s range of volunteer projects offer the
adventurous individual the chance to take part in valuable and rewarding
hands-on conservation work that provides a sustainable future for
important ecosystems in South Africa and Namibia. And, of course,
Southern Africa is a great place to volunteer with magnificent scenery,
fabulous weather, great infrastructure, fascinating cultures and, last
but not least, spectacular wildlife!

Let the adventure to Africa begin…

To contact our South African office:

Enkosini Eco Experience

P.O. Box 1197, Lydenburg 1120, South Africa

Tel: +27.82.442.6773, Skype: enkosini

E-mail: info@enkosini.com / enkosini@yahoo.com

(*please send all correspondence to both email addresses*)

To contact our US office:

Enkosini Eco Experience

P.O. Box 15355, Seattle, WA 98115, USA

Tel: +1.206.604.2664, Fax: +1.310.359.0269, Skype: enkosini

E-mail: info@enkosini.com / enkosini@yahoo.com

(*please send all correspondence to both email addresses*)

http://www.enkosiniecoexperience.com/?gclid=CN_OhJ_7uK8CFUbe4AodcQIgiA

2.) Building Boardwalks for Twin Arches, Big South Fork River and
Recreation Area, Twin Arches Bottom Loop, Tennessee

Accommodations Description: Volunteers will be staying at primitive tent
sites. Volunteers should bring their own tent, sleeping bag, pad, eating
utensils/bowl, and personal gear.

Project Information: Volunteers will build boardwalks on a very heavily
used trail leading to the Twin Arches, the most impressive rock arches
in the eastern United States. The site is closed to car access and
should provide an exciting outdoor experience for all involved.
Volunteers will work side by side with the NPS trail crew who will
provide support and guidance onsite.

Area Description: Located in a rugged gorge area of the Cumberland
Plateau, the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its main
tributaries attract fishermen, swimmers, and paddlers. The park offers
almost 400 miles of hiking and multi-use trails. The area is home to
several arches, beautiful overlooks, wildflowers, and geological
wonders.

Climate Information: Expect warm, humid days, and cool evenings. During
the summer there can be the occasional thunderstorm, which brings with
it high winds, hail and lightening.

Travel Information: No airport pickup provided. Closest airport is
Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport.

Maximum # of Volunteers: 15

http://www.americanhiking.org/ProjectRegistrationDetail.aspx?projectId=586

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: April 2012
Connecticut's Farmington Canal Heritage Trail
When it comes to layers of history, few pathways can top the Farmington
Canal Heritage Trail. This central Connecticut corridor started life as
a waterway, then turned into a railroad, then became a multi-use trail.
Lately, it's become a crucial link in an ambitious 3,000-mile greenway
from Florida to Maine.

"There's so much history and heritage—it went through three modes of
transportation," says Steve Mitchell, owner of a trailside business and
board member of the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the group promoting
the Florida-to-Maine pathway.

Many trails have a lengthy backstory, but few tales are as long and as
varied as that of the Farmington Canal trail. It started in the 1820s,
when a group of businessmen in New Haven joined together to build a
canal north through the Farmington Valley and into Northampton, Mass.,
to facilitate trade. The canal was completed in 1835, but the advent of
the steam locomotive quickly spelled the waterway's doom. By 1850 most
of the right-of-way was laid with tracks for the New Haven and
Northampton Company railroad, also known as the "Canal Line."

The railroad operated for more than 130 years, under various owners.
Generations of residents watched trains come and go on this line,
including the 54-year-old Mitchell, who remembers seeing them passing
through town and behind the lot of his family's car dealership in
Simsbury, Conn., when he was a boy. By the 1980s, though, service over
most of this rail line ended. Work on converting the unused sections
into rail-trails began in the early 1990s, spurred on by funding
provided by the federal Transportation Enhancements program.

The first sections of the trail opened in 1993. Mitchell remembers
taking his family out on one of these sections not long afterward—his
first ride on a rail-trail. "It was absolutely wonderful—you didn't have
to worry about cars or trucks," he recalls. From that point, he was
hooked on rail-trails.

The trail extended in segments over the years as access and funding
became available. When the pathway came through Simsbury, Mitchell's
family provided access to the section of the railroad corridor that it
had previously leased from the state to use as an employee parking lot,
keeping the trail route continuous.

Today, about 42 miles of the 56-mile route through Connecticut are
complete. (Another 25 miles of the corridor in Massachusetts, starting
with the Southwick Rail Trail at the Connecticut border, are in various
stages of development.) Mitchell estimates that it will take another
three to five years to complete the trail. Trail builders have been
careful to preserve the corridor's history, protecting one of the last
remaining canal locks and creating a museum beside it in the town of
Cheshire, for example.

Even though it's still a work in progress, the greenway has proven to be
enormously popular. More than 154,000 people used the section of trail
near Simsbury in 2008, according to the Farmington Valley Trails Council
(FVTC). The pathway provides not only health and recreational benefits
for users, but an alternative commuting option for residents. It
generates an estimated $4 million to $7 million a year for the regional
economy. Perhaps equally important, the Farmington canal trail has
helped to catalyze an alternative transportation movement both on the
local and state levels.

"It's fun to see what a difference [the trail] has made in our community
in terms of encouraging biking, and making people feel safe on
bicycles,” says Mitchell.

Adds FVTC president Bruce Donald, “After 20 years of work, we finally
are bringing to fruition a point-to-point alternative transportation
corridor that is not just a fantastic regional amenity, but a useful
harbinger of the steadily increasing value of people-powered travel.”

The FVTC, a citizens’ group formed in 1992 to support rail-trail
development in the area, now has more than 1,600 members, according to
Donald. These volunteers have played a crucial role not only in creating
and promoting the trail, but maintaining it. For example, when a major
snowstorm crippled New England last October and brought down hundreds of
trees and thousands of branches on the trail, dozens of members of the
trails council swarmed over the trail like worker bees and cleaned away
the debris—in some cases, before power to their homes had even been
restored.

These trail advocates have also been a powerful voice in support of
bicycle and pedestrian issues across the state. In an acknowledgement of
the importance of this constituency and recognition of the crucial role
of multi-modal transportation, Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy last year
created and filled the state’s first-ever full-time position for a
bicycle-pedestrian coordinator.

Malloy has also provided funds for a feasibility study for a bike path
running parallel to southwestern Connecticut’s Merritt Parkway—a path
that could ultimately connect to the Farmington Canal trail and provide
another important link in the East Coast Greenway.

The East Coast Greenway would connect Key West, Fla., to Calais, Maine,
linking 26 major cities along the way and providing new, non-motorized
recreational and commuting options to millions of Americans. Nearly 200
miles of the proposed greenway would go through Connecticut, including
the section of the Farmington Canal trail from New Haven to Simsbury.
About 25 percent of the greenway is complete, and Donald, Mitchell and
others from Connecticut are using their experiences on the Farmington
Canal trail to help move the interstate project forward. “We have a
symbiotic and complementary existence,” Donald says of the greenway
group.

Sounds like the makings of another engrossing chapter in the history of
the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail.

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) President, Mass Audubon, Boston, Massachusetts

http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=23905

2.) Executive Director, South Shore Natural Science Center, Norwell,
Massachusetts

http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=23902

3.) Public Affairs Specialist, Forest Service, Department Of
Agriculture, Sandy, Oregon

http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/314571900

4.) Environmental Restoration Crew Member, California Trout, Antelope
Valley, California

California Trout and California Department of Fish & Game are now
looking for candidates interested in conducting restoration work in the
Eastern Sierra for endangered Lahontan cutthroat trout. Remaining Walker
Basin Lahontan cutthroat trout currently persist in a handful of
headwater streams. This recovery project is aimed at increasing
available habitat within their historic range, securing recovery waters
from invasives, and monitoring native population.

The eastern Sierra is an area of extreme elevations, extreme
temperatures, and volatile weather. Access to the remote restoration
sites can be rigorous—with personal and work gear being hauled in the
heat on your back! It can be a very physically strenuous job, including
removal of non-native fish (i.e. electroshock killing). This can be
upsetting for some people, so please consider this carefully!

Duties:

The person(s) selected will work as part of a crew on ecological
restoration projects under the direction of DFG and California Trout
staff. Restoration for Lahontan cutthroat trout will utilize a
combination of backpack electroshocking to remove non-native brook trout
and temporary barrier placement to secure recovery waters. Other duties
will include: pruning riparian vegetation to facilitate crew access to
the stream; maintenance of gear; and data management. Although outdoors,
surrounded by amazing vistas and working with an amazingly beautiful
native trout, the work can be tiring and repetitious.

Minimum requirements:

Candidates must have at least two years of college level education with
at least 10 credits of science.
Candidates should be able to carry an approx. 40 pound backpack while
hiking at elevation.
Candidates must be comfortable in and around water.
After the initial training, candidates must be able to work without
direct supervision.

Details:

Flexible work week: although this job is based on a 40 hour work week,
it can be arranged to fit your schedule. For example, four x 10 hour
days followed by three days off.
Compensation: Crew members will be paid $12 to $14 per hour. In addition
dormitory-style housing may be provided in Coleville, CA for the field
season.
Vacancies: Four currently. There may be up to eight, contingent upon
funding.
Where: Antelope Valley, CA.
When: Field work will commence June/early July, depending on stream
flows, and proceed through September. Note: students unable to commit
for the entire may apply but preference may be given to applicants
willing and able to work through the duration of the field season.
Application Instructions

To apply:

Send a cover letter, resume and short writing sample to: Michael Robin
(mrobin@caltrout.org).
Please CC: Dawne Becker (dbecker@dfg.ca.gov) and Mark Drew
(mdrew@caltrout.org).

Applications are due on or before April 6th, 2012. Please include in the
subject line of your email: Your Name – LCT Walker Restoration

For more information about California Trout, visit our website at
www.caltrout.org. To learn more about California DFG, visit
www.dfg.ca.gov.

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=309700039

5.) Director of Programs & Outreach, Orange County Conservation Corps,
Anaheim, California

http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=23810

6.) Park Ranger (LE/Pilot), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Department Of
The Interior, Galena, AK

http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/314306500

7.) Executive Director, Western New York Land Conservancy, Wales, New
York

http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=23919

8.) Biological Aid/Technician (Wildlife), Bureau of Land Management,
Department Of The Interior, MANY vacancy(s) – North Bend, ORView Map
MANY vacancy(s) – Grants Pass, OR; Carlsbad, NM; Rock Springs, WY;
Tillamook, OR

http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/307298800

*** From Mark Sofman:

9.) Another Fishing Job for Bass Masters Everywhere, Escanaba, MI

http://bit.ly/GQxRn1

10.) Eagle Education Coordinator, Ketchikan Indian Community,
Ketchikan, AK

http://bit.ly/GQhMxu

11.) Development Director, HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, UT

http://bit.ly/GQhV48

12.) Canoe Livery Attendant II, City of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI

http://bit.ly/GQvqkp

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to
lundquist989@cs.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC
© 2012 The Job of the Week Network LLC
Edward Lundquist, ABC –
Editor and Publisher
Your Very Next Step
7813 Richfield Road
Springfield, VA 22153
Home office phone: (703) 455-7661
lundquist989@cs.com
www.nedsjotw.com

By Ned Lundquist www.yourverynextstep.com

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

“I think that travel comes from some deep urge to see the world, like the urge that brings up a worm in an Irish bog to see the moon when it is full.”

~ Lord Dunsany

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to: yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 655 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

You may note that our website (www.yourverynextstep.com) has received a make-over. Bear with Ned as he learns how to use it.

*** In this issue:

*** Can I touch your hair? Shhhh. Listen. *** Brian Kilgallen “Along the Elbe”

*** Travel news

*** Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Backcountry Hut Caretaker, Maine Huts & Trails, Kingfield, Maine 2.) Volunteer position, Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone, WY 3.) Volunteer opportunity (Removing illegal campsites & site naturalization), Three Sisters Wilderness, Deschutes National Forest, OR 4.) Volunteer at The Mountaineers Summer Camp, The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA 5.) Chapel Ledges Trail Maintenance, AMC, Ashfield, Berkshires, MA

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: March 2012 Nevada’s Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Outdoor Educator (Part Time), Shangri La Education Department, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, TX 2.) Intern – Environmental Education, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, TX 3.) Instructor Position, High Trails Outdoor Science School, Big Bear City, CA 4.) Wild Turkey Program Coordinator, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, FL 5.) Governmental Communications Manager, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Washington, DC 6.) Chief Executive Officer, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** “Can I touch your hair?” — More from Heather Murphy:

Shhhh. Listen.

At Ned’s urging, I’ve shared several adventures from my September 2011 trip to Iceland. Ned has asked me to contribute to YVNS again.

If you’re reading this, you very likely work in communications or the defense business or both. My career to date has been in communications, public affairs, crisis management, branding and marketing. For the past 13 years, I have served panels of elected officials at the state and county level. I spend a lot of time listening…and probably a bit too much time talking. A vacation is an essential opportunity to escape but also a chance to challenge myself and hone my creativity.

Photography has been my passion since I was a very young girl, receiving my first camera as a gift at age seven. Vacation destinations are selected based on a host of criteria. What do I want to see? What will recharge my creativity? What might challenge my thinking? What is so remote that I can really get away? Where can I be assured that I’ll see something truly unexpected?

Sometimes the criterion just needs to be in someplace remote and quiet.

The rigor of a military upbringing took me a lot of places but was not conducive to maintaining strong bonds with lifelong pals. Holly and I met in seventh grade and – despite many moves and jobs since then – we managed to keep our friendship strong. She took up photography long after I did but is an absolute natural with an impressive portfolio. A photography trip to Albuquerque and Santa Fe about a dozen years ago started a series of trips to destinations ranging from the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico to Newfoundland and Iceland.

We leave our jobs, our men and our pressures behind and go to a destination with no specific plans in mind. A moose or bear by the side of the road is the perfect reason to linger…at a safe distance. (It’s amazing how crazy some tourists can be – rushing up to bull elk that weighs in excess of 500 pounds or trying to lure a bear a little closer…)

There is always something worth capturing on camera. Even if it’s a pair of bighorn sheep butting heads along a major roadway. (Trust me, it was waaaay more entertaining than elected officials butting heads!) There have been some close calls and comedic moments on these trips. Stay tuned…I may elaborate in future installments.

These getaways force creativity and adventure to the surface. Conversation is natural or non-existent, depending on the situation. The ability to acutely listen and observe is paramount. Seeing trumps talking about. And agendas and schedules are cast by the wayside – except for the flight in and flight out!

That said, there is plenty to see, observe and photograph in our own communities. Keep your minds, eyes and hearts open and the creativity will follow. Consider travelling, golfing or adventuring with a peer or long-time friend – take a moment to break the mold. You just might find that you are sharper having found a new edge to hone.

Questions or feedback for Heather can be addressed here in YVNS by sending an email to Ned at lundquist989@cs.com. Heather through

*** From Brian Kilgallen:

I’m catching up on past adventures, with the hope that there will be many more to come. This was my first trip to the former East Germany….

Brian

Along the Elbe

Once in a while, you stumble onto a gem off the beaten track, hidden away from the mainstream yet remarkably accessible. The village of Bad Schandau on the north bank of the Elbe River in the former East Germany is such a place. It butts up against dense forests and rolling hills, a scant six kilometers from the Czech border and 30 kilometers east of Dresden in the heart of the Sächsische Schweiz, or the Saxon Switzerland, an area many Germans refer to as their Grand Canyon. And the scenery is, indeed, breath-taking, with soaring granite cliffs and rock formations chiseled out by the Elbe over countless millennia.

I arrived mid afternoon during one of those rare heat waves in July. Most of the townspeople were watching a soccer match on a big screen that had been set up outside the 5-star Elberesidenz Hotel on the river. Several bars were dispensing high octane beer and there was a kiosk where a local family was grilling bratwurst and pork steaks. Germany won that match and the fans celebrated the victory well into the night as the beer flowed as freely as the river. Before long, I had locked arms with the revelers on either side of me and was swaying to the raucous rhythm of the oompah music.

“You are English?” the man next to me asked. He was unshaven, unkempt and his unruly chestnut hair was shot through with gray. He smelled like a brewery and quite possibly had slept in his clothes most of the week.

“American,” I said. It sounded hollow, almost like an apology and I regretted that.

“You like foosball?”

“Foosball? Sure.”

He clinked his half-liter mug with mine and flashed a tobacco stained grin. His wife leaned over his shoulder and smiled. She was thick waisted with rosy cheeks and one of her lower teeth was missing. He was Rolf and she was Helga. They were born and grew up in Bad Schandau. Rolf was a farm worker and still remembered what life was like under the East German communist regime before the reunification in 1990. His English wasn’t good, but it was easier for me to understand than his Saxon dialect. And after a few more beers, it didn’t matter much anyway.

The following morning broke clear and fresh. I strolled down to the dock behind the hotel and boarded one of the many steam-powered vintage paddle boats that ply the Elbe daily between Bad Schandau and Dresden. Built in the late 1800s, they have been maintained to the highest standards, with polished brass and deeply lacquered wood trim, giving the impression that the boats had only recently come off the assembly line. But these were the real thing. Antiques, not reproductions.

Tables were set up throughout the boat and the waitresses, wearing pale blue waistcoats and aprons, took orders for light meals, snacks and drinks. I ordered a double-double cappuccino alfredo with a lemon twist and a side of whipped cream. She brought me coffee and a miniature hazelnut cookie.

The Elbe is a shallow river, prone to flooding after long heavy rains and snow melts in the spring. Many of the buildings along the banks have high-water marks and dates on their walls to show where the flood waters reached and when. I’ve often wondered why people continue to live in places prone to recurring disasters. Perhaps because it has been home for several generations and, so, when the floods come, as they must, the residents prepare as best they can and then shovel the mud from their houses and repair the damage when the water finally subsides. Such is life on the river.

The three-hour journey to Dresden took us along banks of lush grassland, past small farm villages and spectacular palaces. The steam whistle wailed long blasts as we approached the piers in the larger towns to take on more passengers. Königstein. Stadt Wehlen. Pirna. And, Pillnitz with is Chinese-style castle, vineyards and classic gardens.

As we rounded the last bend, the spires of Dresden appeared in the distance. The city is steeped in cultural history, marred somewhat by the allied bombing during World War II and the decades of communist rule that followed. In the years after the reunification, significant reconstruction has transformed Dresden into a modern cultural, educational and political center, while the restored historic city center with its baroque and rococo architecture is now a major tourist destination.

I stopped for lunch in the main square near the Frauenkirche, or Church of Our Lady, with its distinctive dome that somewhat resembles a massive stone bell. Most of the restaurants had tables outside under awnings and umbrellas and a casual, refreshing breeze from the river provided a pleasant respite from the sweltering heat. A quartet of young, vacationing students at the next table were attacking generous portions of sausages, sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. I ordered the same and a radler – half beer and half lemon soda – so named after the German cyclists who popularized the drink as a thirst quencher.

I spent the next few hours walking around the impressive Zwinger Palace in the old town. While the Frauenkirche is regarded as the symbol of Dresden, the Zwinger was once home to the Saxon kings. After the destructive bombings of the Second World War, it has been restored to its former magnificence. Truly a masterpiece of baroque architecture.

As the afternoon wore on and the heat became more oppressive, I headed across town to the station. A friend once commented that train travel takes you through the backyards of the world. The ride back to Bad Schandau was no different except that it was like stepping back 50 years to another place, another time. We passed by drab, windowless shells of long-abandoned factories and deserted houses surrounded by scrub plants and high, uneven sun-scorched grass where there once were gardens. Most of the stations bore the ravages of neglect during the post-war communist era, while scaffolding at the more important stops indicated that at least some of them were being renovated.

Back at the hotel, I showered and changed my clothes. The Elberesidenz had air conditioning and the bar had cold beer, but they came at a price. The thirty-something bartender dropped the receipt for six Euros in front of me. I paid it.

“You are American,” he said. A statement.

“I get that lot,” I said.

“American?”

“Yes.”

“Quentin Tarantino stayed here. You know him?”

I shook my head. “No. Not personally.” Then, “ Not at all, really.”

“He was filming ‘Inglorious Basterds’ here.”

“Interesting.”

He smiled broadly. “Very nice man. He was wearing a T-shirt and sandals and shorts. He went in there to eat,” he nodded toward the adjoining upscale restaurant. “He came back a few minutes later and ordered a pizza. Very nice man.”

I later discovered that Kate Winslet also stayed in the area while filming “The Reader.”

There are a host of attractions within 10 kilometers of Bad Schandau and there is a fleet of period buses to get you there. The route is circular, with stops among the cliffs in the bosom of the national park and finishing in Königstein where the largest fortress in Germany towers over the Elbe. The castle dates back to 1233 with the finishing touches applied during the 17th century during the reign of King Augustus the Strong, so named for his legendary strength which he apparently demonstrated by breaking horseshoes with his bare hands. That, or his reputation for having fathered more than 300 children.

As Mel Brooks once famously said: It’s good to be da king.

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for March:

*** The World’s Best Cities for Beer

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?group=304

*** US Airways to link San Diego and Washington Reagan

http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/US-Airways-to-link-San- Diego-and-Washington-Reagan/?cid=eltrMtgNews

(Maybe this isn’t a big deal to most of you…but it’s a big deal to me.)

*** Foreign visitors to hit record in 2011: Commerce Department Reuters

http://news.yahoo.com/foreign-visitors-hit-record-2011-commerce-department-1 85812929.html

*** World’s Most Beautiful Spring Flowers: When to Travel

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/index.cfm?group=1008&p=1#ixzz1qH8qQkyA

*** New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

April 27 – May 6 2012 http://www.nojazzfest.com/

*** Ned recommends the Chouara Tannery in Fes, Morocco

http://www.intltravelnews.com/2011/07/chouara-tannery-fes-morocco http://www.manuelcohen.com/en/report/82-Chouara_Tannery_Fez_Morocco http://athomeintheworld.com/2012/01/06/pictures-of-the-chouara-tannery-in-fe z-morocco/

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Backcountry Hut Caretaker, Maine Huts & Trails, Kingfield, Maine

About Maine Huts & Trails

Maine Huts & Trails is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve a recreational trail corridor in Maine’s Western Lakes and Mountains region. Upon completion, our system of trails, backcountry huts, and waterways will run 200 miles from the Mahoosuc Range to Moosehead Lake. Our trails ensure perpetual public access to some of the most spectacular backcountry in Maine, and our off-the-grid huts provide ecotourism destinations that facilitate outdoor adventures and learning.

Maine Huts & Trails currently operates three backcountry huts accommodating up to 48 guests each, and 50 miles of trails open to the public free of charge, year round. In the winter, trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing. In the summer, hiking, mountain biking and paddling are possible.

Summary

Maine Huts & Trails requires volunteers to serve as backcountry hut caretakers. This position is a unique opportunity for someone interested in recreational or outdoor resource management, green building design and operation, conservation education, or similar fields.

Caretakers live on site in staff quarters at the huts for four to twelve weeks. The huts have wood and propane heat, solar and hydro power, composting toilets, hot showers, and water from a well. This is an opportunity to live rent-free and off-the-grid, with a recreational playground at your fingertips. Kayaking, canoeing, bicycling, hiking, and camping are all possible from the huts.

Caretakers must be attentive to the needs of visitors and the cleanliness and maintenance of the hut to assure the best possible visitor experience. The caretaker will ideally be an outgoing person who enjoys sustainable living and outdoor recreation and appreciates the Maine outdoors.

Responsibilities •Serve as primary contact person between the MH&T office and the hut. •Welcome arriving visitors, familiarize them with the operation and rules concerning the facilities, and provide information about Maine Huts & Trails and Leave No Trace outdoor ethics •Monitor daily operation of green energy systems, implementing energy conservation and environmentally sound practices (training provided). •Maintain an appropriate and consistent presence at the hut.

Qualifications •Friendly, outgoing manner •Proven ability to work alone and unsupervised for long periods of time •First aid certification, desirable •Strong interest in backcountry management, desirable •Minimum four week commitment •Able to hike to the huts – facilities cannot be reached by vehicle.

Dates

Spring season – April 1st – June 15th

Fall season – November 1st – December 15th

Compensation

This is a volunteer position. Room and board are provided at no cost.

How to apply

To apply, please send a resume and cover letter to:

Skylar Purdy Maine Huts & Trails 375 Main St Kingfield, ME Phone: (207) 265-8001 Fax: (207) 265-2209 spurdy@mainehuts.org

http://www.idealist.org/view/volop/FZfXB4pxj5Xd/

2.) Volunteer position, Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park, Yellowstone, WY

Opportunity Description:

This volunteer position will be stationed at Old Faithful within Yellowstone National Park. The purpose of this position is to assist the Rangers throughout the park by taking non-emergency reports that require no follow up by investigators or immediate action by an on duty Ranger. Work contributes to the protection of natural resources and visitor safety by supporting the work of the Resource and Visitor Protection Division and in cooperating with other divisions.

