Maintaining and Sustaining

Last week I preached the wonders of outdoor summer employment. For those of you still not convinced, I offer more flexible opportunity. The National Park Service has volunteer work available across America. Have you ever dreamed of wrangling bears in Yosemite? Stomping out invasive species growth on the Boston Harbor Islands? As a "VIP" or Volunteer In Parks, you would be working side by side with NPS rangers as stewards of over 390 parks nationwide.

Summertime and the Livin's Easy

The only right way to spend summer is to be outside under the sun. Maybe you are a student, sick of dorm rooms and deadlines. Maybe you are a teacher or office worker, ready to sever the chain that bonds you to your desk. Or maybe you are a stay-at-home parent looking for some short term adventures while the kids are away at camp. No matter the reason, outdoor summer gigs can be a blast to explore, and relatively easy to find. The catch is... you need to start applying now!

Bolting and Revolting

The snow gods of the northeast have been pleased this season. Yes, yes, it has been a week since my last blog post, but I've been working hard, and playing harder. Each day after cruising the slopes, I have tried to find time to cruise the internet too. Here's a cool site that I found through a climbing buddy of mine.

Children vs. Chairlifts

Chairlifts can be intimidating to both kids and parents. Some kids need gentle coaxing and light banter on the lift to get their minds off of the anxiety. Other kids have no fear, which are the ones I'm nervous to watch running around the mountain. Some mountains, like Vail in Colorado, require children younger than seven to be accompanied by an adult. While this isn't required at every mountain, there are a few simple steps parents can follow to keep kids safe on the lifts.

The Death Of Organic Foods

Get ready to see the death of organic foods, and the rise of genetically engineered produce.

After twelve years of battle and protests, the "Organic Elite," including Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, and Stoneyfield Farm, surrendered to Monsanto's GE crops, calling for a co-existence between organic farmers and those supporting GE crops. The recent crop in question was Monsanto's genetically engineered alfalfa, which is herbicide resistant or "Roundup Ready." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made the official announcement on Thursday to allow the unrestricted commercial production of the mutated alfalfa. And while the Agriculture Department "considered" putting a restriction on where the GE crop can be grown, no such action was taken.