The RipStik Caster Board was awarded Outdoor Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) during the T.O.T.Y (Toy of the Year) Awards Ceremony.
"We are thrilled that the RipStik has been selected for this T.O.T.Y award," said Carlton Calvin, president of Razor USA, manufacturers of the RipStik. "The introduction of the RipStik has lead to a nationwide craze, with consumers of all ages carving on the streets, from Southern California to Florida and everywhere in between. This spring, RipStik fans can look forward to more RipStik products with exciting new features in stores nationwide."
The RipStik Caster Board is innovative and patented with a unique mechanical design that blends the carving of surfing and snowboarding into a sport for dry land. The RipStik melds the motions and anatomy of both action sports into a distinctive ride. The independently rotating platforms and two inclined caster wheels generate speed and create a fun carving motion on the pavement while allowing tight twists and turns without pushing – just twist and go!
Here are some of the features of the RipStik.
Plastic end platforms connected by metal torsion beam
Urethane wheels on 360 degree inclined casters
Traction pads on each platform
Independently rotating platforms generate speed and allow tight twisting and turning without pushing
Kick tail and raised kick nose with concave design for tricks and improved footing
There are a number of RipStik videos on YouTube - see here. Surfing and snowboarding combined on a hard surface like dry land sounds like it could be a little dangerous (wear your helmet and knee pads). Still it looks a lot like skateboarding. It's not nearly as dangerous as something like powerizers.
Michelle Kaufmann, a green blogger, is offering a free Earth Day Activity Kit. The kit contains instructions for building a number of green craft projects. Information about the projects can be found on Michelle Kaufmann's blog (hat tip Crafters Craft).
One of the projects in Kaufmann's green activity kit is an ecobirdfeeder, which is a modern birdfeeder constructed of wooden chopsticks. You can follow the instructions for the building the ecobirdfeeder here.
"Growing up in Iowa, I developed a deep understanding of the relationship between humankind and the environment, an awareness I strive to incorporate into everything I do," said Michelle Kaufmann. "I love showing people how easy it can be to make healthy green choices that also create more beautiful living spaces. That's why I created this kit especially for Earth Day."
Earth Day is April 22nd. You can learn more about it here, here and here.
The annual Cherry Blossom Festival has kicked off in Washington D.C. and nearly a million visitors are expected to visit. You can see the official website here. The 2008 peak bloom is expected to last from March 27-April 3.
Reuters reports in the video below that the festival commemorates Japan's 1912 gift to the United States of three thousand cherry trees.
The Pacific Chinook salmon population of Oregon and California is suddenly on the verge of collapse after years of decline. Federal fisheries managers are considering a ban on salmon fishing from Oregon to the Mexican border.
The fishery council is expected to decide which action to take in April during its meeting in Seattle.
"I think the likeliest outcome this year is no one will put a hook in the water," said Humboldt County fisherman Dave Bitts, who was attending the weeklong meeting in Sacramento.
The Sacramento River chinook run is usually one of the most plentiful on the West Coast, providing the bulk of the fish caught by commercial trollers off California and Oregon.
But this year's returns - even with no fishing allowed - are expected to reach less than half the council's goal for spawning a new generation. It marks the third straight year of declines, and the outlook for next year is no better.
John Larson reports on the dire situation in the NBC video below.
A handheld new battery and ultraviolet lamp powered device called the SteriPen will sterilize a glass-sized amount of water for you. The SteriPen will clean 32 ounces of water in 90 seconds. The New York Timessays the device has a liquid crystal display that makes the countdown to sterilization easier.
The wand can clean up a quart of water that is clear - but could harbor stomach-wrecking microorganisms - in 90 seconds. The high-frequency light damages the DNA of bacteria, viruses and protozoa in the water like giardia and cryptosporidium so they can't reproduce and create havoc.
To make the disinfection process easier for users to monitor, one new device on the market, the SteriPen JourneyLCD($129.95) has a liquid-crystal display that shows a countdown during purification (48 seconds for 16 ounces, 90 seconds for 32 ounces) and a smiley face at the end to signal that the job is done.
The device, which weighs a bit less than 5 ounces, including two disposable batteries, will be sold at camping, travel and other stores beginning in April and online at rei.com and other sites, said Edward A. Volkwein, the president of Hydro-Photon, the company in Blue Hill, Me., that makes the unit.
You can read some reviews and blog comments about the device here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. Most of the comments are enthusiastic about the water cleaning wand. The device does sounds great for outdoor use but it does have some limitations. You should use it only on clear water because it cannot thoroughly clean dirty looking water or water with objects in it.