Major Duties

Work in cooperation with Yellowstone National Park Law Enforcement Rangers. Take non-emergent police reports. Provide park information to visitors. Assist park personnel or Rangers as needed or directed. On occasion will drive a government vehicle and will use the park radio system, direct traffic, assist with search & rescue and any other duty appropriate for the current circumstances.

Knowledge and Skills Required

•A background in law enforcement to include experience with taking police reports, crime investigations, taking witness statements •Basic use of computers and word processing •Ability to work well with the public, fellow employees, and other agencies. •Ability to communicate verbally and in writing. •Valid State Driver’s License Will provide support to other NPS work units on a short-term basis as specifically directed.

Physical Demands

Light to moderate physical effort is required. Some duties at the job site require sitting, standing, or walking for extended periods of time, as well as carrying equipment weighing up to 50 lbs.

Work Schedule

Desk Office is open 7 days a week from 8-5. Work schedule is set up by the Desk Officers to ensure the office has coverage.

Area Information

Old Faithful Village in Yellowstone National Park sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet. Summer temperatures vary from 0 degrees at night to 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the day. Medical Clinics are open in the park during the summer at Mammoth, Lake, and Old Faithful. Cell phone and internet service is not available in many locations but it is at Old Faithful. There are 9 visitor centers open to the public with one at Old Faithful. Hotels, stores, bookshops, restaurants, post offices, and fuel are available at Old Faithful. Limited groceries are available in West Yellowstone, MT (1hr drive). Full range of services available in Bozeman, MT, Jackson, WY and Idaho Falls, ID – all approximately 3 hrs drive. Housing Availability: Available • Housing Type: RV Pads • Housing Description: Trailer site with hookups

http://www.volunteer.gov/gov/results.cfm?states=WY

3.) Volunteer opportunity (Removing illegal campsites & site naturalization ), Three Sisters Wilderness, Deschutes National Forest, OR http://www.wildernessvolunteers.org/php/project/Three+Sisters+Wilderness%2C+ Deschutes+National+Forest/5aab6babb4035945dc35ae9482f7ebc7.html

4.) Volunteer at The Mountaineers Summer Camp, The Mountaineers, Seattle, WA http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp1056086.jsp

5.) Chapel Ledges Trail Maintenance, AMC, Ashfield, Berkshires, MA http://activities.outdoors.org/search/index.cfm/action/details/id/59212

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: March 2012 Nevada’s Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail

Looking for a safe bet in Las Vegas? You won’t find it at the gaming tables or the slot machines in casinos along the Strip. But if you head just 30 miles southeast of the city toward Hoover Dam, you’ll find a sure winner in the Historic Railroad Tunnel Trail (sometimes referred to as the Historic Railroad Hiking Trail).

This seven-mile trail hits the jackpot on several counts. One, as the name suggests, is the history: Built over one of the rail lines that serviced Hoover Dam, this corridor played a role in one of America’s most famous construction projects. Two is the scenery: The trail offers breathtaking views not only of Lake Mead—the huge body of water created by the dam—but also the harshly beautiful desert around the lake. Three is the natural life: It’s not unusual to encounter desert bighorn sheep scaling the rugged hills, bats clinging to tunnel walls, and lizards slithering or scampering across the path.

“Having Hoover Dam as a destination is a marvelous pot of gold at the end of the trail,” says Jim Holland, a park planner at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, a unit of the National Park Service that manages most of the trail. “But it’s the combination of the spectacular outdoor setting, Hoover Dam and the fact that the trail is not too long that makes it one of the most popular trails in southern Nevada.”

Holland’s connection to this trail stretches back before his birth. His grandfather moved to the area in 1930 to help build the dam; he was one of thousands of unemployed men who were lured to Nevada by the prospect of steady wages in the midst of the Depression. Settling first in “Ragtown,” a makeshift workers’ camp on the banks of the Colorado River, Holland’s grandfather helped construct what was then the tallest dam in the world. The elder Holland stayed on and put down roots in Boulder City, a company town for workers about eight miles from the dam, and where Jim Holland grew up.

The rail line’s history also goes back to the early 1930s, when the government and its contractors were beginning to work on the dam. They needed a way to transport construction materials from Boulder City down to the dam site on the Colorado River, so they laid tracks across the desert and blasted cuts and tunnels through the red volcanic ridges above the river. The five tunnels on the trail are each 25 feet wide and about 30 feet high, large enough to accommodate the huge sections of pipe, generators and other materials that were carried down to the dam. (Years later, Holland recalls, the tunnels were designated as fallout shelters for Boulder City because they were so big.)

After the dam was completed in 1936, the rail line saw only intermittent use, and the last train trip was in 1961, to transport a new generator to the dam’s hydropower station. (The electricity generated here is still a major source of energy for Los Angeles and other parts of southern California.) The tracks and ties were removed in 1962, and the grade was largely neglected for the next three decades. In the early 1990s, the superintendent of Lake Mead recreation area assigned Holland the task of creating a recreational trail on the unused railroad line. With the help of grants from the federal Transportation Enhancements program, work to stabilize the tunnels and smooth the grade got under way, and the first section of trail opened in 1995.

In the following years, the trail was gradually extended to the parking lot adjacent to Hoover Dam, and joined on its other end (toward Boulder City) with about 3.5 miles of the River Mountains Loop Trail. The park service has installed several trailside informational kiosks, and plans are in the works to add more, so that trail users can learn additional history of the dam.

Not surprisingly, the dam is the big draw here. More than a million people visit each year to marvel at its huge size—the 726-foot-tall structure is still the highest solid concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere—and listen to stories about how it was built. The vast majority of these visitors drive on a nearby highway, so the rail-trail offers a more peaceful entrée to this engineering marvel. (Hoover Dam and a zone immediately around it are managed by a separate federal agency, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the portion of trail on these lands is only open from dawn to dusk as part of security measures to protect the dam.)

But the trail has many other pay-offs besides a 6.6-million-ton monolith. “It’s pretty awesome,” says John Holman, chair of the River Mountains Trail Partnership, a local coalition that helps build and support trails in the area. “Where else can you hike through five 300- to 400-foot-long railroad tunnels and have the views you’ve got? This whole trail was carved out of the edge of a mountain overlooking Lake Mead. You have all kinds of different colors and shading and variations in the light. In spring, you’ve got wildflowers along it. Tunnel five has a bat colony. You can also see bighorn sheep on the trail. So it’s extremely unique.”

Both Holman and Holland emphasize that the best seasons to visit are spring and fall, when temperatures are mild. If you plan to come in the summer, time your excursion for the early morning; daytime temperatures regularly exceed 105 degrees in this season. And be sure to have plenty of water and sunscreen on hand year-round.

Whatever the timing of your next trip to Vegas, take a gamble on the historic railroad trail. The odds are decidedly in your favor. http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Wild, Denver, Colorado

Colorado-based conservation organization with offices in Denver and Durango seeks a highly motivated and personable executive director with superb managerial skills to lead our organization in fulfillment of our mission to protect, connect and restore wildlife and wild lands in the Rockies.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Executive Director is responsible for the fiscal health and strategic direction of the organization. The Executive Director will propose an annual budget for Board of Director approval, control expenditures and monitor progress toward revenue goals.

The Executive Director will continue to build a proactive, engaged Board of Directors; provide direct supervision and support to the Conservation Director, Development Director, and Communications and Development Coordinator; provide strategic input on campaigns; guide the organization’s long-term vision; develop and implement a strategic communications plan; build relationships with elected officials; represent Rocky Mountain Wild in local coalitions and oversee the overall functioning of the office.

The Executive Director works with the Board of Directors and Development Director to plan and execute fundraising strategies and monitor progress toward $850,000 annual revenue goal. The Executive Director will cultivate and solicit gifts from individuals, sponsorships from corporations, and grants from foundations and government agencies. The Executive Director will engage in fundraising activities via one-on-one meetings with donors, telephone solicitations, grant writing, direct mail and online appeals, special events, and public presentations.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

Commitment to taking on a leadership role in the organization A passion for the organization’s mission and values Capacity to clearly articulate that mission and inspire others Strong planning, monitoring, time management, and strategic thinking skills Passion for networking and relationship-building Demonstrated fundraising success Knowledge of principles related to fundraising, marketing, communication and public relations; strategic planning and partnership development Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred. Concentration in nonprofit management or related discipline preferred.

Experience: Minimum of five years of progressively responsible growth and experience preferred in the area of non-profit management or fundraising. Must have demonstrated ability to manage budgets and control expenses. Experience with conservation or animal welfare-related fundraising considered a plus. Experience with donor management database such as Raisers’ Edge or Salesforce a plus.

SALARY: Between $50,000 – $60,000 commensurate with experience and comparable to other mid-sized nonprofit organizations. We offer a competitive benefits package including group health insurance, paid time off, sabbatical, and bus/rail pass. Rocky Mountain Wild offers a dynamic work environment and is committed to workplace diversity.

About Rocky Mountain Wild: We envision a biologically healthy future for our Rocky Mountain region of Colorado, southern Wyoming, and eastern Utah. In order to achieve this, we work to prevent extinctions and promote recovery of native species and ecosystems. We restore a connected landscape for wildlife by ensuring safe passage across roads and highways. We secure biologically important natural areas and healthy watersheds for the benefit of people and wildlife. We seek a sustainable coexistence for wildlife with the people of our region. Created from the merger of Center for Native Ecosystems and Colorado Wild, we draw on more than a dozen years of conservation success, including more than two million acres of wildlife habitat protected.

Application Instructions

Send cover letter, resume, required salary range and three references to Rocky Mountain Wild, 1536 Wynkoop St., Suite 303, Denver CO 80202. Applications accepted until position is filled. Interviews will be scheduled starting March 15th. No phone calls or office visits. Send inquiries to lindsey@rockymountainwild.org, Attn: Executive Director Search Committee.

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=373800017

2.) Field Staff for year-round wilderness program, RedCliff Ascent, Enterprise, UT

RedCliff is an extraordinary program with research based outcome studies to back it up. The effectiveness of the program and the significant changes made by students and families, as born out through the research, has a direct correlation to the quality of staff employed at RedCliff. Therefore, we search out the best.

If you prefer a hike in the backcountry to a walk in the park, or waking to the wind in the trees over the sound of an alarm, then this career might be for you.

If you have any questions concerning employment with redcliff ascent or would like to talk to someone live feel free to contact Darren in our Human Resources department by phone at: (435) 592-4422, or by email at jobs@redcliffascent.com

Apply online for our Field Staff Position

Interested in becoming a member of our staff? Contact our recruiter at:

RedCliff Ascent Recruiting Attn: Darren 709 E. Main Street PO Box 1027 Enterprise, UT 84725

Phone: (435) 592-4422 Phone: 1-888-588-HIKE(4453) Fax: (435) 878-2860 Email: jobs@redcliffascent.com http://www.wildernesswork.com/?gclid=CPqOwuaY664CFYbe4AodZFHuIg

3.) Visitor Centre Assistants, Newport Wetlands Reserve, Wales

Full Time Established contract 37.5 hours per week Salary range £13,800 to £15,500 per annum Are you looking for an exciting job in a stunning location then why not join the team at Newport Wetlands. You will work in a busy retail and people engagement role meeting and greeting visitors to the centre and maintaining a high quality retail operation. You will assist the visitor centre in achieving its recruitment and retail objectives whilst providing a high quality customer service. Previous experience in a retail and/or sales background would be advantageous. You will also need to be flexible and willing to work regular weekends and bank holidays. Closing Date 23 March 2012 Interview Date 30 March 2012 http://www.countryside-jobs.com/cjsdailyonline/Mar12/1603_6.html

4.) Visitor and Publicity Officer, RSPB Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve, The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), Essex, UK

To increase support for RSPB Rainham Marshes Nature Reserve by raising the profile of the reserve, highlighting its relevance to the surrounding area and its importance for wildlife, You will be responsible for attracting visitors to Rainham Marshes and for helping ensure that they go ‘Wow!’ when they get here. You will be instrumental in steering our communication work, and then managing its delivery, integrating core RSPB aims and messages into reserve based communications and working with colleagues and local media to maximise press coverage. The work will range from press and publicity to interpretation and publications. As a senior member of the team, you will also assist with the hands-on running of the visitor operation, including working regular weekends and some evenings and Bank Holidays. You will have sound experience of working in a public-facing role, and be highly competent with both the written and spoken word, be familiar with a variety of communication and promotion techniques, and enjoy working with people in a busy year-round visitor operation. An interest in wildlife and the environment is not essential, but would be desirable.

Salary

£16,000 to £18,000 pa

Hours & contract information

Hours: Full time Replacement post: No

Closing date: 5 April 2012 Interview date: 16 April 2012

How to apply

For complete details of this post (including an application form) please download an application pack. When you return the application form, ensure that you include reference number 4640212 on any correspondence.

For questions about this post TerryRobinson terry.robinson@rspb.org.uk 01708 899840

Send application forms to: Terry Robinson terry.robinson@rspb.org.uk The RSPB, Rainham Marshes, Purfleet Environment & Education Centre, Rainham Marshes nature reserve, New Tank Hill Road, Purfleet, Essex, RM19 1SZ, 01708 899840

http://www.rspb.org.uk/vacancies/details/308116-visitor-and-publicity-office r

5.) Program Assistant/ Office Coordinator, Conservacion Patagonica, Sausalito, California http://www.idealist.org/view/job/Ffhfb5pP8kh4/

*** From Mark Sofman:

6.) Another Fishing Job for Bass Masters Everywhere, Escanaba, MI http://bit.ly/GQxRn1

7.) Eagle Education Coordinator, Ketchikan Indian Community, Ketchikan, AK http://bit.ly/GQhMxu

8.) Development Director, HawkWatch International, Salt Lake City, UT http://bit.ly/GQhV48

9.) Canoe Livery Attendant II, City of Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI http://bit.ly/GQvqkp

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC © 2012 The Job of the Week Network LLC Edward Lundquist, ABC – Editor and Publisher Your Very Next Step 7813 Richfield Road Springfield, VA 22153 Home office phone: (703) 455-7661 lundquist989@cs.com www.nedsjotw.com

By Ned Lundquist www.yourverynextstep.com

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” – St. Augustine

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to: yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

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Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

You may note that our website (www.yourverynextstep.com) has received a make-over. Bear with Ned as he learns how to use it.

*** In this issue of Your Very Next Step” newsletter:

*** Ned’s upcoming travel schedule: *** The Lundquist Costa Rican Adventure *** Can I touch your hair? These People will Eat ANYTHING *** Mat Matta and Navy PeeWee Gold travel to Lake Placid *** Paul Hart and The Wildlife of Big Bend *** Brian Kilgallen and Reflections on Gran Canaria

Travel news

*** The Palm Beach, Frederikshavn, Denmark *** Virginia Naturally Website Link to School Environmental Learning Programs

Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) The Colorado Trail 2012 Weeklong Trail Crews 2.) Summer Hatchery Season Host, The Hagerman National Fish Hatchery, Hagerman, ID 3.) Animal Assistant – Wildlife, Woodlands Wildlife Refuge, Inc., Clinton, NJ

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: January 2012 Houston’s Columbia Tap Rail-Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Outdoor Educator (Part Time), Shangri La Education Department, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, TX 2.) Intern – Environmental Education, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, TX 3.) Instructor Position, High Trails Outdoor Science School, Big Bear City, CA 4.) Wild Turkey Program Coordinator, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, FL 5.) Governmental Communications Manager, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Washington, DC 6.) Chief Executive Officer, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule:

5-8 March San Diego 12-15 March Boston, New London, Newport

*** The Lundquist’s Beach/Jungle/Mountain/Volcano adventure:

*** See last month’s issue where Ned talks with Lisa Cederberg, Travel Consultant with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations (http://www.vacationscostarica.com/, about the upcoming Lundquist family vacation:

Lisa Cederberg Travel Consultant Costa Rican Luxury Vacations “Local Knowledge – Global Service” U.S. Toll Free 800-606-1860 x 1243 – I’m available with very flexible hours. Please call at your convenience! In Costa Rica: 506-2296-7715 * Email: lisacederberg@goduesouth.com (http://www.vacationscostarica.com/):

*** A Our Costa Rican adventures, and some of the reasons I didn’t want to come home.

This is about Mr. Edward and the Lundquist family Vacation, as arranged by Lisa Cederberg at Costa Rican Vacations.

Let’s start this adventure in the dark, early on February 6th at 4:45 a.m. We had arranged for our taxi the evening before. And our taxi showed up on time. But instead of the van we asked for, we got a Prius. Okay, we’ll squeeze in.

At the airport, check in was efficient, but the security line less so.

I was very proud of the fact that I got a great fare on Continental, and even prouder that I was able to upgrade all of us to first class the whole way.

That means we can use the lounge at the Continental gates. Upon presenting my family to the lounge receptionist, she took great delight in turning us away. Yes, as a Mileage Plus Premier Executive flying internationally I could come in, along with one guest. But just because we were flying first class didn’t entitle all of us to use the lounge.

The person who stood with us in the very long line at security came up and offered to “sponsor” the rest of us. “You don’t even know them,” she said. He later came up an apologized. “I don’t think she can tell me who I can bring in as my guest.”

Our flight to Houston was good, and our connection to San Jose tight but manageable, and our flight to San Jose also nice. Both were something a little over three hours. I like flying first class. I don’t like paying ten times as much as a coach ticket because it’s not worth it, but I do like it if I can get it. We arrived around 1400 at San Jose and met at the gate by Karla, who had a sign with our name on it. There were two other ladies who had also booked a CRV vacation that she also was helping. She took us to immigration, baggage claim, customs, and showed me the ATM where I changed some money. The two vagabonds in front of me at the ATM tried a dozen times and never got any cash. We all had to wait very patiently. I tried once and hit the jackpot.

Once outside, another CRV greeter met us, Alberto, and he took us to our van, driven by Hugo. Alberto gave us a CRV tote bag with a water bottle and a hat for us to fight over.

It was now 1500. Hugo gave us each a cool bottle of water and we were off for the mountains. San Jose is the capital. of Costa Rica and a city of 1 million. A quarter of the country’s population lives here. The roads were lined with bougainvillea, orange magnolias and other showy shrubs and trees. San Jose is at 1,000 feet above sea level, and our trip would take us over the continental divide at 6,000 feet.

We were headed to Arenal, one of Costa Rica’s most famous and recently active volcanos. The country has lots of volcanos. Hugo said there are 250 volcanos, of which 10 are active (within 45 miles of San Jose). I later came upon this: There are six active volcanos (counting now dormant Arenal).

http://www.arenal.net/costa-rica-volcanoes.htm

Volcanos are a pretty big deal here.

http://www.govisitcostarica.com/travelInfo/volcanoes.asp

Tourism is the number one industry, followed by technology, agriculture and medical supplies. There are major plants for giant electronics companies. One Intel plant employs 10,000 people making 3 million microchips a year, Hugo says. The Cost Rica labor market is highly qualified and low-cost. Unemployment is about 6%, and 98% of the Costa Ricans can read and write.

There are large nurseries growing what Hugo calls decoration plants. Coffee and sugar cane are big crops. The red soil, burnt fields, the haul cane trucks full of cane, and tall wavy stalks waiting for harvest, all remind us of Hawaii.

Starbucks gets the lion’s share of the Cost Rican coffee crop; with Dole and Del Monte pineapple and Chiquita Bananas also major agricultural players. On our drive we stopped for something to drink and to stretch our legs. I’m glad I followed Hugo’s suggestion and tried the very rich local coffee. Hugo says Costa Rica’s frequent rain at higher elevations provide opportunities for hydropower. The huge man-made Lake Arenal is a major source of hydropower, and large wind turbine generators were also visible in some places up there.

To get to Arenal we had to climb over the continental divide. Here the prevailing winds come from the Caribbean and turn to rain when it arrives here at the higher elevations. In fact, while we were at Arenal we were able to see the top of the volcano only for a brief moment very early in the morning on our last day there.

Upon arriving at the Arenal Monoa resort we were greeted with a cool refreshing drink, and after checking in were taken by van to our rooms, while watching an armadillo scurry out of our way. All of the rooms here are in two bedroom houses, and just about all have a view of the mountain, when visible. We had two adjoining rooms, each with a huge bathroom and very pleasant patio with comfortable chairs.

Our hotel at Arenal:

http://www.arenal.net/hotel/arenal-manoa/ http://www.arenalmanoa.com/hotel.html

We had dinner in the open air restaurant serenaded by the sounds of the jungle. It had been a very long day.

The next morning we enjoyed our breakfast at the restaurant. I had already been up, and made the coffee that came with the room. It was a decent size filter bag that made four full cups of truly excellent coffee. Our major activity for the day was a guided hike up the 1968 Arena lava flow. It got a little steep near the top (you can’t go all the way to the top of the flow), but we all made it. Along the way we saw interesting flora and fauna.

We saw oropendolas, members of the oriole family, but larger. It gets its name not only from its colonies of suspended woven nests in trees, but also the way it swings on branches. We saw them hanging upside down, with yellow tail feathers prominently displayed above him.

http://www.welovecostarica.com/public/220.cfm

It sounds pretty strange:

http://www.naturesongs.com/moor2.wav http://itotd.com/articles/361/the-oropendola/

We also saw Baltimore Orioles. They winter here. We had a nest in our backyard when we lived in Mystic, Connecticut, but I haven’t seen one in years. We live an hour from Baltimore, but have to come to Central America to see one.

We saw white-throated magpies, and chachalacas, the Costa Rican version of a wild turkey.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-throated_Magpie-Jay

http://bit.ly/yyO7lv

We saw a brown-faced howler monkey (I think that’s what kind it was) alone high in a tree. We knew there had to be others, but didn’t see them.

It had just stopped raining, so the large colony of leaf cutter ants were tucked away…by the many thousands, beneath where we were standing. A single queen lays a thousand eggs a day. Their workers go out and bring back large pieces of leaves that they carry on top. The leaves are delivered to subterranean chambers in the colony where the vegetative material rots and becomes a fungus. It is this fungus, not the leaves themselves, that feeds the ants. Off to the side of the incline we saw the waste dump. You could see some very distinct trails in the grass leading to the colony. Further up the mountain we saw a parade of these ants headed to another unseen colony in the jungle.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leafcutter_ant http://itotd.com/articles/446/leaf-cutter-ants/

After our walk, we went to the fancy Springs Resort and spent some time relaxing in the geothermally warmed pools.

http://www.arenal.net/hotel/the-springs-resort-and-spa/index.html http://springscostarica.com/

We swam up to the bar and enjoyed some tropical beverages. Our competition between bartended definitely produced a winner. Jerry made the very best lava flows! Afterwards we enjoyed dinner at the Springs (and had the famous Costa Rican desert called Tres Leches). Actor Will Smith was staying here, too. He’s in Costa Rica filming “After Earth,” a survival action pic set a thousand years into the future. We saw the area where the film crews had set up a large compound. I wonder if he took time to look at the leaf cutter ants.

http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2012/february/09/costarica12020905. htm

http://blogamole.tr3s.com/2012/02/03/will-smith-hits-costa-rica-to-film-new- scifi-adventure/

Early the next morning (Feb. were picked up and taken to the Ecoglide zipline on the slope of the volcano. So I know you are thinking about the Geico pig, and yes, the brochure does say “pure adrenaline.”

“The canopy consists of 15 cables and 18 platforms which are divided into three sections that are found mostly in the trees, which are designed to provide our visitors greater contact with nature,” the website says. We were on 12 cables, almost all shrouded in thick morning fog and lush heavy jungle canopy. As an interlude during our journey down the mountain, we rode the “Tarzan Swing.”

http://www.arenalecoglide.com/indexin.html

Here’s me on the Tarzan Swing.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1528442643995.77257.1022568171&typ e=3#!/photo.php?v=10150679624784603

At Ecoglide we saw a keel billed toucan, and a Strawberry Poison-dart Frog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keel-billed_Toucan http://www.costaricaexpeditions.com/Gallery/wildlife/picture.php?fignum=7

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry_poison-dart_frog

In the afternoon we went into La Fortuna to have lunch and look around. We had a typical tico meal, but I thought the meat was very tough and underdone. The extent of our shopping is that Barbara got some nail polish remover.

Of note at our hotel, our maid would leave us animals fashioned from towels and blankets, like a sloth or an elephant, complete with flower blossoms for eyes. I have never seen this before. I tried to show here that we appreciated it by getting my sloth to “climb” on the lamp, but it came apart.

On Thursday morning we packed up and our driver met us for the long drive around Lake Arenal and down towards the coast. Not long after leaving the hotel we encountered a car that was stopped in the road and tossing some crumbs to a group of raccoon-like white nosed coati.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-nosed_coati http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/coati.htm

One of the things we have acquired in Costa Rica is an appreciation for Tres Leches, a cake soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk, and heavy cream, topped with whipped cream. I think there are probably an infinite number of variations to the recipe—just like there is with tiramisu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tres_leches_cake

Here are a few recipes (don’t think of this as just a Christmas treat):

http://www.ehow.com/how_5736584_make-leches_-_three-milks_-christmas.html

http://ticofood.blogspot.com/2006/08/three-milk-dessert-tres-leches.html

Our journey to the Guanacaste coast took about four hours. We stopped at Tilaran for something to eat. Yes, we had tres leches. From here it was down in elevation, and the jungle opened up into wide, open plains. More volcanos could be seen on our right as we headed for Costa Rica’s second largest city of Liberia. This city has a new terminal at the international airport, which has non-stop service to New York and many other U.S. destinations for people who want to visit the Guanacaste Coast.

We arrived at our hotel, the Cala Luna, in the beach town of Tamarindo (actually our hotel was on Playa Langosta, not Playa Tamarindo). The town is a happening place for surfers. As at the Monoa, we were greeted with a specialty drink of the house, on the house. We met the staff and the dog, then walked the very short distance to our villa. We didn’t have a view of the ocean, but our backyard was beautifully landscaped, which made our private in ground pool look even more spectacular. Our villa was a full sized house, with two large bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living and dining room, and a kitchen. Did I mention that we also had our own pool? We checked out the large pool by the lobby…because it had a bar.

We made a dash into Tamarindo to the small supermarket for some staples, coffee, Diet Pepsi, diet Ginger Ale, cheese, prosciutto, bread, chips, a lime, San Pellegrino. When we returned, the hotel delivered some treats, compliments of the chef. This is something they did each afternoon. That evening we enjoyed dinner in the restaurant. Our next day was fairly relaxing. We had breakfast at the restaurant, and succeeded in fighting off the magpie jays, which were particularly fond of muffins, and especially the paper cups that the muffins came in. We walked down to the beach, which at Playa Langosta featured quite a bit of lava rock, and some very interesting tide pools. I enjoyed just lying in the sand, watch the frigate birds and tracking a hermit crab headed away from the ocean. We went over to the Capitan Suizo Hotel for the Friday night beach barbeque with marimba band and “folkloric” music. The food was good, the entertainment was, well, entertaining. And sitting right on the beach listening to the waves was wonderful. The hotel seemed like a nice place, but I like our Cala Luna much better.

Our Saturday adventure was snorkeling at Playa Flamingo. We wore wetsuits because the water was 68 degrees, but the water was calm and the sky bright. The water was a little bit on the cloudy side, and we didn’t see a lot of fish.

We ventured over to the small town of Santa Rosa that evening for the local festival, highlighted by the Verano Toreado, the Costa Rican bullfight. I have never been to a bullfight before, and have always been a little uneasy about the idea of this bloodsport. But in a Costa Rican bullfight, the bull doesn’t get killed, or even hurt. It does get pretty pissed off, however. So imagine not one matador with some assistants, but 60 or 70 of them, all trying to chase the bull until it’s them getting chased. This event was carried on national TV. After one bull gets tired they bring out another. Most of the time somebody tries to ride the bull out of the gate, and hold on for as long as they can. This is very dangerous, and one guy who was thrown off was then trampled. He was taken off in a stretcher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=IJrS-efph1s

Even this can wear on you after a while, so to spice things up they actually bring on two soccer teams who begin a friendly game of futbol. Soon they are joined by a bull, he is equally opposed to both teams, which makes for some sporty play. If that isn’t sport enough, they let out another bull. Two teams, two bulls, one ball.

A little shopping in town to buy a few souvenirs on Sunday, followed by a sunset horseback ride on the beach and up into the forest was fun, but my butt is still sore three weeks later. We did see monkeys and a very large iguana.

We had dinner, and they also packed breakfast for us because we were going to be leaving so early the next morning. I did not want to leave my villa with its own pool.

We were up early and taken to the local Tamarindo Airport for our 0700 flight on NatureAir, a carbon-neutral airline. After bumping a passenger instead of our luggage to meet the weight limit, we flew in a single-engine Cessna Caravan to Tobías Bolaños Airport, the smaller of San Jose’s two airports. It was about an hour flight, leveling off at about 9,500 feet. It was a clear day and the scenery was spectacular. We picked up our bags and our driver, as usual was waiting for Mr. Edward and family. It was a short drive distance wise to the international airport, but, you know, with traffic and all, it was about a 30 minute drive.

The Juan Santamaría International Airport is named after Costa Rica’s national hero Juan Santamaría, a courageous drummer boy who died in 1856 defending his country against forces led by US-American filibuster William Walker. It is Central America’s second busiest airport after Panama City.

At the airport we first had to pay the $28 per person departure tax. We checked our bags, passed through security and went to the VIP lounge since we had a long wait. This lounge did not offer privileges to Continental passengers, so we had to pay to get in. I was okay with that, but the lounge didn’t offer much, and in retrospect was not worth the cost. Our flight to Houston was comfortable, but the aircraft was so new, the flight attendant said, that it didn’t have any kind of entertainment system installed yet.

At Houston we had to go through immigration, and we spent a long, long time waiting as we weaved through the line. Then we had to get our bags, go through customs, and through security again. This offered the opportunity for more delays, only everyone was late for their flights by now and civility was severely curtailed at this point. As it was, we had to streak through the airport to our gate, which was way on the other side of another terminal. Yes, they held the flight for us, and we made it to DC on time, at around 11 p.m.

We had a reasonably long wait for our bags –which I couldn’t figure out at that time of night-grabbed a taxi and got home. Scout was so happy to see us.

*** “Can I touch your hair?” — More from Heather Murphy:

These People will Eat ANYTHING

Lamb, dairy and seafood comprise the majority of the diet for Icelanders. There are some traditional foods that are eaten at seasonal festivals like þorramatur, a festival of local culture and ancient foods.

Hákarl is worthy of particular note. It is putrified, rotten fermented Greenland (basking) shark. Greenland shark will kill you in its fresh state due to high quantities of urea and an oxide combination. To make it edible, it is placed underground on a slight grade, covered with stones and left to rot. Yep. Really. To make it edible.

It was not offered to me during this trip. Chef Gordon Ramsey was unable to keep it down, according to news reports. Chef Anthony Bourdain considered disgusting and terrible.

Had hákarl been offered, I would have declined it with vigor. I am a weak and not terribly daring diner. I had no intention of trying hákarl. I can live with that.

They also eat puffin and other sea birds. It is a matter of practicality and variety, I am sure.

Early in the trip, we had passed a place that advertised pepper steak. The sandwichboard outside had a picture of the entree that would make your mouth water – beef with a peppercorn cream sauce. Near the end of the visit, it was time to find the place again and try it.

When the waitress came to take my order, I ordered the Piparsteak.

Waitress with thick accent: “The foal?”

Me: “What?”

Waitress: “The foal?” (Dragging it out in the hopes that I might understand better.)

Me (in my head): Oh, she said FOAL. Foal! Baby horse? Ugh no!

Me: “No. I want steak from beef.”

She explained that it would cost more but I assured her that I was perfectly okay with that. I do not know if I ate baby horse or steak. What I can say is that it was exceptionally good beef. I hope.

The trip to Iceland was a fantastic respite from the daily grind. I would love to go back. It is a beautiful country and, if your plans permit, I encourage you to add Iceland to your Bucket List!

Happy travels!

Questions or feedback for Heather can be addressed here in YVNS by sending an email to Ned at lundquist989@cs.com. Heather through

*** From Mat Matta:

Ned,

As promised below is a writeup of my trip to Lake Placid for possible inclusion in your Very Next Step newsletter.

Mat

Lake Placid, New York

16 hockey players and their parents headed to Lake Placid, NY, home of the Miracle on Ice, for a Pee Wee hockey tournament in late January. We would be playing teams from Pickering, Ontario, Miami, Fla. and Hamden, Mass. For most of us this was the first trip to this area of New York. The drive from Annapolis was about 9 hours and virtually all interstate so it was pretty easy.

Once we got past Albany the roads were much smaller and the ride into Lake Placid was beautiful though there was a definite lack of snow. A rushing river with high cliff walls was very picturesque. There were plenty of people taking advantage of the mild temperatures to venture out on the marked hiking trails.

The first tip off that this is an Olympics town is the Ski Jumping platforms that rise above the tree line. You’d have to be nuts to jump off those ramps!

Once you get into the town proper there are quaint hotels and shops lining the street. I doubt they have changed much in the last 30 years. The Olympics are still very heavily featured in the town with the Miracle on Ice still being the main draw.

The Hockey complex features the 1932 Olympics rink, the 1980 Olympics rink, now named for famed coach Herb Brooks and a new rink. In addition, there is an Olympics museum that is full of great mementos much of which centers around hockey. Jim Craig’s pads and stick are prominently displayed within a goal from the 1980 Olympics.

Our hotel sat 30 feet or so from Mirror lake which was frozen enough for skating and sledding. The boys spent much of their time on the lake having great time. There was also a town ice toboggan ride but it was not quite ready for action when we were there. The mountain views were spectacular and skiing and Whiteface Mountain was 15 minutes away.

Like I said there was very little snow so snowmobiling was unavailable but the Olympic bobsled facility was up and running with rides available with professional drivers.

We all had a great time. I can only imagine what the area is like in the summer…it must be just as fun.

Oh and by the way Navy PeeWee Gold lost to the Pickering Panthers 2-1 in the finals.

*** From Paul Hart:

Ned: Here’s something for your next newsletter.

Paul Hart San Antonio

The Wildlife of Big Bend

We had an eventful trip to Big Bend National Park last week, my latest visit to this stunning place on the Texas/Mexico border that’s larger than Rhode Island. (Note: Not everything in Texas can be described as bigger than Rhode Island. Some things are bigger than Delaware.) The park’s literally an end-of-the-road place and always worth the long journey. Some maintain it’s three parks:

* The Rio Grande, sandwiched between canyon walls more than a thousand feet high. * The Chisos Mountains, a forested enclave surrounded by desert. * The Chihuahuan Desert with unusual flora and fauna.

What stood out on this trip was the wild fauna, four-legged and otherwise. We had planned hikes in the Chisos but a few days before our arrival a mountain lion attacked a little boy. Oddly, the attack was in the comparatively bustling driveway of the park lodge, not the bushes. The boy’s father fought off the critter with a pocket knife and his son will be fine. But somewhere out there in the forest was a hungry, and wounded, mountain lion so the rangers closed all trails while they searched for the cat.

No problem, we’ll just drive down to the river and hike. Ah, but more unexpected wildlife here. Prior to 9/11, it was customary for park visitors to wade, or ferry across, the Rio Grande to visit the remote village of Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico. Boquilas remains stuck in a late 19th Century time warp. One such junket inspired Robert Earl Keen’s song, Gringo Honeymoon. The feds put a stop to this — but not to Mexican innovation. Souvenir salesmen spread their wares just feet from the river on the U.S. side. If the Border Patrol shows up, Zip!, they scoot across to the other side and safety. Even more creative was “Victor,” a young man sitting on the other side atop a large rock, serenading hikers with Mexican songs. His English was just good enough to point out a can for tips he’d left on our side of El Rio. Multiple signs warn not to deal with these guys, or worse cross the river, or face hefty fines. There are efforts to creat some sort of legal border crossing to bring back this trip unique to any national park.

One night we opted to drive over to Terlingua, Texas, just west of the park and famous for its chili festival held each November. To get in the spirit of the place, I ordered a chili burger at the Starlight Theater, a cinema-turned-saloon/restaurant that’s the center of local nightlife. More wildlife here, the locals are more colorful than the surrounding desert: Think Haight-Ashbury. Photography would be gauche, so we just enjoyed the parade in and out the door while we lingered over several margaritas and Shiners.

*** From Brian Kilgallen:

When I moved to Europe almost a decade ago, I began writing about my travels and adventures to share with absent friends. But as time wore on, I lost the drive to put words on paper. I don’t know why, but the fire had gone out.

I recently met someone who changed that, someone who unknowingly became my muse and source of inspiration. Below is the beginning of what I hope will be a renewed effort to share my experiences with you.

Brian

Reflections on Gran Canaria

If you close your eyes, the wind whipping through the palm trees sounds like ocean waves on the beach. And it’s always windy in the Canary Islands. I had endured a very early morning four and half hour flight to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, and shortly after noon I was standing at the hotel desk, travel weary and begging for a room with an ocean view on the top floor. I had stayed at that hotel the same time last year and the staff gladly granted my request. So there I was, on the balcony in Playa del Inglés, looking out across the Saharan dunes toward Costa Melonares and listening to the rush of the wind in the palm trees.

Gran Canaria, like its sister islands, lies in the Atlantic off northwest Africa about 100 kilometers from the border of Morocco and Western Sahara, and like the other islands, it was formed by volcanoes that are still active. But what makes this so attractive, particularly during the winter months, is the climate. It’s mostly sunny with year round temperatures in the mid 20s centigrade (70-75 Fahrenheit) during the day and cooler at night. Hence, the perfect winter escape for northern Europeans who want to flee their dark and dreary surroundings even if it’s only for a week or so.

Yes, there are fests in Germany where you can stave off the dank cold by consuming wurst and enormous amounts of alcohol. I had been to such events in past years and reveled with the best of them. But the next morning, it was still cold and dank and my brain hurt. So, Gran Canaria seemed to be a sensible alternative. I was not alone. Playa del Inglés is, in itself, a contradiction. It means “The English Strand,” but over the years the resort has become more like the Teutonic Miami Beach, with German restaurants, butchers, bakeries, and, of course, beer. Today, with the proliferation of Germans, it’s easier to find a Spaniard on the island who speaks deutsch than one who understands English.

I was sitting at the poolside bar after dinner that night, speaking slowly in English and using hand gestures to order a brandy from Bartolo the Bartender who pretended to understand. He scurried back and forth behind the bar, stopped, hesitated and stretched to get a bottle from the top shelf. He poured a generous amount of Carlos III into a snifter and watched for my approval as I took a sip and nodded. It wasn’t Courvoisier, but it would do.

And then she caught my eye.

She was poised and elegant. Fresh and alive. Demur and exciting. Warm and gentle. Her honey-brown hair, soft as moonlight, fell diagonally across her forehead and her smile was infectious and inviting. I found myself lost in her brown eyes. We were at Rick’s Café in Casablanca. She was Ingrid Bergman and I was Humphrey Bogart. I wanted to hear the pianist play “As Time Goes By” and I had a sudden urge to recite that now famous line: “Of all the gin joints in all the world….”

She was Belgian.

“I’m 25,” she said in perfect English.

I was never good at mathematics so it took me a moment to calculate that I was, well let’s say, significantly older. Her life was just beginning and mine was pretty much behind me. But she made it easy for me and the conversation blossomed.

We spent the next few evenings together listening to the poolside entertainment and chatting. One morning we strolled along the dunes, stopped for coffee on the beach and shared some of our inner thoughts. The following day she flew back to Antwerp. She was gone. But the memory of her still lingered.

There are numerous excursions and activities available on Gran Canaria. The world’s largest catamaran, a party boat, is berthed in Puerto Rico. One tour company offers a mini-van trek of the island on perilous, narrow winding roads through the mountains. There’s deep sea fishing and the Yellow Submarine that will give you a close-up view of sunken wrecks.

I decided on a day trip north to the capital, Las Palmas. In the old section of town, I came across a small museum dedicated to Christopher Columbus. It was there I discovered that he had made a pit stop on Gran Canaria during his first transatlantic voyage. As was customary in those days, he presented his papers to the governor of the island. In return, the governor gave him a kiss on both cheeks, a chock to the shoulder and bade him “buen viaje.” I imagine the conversation may have gone something like this.

“Before we say arrivederci, I’m gonna need-a some provisions,” Columbus insisted.

“Of course. Mi casa, su casa.”

“I don’ need-a you house. I need-a food, a-water, sangria….

The governor nodded thoughtfully. “We have fish.”

“Fish we got. Waddaya think. I gotta boat in-a da water. We fish. One-a my boys caught a bigga fish yestaday. Dis a-big,” Columbus said, stretching out both arms. “A beauty. Very tasty. Many bones.”

“We have vegetables and fruit.”

Columbus eyed the governor warily. “Wha’ kinda of veggies? We already gotta zucchini…”

“We have tomatoes, corn, lettuce, spinach…”

“Yo! I’m-a Christopher Columbus not Popeye da Sailor. Okay. We take-a the lot – but not-a the spinach. And toss in a few barrels of sangria…maybe some paella to go.”

“Very well.” Then an expression of deep concern clouded the governor’s eyes. “Tell me,” he asked, “do you expect to find life when you arrive in the New World?

“Maybe…if-a we land on a Saturday night.”

I had heard from a German couple that Mogán was also worth a visit and was easily accessible by local bus. As it was, the journey later in the week took about an hour from my hotel. I wanted to arrive early in the morning when the light was better for photography and the sun was spilling across the bougainvillea plants. I was not disappointed.

Nestled in a natural harbor, the village was a tight cluster of whitewashed houses, apartments, hotels and restaurants set against a backdrop of bare, rugged mountains. Yes, it was a tourist trap. Yes, the prices were unrealistic even for Spain. But the charm and atmosphere made you forget that. I settled on an Irish pub (they are everywhere on the island!) for lunch. I made eye contact with the waiter and he approached with a menu. I looked at his name tag.

“You’re David?” I asked.

“Si, señor.”

“You’re… Mogan David?”

“Si, señor.”

It may have been an Irish pub, but the staff was Spanish as were the food and wine. I ordered a fish sandwich, washed it down with a carafe of Sangre de Toro and paid the man.

The sun was as high as it was going to get in winter, but it was still intense. Time to return to the hotel and the poolside bar. I boarded the bus. “Playa del Inglés,” I said to the driver, offering a ten euro note and a handful of change.

“Four euro fifteen” he grumbled. He ordered me to put the money on the tray. He handed back the ten euro and fished through my hand for the right change, took it and printed out the ticket. It was clear he was not having a good day and, therefore, I should not be having a good day. I guessed he was probably counting the hours until his next siesta.

I found a window seat and then we rattled off on the return trip. Several kilometers later, he pulled up to a bus stop in the middle of nowhere to pick up a lone passenger. Then he stormed out from behind the steering wheel like a mad bull.

“Ticket Control,” he shouted. “Ticket Control. Show me your tickets.” When he got to me, he looked at my receipt. “You only pay one euro twenty.”

“You took my money,” I said.

“Why you only got a ticket for one euro twenty?”

“I don’t know. You took my money and you gave me this ticket.” Standing alone, isolated, at a bus stop in the middle of nowhere gives one time to think and reflect. I was reflecting on how the scenario on the bus might have played out differently if I had simply given the driver the correct change in the first place. There was no shelter, no bench to sit on. So I sat on a large boulder on the side of the road, listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks below and waited for the next bus. I flagged it down when it arrived a half hour later and sat in silence, staring out the window as the coastline slipped by. Then I found myself thinking about her. The Belgian.

I smiled.

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for January:

*** Who knew?

The Palm Beach, Frederikshavn, Denmark

57 degrees north

At the moment (2007), we have about 90 palms on the Palm Beach. There are two different types: the flax palm and the phoenix palm.

The Flax Palm (Trachycarpus fortunei)

Our flax palms are now three to four metres tall and they can grow to be up to ten metres tall. The leaves are fan-shaped, and the main stem is covered by brown, threaded remains of old leaves. It is a tough palm which will survive temperatures of almost 20 degrees below zero (Celsius) at the top, while the root needs protection.

The natural habitat of the flax palm is in central and southern China where the palms often grow on slopes.

The Phoenix Palm (Phoenix canariensis)

Our phoenix palms are now three to four metres tall and can grow to be up to 20 metres. The leaves are feather-shaped and they may be as big as five metres long and one metre wide. The first part of the main stem is covered with remains of old leaves, while the second part is smooth. The palms can survive temperatures of about five degrees below zero (Celsius) at the top, but the root needs protection.

The natural habitat for the phoenix palm is the Canary Islands. The fruits are inedible and the palm is not to be mistaken for the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera), which is an African palm.

How does the Palms Survive on the Beach?

The majority of the palms are buried in large basins in the sand. The basins are made from a heavy wire netting through which the palm roots can grow. This way the palms can absorb nutrition directly from the ground one and a half metre below the beach.

The rest of the palms are placed on the beach in large plastic basins. They are watered once a week during the summer.

http://www.palmestranden.dk/index.php?ID=31&lang=en

*** Virginia Naturally Website Link to School Environmental Learning Programs

Visit the Virginia Naturally website now for ideas on nature learning activities. Teachers, there are also ideas for workshops and training available for your continuing education and getting a start on environmental lesson plans for the next semester. http://www.vanaturally.com/

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) The Colorado Trail 2012 Weeklong Trail Crews

Here’s one example:

Backpack-in: Must be fit and acclimated. This self-supported backpack crew will hike in around 6 miles and camp atop Snow Mesa near a small lake. They’ll work in a lovely high-mountain cirque to improve the co-located CT/CDT and remove a large rock in the trail that’s troublesome for equestrians and others. Elevation 12,600 ft. CT Segment 21.

July 14 – 21 Loren Woods (720) 940-8082 12 Volunteers http://www.coloradotrail.org/crewschedule.html

2.) Summer Hatchery Season Host, The Hagerman National Fish Hatchery, Hagerman, ID

The Hagerman National Fish Hatchery is located about 30 miles west of Twin Falls, Idaho at the Thousand Springs Reach of Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer. Under the Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan (LSRCP), over 1.4 million steelhead are produced annually to mitigate for fish and wildlife losses caused by the construction of four dams on the lower Snake River (Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental, Ice Harbor). The Hatchery also produces 130,000 Rainbow trout to mitigate for Dworshak Dam in northern Idaho

1 full RV hook-up w/ water and elec.; 1 bedroom apt. fits 4

To get there, look for the Hagerman National Fish Hatchery signs on the Thousand Springs Scenic byway or click Driving Directions for a map. A video tour is available at the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce.

http://www.fws.gov/hagerman/

3.) Animal Assistant – Wildlife, Woodlands Wildlife Refuge, Inc., Clinton, NJ

ASSISTANT: This is working up close and personal with the animals without actually handling them. You will work closely with other volunteers on your shift to prepare food, bedding and other needs. This position helps a shift run smoothly and allows the handlers to concentrate on feeding and direct care. The time requirement for this position is a minimum of once a week for a 3-4 hour shift.

Thank you so much for your interest in our Volunteer Program! The next step is to visit our website at www.woodlandswildlife.org where you can view our volunteer descriptions and fill out an application. You may download the application and email it to wildlife_rehab@yahoo.com. Please let us know if you would prefer receiving a hard copy of our volunteer opportunities via mail instead, and the application may be mailed or faxed back.

Once we have received your application, we will review it and notify you of the next upcoming Volunteer Orientation. The Volunteer Orientation serves as a general introduction to Woodlands Wildlife Refuge and an information session regarding your duties as a volunteer.

Please call Melissa at 908-730-8300 ext 6 with any questions.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/search/opp399987.jsp

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: February 2012 Wyoming’s Medicine Bow Rail-Trail

The Arapahoe and the Cheyenne. Kit Carson and grizzly bears. Gold diggers and railroad builders. Coal miners and tie hacks. All of these characters have ventured into the Medicine Bow Mountains and left their imprint on the region, and the nation.

You, too, can journey into these scenic and historical mountains—with less effort than earlier visitors—on the Medicine Bow Rail-Trail. This 21-mile gravel pathway offers glimpses of the Old West, and a portal into the New West, as it winds through rugged national forest land in southeastern Wyoming.

But come prepared—this corner of the West may no longer be wild, but it’s far from tame. “It’s more rustic than other rail-trails, but that’s part of its merit,” says Amber Travsky, a board member of Cycle Wyoming, a statewide bicycling advocacy group. The nearest city, Laramie, is 30 miles away, and moose on the trail may outnumber the people using it on any given day. “If you get a flat, you better be able to fix it,” she adds.

If you’re ready for an adventure, though, this unique trail will provide it. Among other attributes, the pathway has a rich history. Although it was completed less than five years ago, the story of the Medicine Bow goes back a century. Or more, if you consider the native people who first roamed and helped name these mountains.

According to local lore, Arapahoe, Cheyenne and other tribes came to this area regularly to conduct ceremonies to ward off disease, and to cut varieties of trees that made strong bows for hunting. Over time, early European settlers melded these historical uses into the moniker ‘Medicine Bow.’

In the early decades of the 19th century, intrepid trappers began to explore the mountains in search of pelts. Among those trappers was Kit Carson, who supposedly spent a summer here and survived a dangerous encounter with grizzly bears by climbing a tree.

The 1860s saw the march of the Union Pacific (UP) railroad west across Wyoming toward its historic meeting with the Central Pacific in Utah, forming the nation’s first transcontinental line. The railroad needed lumber for ties—and the tall, straight lodgepole pines of the Medicine Bow Mountains proved ideal. Men were hired to cut the trees and prepare them for use on the railroad, and camps of these ‘tie hackers’ sprang up in the mountains.

Meanwhile, prospectors scoured the hills and valleys in search of gold. They discovered it outside of present-day Centennial, Wyo., setting off a mining boom in the late 1870s. A second gold rush around the turn of the 20th century prompted a group of entrepreneurs to begin building a spur line off the UP tracks in Laramie west toward Centennial—and the Laramie, Hahns Peak and Pacific (LHP&P) Railroad was born.

By the time the rail line reached Centennial in 1907, the town’s latest mining boom was fading, so the company’s owners turned their sights to black gold. Coal seams near the southern end of the Medicine Bows beckoned, and the LHP&P followed. The rail line turned south through the mountains, reaching appropriately named Coalmont, Colo., in 1911.

For many years, the 111-mile rail line transported coal, timber and livestock to Laramie. By the 1920s, though, the railroad was struggling, and its ownership and name changed several times until it officially became a part of Union Pacific in 1951. It limped along into the 1990s, its last incarnation as a tourist line carrying passengers between Laramie and Walden, Colo. (a small town north of Coalmont). “It wasn’t very successful,” says Mary Sanderson, recreation planner for the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests.

The line was formally abandoned in 1996 and the U.S. Forest Service railbanked the portion that ran through its lands. Nearly a decade of planning, hearings and studies followed, including a mapping exercise in which Sanderson made one of the last trips down the rails in the late 1990s. Her job was to take GPS readings, which she did from a lawn chair in the flatbed of a railroad inspection truck. “I looked like granny from the Beverly Hillbillies, but it was really neat,” she recalls.

Finally, with the backing and encouragement of the Laramie Bicycling Network, Cycle Wyoming and other state and local groups, work started on the pathway in 2005. The rail-trail opened to bikers, hikers, skiers and horseback riders in 2007.

“It’s really special to ride on it—there’s quite a bit to see,” says Sanderson. Among the sights are those that harken back to the history of the area, from the remains of former tie-hacker camps and mining communities, to an old caboose parked along the trail near its northern end. Interpretive signs help elucidate this history. (The Nici Self museum, housed in a restored LHP&P depot in Centennial, a few miles north of the northern trailhead, includes much more local lore.)

But it’s not all about cultural history on the Medicine Bow trail. The area is rich in natural history, too. The trail passes through large stands of lodgepole, spruce, fir and aspen; traverses meadows of grass and sagebrush; crosses numerous streams; and skirts dozens of swamps, bogs, ponds and lakes. Among the creatures you can glimpse along or on the trail are moose, beaver, mule deer, elk, pronghorn, porcupine and black bear. In the warm months, throngs of butterflies flutter through the air, lured by the lupine, penstemon, potentilla and other flowers growing along the trail.

The most prominent of the forest’s inhabitants are creatures you won’t see, but their handiwork is abundantly evident. These are mountain pine beetles, tiny insects that bore into conifers and kill the trees. In the past decade, these pests have spread widely in the forests of southern Wyoming (and elsewhere), reaching epidemic proportions in part because drought has stressed and weakened trees.

“We’ve had a lot of trees dying, and when they die, they become hazards—especially where people are,” says Sanderson. The Forest Service has been diligent about removing infected trees near trailheads, campgrounds, parking lots and along the trail, so there’s no need to worry about being hit by falling timber—but the large expanses of red and gray decaying conifers in the area do mar the otherwise scenic vistas.

Despite the pine beetle challenge—and a few others, including some uninvited and damaging vehicle use—both Sanderson and Travsky emphasize that the Medicine Bow trail has much to offer visitors. “We’ve got a lot of wonderful trails in Wyoming, but the Medicine Bow is both non-motorized and nontechnical, so you can enjoy your surroundings without having to worry about anything else,” says Travsky.

Perhaps more important for those seeking peace and quiet, this remote trail is little used and largely undiscovered. But that may not last long, as Sanderson points out: “Word is getting out that this is a great trail.” http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Outdoor Educator (Part Time), Shangri La Education Department, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, TX http://www.shangrilagardens.org/Top-Utility-Nav/Career-Opportunities/Outdoor -Educator–Part-Time-.aspx

2.) Intern – Environmental Education, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Orange, TX http://www.shangrilagardens.org/Top-Utility-Nav/Career-Opportunities/Intern-

By Ned Lundquist www.yourverynextstep.com

“Naturam expelles furca, tamen usque recurret”

- Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace) (Epistulae, I, x, 24)

(You can drive nature out with a pitchfork, but she will soon find a way back.)

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to: yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

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Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

You may note that our website (www.yourverynextstep.com) has received a make-over. Bear with Ned as he learns how to use it.

*** In this issue:

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule: *** Can I touch your hair? *** The Polar Bear Question

Travel news

*** 17th annual Winter Trails Day is on January 7, 2012 *** Airline to let flyers choose who they sit next to *** Reindeer Wrangling *** It’s summer down under: *** Altitude Effects Sierra Nevada (Spain) *** Airports court fliers with rewards programs *** What Did Snakey Eat? *** Bikini Travel Insurance

Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Vernon Greenways Volunteers, Vernon Parks and Recreation, Vernon, CT 2.) Volunteer Opportunities, Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, Morris County Park Commission, County of Morris, Morristown, NJ 3.) Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Boulder, CO 4.) Information Center Host, Ranger District Office, U. S. Forestry Service, Boulder, Colorado 5.) Adopt-A-Trail Program, Friends of White Clay Creek State Park, Newark, DE 6.) Adopt a Trail, Parks and Recreation, City of Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana 7.) Adopt-a-Trail Program, Morris County Park Commission, County of Morris, Morristown, NJ 8.) Volunteers, Montana Wilderness Association, Helena, MT

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: January 2012 Houston’s Columbia Tap Rail-Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) President and CEO, Friends of Acadia, Bar Harbor, Maine 2.) Volunteer in Conservation in Ecuador, Cosmic Volunteers, Puerto Lopez and other rural areas throughout Ecuador 3.) Newspaper Journalism Internships, Cosmic Volunteers, Quito, Ecuador 4.) Director of Development, Hole in the Wall, Jordan River Village Camp New York, NY 5.) Global Marketing Services Coordinator, Oregon Tourism Commission, Salem, OR 6.) Program Head of Sports & Games, Camp Beech Cliff, Mount Desert, ME 7.) Visual Information and Interpretation Assistant (Media), Zion National Park, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Springdale, UT 8.) Executive Director, Oregon Recreation and Park Association (ORPA), ORPA office may be home-based or in a shared park and recreation agency located within a three(3) hour drive of Portland 9.) Maine Trail Crew Camp Coordinator, Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Garland, ME

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule:

18-22 Jan 12 Pisa/La Spezia/Lerici, Italy 21-26 Jan 12 Paris, France 6-13 Feb 12 San Jose/Arenal/Tamarindo/San Jose, Costa Rica

*** The Lundquist’s Beach/Jungle/Mountain/Volcano adventure:

*** Ned talks with Lisa Cederberg, Travel Consultant with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations (http://www.vacationscostarica.com/, about the upcoming Lundquist family vacation:

Ned: How long does it take to get from the San Jose airport to Arenal?

Lisa: About 2-1/2 to 3 hours if you stop along the way to eat or take pictures, etc.

Ned: What will we see along the way? What are the roads like?

Lisa: You’ll see coffee fields, sprawling green mountains and valleys. You’ll drive through a few small towns along the way. The roads will be mountainous, mostly, with amazing views.

Ned: How many different hotels are there in the Arenal area? Numerous. I don’t know how many there are all together.

Ned: What about the dining and shopping opportunities in the Arenal area?

Lisa: La Fortuna (the little town of Arenal) has a number of good restaurants and bars, as well as banks, grocery stores, pharmacies, numerous gift shops and more. You can get local cuisine for about $5 a plate, or a more upscale meal if you like.

Ned: How about the drive to Tamarindo? How long is that, and what will we see?

Lisa: Driving time from Arenal to Tamarindo can take between 4-5 hours. You’ll enjoy beautiful scenery along the way. As you get closer to Guanacaste/Liberia, you will notice less rain forest and more dry forest. You’ll see small towns along the way, Any drive in Costa Rica is beautiful (except downtown San Jose!).

Lisa Cederberg Travel Consultant Costa Rican Luxury Vacations “Local Knowledge – Global Service” U.S. Toll Free 800-606-1860 x 1243 – I’m available with very flexible hours. Please call at your convenience! In Costa Rica: 506-2296-7715 * Email: lisacederberg@goduesouth.com (http://www.vacationscostarica.com/):

*** Arenal Advice:

When you go to the hot springs in Arenal make sure you go at night. It’s too hot during the day and the different pools are lit up.

Lisa A Kilday

*** Costa Rica comment:

If you have not seen it Arenal is awesome in the true sense of the word – also stayed at Tamarindo – absolutely beautiful and went snorkeling – amazing sights! Enjoy!

Karlyn Messinger

*** Can I touch your hair?

Ned asked Heather Murphy to share some travel adventures. Like Heather, Ned’s wife Laura is a redhead. In some parts of the world that can be pretty exotic. Hence the “Can I touch your hair.”

“Can I touch your hair?” And other really odd moments in travel

Every trip I’ve taken has resulted in “The Experience” — some odd, bizarre and bordering-on-barely-believable situation like ‘Carl-but-that’s-not-my-real-name-in-Chinese.’

The Carl Story took place in late June 2010.

I was headed to Norfolk, VA to celebrate my paternal grandmother’s 90th birthday. A year earlier, my mother’s father celebrated his 90th. To have grandparents at my age is remarkable. Taking time to celebrate these milestones in their lives was an easy decision, even if travel logistics from Phoenix proved challenging.

Back to the Carl story. The World Cup was underway and the field was wide open. Soccer is interesting but I’m not a major fan. The rivalries and cultural insights have always interested me more than the game itself.

On a long layover at Baltimore Washington International, I ordered a beer at a place that was airing World Cup soccer. The game provided opportunities for conversation. To my left was an American who had studied in Argentina. To the left of her was a man from Bosnia.

Carl, the aforementioned Chinese man, was also watching the match. He was immediately to my right. He introduced himself as “Nice to meet you. I’m Carl…but-that’s-not-my-real-name-in-Chinese.”

Having not fallen off a turnip truck recently, I pretty much figured that out.

Carl, I learned, was his rival in soccer…or so he said. When it came time to pick a name in English, he chose Carl. Or so he said. Oh, and he works for the Department of Defense. Or so he said.

During a commercial break, he complimented my red hair and then asked: “Can I touch your hair?”

Huh?

Uh. Ummmm.

Okay, YVNS or JOTW fans: What IS the proper way to handle that?

Given my profession, I’m rarely at a loss for words.

I finished my beer, paid my tab and hurried off to wait at my gate.

I’m pretty sure I didn’t handle it properly.

*** More from Heather:

In my last installment for YVNS, I shared some excerpts from my trip to Iceland. Ned encouraged me to continue.

The Polar Bear Question

In the first installment, I referenced how the Glacier Hike guides came equipped with the Emergency Stupid Tourist Kit for the woman who was ill-prepared for the day’s activities. Well, after she was loaned the appropriate footwear and rain gear, the trek began.

Age, experience and fitness levels of my fellow trekkers meant that the guides would take periodic rest breaks and make small talk. The Ill-Prepared-Woman (sounds much better than Stupid Tourist) asked “Do you have polar bears here in Iceland?”

Now I confess, a few people asked me that same question before I left. I had researched this. The biggest mammals on the land in Iceland are the horses. In the water, there are whales. But polar bears will not find the land habitable and, despite the country’s name, it’s really not cold enough.

Our guides were very polite and had names like Thor, Hilmar, Bjarnar and Galdur. Or something like that.

“Nay. We don’t have polar bears,” one of them said. “Unless they come by mistake on an ice floe.”

Ill-Prepared-Woman says: “Then what do you do? Capture and fly them back?”

Hilmar: “We shoot them.”

Awkward pause.

Ill-Prepared-Woman (in shock): “Why don’t you tranquilize them and transport them back?”

Hilmar: “Much too costly. And it was probably an outcast or one who wandered away.”

Now the Icelandic are, at their core, eminently practical people. They’re also hardy souls who live on a beautiful if unforgiving island of volcanoes and glaciers. I didn’t get the idea that killing a wayward polar bear was something locals would look forward to – but it was practical. Wayward polar bears would seek food and there are sheep, horses, children and adults to protect.

While Ill-Prepared-Tourist was still processing this, I made a wisecrack to the two American ladies who trekked alongside me.

“Bullet: 39 cents. Tranq, crate, handler, flight: $4,000. Cost-benefit analysis? Done.”

We all had a very good laugh over the comedic timing of my MasterCard-ad-rip-off quip.

In the spirit of full disclosure, one of my dream photography trips is to see polar bears in their natural habitat. I’m not suggesting the Icelandic are brutal in any way. They’re practical, charming and wonderfully welcoming. But a polar bear relocation team would be hard to come by at the exact moment that one wandered ashore, weak and hungry from days at sea. The best approach is to ensure habitable conditions on their native turf.

Questions, feedback or your ideas for future trips are welcome!

Heather

Questions or feedback for Heather can be addressed here in YVNS by sending an email to Ned at lundquist989@cs.com. Heather through

Next month: “These People will Eat ANYTHING.”

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for January:

*** 17th annual Winter Trails Day is on January 7, 2012

Winter Trails Day offers children and adults new to snow sports the chance to try snowshoeing and cross country skiing for free, and to discover the great fitness and social benefits with these easy-to-learn winter sports.

The 17th annual Winter Trails Day is on January 7, 2012 and involves almost 100 resorts and Nordic Centers nationwide, and gets 11,000 kids and adults on the snow each year.

Winter Trails programs and activities vary in size and scope, as each venue chooses a program that will introduce these sports to their communities. Select the state or area to see the locations that are participating. Each Winter Trails event is run by a local organization or business. If you have questions about the location nearest you or if you have a group you wish to bring, please contact the venue directly for details.

The sport offering at each location varies, so please check the specific venue listing for details. Most Winter Trails events are located at Nordic centers or on public lands operated by the U.S. Forest Service or the National Parks Service. Many locations offer education programs and trail tours. Equipment and trail fees are free.

For information about Winter Trails, please contact Reese Brown (rbrown@snowsports.org) 802-236-3021.

*** Don’t sit next to the creepy guy:

Airline to let flyers choose who they sit next to Dutch airline KLM is set to offer passengers the choice of not only where they sit, but who they sit next to, the Irish Independent reports. The carrier hopes to introduce the technology next year, although plans remain in their infancy.

To be known as “meet and seat,” the online service will give passengers access to the profiles of their fellow fliers’ Facebook and LinkedIn pages, from where they may choose – using guidelines such as looks, interests and career fields – which passengers they’d most like to sit next to.

The airline has thus-far refused to say if the new “matchmaking” service will involve a fee, but many airlines currently charge passengers to decide seat preferences – via widely available seat maps – in advance.

The Independent reports the new service could have many beneficial aspects, from the ability to avoid the “traveler from hell,” to finding business connections, to stumbling upon a love interest. Though this service would be a firm step outside the box, airlines are now heavily involved in social networking, with British Airways boasting more than 136,000 Twitter followers and regularly running competitions on Facebook.

A recent poll by a flight comparison website found that of 1,000 flyers surveyed, some 45 percent admitted flirting whilst airborne. One third of those polled said the chance meeting lead to further contact once the plane reached its destination, with eight percent claiming it led to a relationship, the Independent reports.

http://www.irishemigrant.com/ie/go.asp?p=story&storyID=10692

*** Reindeer Wrangling

Director Eva Weber Braves the Arctic to Capture the Majesty of Santa’s Sleigh Pullers http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/12/23/1784/reindeer-wrangling

*** It’s summer down under:

Kiwis and Visitors Urged to ‘Be AdventureSmart’ this Summer

Every year thousands of people enjoy New Zealand’s outdoors and for the vast majority it’s an enjoyable and safe experience. However, sometimes unfortunate incidents do occur and often they involve people who underestimate the planning, preparation and sometimes the skills required for the outdoors activity they are undertaking.

In a joint initiative, leading outdoor organisations and government agencies have created and expanded the AdventureSmart.org.nz website. The aim of AdventureSmart is to provide both residents and visitors to New Zealand with one online location for safety information and planning support, prior to engaging in land, snow, water, boating and air activities.

Duncan Ferner, from the NZ Search & Rescue Council, says: “AdventureSmart has good advice for everyone, regardless of ability or experience. “Access to this information means that those taking part in recreational activities on offer in New Zealand will be better prepared and make better decisions which will in turn hopefully reduce incidents.”

AdventureSmart is also the home of New Zealand’s Outdoor, Boating and Water Safety Codes. The message is make sure you ‘know before you go’ by reading and following the 4 or 5 simple and easy to remember rules.

The rules are especially useful for overseas visitors who may have little knowledge of New Zealand but equally applicable to Kiwis, especially those who may be trying a new activity or visiting a different part of the country.

Examples of the simple rules include: • Tell someone your plans and leave a time and date for when to raise the alarm if you haven’t returned. (Outdoor Safety Code). • Watch out for yourself and others – always watch children around water. Swim with others and in lifeguard zones. (Water Safety Code). • Skipper Responsibility – keep everyone safe – stay within the limits

of your vessel and your experience. (Boating Safety Code).

Other features of AdventureSmart include; more than a thousand links to safety information from appropriate organisations, detailed information including videos on avalanche awareness and the outdoor safety code, plus links to where people can upskill and learn more about their chosen activity, for instance Coastguard’s boating education programme. www.adventuresmart.org.nz

*** What to Wear for Snow Sports (from www.snowlink.com)

Wearing clothing designed specifically to keep you warm and dry in one’s comfort level when playing outdoors can make a big difference. Versatile, functional winter apparel is worth the investment. Here is basic information about dressing for winter:

Layering

The best way to dress for winter is to wear multiple layers of clothing. This system gives participants the flexibility to add or remove layers depending on the weather and activities. Most commonly, winter sports participants wear three layers: wicking, insulating and weather protection.

Wicking layer:

 This is the layer worn next to the skin, usually, thermal underwear.  Look for thermal underwear made of a synthetic — usually polyester — fiber that has “wicking” power. As participants perspire, the fibers will wick (move) moisture away from the skin and pass it through the fabric so it can evaporate. This keeps skiers warm, dry and comfortable. Silk is also a good, natural fabric that has wicking abilities.  Even though it’s cold, snow sports will make participants sweat — especially if they are cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. This is why the wicking layer is very important.

Insulating layer:

 This middle layer includes sweaters, sweatshirts, vests and pullovers. The purpose of this layer is to keep heat in and cold out, which is accomplished by trapping air between the fibers.  Popular insulation materials include fleece, a synthetic material which maintains its insulating ability even when wet and spreads the moisture out so it dries quickly, and wool, which naturally wicks away moisture.

Protection Layer:

 The exterior layer serves as the guard against the elements of winter. It should repel moisture from snow, sleet or rain; block the wind, and let perspiration escape to the outside to evaporate. Specially engineered fabric is used in snow sports jackets and pants to accomplish this moisture blockage and transport. The common industry term for this fabric is “waterproof/breathable.” It is this fabric that makes snow sports jackets and pants so effective in keeping participants warm, dry and comfortable.  Most genuine winter shells, parkas and pants are made waterproof/breathable by using tightly woven fabrics teamed with a coating or laminate. This keeps moisture on the outside but allows perspiration to escape.  Look for functional hoods, cuffs, pockets and zippers — details that truly make garments comfortable in a snowstorm.  Some jackets and pants are shells (no insulation), some include built-in insulation, and others have zip-in insulation layers. Choose your protection layer based on temperatures and snow conditions in your area or where you like to vacation.  Although less baggy than in previous years, most snowboard clothing is still designed to fit looser than alpine skiwear, giving snowboarders freedom of movement. In addition, many snowboard pants are reinforced in the seat and knees for extra protection when kneeling or sitting on the snow.

Headwear

Up to 60 percent of the body’s heat can escape from an uncovered head. This is why wearing a hat, headband or helmet is essential when it’s cold. There are thousands of styles of hats and headbands, usually made from fleece or wool. Many wool hats have non-itch liners. Helmets are becoming very popular. Not only do they protect the head during falls, but they also provide warmth. A fleece neck gaiter (like a collar) or facemask is a must on very cold days.

Sunglasses and goggles

Snow, because it is a reflective surface, makes ultraviolet (UV) rays stronger. On sunny days, sunglasses are essential to protect the eyes. On flat-light days or when it’s snowing, goggles are vital. Special lens colors increase the contrast in order to properly discern terrain features.

Gloves and mittens

Look for gloves and mittens that use waterproof/breathable fabrics. Mittens, in general, are warmer than gloves, but offer less dexterity. Consider the type of activity when choosing between gloves and mittens. Snowboarding gloves and mittens often have a reinforced palm because of extra wear from adjusting bindings and balancing on the snow. Some snowboarding gloves and mittens also have built-in wrist guards, which are excellent for novice snowboarders. Gloves for cross-country skiing tend to be lighter-weight to allow for extra movement and a higher degree of perspiration.

Socks

One pair of lightweight or medium weight socks works best for skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing. Socks are made from a variety of materials, including polyester, silk and wool. Socks designed specifically for snow sports have wicking properties similar to thermal underwear, meaning your feet will stay drier and more comfortable.

http://www.snowlink.com/WinterTrailsHomePage/CrossCountry/WhattoWear.aspx

*** Altitude Effects Sierra Nevada (Spain)

Extracts here are taken from the handbook “TRAVEL AT HIGH ALTITUDE” published free by MEDEX. This handbook is highly recommended reading for anybody going above 2500 metres. Copies of the handbook can be downloaded free of charge at www.medex.org.uk

What is High Altitude?

“Altitude starts to have an effect around 1500-2000m. The body starts to behave slightly differently as it tries to make up for the change in oxygen levels. Go up too fast above 2500m and altitude illnesses are common. If you go slowly you should stay healthy.”

Acclimatisation

“When the body slowly adapts to lower oxygen levels the process in called acclimatisation. Different people acclimatise at different speeds, so no rule works for everyone, but there are good guidelines. Over 3000m go up slowly, sleeping no more than 300m higher at the end of each day. Going higher during the day is OK as long as you go down to sleep.”

Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS)

The common symptoms for AMS are: headache; nausea (feeling sick); vomiting (being sick); fatigue; poor appetite; dizziness; sleep disturbance.” A simple scorecard is shown below. Keep check on your score.

Before you go: Learn about the symptoms of AMS

At altitude: If you have a headache and a total of 3 or more for the others, do not go higher.

If you have a headache, and a total of 3 or more for the others, have got no better or worse – go down

Observed effects in the Sierra Nevada during the last 6 years We have, in reality, had very few instances where AMS has resulted in having to bring a client down to a lower level. When that has been the case, the client has recovered immediately on getting to lower ground and has had no further problems.

These mountains have much high ground over 3000m, but provided that the advice above is followed, ie go slow, then the altitude effects are lessened considerably. On countless occasions we have parked the car at 2500m (having driven up in 1hr from 650m!) and someone has gone off too quick. It is very tempting! Our guides take it very easy, a snails pace, especially for the first 30 minutes after leaving the car. We find that in that time our body adjusts better and we can then continue a little more rapidly. However, we live and train here in these mountains. Clients coming straight in from sea level will find it harder.

The suggestion for clients therefore is to follow behind your guides. Forget records and competitive instincts. Go their pace. They know the speed at which you should be going. They have the experience.

http://www.spanishhighs.co.uk/altitude-sickness-sierra-nevada.html

*** Airports court fliers with rewards programs By Nancy Trejos, USA TODAY http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2011-12-26/Airports-court-fliers-wi th-rewards-programs/52233586/1

*** What Did Snakey Eat?

By National Wildlife Federation

Open iTunes to buy and download apps.

In this delightfully silly game, preschoolers develop thinking skills by matching 
the shape in Snakey’s belly to one of the three suggested objects. Did Snakey swallow an umbrella? A rhinoceros? Or even a school bus? The giggles never stop when preschoolers see the crazy things that Snakey has eaten. Choose the correct object 
and Snakey will spit it back out, then swallow something even funnier

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/what-did-snakey-eat/id483259852?ls=1&mt=8

*** Bikini Travel Insurance

Bikini Travel Insurance is designed to meet the needs of female travellers – but not forgetting partners & kids. It covers the things you’d expect like medical & repatriation, cancellation & curtailment. Added to that, the personal belongings cover is tailored to reflect the kind of things women travel with. http://www.bikinisure.com/home.aspx

(And here I thought it covered what might happen if your bikini didn’t cover what it’s supposed to.)

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Vernon Greenways Volunteers, Vernon Parks and Recreation, Vernon, CT

The Vernon Greenways Volunteers are individuals who assist the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department through the maintenance, enhancement and proper use of the 30+ miles of trails in Vernon, CT. Sponsors adopt a section of Vernon’s trail system or finance a trail project through an annual tax deductible donation to supply the funds to support our work.

We are individuals who have chosen to give back to the community and make their own experience more satisfying by participating in the maintenance, enhancement and proper use of the trail system.

Maintenance – We assist the Vernon Parks and Recreation staff on trail projects. We execute our own trail projects. We keep trails clear of trash and debris. An assigned Trail Manager takes ownership of a trail segment. We have periodic clean-up sessions. To see trail accomplishments, click here.

Enhancements – We provide free biodegradable dog litter bags at pet stations, a receptacle for deposit of the full bags and we service both at selected high dog traffic locations. We provide free tri-fold trail specific maps at selected locations. A “Pick Up after your Pets (PUP) Project” was executed in the spring of 2007 to educate pet owners as to why they should pick up after their pets on the trail. In May 2009 the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department introduced a No Smoking Policy in parks, trails and ball fields to reduce the cigarette butt litter per our request.

Proper Use – All volunteers must participate in sound trail practices: follow posted restrictions, comply with town ordinances, “carry out what you carry in”, periodically pick up trash while using the trail, etc.

How will I be expected to participate?

All volunteers must agree to follow the “Proper Use” policies shown above. Participation in maintenance projects is not mandatory as we realize time and physical restrictions may not allow all members to participate at this level; we value your head and heart as well as your hands. However, some of the greatest enjoyment in this program is through the interaction with fellow volunteers and seeing the results of your labor on a completed project. Send ideas and suggestions to our e-mail address. Attend meetings, usually twice a year, and the annual picnic.

What is a Trail Manager?

All members are Vernon Greenways Volunteers. You may also elect to be a Trail Manager who takes ownership of a trail segment (most segments are 0.8 to 1.9 miles) which has not already been assigned. A Trail Manager’s duties may include but are not limited to: removing sticks, rocks and other debris; pruning small limbs; cutting back encroaching vegetation to maintain a trail corridor; servicing any of the enhancements listed above; replace missing signage; reporting vandalism and maintenance needs that are beyond our capabilities to the Vernon Parks and Recreation Department. Heavy duty trash bags and a trash picker will be supplied if requested.

Why should I join?

It is a way for those who use the Vernon trail system to participate in their community while improving this resource and experiencing the fun of interacting with like minded people. You will be kept abreast of trail happenings and events through periodic e-mails. Vernon Greenways Volunteers T-Shirts and baseball caps are issued to members.

How can I learn more or become a member?

Contact us via our e-mail address at BellinghamDL@att.net with questions. If you would like to join include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address. Virtually all contact is via e-mail.

http://www.vernongreenways.org/

2.) Volunteer Opportunities, Pyramid Mountain Natural Historic Area, Morris County Park Commission, County of Morris, Morristown, NJ

Enjoy being outdoors? Have a love for Mother Nature and the beauty of the Park Commission’s diverse gardens? Join our volunteer team.

Pyramid Mountain is a natural historic area that includes three mountains and two stream valleys. It has over 1,500 acres of beautiful terrain and 20 miles of nature trails in Montville, Boonton Township, and Kinnelon with scenic views and several prominent geological formations. The Visitors Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10am to 4:30pm. http://www.morrisparks.net/volunteer.asp#gs

3.) Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Boulder, CO http://www.wlrv.org/

4.) Information Center Host, Ranger District Office, U. S. Forestry Service, Boulder, Colorado http://www.1-800-volunteer.org/1800Vol/volunteerconnection/LoadOpportunityRe view.do?opportunityId=13362

5.) Adopt-A-Trail Program, Friends of White Clay Creek State Park, Newark, DE http://www.whiteclayfriends.org/adopt_a_trail.php

6.) Adopt a Trail, Parks and Recreation, City of Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=529

7.) Adopt-a-Trail Program, Morris County Park Commission, County of Morris, Morristown, NJ

The Adopt-A-Trail Program is a great way to give back to our outstanding trails system. We have the largest trail system in New Jersey. Volunteers are needed to help with light maintenance and keeping us informed about trail needs. •An orientation session provides training in pruning skills, blazing, and more. •Our volunteers independently work their adopted trail. We ask for trail reports three times per year. •A 2 year commitment is required. •This is a great way to stay fit!

For more information, contact: Janet McMillan Trails Coordinator Phone (973) 326-7604 http://www.morrisparks.net/volunteer.asp

8.) Volunteers, Montana Wilderness Association, Helena, MT Montana Wilderness Association exists because of strong volunteer activism. Our members engage in a range of activities, from participating on the State Council to leading Wilderness Walks. We will help you focus your energy on an activity that best fits your talents and desires to contribute.

Volunteers who are interested in spreading a pro-wilderness message in their community can now participate in a program developed by the MWA State Council. The Council has produced a professional quality PowerPoint presentation, with script, about the positive values of wilderness. The show is suitable for a wide variety of audiences including service clubs, chambers of commerce, sportsmen’s groups, schools, churches etc. Training is available to coach volunteers through the presentation process, although the show is designed to be easy to use. Support materials include FAQs. Contact Doug Ferrell or call 827-4341.

http://www.wildmontana.org/takeaction/volunteer.php *** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: January 2012 Houston’s Columbia Tap Rail-Trail If there wasn’t already a Motor City in America, Houston would surely vie for the title. Cars and trucks play such a central role in this sprawling metropolis that, until recently, cyclists and pedestrians here were viewed as strange or foolish—or both.

But a combination of enlightened leadership and government investment is starting to change that. As an article in the Houston Chronicle in 2010 noted, “This city ruled by the combustion engine is beginning, tentatively, to recognize that walking and biking are legitimate forms of transportation, and beginning to give them a little infrastructure of their own.”

Exhibit A in that attitude shift is a new, four-mile path, the Columbia Tap Rail-Trail. This trail not only serves as a safe transportation and recreation venue for residents of Houston’s Third Ward, but it provides a vital link to other trails and on-street bike lanes in the city—and a magnet for cycling advocates.

“It’s a really great thing,” says Veon McReynolds, head of the local nonprofit cycling group Tour de Hood, who lives just a few blocks from the trail. “Right here in the neighborhood, you see a lot of people using it for walking and cycling.”

The roots of the Columbia Tap go back more than 150 years, when Houston was a small but growing center of commerce in the newly minted Lone Star state. The underlying rail line—known back then as the Houston Tap and Brazoria Railway—opened in 1856 and served as an important route for moving crops and people into the heart of the city from plantations and ports to the south. It eventually became part of Union Pacific Railroad’s network before falling into disuse.

With federal and local funding, a four-mile section of the corridor from Dixie Drive to Dowling Street was later converted into a rail-trail and opened to the public in March 2009. Today, the 10-foot-wide concrete trail cuts a scenic line through Houston’s Third Ward, the historic heart of the city’s African-American community. Along the way, it passes through neighborhoods of small homes and apartment buildings, dotted with churches, schools and playgrounds.

Among the noteworthy sights along the Columbia Tap is Hermann Park, a 445-acre green space just two blocks from the southern trailhead. With its wide lawns, large ponds and meandering paths, this city park offers a peaceful respite from the bustle of the city. It also offers public parking, something currently in short supply along the rail-trail. The park and its surrounding neighborhood provide a wealth of educational diversions, including Rice University, the Houston Zoo, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Children’s Museum of Houston and the fascinating Buffalo Soldier National Museum and Heritage Center.

The multi-use Brays Bayou Trail (which follows one of several west-to-east flowing waterways that give Houston its nickname of the Bayou City) skirts the southern edge of Hermann Park and connects with the Columbia Tap. Less than a mile north of this trail access, the Columbia Tap slices through a 150-acre expanse of red-brick buildings, grassy fields and walkways criss-crossed by book-toting students. This is the campus of Texas Southern University (TSU), one of the country’s largest historically black colleges and home of a nationally ranked football team, the Tigers.

Four blocks west of here is the home of McReynolds, a former TSU professor and administrator who is widely known as ‘Dr. V.’ McReynolds has a long history as both a competitive cyclist and community activist, and about eight years ago he began taking friends and family on informal rides through neighborhoods in the downtown area, and nicknamed the rides “Tour de Hood.’

The rides grew in popularity and turned into weekly events, and McReynolds began supplying bicycles and helmets to youngsters who couldn’t afford their own equipment. The new rail-trail has provided another venue for his outings, especially those with young riders. “That’s one of the things the trails provide is a safe haven for a lot of the little kids to ride up and down.”

Equally important, the rail-trail is encouraging people in the neighborhood to get out of their cars and be more active, which improves their health, McReynolds says. “Obesity is a preventable disease and it comes from us being overly dependent on our cars and our technology.”

McReynolds’ is not the only group along the Columbia Tap looking to improve the lives of underprivileged residents. A few blocks north of the TSU campus and adjacent to the trail is the Third Ward Bike Shop, a project of Workshop Houston. This nonprofit provides area children with job-skills training, resources and academic tutoring.

At the bike shop, local students learn how to build and repair bicycles—and, by working there, can earn credits to obtain their own bikes. The bike shop moved to this location a few years ago because the group’s founders wanted to be next to the new rail-trail. Now, it’s not unusual to see youngsters testing bikes or riding to the workshop on the Columbia Tap.

North from the Third Ward Bike Shop, the trail runs through a hardscrabble section of the neighborhood, under a busy highway and into a warehouse district. From here, it curves northwest and spills onto downtown streets near the George Brown convention center and Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball; the stadium actually incorporates part of the city’s historical Union Station.

Work is under way on a new soccer stadium only two blocks from the downtown trailhead—”the first time the city has built a sports arena where cycling is part of the planning,” says Dan Raine, Houston’s bikeway program coordinator. From the northern trailhead of the Columbia Tap, it’s just a short ride on city streets to two other rail-trails—the Harrisburg and Sunset, and the MKT/SP (Heights)—and one that’s still under construction, the Heritage Corridor.

These trails take riders to neighborhoods east and northwest of downtown. And together with the Columbia Tap and other multi-use paths, they form a ‘critical mass’ that is encouraging Houstonians to get out of their cars.

“People who once said, “I won’t bike to work, ever,” now are,” says Raine. “They are also out recreating on the trails, and there’s a lot of pedestrian activity. I get a great deal of satisfaction from seeing a variety of folks out there using these trails. The Houston bikeway program is really on a roll these days.” http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) President and CEO, Friends of Acadia, Bar Harbor, Maine http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=23258

2.) Volunteer in Conservation in Ecuador, Cosmic Volunteers, Puerto Lopez and other rural areas throughout Ecuador http://www.cosmicvolunteers.org/ecuador_parks.html

3.) Newspaper Journalism Internships, Cosmic Volunteers, Quito, Ecuador http://www.cosmicvolunteers.org/ecuador_media.html

4.) Director of Development, Hole in the Wall, Jordan River Village Camp New York, NY http://www.execsearches.com/non-profit-jobs/jobDetail.asp?job_id=23299

5.) Global Marketing Services Coordinator, Oregon Tourism Commission, Salem, OR http://www.prichardcommunications.com/macs-list/Oregon-Tourism-Commission/Gl obal-Marketing-Services-Coordinator/p5LmYZkdQ08W#top

6.) Program Head of Sports & Games, Camp Beech Cliff, Mount Desert, ME

Join us on stunning Mt Desert Island (Bar Harbor)! Bordering Acadia Nat’l Park, newly renovated day camp with 50 acres on Echo Lake. Head of Sports & Games plans creative activities to help every camper enjoy/participate; adheres to the health/safety laws of Maine/ACA.

Job Requirements

Min. req: 19 years old, year exp leading activities, enjoys working with kids of all backgrounds, passionate about outdoors & engaging campers ages 6 – 14, ability to plan wide range of activities. Pref’d Qual: BA Deg and 2 yrs exp leading sports & games. If no degree, equiv work exp. Salary DOE ($400 – $500 / wk) w/ poss. housing. www.campbeechcliff.org, contact sylvie@campbeechcliff.org.

http://www.varietymediacareers.com/c/job.cfm?site_id=7307&jb=9314042

7.) Visual Information and Interpretation Assistant (Media), Zion National Park, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Springdale, UT

This position will assist the lead visual information specialist and other personnel with work that communicates information through visual and digital means. Work will include managing, developing, and/or expanding several media databases, multimedia products, and creating visual materials such as images, diagrams, and charts for use in publications, exhibits, multimedia products, and park website resources. The incumbent will assist in managing and maintaining park websites, intranet sites, social media sites, and other digital resources. The work requires knowledge of and ability to apply the principles of visual design; knowledge of the technical characteristics associated with various methods of visual display; skill and ability to use required software and equipment, and the skill and ability to present information in a way that will appropriately convey the message to, or have the desired effect on, the intended audience.

Full Time – Term NTE 13 months

With guidance from the lead visual information specialist, the incumbent will develop a variety of publications and other printed material. These resources may include site bulletins, newsletters, and articles for newspapers and periodicals. The incumbent performs other duties including writing and editing text for publications, exhibits, and park websites.

The position will serve as a front-line representative of the agency. The incumbent may work in visitor centers, museums, and other visitor contact stations. As a front-line representative, the incumbent is responsible for providing answers to recurring visitor questions concerning the specific park area, explaining the area’s recreational opportunities, distributing maps, brochures, and other printed material, providing directions and routes of travel through the park, informing visitors of potential safety hazards, and conducting informal interpretation when appropriate. The incumbent may also independently research, design, and present interpretive programs varying in formats about park resources that employ appropriate interpretive techniques geared to the characteristics and interests of particular audiences.

Duties may be performed on or off-site at locations designated by the park. The incumbent may operate a variety of audiovisual and other equipment used in connection with interpretive material, such as computers, projectors, and audio equipment.

The incumbent will perform various administrative duties, such as scheduling, coordinating tasks, gathering routine information for reports, compiling statistical data, and other related activities.

The incumbent must be knowledgeable about a variety of resource-oriented topics, emerging technologies, and related software, and will continue to keep this knowledge current by pursuing training and other professional development opportunities.

The incumbent will be responsible for completing other assigned tasks and projects that support division operations.

The incumbent must be able to operate a motor vehicle.

Physical Demands The work requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing or recurring lifting of moderately heavy items. This is typical of work involving personal production or installation of exhibits, illustration work “on location”, or on-site inspection or supervision of one or more phases of the production of a visual product. Much of the work may require sitting for long periods of time and performing repetitive motions.

Incumbent must be able to hike several miles over uneven terrain in extreme weather conditions (e.g., heat). Assignments include extended periods of standing at information desks, hiking outdoors in hot weather, speaking for long periods of times, climbing and descending stairs, lifting, bending, sitting and working at a computer work station. Incumbent is generally assigned daytime schedules but will also work some evening and late night shifts.

Work Environment Work may be performed indoors and outdoors. The work is typically performed in an adequately lighted, climate controlled office and requires no special safety precautions.

Work is occasionally performed in settings in which there is regular and recurring exposure to moderate discomforts and unpleasantness. Work may result in exposure to high or low temperatures, confined spaces, or adverse weather conditions.

Area Information Zion National Park is located in southwest Utah, where the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert provinces meet. Ranging in elevation from 3,666 ft. to 8,726 ft., the park’s 232 square miles encompass a startlingly diversity of plant and animal life. It is characterized by high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep sandstone canyons, and striking rock towers and mesas. The climate is generally hot with daytime high temperatures averaging 100°F in the summer and 50°F in the winter. Nighttime lows range from 80°F in the summer to 20°F in the winter. Minimal shopping is available in Springdale, Utah located two miles from Park Headquarters. A full range of shopping, medical, dental, religious, and recreational facilities are available in Hurricane (25 miles), St. George (45 miles), and in Cedar City, Utah (63 miles). An elementary school (grades K-6) is available in Springdale (closest town to the park), with bus service provided. Junior high and high school facilities are available in Hurricane, with bus service provided. Dixie State College is located in St. George and Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City.

This is a Term position. Initial appointment is 13 months with possible extensions up to 4 years. This position is also seasonal in nature and does not provide employment on a year-round basis. You may work a minimum of 26 weeks but it is expected that the candidate will work at least 48 weeks a year. Actual work schedule and period of furlough is contingent upon funding and operational needs.

http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/305768400

8.) Executive Director, Oregon Recreation and Park Association (ORPA), ORPA office may be home-based or in a shared park and recreation agency located within a three(3) hour drive of Portland http://www.prichardcommunications.com/macs-list/Oregon-Recreation-and-Park-A ssociation/Executive-Director/ph1NNtdP9p63#top

9.) Maine Trail Crew Camp Coordinator, Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Garland, ME http://www.jobmonkeyjobs.com/career/40435/Maine-Trail-Crew-Camp-Coordinator- Maine-Garland

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC © 2012 The Job of the Week Network LLC Edward Lundquist, ABC – Editor and Publisher Your Very Next Step 7813 Richfield Road Springfield, VA 22153 Home office phone: (703) 455-7661 lundquist989@cs.com www.nedsjotw.com

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

- Maria Robinson

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate. Share your adventures with the network today! Send to lundquist989@cs.com.

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Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

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Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule:

*** Glaciers in the Himalyas

*** Christmas goodies from Italy

*** The Lundquist’s Beach/Jungle/Mountain/Volcano adventure:

*** Ned talks with Lisa Cederberg, Travel Consultant with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations *** Can I touch your hair – Heather Murphy visits Iceland

Travel news

*** The moving walkway…is ending…

*** JetBlue, WestJet win airport slots at LaGuardia and Reagan National

***Top 10 Things Airlines Don't Tell You

*** 10 Survival Tips for Holiday Travel

*** Ten Ways to Do Theme Parks on a Budget

*** World's Best Cities for Bargain Shopping

Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) High Cascades Forest Volunteers, Willamette, Deschutes, Umpqua, Siuslaw and Ochoco National Forests,

2.) Third Saturday Work Parties, Forest Park Conservancy, Portland, OR

3.) VOLUNTEER Opportunities, Mayan Hope, Nebaj, Quiché, GUATEMALA

- Special Education Teacher’s Aides

- Eco-Tour Guides

- Agricultural Production and Marketing positions

- Maintenance Person

- Mayan Hope Restaurant and Hostel Workers

4.) Pemigewasset Wilderness, White Mountain National Forest, NH

6.) Billy Goat Trail Steward Volunteers, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

7.) Camp Host, Dungeness and Salt Creek County Parks, Clallam County Parks, Fair and Facilities Department, Port Angeles, WA

8.) Adopt-a-Trail, Santa Clara County Parks, San Jose, CA

9.) Volunteer Roles, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

10.) Adopt-A-Trail Volunteers, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

11.) Continental Divide Trail, Gila National Forest, NM

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: December 2011

New Orleans Levee-Top Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) SCUBA Instructor, Seacamp Association, Inc., Key West, Florida

2.) Outdoor Adventure Instructors, Absolute Adventure, Dibba, Musandam, Oman

3.) EVENT AND MEMBERSHIP MANAGER (Park/Recreation Specialist I), Park Authority, Fairfax County, Laurel Hill Golf Club, Lorton, Virginia

4.) California State Director, American Conservation Experience, Santa Cruz, CA

5.) Mountain Trail Outdoor School, Kanuga Conferences Inc., Hendersonville, NC

6.) Ice Rink Zamboni Driver, Vail Resorts, Keystone, CO

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** Ned s upcoming travel schedule:

8-10 Dec 11 Beltramie County/Bemidji/Northome, Minn.

21-27 Jan 12 Paris, France

6-13 Feb 12 San Jose/Arenal/Tamarindo/San Jose, Costa Rica

(The low tomorrow for Northome is 0 degrees F.)

*** From Bill Ryerson:

From Population Matters.

The climb to Everest base camp is a journey into a monochrome world, a landscape reduced to rock, ice and grey sky. The only spots of colour are the bright, domed tents of the few climbing teams willing to attempt the summit in the off-season. There are no birds, no trees, just the occasional chunks of glacier splashing into pools of pale green meltwater like ice cubes in some giant exotic drink. The stillness suggests nothing has changed for decades, but Tshering Tenzing Sherpa, who has been in charge of rubbish collection at base camp for the past few years, remains uneasy. “Everything is changing with the glaciers. All these crevasses have appeared in the ice. Before, base camp was flat, and it was easy to walk,” he said.

Climbers had reported that they barely needed crampons for the climb, there was so much bare rock, Tenzing said. That's not how it was in Edmund Hillary's day. Tenzing pointed towards the Khumbu ice fall – the start of the climb, and part of a 16km stretch of ice that forms the largest glacier in Nepal. “Before, when you looked out, it was totally blue ice, and now it is black rock on top,” he said. He's convinced the changes have occurred in months – not years, or even decades, but during the brief interval of the summer monsoon. “This year it's totally changed,” he said.

This much is known: climate change exists, it is man-made, and it is causing many glaciers to melt across the Himalayas. Beyond that, however, much is unclear or downright confusing. For that, scientists blame a blunder in a United Nations report that was presented as the final word on climate change. The 2007 report – which included the false claim that the Himalayan glaciers would disappear by 2035 – probably did more to set back science, and delay government action on climate change, than any other event. The scandal, known as Glaciergate or Himalayagate, was a gift to climate-change deniers when it came to light early last year, and a deep embarrassment to glaciologists. Now they are desperately trying to recover.

Mention melting and Himalayas to almost any glacier expert working in the region, and they will instantly plead for caution: please do not repeat the mistake of thinking all the ice will be gone in the next few decades. “It was just nonsense,” said Alton Byers, the scientific director of the Mountain Institute. “It's absolutely staggering when you look at some of those high mountains. They are frozen solid, at minus 15 or 20 degrees, and they are going to remain that way.”

At lower elevations, it's a different scenario, Byers acknowledged. Low-lying glaciers are melting, and far more rapidly in the past 10 or 15 years than in previous decades, scouring out new landscapes and creating a whole new realm of natural disasters for countries that are some of the poorest on Earth.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/25/climate-change-himalayas-glaciers-melting

More on climate change: http://populationmatters.org/issues/environment/climate-change-2/

*** Buon Natale!

Christmas for the Lundquist’s this year is all wrapped up in some airline tickets and hotel reservations to Central America. Read below. But we will not forgo our annual tradition of buying several panetone from Italy. We came to know these bready cakes when we lived in Sicily. Our favorites are the crème filled versions covered with dark chocolate, or the tiramisu, with coffee cream inside and dusted with a mocha covering. We actually bought four different ones this year, because we know we’ll have some relaxing holiday mornings together.

We buy them from.Gran Caffé Vuotto here in the U.S.

http://www.grancaffevuotto.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=139_142

We also have found they carry Condorelli torroncini. This is Sicilian nougat candy with pistachios and other goodies—called torrone– covered with chocolate or other delights.

http://www.grancaffevuotto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=86&products_id=554

I first tasted them during my first week living in Italy high up the mountain in the town of Belpasso. I used to go up there often when we lived in Contrada Cuba in Misterbianco, not far from the big city of Catania. The official company name is Industria Dolciaria Belpasso S.p.Ae. We would buy torroncini at the factory outlet store. It was years since I could find them until Café Vuotto came through for us.

http://www.condorelli.it/

*** The Lundquist’s Beach/Jungle/Mountain/Volcano adventure:

It's hard to put together a family vacation that everyone wants. My daughter Barbara wants an all-inclusive resort where she can lie on the beach and drink lava flows all day. I'd kind of like to see some ancient culture, like Mayan ruins, or some natural wonders and exotic wildlife. Laura wants a great room and good food. Tom was pretty amenable, as long as he didn’t have to get on a horse.

We've been to Europe, and there is desire to go back. But we can't agree on where. And you might not find beaches with lava flows during February.

We've been to Hawaii, and want to go back. Maui appeals to us, but there just aren't good vacancies in February.

Mexico has beaches, quality hotels and all-inclusive resorts. And ruins. But, well, Mexico has had some bad press with a certain criminal element there..

We have looked at Costa Rica before, and gave it a fresh look once agin. No ruins, but lots of culture, history, diversity, nature. You've got mountains, volcanoes, jungles, beaches. We looked at packages that offer both the mountains and rain forests as well as the beaches. Some all-include resorts are by the person per night, instead of by the room or suite. Your one daily fee covers just about every activity, even if you never avail yourself of it. Bottom line, we're talking a minimum of $1,000 per night for the resort (although some tours and activities that we would like would be included). With the four of us–technically all adults–we need two rooms or a suite, so maybe it was more to the point to find a place that charges by the room. Barbara says wants the beach option, but doesn't want to pack up and move to another hotel. We see one package with two hotels in very different locations, and I think we could see a lot of the country and what it has to offer in a week. She could get her beach. I could get my nature.

So we hit the “inquire” button on the “Costa Rican Luxury Vacations” website to see what good deal we can get, and what kind of availability when we want to go (in February).. Within a few hours–on a Sunday night–we get a call from Lisa Cedarburg with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations, who is excited to be working with us. We have a long chat about our ideal vacation, which is to say our four different ideal vacations, and want to see how much we can do to satisfy everyone and still have a relaxing time as our hotel hosts pamper us.

By the next day she has a sample itinerary for us, including two very nice hotels, as well as a selection of tours and activities that sounds really fun and interesting without running us ragged–remember, this is supposed to be relaxing. We will fly into San Jose, the capitol. We then are driven several hours into the mountains to our first hotel, located near Lake Arenal, which reflects the simmering plume of the Arenal volcano. We will have two rooms at the Arenal Manoa Hotel (http://www.arenalmanoa.com/index.html).

Here we'll have two rooms. We have some fun tours (see below), and great food. Then we relocate to Tamurindo on the Guanacaste region on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, for four nights at the (http://www.calaluna.com/). Yes they have a beach, and yes they serve lava flows. Here we have a villa to ourselves, with a Jacuzzi on the balcony. Again we have some fun activities, like snorkeling, but not so much as we would push ourselves to exhaustion. On the last day we fly on “Nature Air” in a small plane from Tamarindo to San Jose. The total cost is less than $6,000 for seven nights, with round trip air to and from San Jose as a separate cost. Lisa said that rooms were going fast so we would need to confirm. February is a busy time there, and these boutique hotels are not huge. I told Julie we would book the trip as long as we could get the air reservations.

I thought the package was a good deal, but was concerned the air fare (which we needed to book separately) would be high. Surprise! The air fare on Continental from Reagan National to San Jose via Houston was $393 per person plus taxes and other fees. The total cost to me for the four of us was $1,700 for an eight hour (each way) international journey. We booked the air, and then told Julie to book the package. Our flight from Tamarindo to San Jose on Nature Air (which claims to be the world’s first carbon neutral airline) (http://www.natureair.com/), is included in the package, and would normally cost $100 per person for the one way trip), got us into San Jose with a couple of hours to spare. But, as a United Premier Executive/Star Alliance Gold traveler, I'm entitled to use the Red Carpet Club or equivalent Star Alliance lounge on international travel, and this includes my family when travelling with me. Sweet!

To fly to New York and back from Reagan costs more than it does to fly to Costa Rica. Go figure. In fact, round-trip from Houston to SJO costs more than double what it costs to do the much longer trip from DCA on those very same flights. Go figure.

Then I called United to see if I could upgrade. I never have success doing this. Never. But guess what? I was able to upgrade my entire family on all for segments to first and international business class. I always felt that all those miles I’ve accumulated should be able to do something nice for my family, and here I hit the jackpot. It cost me 200,000 miles. And I'm okay with that (I've used miles for domestic flights which cost me 60,000 miles for a lousy round trip to Spokane, a flight which would have cost me $900). There's a co-pay, but as a Premier Executive the fee is waived.

Sold separately, the trip costs much more than the full itinerary. The Washington to Houston (round trip)by itself is $497. Houston to San Jose, Costa Rica (round trip) is $706. But when I booked, my flights were $336 plus taxes and fees, for a total of $429.65 per person.

Arenal Manoa Hotel (http://www.arenalmanoa.com/index.html)

Arenal Volcano Hike & The Springs Resort Hot Springs (Aventuras Arenal), (http://www.aventurasarenal.com/)

Canopy Ecoglide Tour (Aventuras Arenal), (http://www.aventurasarenal.com/)

Cala Luna Hotel Boutique & Villas (http://www.calaluna.com/)

Snorkel Tour (Pacific Coast Divers),

Tamarindo – San Jose (Nature Air),

*** Ned talks with Lisa Cederberg, Travel Consultant with Costa Rican Luxury Vacations (http://www.vacationscostarica.com/):

Ned: How is Costa Rica different from other vacation destinations in the region?

Lisa: I think the fact that there is no military is a big difference. It's a more diplomatic country than other Central American countries with less corruption than other neighboring countries.

The energy/vibe is very different. Costa Ricans are very peaceful, gentle people for the most part. They believe in working, but don't let work or their jobs run their lives. They take time for their families, friends, and to just sit around and do nothing. Because the people are rushing around everywhere all the time to get here and there, the energy of the entire country is just much calmer. You feel really relaxed and not pressured to do anything you don't really want to do.

Most of the country is middle class. There is not a huge abundance of poverty stricken inhabitants, nor over-the-top wealthy inhabitants. They do exist, but for the most part everyone is about equal.

Education is key–literacy rate is above 90%. People live longer than in other countries because of the non-processed foods, lots of walking, fresh air, and less stress than other countries.

Ned: How far does your money go in Costa Rica?

Lisa: It's all relative, just like anywhere else. Here, you can live a much simpler life, however, the average wage here is much lower (around $600-800 per month).

Your basic bills are much cheaper here. In Los Angeles, my total monthly expenses were outrageous–around $5,500. Here, my monthly bills (rent and utilities) are about $70 My electr0–and that's for a 2 bedroom 1,100 sq ft home with a piece of land. My household expenses are far lower in comparison. My electric bill each month is about $20. My water bill is basically nothing. My cell phone bill is $8, my cable bill is $25, my internet and home phone line together is $30. Car insurance $60 per month.

Gasoline, electronics (TVs, phones, appliances, etc) and cars are more expensive.

If you want to spend more money on things, you can go to the most expensive grocery stores where they sell all the import items. We also have Pricesmart (Costco) and Walmart. However, if you just shop at your local grocery stores, everything is pretty inexpensive.

Labor is much cheaper here–if you need a window fixed, a car repaired, a house painted, etc., it's a mere fraction of the cost in the States. Produce is very cheap. Rent is cheap compared to the States.

Ned: What’s the national food of Costa Rica? What’s your favorite dish?

Lisa: I guess it would be Gallo Pinto (rice and beans, but not just ANY rice and beans). They also have a traditional dish called a “casado” that's a little of everything on one big plate (rice, beans, salad, plantains, vegetables, and either chicken, fish, or other meat.

They also have a salsa that is used everywhere, Salsa Lizano. It's a vegetable-based salsa that can be used on just about everything.

Since I'm a vegetarian, I don't have as many options, but I guess my favorite dish is a vegetarian casado–instead of the meat portion, they'll substitute it with cheese or eggs for me (no, I'm not vegan–just vegetarian).

Ned: Do you put Salsa Lizano on everything, too? Like vegetarian casada?

Lisa: Yes, I put it on a lot of my food! Especially my vege casada. It's really good!! It's especially on gallo pinto with natilla (sour cream, pretty much). It's delicious!

Ned: What’s your favorite place to visit in Costa Rica?

Lisa: Honestly, everywhere. I've lived here for 3-1/2 years, and I find new and amazing places here all the time. Exploring just never gets old. I do love the Arenal area and Manuel Antonio areas. I also love Tortugero. There are so many small little gems that are off the beaten track that I couldn't even name them all (Rio Celeste, Savegre/San Gerardo de dota, Villa Blanca Cloud Forest, etc., etc.). I also love the secluded beach areas in Nicoya like Santa Teresa and Mal Pais. The beach towns of Tamarindo and Montezuma are always fun for a couple of nights.

Ned: Does that mean that after a couple of nights they wear thin?

Lisa: No, not at all. I'm just the kind of person who likes to move around a lot, so I never usually spend more than a few nights in any one place. However, many people love to spend a week or more just relaxing in one location without moving around. There's plenty to see and do in both Manuel Antonio and Tamarindo for more than a few days! That's part of why I moved here–so I can go back for a few days whenever I feel like it!

Ned: Do your dogs speak Spanish?

Lisa: Funny…. I have 2 dogs that I rescued from the street here that were in bad shape. I brought the other 4 with me from the States. When I first rescued the street dogs from here, they wouldn't listen when I'd tell them to come inside, etc. I realized that it was because they didn't speak English!! I said the commands in Spanish instead and they listened right away! Now all 6 of them are bilingual–they'll come, sit, stay whether I say it in English or Spanish.

Ned: What prompted you to move to Costa Rica?

I wanted to experience another way of life. I wanted to live in a Latin American country and absorb myself in the culture. I wanted to get away from the pretentious people in LA who only cared about what car they drove, what brand purse they carried, who their plastic surgeon was, what screenplay they were writing, etc., etc. I wanted to live a simpler life. From my very first trip here, I felt different. I felt calm, peaceful, alive. I didn't feel hurried or stressed or worried about anything. I fell in love with the people here. They are some of the kindest, most generous, warm people you will ever meet. They're all very smart with great senses of humor and quick wit. I wanted to take a leap of faith and change my life while I had the chance, and I knew Costa Rica was where I was meant to be. It is definitely home now. I actually feel weird when I go back to the States–almost like I don't really belong any more. The things that used to seem so important before (money, stuff, etc.) just aren't as relevant any more. My happiness, peace of mind, ability to get a good night's sleep every night, and waking up to beautiful, unpolluted skies is what drives me now. I just feel like I understand life better now.

But I do miss Target!!! lol

Contact Lisa (book a trip with her, and tell her you read about it in YVNS, and I get a bottle of Salsa Lizano.)

Lisa Cederberg

Travel Consultant

Costa Rican Luxury Vacations

“Local Knowledge – Global Service”

U.S. Toll Free 800-606-1860 x 1243 – I'm available with very flexible hours. Please call at your convenience!

In Costa Rica: 506-2296-7715 * Email: lisacederberg@goduesouth.com

(http://www.vacationscostarica.com/):

*** Can I touch your hair – Heather Murphy visits Iceland

Ned asked Heather Murphy to share some travel adventures. Like Heather, Ned’s wife Laura is a redhead. In some parts of the world that can be pretty exotic. Hence the “Can I touch your hair.” Here’s one of Heather’s adventures:

YVNS was in its infancy when I wrote about a journey that Ned titled “Adventures to Newfoundland or How to Land on the TSA Watch List for Life” (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/blog/_archives/2007/11/22/3584241.html). I am happy to report that recent travel has been hassle free so maybe I’m off the TSA Watch List.

The trip that landed me on the TSA list was planned as a more affordable alternative to Iceland. At the time, travel to Iceland was cost-prohibitive. The unfortunate crumbling of Iceland’s economy has made travel more affordable. Early in 2011, a popular travel website promoted air and hotel packages in celebration of IcelandAir’s plans to fly out of Washington/Dulles.

The specials were especially great for off-prime travel. My photographer friend and I took advantage of a package trip in September, complete with airfare, hotel and a glacier hike.

Iceland is otherworldly. Dinosaurs never roamed Iceland. The island did not exist when dinosaurs roamed Earth. It is entirely volcanic and glacial. Trees are sparse outside of Reykjavik. If you think it must be bleak, you would be mistaken. Colorful mossy plants grow atop the lava rock. There are areas that look like peat bogs…moist pastures with rolling clumps of green grassy, mossy ground cover. Sheep and Icelandic Horses, a breed unique to the nation, dot the pastures.

The “Over-Sharing, Detail-Driven Rental Guy”

When you arrive at the airport, rental car reps bring the car to you…it took a few minutes of guessing to figure that out. The contact with one of our names on his placard had keys to the Toyota Yaris we would use. He proceeded to detail everything from how to drive in Iceland and road conditions to driving on gravel, road signs and so forth. Too much detail.

And if you drive the countryside, you should be “afraid of the sheep.”

“They’ll just ‘yooomp’ right out at you!’”

With his exuberant hand gestures, our rental car guy made us very afraid that aggressive jumping (yooomping!) sheep were everywhere!

Forced march or moderate hike? The Glacier Walk.

A Glacier Hike was included in our air-hotel-tour package. Before departure, we were advised to bring: a) sturdy hiking boots to which crampons could be attached. b) ski pants or properly insulated and weatherproof clothing.

I’ll do my best not to disparage the majority who disregarded or ignored the orientation message. The lady in mary-jane style shoes, well, she took the prize for most ill-prepared. The guides must be used to this because they had an Emergency Stupid Tourist Kit with loaner boots and gear. The glacier walk was a fantastic experience to march up the side of a glacier, get close miles-deep crevasses and come back down alive.

Waterfalls, Rainbows, Lagoons and Shepherds

Glaciers cover more than 11 percent of Iceland’s land mass so waterfalls are not uncommon and the ones we saw were breathtaking. The fall rains and mists also bring lots of rainbows. By far, the falls I enjoyed most were Gullfoss with its thundering water and multiple tiers and Skógarfoss, a tall and wide fall that plunges to black sand.

We took two long drives from Reykjavik and my favorite was our journey to Jökulsárlón. Imagine a deflated balloon. The lagoon itself is the round part of the balloon. At the top is a glacier that calves giant chunks of ice into the lagoon. They become trapped in the lagoon because there is just a small, shallow path out to sea – the neck of the balloon. It was well worth the all day, round-trip drive. Had we more time, there are several worthwhile stops along the way for puffin colonies, black sand beaches and dramatic seascapes.

It was on the return from this day trip that we happened upon a group of shepherds herding their charges down from the mountains to lowland pastures. Traffic ground to a halt as men on horseback and 4-wheelers kept the sheep moving.

Questions, feedback or your ideas for future trips are welcome!

Heather

Questions or feedback for Heather can be addressed here in YVNS by sending an email to Ned at lundquist989@cs.com. Heather through

Next month: “The Polar Bear Question” and “These People will Eat ANYTHING.”

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for December:

*** The moving walkway…is ending…

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7388156n

*** JetBlue, WestJet win airport slots at LaGuardia and Reagan National

http://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/JetBlue-and-WestJet-win-airport-slots-at-LaGuardia-and-Reagan-National/

***Top 10 Things Airlines Don't Tell You

http://away.com/top-ten-travel/away.com/features/travel-ta-top-ten-secrets-of-airline-travel-from-the-pilots-themselves-sidwcmdev_154874.html

*** 10 Survival Tips for Holiday Travel

Whether you're jetting off on a beach vacation or heading home for the holidays, use these 10 foolproof strategies to battle the crowds and make your flight more bearable.

By Tracy Stewart

Airfarewatchdog.com

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/articles/7522.html#ixzz1eiH74Wye

*** Ten Ways to Do Theme Parks on a Budget

A theme-park vacation can be pricey. It can cost hundreds of dollars a day just to get in the gate! Though the coasters are thrilling, the racing heart and sweaty palms shouldn't continue once you're homebound and cash-counting. Here are ten ways we've found to do theme parks on the cheap

http://away.com/travel-advice/travel-ta-family-theme-parks-on-a-budget-sidwcmdev_156366.html

*** World's Best Cities for Bargain Shopping

http://www.frommers.com/slideshow/?group=351%20

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) High Cascades Forest Volunteers, Willamette, Deschutes, Umpqua, Siuslaw and Ochoco National Forests,

Volunteers are needed for a wide range of activities and there are plenty of opportunities to match everyone’s interest and skill. Tools and equipment will be provided. Horses or llamas will help carry equipment for some of the organized summer projects. Here’s a sampling of projects:

To be a forest volunteer we ask that you attend one of two training weekends. There is no charge for either weekend and free camping is available. The first weekend is scheduled for May 13th through 15th at the Westridge School near Oakridge, OR. The second weekend is scheduled for Friday June 3th through 5th at the Allingham Guard Station located west of Sisters, OR near Camp Sherman. We suggest you consider a donation of at least 16 hours of your time over the year volunteering on the many projects offered by the High Cascades Forest Volunteers and the Pacific Crest Trails Association. If you wish to be a volunteer click on Volunteer Application

Classes may include trail maintenance, trail crew leadership, First Aid/CPR certification, cross-cut and chain saw re-certification, wilderness stewardship, adopt a trail/lake programs, map/compass, identify/remove noxious weeds, monitoring historic sites, survival tips and more.

Who can volunteer:

Anyone over the age of 18 may apply to volunteer. If you are under the age of 18 you may still participate by working with your family, group, club, or responsible adult(s).

Benefits of volunteering:

Besides the great benefits of helping your National Forests, you will:

Gain a sense of self satisfaction and accomplishment in performing a much needed service.

Learn new skills, which you can share with others.

Make a positive contribution to the forest areas you have enjoyed using.

Meet new people and make new friends.

http://www.highcascadesvolunteers.com/

2.) Third Saturday Work Parties, Forest Park Conservancy, Portland, OR

http://www.forestparkconservancy.org/park-programs/volunteer.html

3.) VOLUNTEER Opportunities, Mayan Hope, Nebaj, Quiché, GUATEMALA

- Special Education Teacher’s Aides

- Eco-Tour Guides

- Agricultural Production and Marketing positions

- Maintenance Person

- Mayan Hope Restaurant and Hostel Workers

http://www.mayanhope.org/volunteering.htm

4.) Pemigewasset Wilderness, White Mountain National Forest, NH

Jun 10th – Jun 16th 2012

One of the most extensive roadless areas in the eastern United States, the Pemigewasset is New Hampshire's largest Wilderness Area at 45,000 acres. A wild mixed forest of hardwood and conifer, the “Pemi” is centered on the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River and bordered by treeless granite peaks including the alpine tundra summits of Franconia Ridge. The area is known for its ecological recovery from extensive logging in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Its inclusion in the White Mountain National Forest and later designation by congress as a Wilderness Area has resulted in a dramatic rebound in the forest ecosystem. This is New England backpacking at its very best!

2012 will be our fifth year in the White Mountains, following previous greatly successful projects. In late August 2011, Hurricane Irene hit the entire area with devastating rainfall and floods, wiping out many access roads and trails. Pending an ongoing assessment of the damage and recovery plan, participants must remain flexible as our tentative project may be adjusted to help the White Mountain NF managers with their highest priority needs in response to the damage. Be assured that our volunteerism will be greatly needed and appreciated.

Our tentative project piggybacks on past year's work. It involves a backpack of three relatively flat miles to set up a comfortable basecamp. From here, our service project will involve trail maintenance and improvement such as removing downed trees, repairing and building waterbars, building check dams, steps etc. On our day off, participants can climb one of the nearby peaks, tag a section of the Appalachian Trail, or relax and take a dip in the beautiful wilderness river.

This project is suitable for well-conditioned beginners to backpacking and service work. It is rated as strenuous, including occasionally long hikes to worksites, bending, lifting, and work with hand tools such as Pulaskis, shovels, McLeods, rakes and loppers.

Contact Wilderness Volunteers, Flagstaff, AZ

http://www.wildernessvolunteers.org/php/project/Pemigewasset+Wilderness%2C+White+Mountain+National+Forest/bef90937301f701a5c39280d255e9e86.html

(Ned notes: The Pemi is probably one of my most favorite places on Earth. I suggest you take a week or two and get lost in there. The Wilderness Trail follows an old logging railroad right of way. It’s wide and level as it follows the river. Be careful to avoid tripping on the old rail ties. Although the area was extensively logged and there have been some big fires in this area it is still thickly forested and the many trails that come off of the Wilderness trail lead to some steep peaks, rocky slides, alpine lakes and old growth trees. I’ve found old logging camps with barrel hoops placed around trees as saplings that are now fully grown. I’ve seen trees tied in knots by bored loggers. And firepits where I’ve dug out horseshoes that were once used for the draft animals that pulled trees out of the forest. This is still a vast and wild place, surrounded by really challenging mountains. If you don’t thing some of New Hampshire’s 4,000 and 5,000 footers are challenging, just try hiking them with a pack, and watch the weather closely because it’s the worst weather in the world. Trust me on that, too.)

http://www.hike-nh.com/trips/readers/owlshead.shtml

6.) Billy Goat Trail Steward Volunteers, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

We're looking for volunteer trail stewards willing to hike parts of the trail, or educate visitors at the trailheads, to protect the incredible natural resources of Bear Island, which this rugged trail traverses.

Stewards have been active now for several years, educating hikers about Leave No Trace principles, helping to ensure they are prepared for the strenuous hike, sharing stories about the sensitive vegetation, and reducing trampling of the Bear Island's many rare plants. Active trail stewards can go out any day of the week, can hike the whole trail or just part of it, or can stay near the trailhead and connect with hikers before they begin. Trail stewards wear park volunteer identification, carry park radios for emergency communication, and can benefit from basic first aid training to help with minor injuries. They are the eyes and ears for the National Park Service, and The Nature Conservancy, who co-own this biologically diverse island, and help us protect the rare habitats from the estimated 50,000 hikers on the Billy Goat Trail on Bear Island, known as “section A”. Stewards have also been instrumental in reporting emergencies back to park staff for a more rapid response.

http://www.nps.gov/choh/supportyourpark/billygoattrailstewardvolunteers.htm

(Ned notes: There can be a lot of people scrambling over the rocks along the Maryland side of the Potmac near Great falls. As close as it is to Washington, DC, the river here is wild and untamed, and the trail is, too. Not for people with bad knees and bad shoes. Walking along the adjacent C&O Canal towpath is an equally pleasant walk, and much easier.)

7.) Camp Host, Dungeness and Salt Creek County Parks, Clallam County Parks, Fair and Facilities Department, Port Angeles, WA

http://www.clallam.net/CountyParks/html/parks_volunteer.htm

8.) Adopt-a-Trail, Santa Clara County Parks, San Jose, CA

Do you have a trail you use that you would like to help maintain? Do you have a group that is looking for some good, physical service work in a beautiful outdoor setting? If so, we’d like you to adopt–a-trail. Adopt-a-Trail volunteers, after completing Department training, will take care of a trail, or section of trail, within a County Park. Adopt-a-Trail volunteers conduct trail brushing/pruning, litter/debris removal, routine trail tread/drainage clearing, and major trail problem reporting. Participants who agree to participate for one-year will receive in-park signage acknowledging their commitment.

Please email us at volunteer@prk.sccgov.org or call (408) 355-2254 if you are interested in volunteer opportunities.

http://www.sccgov.org/

http://www.sccgov.org/portal/site/parks/parksarticle?path=%2Fv7%2FParks%20and%20Recreation%2C%20Department%20of%20(DEP)%2FVolunteer%20and%20Job%20Opportunities&contentId=b6b698ba77784010VgnVCM10000048dc4a92____

9.) Volunteer Roles, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference

Volunteers build and maintain our hiking trails, as well as provide off-trail support. Here are the types of work done by our volunteers:

On-Trail roles include trail building, trail maintenance and land monitoring.

Off-Trail roles in areas such as administration, publishing, conservation and fund-raising

http://www.nynjtc.org/volunteer

10.) Adopt-A-Trail Volunteers, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Individuals or groups may adopt a trail or segment of a trail by volunteering their time to help keep the trail clean and safe. It may be a state trail or a trail within a state park, forest or recreation area. Adopt-A-Trail sponsors collect litter and perform minor trail maintenance, assist with the control of invasive species and the planting of native species, record and report to the property manager any major or hazardous trail obstructions, and gather and return any “lost and found” items to the property office. If you are interested in adopting a trail, complete the Adopt-A-Trail Application and Permit [PDF] or contact the park, forest or trail manager.

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/voljobs/#adoptatrail

11.) Continental Divide Trail, Gila National Forest, NM

Jul 8th – Jul 14th 2012

Contact Wilderness Volunteers, Flagstaff, AZ

http://www.wildernessvolunteers.org/php/project/Continental+Divide+Trail%2C+Gila+National+Forest/205ded2984e1daf6e3b9373767e8bf6e.html

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: December 2011

New Orleans Levee-Top Trail

The Mississippi River gave birth to New Orleans, depositing the silt on which the city was built, and carrying the ships that made it into a thriving port. But the Crescent City is now separated from its mother: Tall earthen levees, erected to protect residents from floods and improve river navigation, cut people off from the winding river.

Luckily, the New Orleans Levee-Top Trail (more commonly known as the Mississippi levee trail) helps bridge the divide between land and water. “There's this huge mile-wide river next to us, that over the decades we've protected ourselves from—so any opportunity to get to the river is very important,” says Jennifer Ruley, a pedestrian and bicycle engineer who works as an advisor to the city of New Orleans. “It really helps us to connect to the geography and history of the city.”

The levee-top trail—running 25 miles along the east bank of the Mississippi—provides New Orleanians with a place to get back to their roots. Equally important, it offers residents and visitors a safe recreation and commuting venue removed from the city's busy streetscape. And it forms an important link in the 3,000-mile-long Mississippi River Trail—an ongoing venture to establish bike and pedestrian pathways along the entire length of America's most storied waterway.

As with many other pathways around the nation, the levee-top trail was made possible by seed money provided by the federal Transportation Enhancements program. The local parish (county) governments raised additional money and teamed up with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (which built and maintains the levee system along the Mississippi) to turn existing gravel paths on top of the levees and a short section of former railroad track into a paved trail. The first trail segment opened in the mid-1990s, and the pathway has subsequently expanded in sections as additional funding has become available.

Today the trail stretches from Audubon Park—a former plantation in the city's Uptown neighborhood that is now home to the city's zoo—upriver to the community of Destrehan in St. Charles Parish. Along the way, it passes through residential areas; past busy commercial wharves; alongside hospitals, shopping centers, parks and golf courses; near chemical plants and oil depots; within a few blocks of the city's busy airport; through suburban neighborhoods; and past 224-year-old Destrehan Plantation, the oldest documented plantation home on the lower Mississippi and a portal to the region's antebellum era. “The diversity of places you can go on this trail is incredible,” says Ruley.

There's also the unique diversity created by the levee itself. On the protected side of the berm, much of the land has been built over or plowed under, and few signs of its natural beginnings are evident. On the other side, between the levee and the river, you'll see stands of cypress, willow and oak; swamps and marshes; and perhaps glimpse the herons, ibis, egrets and other wildlife that frequent these areas. “You can get a glimpse of what the area looked like before it was developed,” says Ruley.

All of these qualities, and the trail's strategic location near homes, businesses and two major universities (Tulane and Loyola) make it extremely popular with residents. The college crowd favors the trail as a scenic hangout and meeting place. Serious cyclists use it for early morning training rides, and bicycle commuters appreciate the car-free pathway to work. The trail is also a magnet for people who stroll, inline skate or walk dogs. And it is an important part of a network of bicycle lanes and paths in New Orleans that has quadrupled in the past six years to 44 miles, with another 15 miles in development—including the three-mile Lafitte Corridor, a planned linear park and greenway.

“The public has bought into the trail and really supports it, which is evident in the continual expansion of the trail over the years,” says Dan Jatres, director of pedestrian and bicycle programs for the New Orleans Regional Planning Commission. “Residents and elected officials view this as a major asset to the community from a quality-of-life perspective and transportation perspective.”

The levee-top trail is also a regionally important piece of the Mississippi River Trail. This ambitious project seeks to create a mix of on- and off-street pathways (including unused rail lines) paralleling the river from its source in Lake Itasca, Minn., to its mouth about 100 miles downriver from New Orleans. In Louisiana and other states, river trail advocates are hoping to turn hundreds of miles of levee tops into continuous sections of off-street paths, and the New Orleans trail segment provides a successful model for working with the local and federal agencies responsible for these flood-control structures.

“Some of the lessons learned here in New Orleans regarding working with levee districts and the Army Corps to build trails on levees can help other communities,” says Jatres, who also serves on the board of directors of Mississippi River Trail, Inc., the nonprofit group promoting and coordinating work on the multi-state trail. “They can point to the New Orleans area and say, 'It's been done there, it's working, it's not creating issues for the maintenance and operations of levees—in fact the trails have benefits for levee operations.'”

Current plans in Louisiana are to build out the levee-top trail between New Orleans and the state capital of Baton Rouge, about 130 miles upriver, and work is already under way on about a dozen miles of that stretch. “When the whole New Orleans-Baton Rouge section is done, you really have an opportunity for bicycle tourism,” says Jatres. “With an influx of people along the trail, it could be a huge boon for some of the small towns along the river.”

Downriver towns are also clamoring to extend the trail through their communities, Jatres says. “There's an appeal to riding your bike to the end of the Mississippi River and seeing what it's like, which is a pretty spectacular natural wonder.” Ruley notes that New Orleans is working to ensure that its expanding system of on-street bikeways will allow users to connect from the levee trail, through the city center, to downriver parishes.

So the New Orleans Levee-Top Trail is not only helping connect residents of the Crescent City to their history and geography, but it's beginning to link the colorful communities along the length of the great river. Could a two-wheeled version of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or Life on the Mississippi be far behind?

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) SCUBA Instructor, Seacamp Association, Inc., Key West, Florida

http://www.oapn.net/jobdetail.php?id=1625&ref=Date

2.) Outdoor Adventure Instructors, Absolute Adventure, Dibba, Musandam, Oman

Absolute Adventure is an adventure outfitter based in the Musandam Peninsula of Oman; about 2 hours drive from Dubai. We are in an area of outstanding natural beauty within a minutes walk of the beach and at the foot of 2000m high mountains. We are seeking qualified, motivated, and culturally adaptable outdoor adventure instructors to lead half and full day adventure activities for international schools and tourist groups. The successful candidates will be provided with the following benefits: * Direct round-trip flight from a major airport in your home country to Dubai, UAE. You must provide your own transportation to the airport. We will arrange to have you picked up at the airport in Dubai. * Furnished housing while in Oman (near the beach). * Paid utility bills. * Free wireless internet use. * Company cellular phone with monthly credit. * All meals while on school programs. * Monthly salary of US$ 1000 tax free (paid in local currency). * One month paid leave and two months unpaid leave per year (June-August). * Annual leave ticket. * Oman residence visa and work permit. Qualifications required: * REC, WFR or WFA * Recognized certificates in the following fields: Mountain Leadership, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Abseiling, Sea Kayaking, Low Ropes. * Clean driving license. * 2+ years experience instructing * High level of fitness. * D of E award assessor will be an advantage.

Application Info: Email: Managing Director aadibba@gmail.com or info@adventure.ae.

http://www.oapn.net/jobdetail.php?id=1607&ref=Date

3.) EVENT AND MEMBERSHIP MANAGER (Park/Recreation Specialist I), Park Authority, Fairfax County, Laurel Hill Golf Club, Lorton, Virginia

https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/jobs/listing/detail.asp?job=11-2663

4.) California State Director, American Conservation Experience, Santa Cruz, CA

American Conservation Experience, a Non-Profit conservation corps with growing nationwide operations, is seeking a Director for our California state branch located in Santa Cruz.

Summary:

ACE is a dynamic organization with the reputation for providing crews to safely and economically accomplish technically complex and physically demanding conservation and restoration projects for the National Park Service, US Forest Service, BLM, USFWS, and numerous state and local land management partners. Recognizing ever increasing agency need for skilled labor crews combined with growing federal and state mandates for youth engagement, ACE’s Board of Directors supports a policy of programmatic expansion in California. ACE’s leadership team is seeking a State Director with the ability to sustain our current excellence of operations while embracing a strategy of systematic growth, including the development of a second base of operations in CA.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess a unique combination of attributes, including substantial management background in either the non-profit or for-profit sector, experience overseeing fiscal policy and budgeting for a large scale organization, a track record of developing successful partnerships, experience working with young adult staff and volunteers, proven ability to generate and sustain a culture of programmatic pride, confidence to bring new ideas to the table and to convincingly express them verbally and in writing, and a history of working cooperatively as a member of a broader management team.

In order to maintain ACE’s reputation for quality work, and to avoid diluting our skill base in favor of programmatic expansion, we wish to recruit a State Director who also possesses a strong foundation of field skills in some combination of trail work, habitat restoration, and/or fuels reduction. While the position is not field-based, ACE strongly believes that staff at all levels of management should be capable of guiding field activities, conducting site visits from a knowledgeable perspective, and imparting high standards to ACE’s field staff.

Specific job duties include:

1) Outreach to local, state, and federal land management agencies and other conservation-minded organizations. Confidence and ability to solicit project opportunities by introducing ACE’s offerings to numerous new prospective partners statewide.

2) Preparing and delivering powerpoint presentations.

3) Grant and proposal writing.

4) Overseeing the effecting implementation of ACE’s AmeriCorps grant through California Volunteers.

5) Supervising/or hiring managerial staff, including ACE California’s Director of Operations, Operations Manager, AmeriCorps Program Manager, Skills Trainers, Volunteer Coordinator, Recruitment Coordinator and future positions as they are generated through expansion.

6) Development of a marketing and outreach campaign for ACE CA, including writing a quarterly newsletter managing web content, and creating a strategy to enhance alumni relations.

7) Preparing accomplishment and data collection reports.

Drug users, including recreational smokers of marijuana, should not consider applying as ACE reserves the right to require drug testing and detests the presence of drug users or proponents of any unhealthy lifestyle in our youth development program. Applicants must have a clean driving record and be willing to submit to background checks.

Start Date: First quarter of 2012 with some flexibility for exact timing.

Length of Commitment: This is considered a career opportunity with a minimum anticipated commitment of 3 – 5 years.

Salary: $48,000 – $60,000 base salary DOE, with potential for performance-based end of year bonuses of up to 20 percent of annual salary. Full benefits start after six months, including health insurance, dental insurance, two weeks paid annual vacation, and sick leave.

Hours: Flexible. ACE Directors set their own schedules in accordance with their management objectives.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2011. Please note that ACE will schedule interviews and may make a selection prior to the application deadline, so please submit your materials as you prepare them.

Application Process: There is no official application form, but please submit the following by email:

1) a detailed resume including three professional references.

2) an introduction letter expressing how a career position as ACE’s California State Director would align with your perspectives and experiences in conservation and youth development.

3) a secondary writing sample such as a previous grant proposal, a position statement/white paper, a newsletter, an excerpt from an academic thesis, etc.

As expressions of interest are received, ACE’s Executive Director will review each packet and schedule an initial round of interviews in Santa Cruz. The leading candidates after the first round of interviews will be invited to Flagstaff, AZ to meet with ACE’s Board of Directors before a final selection is made.

To Apply: Please email your application materials to Chris Baker: cbaker@usaconservation.org with “California State Director” in the subject line.

http://www.usaconservation.org/Home/positions.html

5.) Mountain Trail Outdoor School, Kanuga Conferences Inc., Hendersonville, NC

http://www.kanuga.org/outdoored/employment.asp

*** From Mark Sofman:

6.) Ice Rink Zamboni Driver, Vail Resorts, Keystone, CO

http://bit.ly/vCY7BG

*** Send your job opportunities to share with the YVNS network to lundquist989@cs.com.

*** Your Very Next Step is a service of the Job of the Week Network LLC

© 2011 The Job of the Week Network LLC

Edward Lundquist, ABC -

Editor and Publisher

Your Very Next Step

7813 Richfield Road

Springfield, VA 22153

Home office phone: (703) 455-7661

lundquist989@cs.com

www.nedsjotw.com

By Ned Lundquist

www.yourverynextstep.com

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

- Oscar Wilde

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tzu

“Your Very Next Step” newsletter, published by Ned Lundquist, is a cooperative community, and everyone is invited, no…encouraged, no…urged to participate.

Subscribe for free. Send a blank email to:

yourverynextstep-subscribe@topica.com.

Send us your comments, questions, and contributions to lundquist989@cs.com.

You are now among 655 subscribers.

Contact Ned at lundquist989@cs.com.

*** In this issue:

*** Connie Mayse in Switzerland

*** Pat Valdata has our rapt attention:

*** Travel news

*** Japan may give away 10,000 flights

*** Two Airlines Battle Mileage-Tracking Websites

*** Delta Cements LaGuardia Grip With Trade of Flight Slots

*** That's Ridiculous! Low-cost Airlines that Cost More

*** Scariest waves?

*** Greening Your Personal Life

*** Best Burgers in the U.S.? What do you think?

*** A Look Inside Oregon State's Bicycling and Driving Simulator Laboratory

*** Texas Master Naturalist Program

*** America's Coolest Coffeehouses

*** Trail / Outdoor / Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Nature Area Volunteer Stewardship Days, Chicago Park District, Chicago, IL

2.) Volunteer Opportunity, Journey to Freedom, Karen Elephant Sanctuary Baan Mae Storb, Mae Jeam district, Chiang Mai, Thailand

3.) Volunteer, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Norwich, VT

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: November 2011

Florida's Seminole-Wekiva Trail

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Manager, Marketing, Yakima Products, Inc., Beaverton, OR

2.) Event Services Manager, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Missoula, Montana

3.) Outdoor School – Market Outreach Specialist, REI, Various locations

4.) VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS, The Atlantic City Alliance, Atlantic City, NJ

5.) Graphic Designer, AmericanRec, Boulder, Colorado

6.) Instructor Positions, Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp, Silver Springs, FL

7.) Director, Institute at the Golden Gate, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Sausalito, California

8.) n Counselor, Camp Vega, Echo Lake, Fayette, Maine

9.) California State Director, American Conservation Experience, Santa Cruz, CA

10.) Archery Promotions Coordinator, Easton Technical Products, Salt Lake City, Utah

11.) Program Officer, Western Pacific Coastal and Marine Conservation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Los Altos, California

…and much more…and it’s all FREE!!!

*** Do you have a travel adventure to share?

Send me your stories and I’ll post in the “Your Very Next Step” and on the YVNS website (http://www.yourverynextstep.com/).

*** From Connie Mayse:

Hi, Ned! . I went to Basel, Switzerland (the point at which France, Germany and Switzerland meet) on business, recording interviews and video content for an executive production. Spent a lot of time in the old town shooting B-roll.

I enjoyed Basel, walking many miles and becoming adept at trains and trams. Had great Turkish, French, Italian food (though not all at once) and some yummy Swiss chocolate and cheese (again, not all at once). My 31st wedding anniversary occurred during the trip, so I brought hubby along. It was he who pointed out that Coke and beer are the same price in Basel, and beer is often the better value!

The parts of the city in which I spent most of my time exuded a certain old-world charm and could have been located in any of a number of European cities. But there was one building in particular, the rathaus – city hall – on the Marktplatz. There could be no doubt that you're in Switzerland when you see the rathaus (photos enclosed).

One day our videographer set off down a street in the old town that literally teemed with people to capture a few shots of the bustling nature of the street, while I headed into a nearby Starbucks to get him a cuppa joe. When I came back, he was gone and we didn't see him again for nearly an hour. We finally tracked him down, gave him the lukewarm coffee, and he told us that he got wrapped up in “the next shot” – one after another, an interesting angle here, the play of light and shadow there – and must have been off in another world.

Basel charmed us our first night in town. The desk staff at the Hilton recommended a restaurant, Goldenen Sternen, on St Alban-Tan on the Rhine. To get there, we took a tram to the stop just before the river, then walked winding and hilly streets for several blocks. We passed courtyards that reminded us of New Orleans and entryways reminiscent of London.

Finally we found Goldenen Sternen. A group was having a dinner party in the little park out front. Inside, the restaurant was empty of patrons. The maitre d' led us through the house to a delightful courtyard, where we found everyone. The furnishings were upscale patio style, with an elaborate umbrella and awning system that covered almost every table. Large art installations decorated the walls of the building, with ivy growing into the exhibits.

The food was simply incredible. I enjoyed a carrot and ginger soup with crusty bread, followed by pumpkin ravioli, a large portion I could not finish, and I felt guilty about leaving it on my plate! Simply one of the best meals I have had ever, and decidedly among the most expensive. C'est la vie.

Basel is an interesting study in contrasts – old coexisting with new, young with old, old-world charm against a backdrop of American chain restaurants and local adaptations of “American” food – but one contrast really struck me as odd. The city is closely regulated and pretty darn clean, but graffiti is everywhere. Five tram routes run through the central train station, Banhof SBB, and all the cars are sparkling clean but one. Its exterior is painted flat white, and it's completely covered with tags – mostly amateurs, though. The true graffiti artists have prominently tagged the city. Either the city leaders have given up fightign it, or they now honor graffiti as art (and art is everywhere in Basel).

Basel is home to over 40 museums, including the pharmaceutical museum, the doll museum, the cartoon museum, the antique museum – you get the picture. I enjoyed the Historisches Museum Basel and the Kuntsmuseum (art museum), which had a terrific collection of masters – Monet, Cezanne, Picasso – and a surrealism exhibit – Dali, Miro.

I love to take pictures of interesting doors, and tracked one down in the street outside the Munster – a thousand plus year-old church. I looked at the date on the building – 1809, I think it was – and exclaimed “So this is a new building!” My colleagues were kind enough to laugh.

I hope I have the chance to return to Basel. There's so much more I'd like to see. Thanks for listening, my friend. Auf wiedersehen.

Connie Mayse

(See photos at www.yourverynextstep.com.)

*** Pat Valdata has our rapt attention:

Ned, thanks for running a story about hawk watches in YVNS. I coordinate volunteers at the Turkey Point Hawk Watch in Elk Neck State Park here in Maryland. We’re about two hours north of D.C. and about 12 miles south of Exit 100 from I-95. It’s an easy 0.8 mile hike out to the site with a spectacular view of the upper Chesapeake at the two ends of the trail. Turkey Point is on a high bluff overlooking the confluence of the Elk, Northeast and Susquehanna Rivers, which merge to form the head of the Bay. We have hawk watch observers there every morning from Labor Day through Thanksgiving weekend. Our observers are happy to point out what’s overhead and to talk about the migration. We don’t get huge numbers as they do at Hawk Mountain or Cape May, but we get close-up views that those watches rarely see. We have especially good looks at Red-shouldered Hawks from October into November, and see 16 types of raptors, including Golden Eagles and Northern Goshawks. There is more information at http://www.cecilbirds.org/hawkwatch.html.

Elk Neck State Park is a great site for camping and hiking, and the nearby town of North East has good restaurants and shops that feature local crafts. Just a few miles east is the Fair Hill Nature Center, which has 80 miles of hiking trails. There’s also a large equestrian center there.

Cheers,

Pat

Patricia Valdata

www.cloudstreetcomm.com

*** Here’s the YVNS Travel News for October:

*** Now, Even the Cheap Seats on Airplanes Come With a Fee

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204621904577013914231157508.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

*** Japan may give away 10,000 flights

The Yomiuri Shimbun reports (according to a translation):

The objective is to have the 10,000 tourists discuss their experiences online, and allow word-of-mouth reports to propagate about safe and hassle-free travel in Japan. Visitors will also fill out a questionnaire about how they feel about visiting Japan after the earthquake and any proposals they might have to renew interest in tourism. The Ministry will request $150 million in funding for this program.

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/13/8306125-japan-may-give-away-10000-flights

Amtrak: more popular – and more at risk – than ever

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/10/07/8207263-amtrak-more-popular-and-more-at-risk-than-ever

*** From Bernie Wagenblast’s TCN News:

Two Airlines Battle Mileage-Tracking Websites

Ruckus Over Online Companies That Display Frequent-Flier Miles, Hotel and Rental Car Points in One Place

Who owns your miles, anyway?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204774604576627142338884936.html

http://blogs.wsj.com/middleseat/

(The Transportation Communications Newsletter is published electronically Monday through Friday.

To subscribe (for free) or unsubscribe, please contact me at bernie@bwcommunications.net.

TCN archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications )

*** Delta Cements LaGuardia Grip With Trade of Flight Slots

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/10/12/bloomberg_articlesLSYKYM6JIJVA.DTL#ixzz1aiAtfrNp

*** That's Ridiculous! Low-cost Airlines that Cost More

http://www.frommers.com/articles/7472.html

*** Scariest waves?

Raging Seas – Terrifying Surf, Storm Surge and Rogue Waves!

http://wj.la/ph9cFI

*** Greening Your Personal Life

An easy-to-use, economical and understandable four-step approach for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. Learn to make a greener difference!

(You will need to register for this recorded webinar by supplying your email address.)

https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/308153313

*** Best Burgers in the U.S.? What do you think?

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/best-burgers-in-the-us

*** A Look Inside Oregon State's Bicycling and Driving Simulator Laboratory

Link to blog on BikePortland.org

http://bikeportland.org/2011/10/19/a-look-inside-oregon-states-bicycling-simulator-laboratory-60778

*** Texas Master Naturalist Program (http://txmn.org/)

What is a Master Naturalist ? Someone who's NOT afraid of digging in the dirt and slogging through the mud while giving back to the community.

Introduction

The natural Texas is home to all of us, no matter where in the state we live. The natural Texas, the real Texas, is still to be found all across out state – from the wilds of rural areas to the squirrels in a city park to a wildflower in our backyard.

But as Texas grows more urban, we hurry to keep up with the hectic pace of urban and even suburban life. And we don't take the time to notice, to enjoy, and ultimately conserve the natural resources around us.

Become a Certified Master Naturalist!

Through the Texas Master Naturalist volunteer program, you can help children and adults in your community learn about Texas's natural resources, inspire them to a new appreciation of their environment, and ensure that others will be able to enjoy the natural Texas for years to come.

In the Texas Master Naturalist program, you will enhance your love of nature with research-based, scientific knowledge. You will receive in-depth training in wildlife and natural resource management taught by recognized experts in the field and customized to focus on the native ecosystems of your home. You will also have the opportunity for advanced training in special subjects that interest you.

In return, you will provide your community with volunteer service in the form of educational activities, projects, or demonstrations. You might serve on a speakers bureau to make presentations to community organizations, or you might introduce children to local plants, insects, and animals through an after-school project. You might serve as a guide at a local nature center, or you might build trails or exhibits at a local park. The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination!

As a Texas Master Naturalist, you will be helping people appreciate the natural environment around their homes, while you enhance your own knowledge and skills. And, perhaps most satisfying of all, you will have a chance to build friendships and work with others who share your love of the natural Texas.

Dedicated to providing instruction and volunteer opportunities for adults who wish to educate their community and demonstrate beneficial management of natural resources in Texas.

There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. …Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild, and free. For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television, and the chance to find a pasque-flower is a right as inalienable as free speech.” – Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

•Become a Certified Texas Master Naturalist

•Contact: Michelle Haggerty, 830-896-2504

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/landwater/land/programs/txmasnat/

http://txmn.org/

*** America's Coolest Coffeehouses

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-coolest-coffeehouses

*** Trail/Outdoor/Conservation volunteer opportunities:

1.) Nature Area Volunteer Stewardship Days, Chicago Park District, Chicago, IL

http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/volunteer.detail/object_id/d212ab71-dd4f-40e6-a1fe-98f25ed204d3.cfm

2.) Volunteer Opportunity, Journey to Freedom, Karen Elephant Sanctuary Baan Mae Storb, Mae Jeam district, Chiang Mai, Thailand

A special project created in a rural setting to allow the tribal keepers of elephants to remain in their villages and preserve their environment. One week option.

Operates Oct-Apr

http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/volunteer/journeytofreedom/index.htm

3.) Volunteer, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Norwich, VT

There are many ways you can help! From helping out at one of the Upper Valley Trails Alliance’s annual events to collecting trail data, UVTA offers a variety of opportunities to match your talents and interests.

Collect Trail Data

Build and Maintain Trails

Lake Morey Skate-A-Thon Event

Other Opportunities

Do you have other talents or skills that you’d like to volunteer? Let us know! If you have experience or interest in a particular area, UVTA could use your help with other activities that support the organization, such as:

Grant Writing

Graphic Design

Data Entry

Website/Technology Support

Photography

Envelope Labeling & Stuffing

Tabling at Community Events

http://www.uvtrails.org/page/volunteer-opportunities

*** National Rail-Trail of the month:

Trail of the Month: November 2011

Florida's Seminole-Wekiva Trail

When most people think of Orlando, they picture the Magic Kingdom. Disney World may be the magnet for most visitors to this central Florida metropolis, but if you're a trail enthusiast—or if you need an escape from Mickey and the gang—you'll find a wealth of rail-trails in the area worth exploring.

One of the most popular is the Seminole-Wekiva Trail, a 14-mile rail-trail north of town that not only offers a pleasant recreational outlet but provides a safe commuting route and a boost for the local economy—all while linking scenic areas and tracing part of the region's history.

A century before Disney World opened in 1971, central Florida was experiencing its first boom—as an important agricultural area. The removal of the state's Seminole Indian inhabitants and the end of the Civil War brought a wave of settlers to the area, drawn by its rich soil and warm climate. Citrus soon became the king of crops here, and growers needed fast, efficient means to move their harvests to markets.

In the 1880s, a Russian immigrant named Peter Demens took over a struggling, nascent railroad—the Orange Belt Railway—and laid tracks from Lake Monroe (north of Orlando) to the Gulf of Mexico. At the western end of the line, he helped establish a new seaport and named it after the city of his birth: St. Petersburg.

The 114-mile line was, at the time, one of the longest narrow-gauge railways in the world. Ownership of the railway changed hands several times during its early years, and subsequent owners converted the tracks to standard gauge. Trains continued to haul produce and passengers along these tracks until the 1970s, when the line finally succumbed to the rise of trucks and cars as the preferred means of shipping produce and tourists.

Thanks to the foresight and work of local citizens and government officials, sections of the former Orange Belt Railway have been turned into rail-trails during the past two decades. In the Orlando area, both the West Orange Trail and the Seminole-Wekiva lie on these historical tracks. These two rail-trails, together with the newer (and as yet incomplete) Cross Seminole Trail, form the backbone of the greater Orlando area's growing and increasingly interconnected multi-use pathways—a world-class resource often overshadowed by the region's heavily marketed theme parks.

The Seminole-Wekiva Trail—the name of which derives from both the native inhabitants and the nearby Wekiva River—travels through rural, residential and commercial areas as it passes through the communities of Altamonte Springs, Longwood, Lake Mary and Sanford. It also bisects a hi-tech corridor in Heathrow, with its office buildings, restaurants and hotels. By stitching together these living and working areas, the Seminole-Wekiva serves as an important transportation corridor for local residents, who take a majority of the 400,000 trips on this trail each year.

Despite its route through some heavily developed areas and its location in a sub-tropical climate, the trail manages to keep its cool, says Seminole County Greenways and Natural Lands Manager Bryan Nipe. “The majority of it is shaded with a canopy of trees, so in summer you can get out there when it's 100 degrees elsewhere. It provides a respite for people to get out and ride for health purposes or social or recreational purposes.”

The trail's proximity to the Wekiva River, a federally designated 'Wild and Scenic River,' also provides opportunities for viewing wildlife. “You'll see a pretty good variety of animals—deer, hawks, turkeys, eagles,” says Nipe. “I had a call the other day about a mother bear and her cubs crossing the trail—we've got a big population of black bears in the area, but they're pretty docile.”

In addition to this important aesthetic benefit, the trail provides a significant boost to the local economy, Nipe points out. As is nearly always the case with rail-trails, the Seminole-Wekiva has increased the value of existing properties adjacent to the trail. “We've also found that hotels tend to locate on or near the trail—because it allows their visitors to get out and exercise or walk to local restaurants or meeting spaces,” says Nipe.

It also has proven to be a lure for college teams that travel from northern states to hold soccer, softball, tennis and lacrosse tournaments in Florida, Nipe says. “One of the reasons we can outcompete neighboring counties and cities is that we have the trails,” he says. “It's a big draw—the folks visiting have the opportunity to get from parks located on trails back to their hotels without a vehicle.” These sports tournaments provide an annual $20 million boost to the local economy.

The Seminole-Wekiva has also helped pave the way for the development of other trails in the area, says Jorge Borrelli, a landscape architect and competitive cyclist who has lived in greater Orlando since 1987. “It was one of the first major trails in the county,” says Borrelli, whose firm helped design the path. “Now Seminole County is one of the leading counties in the state—if not the nation—in terms of trail development.”

Officials in Seminole County are working with their counterparts in other Orlando jurisdictions to link up various trails (including the Seminole-Wekiva) into a bicycle-and- pedestrian beltway of sorts: the 200-mile Central Florida Loop. “I'm excited about that and the momentum it's generated,” Borrelli says. “The main thing is to keep the funding coming and the vision of a statewide interconnected system alive.” Borrelli, an active equestrian, has a long history of partnering with Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) on dozens of successful trail projects throughout the state, including such iconic trails as the Pinellas Trail and the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail.

Ironically, one of the main threats to future funding for both the Central Florida Loop and other rail-trail efforts around the country comes from this area: U.S. Representative John Mica, the congressman whose district includes Seminole County.

Rep. Mica, chair of the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is pushing to eliminate dedicated federal investment in trails, biking and walking. As committee chair, Mica one of the most influential leaders in federal transportation policy, yet his positions are out of step with his constituents. In recent months, local officials throughout his district have passed 10 resolutions supporting federal funding for biking and walking.

“It's a shame that our one-time champion, Mr. Mica, has cast trails aside for partisan politics,” says Ken Bryan, Florida state director for RTC. “Despite this abandonment, local governments such as Seminole, Volusia and Orange counties are stepping up to the plate to make this amazing trail system happen. It will serve as an economic engine for the region and ensure as many people as possible can safely walk and bicycle around their communities.”

http://www.railstotrails.org/news/recurringFeatures/trailMonth/index.html

*** Travel/Adventure/Outdoors/Conservation employment opportunities:

1.) Manager, Marketing, Yakima Products, Inc., Beaverton, OR

General Description: This position works closely with the Product Category Managers to develop and then manage the execution of critical trade and consumer go-to-market activities that support, improve and grow Yakima’s brand-reach and sell-through. This includes the creation and execution of the annual strategic marketing plan to deliver continuous improvement against key performance metrics. Areas include: PR, Social Media, advertising and media planning, strategic partnerships, consumer promotions, community building, retail training, marketing and merchandising. Other key aspects of this position contribute to achieving and sustaining the Yakima Strategic Business Plan and Initiatives, global competitive advantage, and profitable market growth strategy.

Scope & Responsibilities:

•Partner and collaborate with the Product Category Manager to create and execute the vision, strategy, and integration of critical go-to-market plans

•Develop and implement the annual marketing plan

•Develop, implement and administer the Seasonal Marketing Calendar

•Manage and grow the Yakima and Whispbar brands through the systematic application of consumer and trade marketing levers, including managing the design, development and implementations of: -Sales Support management: including trade shows, sales meetings, sell in tools -PR Strategy & Agency Management (Brand, Product, Corporate) -Social Media strategy and management: Facebook, twitter, You tube, brand blogs -Advertising and Media planning: Trade and consumer, including digital, print or other media vehicles -Strategic Partnership: strategy, relationship and planning -Community Building: non-profit sponsorships -Retail Marketing: Training, Merchandising, Support -Team Sponsorships/endorsements -Consumer promotions and collateral

•Responsible for budget administration and financial reporting

•Manage, coach and develop direct reports

Qualifications:

•College Education: BS or BA Degree from an accredited college/university in Business, Marketing or related field required

•MBA or MS/MA in a related field preferred

•Minimum five (5) years experience in brand marketing management or marketing communications managing Advertising (digital, print), Media planning, Social Media, PR, Retail marketing or merchandising, Strategic partnership and event execution

•3-5 years experience working closely with staff from Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, Product Development and Purchasing, completing and managing projects with minimal oversight and against aggressive timelines

•3-5 years experience in effectively prioritizing and managing work

•Previous knowledge and understanding of outdoor and automotive accessory industry preferred

•Written and Oral Skills: English mandatory

•Advanced knowledge of business computer applications (MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.) required

•Excellent leadership, management, and supervisory skills

•Ability to cooperatively interact and communicate well with inter-departmental personnel

•Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail

•Excellent verbal and written communication skills

•Demonstrate the ability to be flexible, accept new ideas and input positively, and be open to new work approaches and processes

•U.S. citizen or must possess valid INS Green Card

•Must possess a valid passport and ability to travel internationally without restrictions

•Must possess a valid U.S. driver’s license with no major violations within the last five (5) years

Physical Requirements:

•Able to sit and work at a computer keyboard for extended periods of time

•Able to perform general office and administrative duties: copying, filing, using a telephone, etc.

•Able to stoop, kneel, crouch, bend, at the waist and reach on a daily basis

•Able to safely lift and move up to 50 pounds occasionally

•Must be able to work overtime and/or weekends as required

•Travel as required: approximately 25% of time domestic and 10% international

•Must be able to travel domestically and/or internationally via commercial carrier

Compensation: DOE Comprehensive benefit package provided No paid relocation

To apply for this position please submit your resume and salary requirements to: MgrMktng@Yakima.com

http://careers.outdoorindustry.org/jobs#/detail/4547453

2.) Event Services Manager, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Missoula, Montana

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation seeks an experienced individual to coordinate all aspects of our National Convention and other divisional and localevents/meetings. Ideal candidate will possess excellent interpersonal, organizational, communication, and public relations skills. Ability to develop, administer, and achieve annual event budgets is critical. College graduate or equivalent experience preferred with a minimum of three years experience in the event planning industry required. Position located in Missoula, MT. Email cover letter and resume to jobs@rmef.org by 12/16. RMEF is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Job Summary:

The Event Services Manager is responsible for coordinating all aspects of RMEF’s non-BGB events including National, Divisional, and local events where requested. Specific examples include National Convention, Habitat Council, Board, State & Regional Chair, Field Staff meetings, and divisional fundraising receptions.

Essential Functions:

1. Responsible for overall direction, tone, and level of customer satisfaction for RMEF’s National Convention, other national and regional events, and meetings.

2. For the National Convention, this position is responsible for researching and corresponding with targeted cities to hold future events under the direction of the VP of Fundraising Services. This position is also responsible for the site selection of meetings and other events working closely with the appropriate staff members.

3. For the National Convention, work with ISE to facilitate and efficiently manage our partnership including scheduling conference calls and ensuring appropriate communication.

4. Help with booth sales, implement exhibitor seniority lists, exhibit hall floor plan, pricing strategy, exhibitor kit, and track donation credits for the National Convention and other events as necessary.

5. Develop, administer, and achieve annual budgets in coordination with the appropriate department for all events/meetings this position coordinates.

6. Work closely with each department on all logistics for events and meetings. This includes all travel arrangements, site selection, agendas, promotional materials, catering menus, room setups, equipment requirements, speaker/entertainment, cost control, and other logistics.

7. Maintain listing of RMEF events on the website when appropriate.

8. Solicit and analyze feedback from events, adjusting plans as needed.

9. Oversee registration process as appropriate including on-site registration for events.

10. Work with Marketing staff and other staff as necessary on advertising and promoting events through direct mail and media options.

11. Help plan, organize and direct the annual World Elk Calling Contest and other Elk Calling contests at events.

Supervision of Others:

This position may be responsible for supervising temporary support staff and volunteers who are assisting with an event.

Additional Responsibilities:

1. Solicit members to volunteer during the events as needed and coordinate activities.

2. Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

College graduate (Marketing, Management, Business) or equivalent experience preferred. A minimum of 3 years experience in the event planning industry required. Experience should include scheduling and managing meetings and facilities.

Job Requirements

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

1.Knowledge of RMEF’s mission, goals, organizational structure, and activities.

2.Experience in negotiating with hotels and convention centers. Basic knowledge of contracts and legal requirements involved in contracts.

3.Strong interpersonal skills and professionalism with the ability to work constructively with a wide variety of entities.

4.Ability to effectively lead volunteers and staff providing direction and motivation.

5.Ability to establish and fulfill long-term goals, to develop and implement programs that are cohesive, progressive, and that are mission oriented.

6.Ability to develop and manage a budget. Fiscal responsibility.

7.Must have the ability to be creative and initiate positive change.

8.Strong written and verbal communication skills are necessary. Must also be well versed at public speaking.

9.Knowledge of department regulations and policies and other office procedures.

10. Excellent computer knowledge of Microsoft Office and some data base experience.

11. Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints, working at a fast pace and remaining accurate. Ability to work at a high level of mental effort when performing various tasks.

12. Ability to be flexible with changing priorities and to handle stressful situations in a constructive fashion.

13.Demonstrate professionalism and a positive approach to work.

14. Ability to provide excellent customer service and constructively resolve customer complaints.

Physical Demands:

The employee must sit or stand for long periods of time; use a computer terminal; reach forward and to the side; bend from both standing and sitting position; life items weighing various pounds including some heavy lifting. This position requires substantial travel and at times for an extended period. Work will occasionally require more than the standard number of hours per week to perform essential duties of the position and require occasional irregular hours both during the week and on weekends.

The above is intended to describe the general content of, and requirements for the performance of the job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of essential functions, responsibilities or requirements.

APPLY FOR THIS JOB

Email Address: jobs@rmef.org

http://jobs.prnewsonline.com/c/job.cfm?vnet=0&site%5Fid=1691&jb=9075690

3.) Outdoor School – Market Outreach Specialist, REI, Various locations

Job Description:

work hard to earn our reputation for quality and integrity every day. Our commitment remains the same as when we started out in 1938: to inspire, educate and outfit for a lifetime of outdoor adventure. Combine your passion with your work! Inspire, lead, and educate!

Join our Outdoor Programs & Outreach team where you will find supportive leadership, a committed staff and an engaging work culture.

THE JOB:

The primary function of the Market Outreach Specialist (MOS) is to coordinate multi-store-market educational, volunteer and event programming to ensure effective communication of these programs to customers and staff. The Market Outreach Specialists works closely with individual store Outreach Specialists and Outdoor School staff to coordinate resources, schedules and communication requirements. Specific responsibilities include:

• Align with and support the annual Outdoor Programs & Outreach Plan

• Schedule the multi-store market in-store classes and presentation calendar

• Oversee the Pinnacle spreadsheet and market Outlook calendar to track all stores classes and presentations

• Produce the market Pinnacle flier

• Input REI-led educational classes and outings into the Event Registration

• Ensure that other store level presentations or content is posted by individual stores

• Take lead in monitoring and posting on market level Facebook and Twitter accounts ensuring quality content and timely response to customer postings

• Develops and/or coordinates market speaker series or other store tours

• Send class and event information to calendar listings for local newspapers, outdoors related websites and other social media outlets.

• Support store Outreach Specialists efforts to promote Outdoor Programs and Outreach programming with templates, tools or other resources.

• Coordinate market events in partnership with store Outreach Specialists including sponsorship agreements to ensure timely completion of commitments

• Coordinate with Store Teams to schedule staff and other resources for market events

• Compile and edit Monthly Report content and communicate recaps/updates/highlights to Store Teams on a consistent basis

• Support Market Manager/DOEA as needed

• Create printed materials for Outdoor School offerings and distribute to stores

Qualifications:

THE REQUIREMENTS:

• Professional level communication skills, including excellent writing, editing and social media communication skills

• Experience working with non-profits and/or community groups

• Ability to meet multiple deadlines, set appropriate priorities and coordinate multiple projects within a team environment

• Enthusiasm and self-motivation a must; passion for retail

• Must have access to reliable transportation for on-site and off-site work

• Flexibility in schedule, includes: evening and weekend hours as well as travel to other stores and off-site events

• Mid-level PC skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, Sharepoint, Publisher

• Retail store experience, event organizing and a history with coordinating volunteer efforts a plus

THE PERKS:

At REI, we understand that benefits matter – we offer a competitive offering which includes:

• Comprehensive health and well-being programs

• A competitive bonus/ incentive program

• REI Retirement Plan

• Generous gear and merchandise discount

• Paid time off

• Professional growth and development opportunities

AND

A work environment where RESPECT, INTEGRITY, and BALANCE are just a few of our fundamental values!

REI is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

https://www.rei.apply2jobs.com/HVExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mHvexternal.showPositionDetails&PID=107

4.) VICE PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATIONS, The Atlantic City Alliance, Atlantic City, NJ

The Atlantic City Alliance has an outstanding opportunity for an experienced, media-savvy professional to assume the role of Vice President, Communications. In this key position, you will work with the President and VP, Marketing to assist in developing a strategy for creating and executing a national and regional media relations program for the ACA with the goal of publicizing Atlantic City as a premiere travel destination to the international, domestic trade and lifestyle media.

Responsibilities include:

•Leading core communications activities to include brand communications, reputation management, media relations, issues management and speech writing.

•Identify, develop and communicate the Atlantic City story and the supporting initiatives, events, programs and key messages to multiple audiences

•Serve as an official spokesperson for ACA.

•Provide communications counsel to senior management, helping to enhance ACA’s success by applying proactive and reactive communications strategy, including crisis communications.

•Plan overall media relations support, including oversight of press outreach, media events, media calls, collateral, crisis communications support and press material development.

•Create PR programs that positively position the ACA and align closely with marketing campaigns, using communications tools and practices, to reinforce the ACA message.

•Initiate and maintain ongoing dialogue with the media to educate them on positive elements of Atlantic City and to garner additional interest.

•Provide executive and internal communications support, including the preparation of speeches, presentations and internal messages, as needed.

•Manage communications programs within budget objectives.

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package to include medical, dental, vision, disability, sick and vacation leave, and a 401k plan.

ACA is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

Essential Qualifications:

•Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Relations or related field with at least 12 years field experience- ideally a mix of corporate and agency.

•Experience working with executive leadership to formulate a strategic position and to develop a supporting, integrated communications platform.

•Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to articulate clearly to multiple constituencies with diverse perspectives.

•Strong organizational skills and ability to handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines, including management of support resources.

•Proven media relations skills and relationships with top tier media; ability to garner new relationships with leisure and business specific media.

•Ability to integrate PR programs to support marketing goals and programs; able to perform within an integrated team environment.

•A quick thinker, able to lead in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities

•Able to take a positive team approach to working with industry and government partners.

http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobDetails.aspx?job_did=J3G7S86KS1QR1PTXCF6

5.) Graphic Designer, AmericanRec, Boulder, Colorado

http://careers.outdoorindustry.org/jobs#/detail/4541205

6.) Instructor Positions, Ocala Outdoor Adventure Camp, Silver Springs, FL

http://www.ocalaadventurecamp.com/Download.html

7.) Director, Institute at the Golden Gate, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, Sausalito, California

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=360200020

8.) n Counselor, Camp Vega, Echo Lake, Fayette, Maine

http://campvega.com/staff/

9.) California State Director, American Conservation Experience, Santa Cruz, CA

American Conservation Experience, a Non-Profit conservation corps with growing nationwide operations, is seeking a Director for our California state branch located in Santa Cruz.

Summary:

ACE is a dynamic organization with the reputation for providing crews to safely and economically accomplish technically complex and physically demanding conservation and restoration projects for the National Park Service, US Forest Service, BLM, USFWS, and numerous state and local land management partners. Recognizing ever increasing agency need for skilled labor crews combined with growing federal and state mandates for youth engagement, ACE’s Board of Directors supports a policy of programmatic expansion in California. ACE’s leadership team is seeking a State Director with the ability to sustain our current excellence of operations while embracing a strategy of systematic growth, including the development of a second base of operations in CA.

Qualifications:

The ideal candidate will possess a unique combination of attributes, including substantial management background in either the non-profit or for-profit sector, experience overseeing fiscal policy and budgeting for a large scale organization, a track record of developing successful partnerships, experience working with young adult staff and volunteers, proven ability to generate and sustain a culture of programmatic pride, confidence to bring new ideas to the table and to convincingly express them verbally and in writing, and a history of working cooperatively as a member of a broader management team.

In order to maintain ACE’s reputation for quality work, and to avoid diluting our skill base in favor of programmatic expansion, we wish to recruit a State Director who also possesses a strong foundation of field skills in some combination of trail work, habitat restoration, and/or fuels reduction. While the position is not field-based, ACE strongly believes that staff at all levels of management should be capable of guiding field activities, conducting site visits from a knowledgeable perspective, and imparting high standards to ACE’s field staff.

Specific job duties include:

1) Outreach to local, state, and federal land management agencies and other conservation-minded organizations. Confidence and ability to solicit project opportunities by introducing ACE’s offerings to numerous new prospective partners statewide.

2) Preparing and delivering powerpoint presentations.

3) Grant and proposal writing.

4) Overseeing the effecting implementation of ACE’s AmeriCorps grant through California Volunteers.

5) Supervising/or hiring managerial staff, including ACE California’s Director of Operations, Operations Manager, AmeriCorps Program Manager, Skills Trainers, Volunteer Coordinator, Recruitment Coordinator and future positions as they are generated through expansion.

6) Development of a marketing and outreach campaign for ACE CA, including writing a quarterly newsletter managing web content, and creating a strategy to enhance alumni relations.

7) Preparing accomplishment and data collection reports.

Drug users, including recreational smokers of marijuana, should not consider applying as ACE reserves the right to require drug testing and detests the presence of drug users or proponents of any unhealthy lifestyle in our youth development program. Applicants must have a clean driving record and be willing to submit to background checks.

Start Date: First quarter of 2012 with some flexibility for exact timing.

Length of Commitment: This is considered a career opportunity with a minimum anticipated commitment of 3 – 5 years.

Salary: $48,000 – $60,000 base salary DOE, with potential for performance-based end of year bonuses of up to 20 percent of annual salary. Full benefits start after six months, including health insurance, dental insurance, two weeks paid annual vacation, and sick leave.

Hours: Flexible. ACE Directors set their own schedules in accordance with their management objectives.

Application Deadline: December 1, 2011. Please note that ACE will schedule interviews and may make a selection prior to the application deadline, so please submit your materials as you prepare them.

Application Process: There is no official application form, but please submit the following by email:

1) a detailed resume including three professional references.

2) an introduction letter expressing how a career position as ACE’s California State Director would align with your perspectives and experiences in conservation and youth development.

3) a secondary writing sample such as a previous grant proposal, a position statement/white paper, a newsletter, an excerpt from an academic thesis, etc.

As expressions of interest are received, ACE’s Executive Director will review each packet and schedule an initial round of interviews in Santa Cruz. The leading candidates after the first round of interviews will be invited to Flagstaff, AZ to meet with ACE’s Board of Directors before a final selection is made.

To Apply: Please email your application materials to Chris Baker: cbaker@usaconservation.org with “California State Director” in the subject line.

http://usaconservation.org/Home/positions.html

10.) Archery Promotions Coordinator, Easton Technical Products, Salt Lake City, Utah

http://careers.outdoorindustry.org/jobs#/detail/4529168

11.) Program Officer, Western Pacific Coastal and Marine Conservation, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Los Altos, California

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is seeking an exceptional individual to lead its Western Pacific subprogram. The Program Officer will manage a grant budget of $4 million and lead the design and implementation of the subprogram’s grantmaking strategy. This position will work closely with grantees to achieve strategic policy and programmatic outcomes in the Western Pacific region. In 2012, this position will also play a crucial role in developing a new, five-year strategy for the subprogram. The Program Officer will report to Dr. Walter Reid, Program Director, Conservation and Science Program, and will work closely with a Program Associate and a consultant based in or near the Western Pacific. This is an excellent opportunity for a professional with regional expertise and a desire to work at the interface of conservation, community development, and policy.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Program Officer – Western Pacific Coastal and Marine Conservation will perform the following and other duties as assigned:

Manage a grant budget of approximately $4 million, ensuring effective allocation of resources to grantees in the Western Pacific region.

In partnership with Foundation staff and other organizations, lead the design of the subprogram’s five-year grantmaking strategy.

Empower and enable grant recipients to achieve real impact through specific policy and programmatic objectives.

Manage two subprogram staff, providing guidance and coordination on all work products.

Clearly and consistently communicate with grant recipients and other potential partners in a transparent, timely, and respectful manner.

Review and resolve legal, financial, and technical issues raised by specific grants and grant reports.

Complete high quality docket materials, including strategy documents, dashboards, etc.

Think strategically and manage complex processes involving multiple institutions and individuals in a team arrangement.

Manage grant proposal processes and contribute to the shaping of proposals as needed.

Research and conduct analyses in areas of strategic priority.

Develop reviews and summaries for Foundation leadership and board members that address key activities, progress, and issues.

Contribute actively as a member of the Conservation and Science program team.

Represent the Foundation and the Conservation and Science program to external audiences.

Professional Qualifications

The successful candidate will have the following minimum qualifications:

5–10 years of relevant experience

A graduate level degree in a related field (or equivalent experience)

Recognition as a sustainable development and/or conservation leader

International experience including significant experience in the Western Pacific and/or Southeast Asia

Familiarity with key NGO, academic, and governmental institutions involved with coastal and marine issues in the Western Pacific region

Experience working with a variety of stakeholders, including NGOs, government agencies, and the business sector

Demonstrated success in program development, evaluation, and management

Staff management experience, with the ability to motivate and inspire team members

Intellectual agility and ability to analyze, conduct research, think critically, and understand scientific and policy studies that are directly relevant to programmatic funding areas

Exceptional written and oral communication skills

Ability and willingness to participate in and coordinate administrative duties as required

Experience with grantmaking desirable but not necessary

Fluency in Bahasa Indonesia desirable but not necessary

Personal Attributes

The following personal attributes are desired:

Approachable demeanor, and openness to input from all levels of staff and grantees

Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas

Impeccable integrity and trustworthiness, sense of humor, and diplomatic approach to problem-solving

Ability to work effectively in a team setting

Willingness to work on a flexible schedule, including travel within the U.S. and abroad over weekends when necessary

Compensation and Benefits

The Packard Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience. This position will be located in Los Altos, California.

Application Instructions

To be considered for this position, interested candidates must follow the link below to submit a resume, cover letter, and salary requirements. CEA Recruiting is assisting the Packard Foundation with this search. Please direct all applications and inquiries to CEA Recruiting. This position will remain open until filled.

http://www.ceaconsulting.com/what/position_details.aspx?client=CEA&jobId=173

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse candidate pool for this search. The Foundation uses an outside firm to check the accuracy of information supplied by applicants.

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies. For more information, visit www.cearecruiting.com.

http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/jobs/job_item.jhtml?id=360200021

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