If the water is tea-colored, has an orange or yellow tinge, or has objects like leaves in it, ultraviolet devices will not work well, as particulates in the water can absorb the light meant to destroy the harmful organisms, he said.
For example, "you wouldn't want to use these devices to disinfect apple cider," he said. "The light wouldn't penetrate."
There is a video demonstration of the device here on the SteriPen website. The Times article says the SteriPen will be out in April. It has a retail price of $129.95.
The 2008 Marmot Never Summer sleeping bag looks like it will always keep you snug and warm even on the coldest winter days. Campist blogs that is has a number of features to help keep you comfy in temperatures as cold as zero degrees fahrenheit.
It's rated as a three-season sleeping bag, but the 2008 Marmot Never Summer sleeping bag can easily take you through all four, thanks to features like the heat pocket and baffle hood, which keep you toasty when temperatures plummet as low as 0ºF. The Never Summer sleeping bag comes with a 600+ fill goose down, packed in a durable and waterproof nylon shell. Ground-level side seams eliminate drafts, and locking zippers keep the sleeping bag closed throughout the night. If that's not enough to keep you warm, a pocket in the footbox to stash a heating pad definitely will! From head to toe, you're covered.
The sleeping bag has a retail price of $269. More expensive than a regular sleeping bag but if you are out camping on a cold night you will appreciate having it with you. More details here from the TravelGearBlog who gave the cozy sleeper a nine out of ten.
Wild Wonders of Europe Photography Project Launches
The Wild Wonders of Europe has launched. It is an online photography project trying to generate interest in Europe's wildlife.
"Most of us Europeans today know more about nature in Africa or North America, than we know about Europe. How many Swedes know anything about nature in Bulgaria? How many Irish know anything about nature in Belarus? Or vice versa! This is all part of a natural heritage that we share. But how are you supposed to care about something that you have never even seen or heard about?" says Staffan Widstrand, photographer and writer from Sweden, Managing Director of Wild Wonders of Europe.
The launch of the website is also the start of the countdown to the Great Quest in which 50 of Europe's leading nature photographers will travel on more than 90 assignments to every country in Europe. The Great Quest begins in May, 2008.
Government Cheaply Selling Land to Mining Companies
This National Geographic video investigates the practice of allowing the government to cheaply sell land that could be used for recreation and conservation to mining companies. They use an antiquated 1872 mining law to sell land for as cheap as $5 an acre. It's a shocking story.
For centuries the American West has been the realm of cowboys, miners and frontiersman. Since 1872 mining companies have been reaping the benefit of an antiquated law allowing mining companies to purchase land at bargain prices, such as the recent acquisition of an entire mountain for only 875 dollars. Wild Chronicles follows what happens when 19th century laws are faced up against 21st century sensibilities.
Feeding wild birds is a lot of fun but if you don't take the trouble to find the right seeds you could up harming the environment. The main reason for this according to KATU is that the wild bird seed may contain invasive weeds that are not native to the area.
Portland Audubon's Karen Munday told KATU that some seed is bad for birds because some feed mixes contain non-native weed seeds.
"The last thing we want for the health of our birds is to have non-native weed seeds and weeds be out there. The weeds non only hurt habitat bio-diversity but the wild birds can fly away and spread the seeds elsewhere."
Recently, Oregon State University researchers discovered up to 14 non-native weed seed species in bags of seed that were purchased from Corvallis-area stores.
The bags included Pigweed, Russian thistle, crabgrass and witchgrass weed seeds.
Each is an invasive weed that's banned by the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
A video report says some of the bird seed also includes milo, which is a grain that the birds won't even eat.
The idea of an outdoor kitchen is catching on according to an article from HousingZone.com. These range from simple brick fireplaces to more elaborate kitchens with stainless steel appliances.
"The outdoor kitchen trend is definitely catching on. A lot of people are adding on fireplaces, some stationary, some portable, to porches and patios," said George Wright of George Wright Construction.
Cabinets will be multi-functional. Instead of lining up cabinetry unity, staggered setups are being used to create more movement and intrigue.
"We're seeing outdoor kitchens with full sets of appliances. People are going for fully functional kitchens," said Hank Matheny from Haskell Interiors Design Collection.
"Now people are starting to use different and more exciting materials for the outdoor kitchen space that complement the exterior of the house." he said. "We are seeing people use glass mosaics and porcelain tiles. More designs like what you would see on the interior of the house."
Now, the trend is to create the seamless flow between the indoor and outdoor spaces. Many homeowners consider their outdoor living area as an addition to their homes. Building a major outdoor project (such as a kitchen, pond, fire feature) is the second most popular home improvement project, according to a survey by Better Homes and Garden magazine.
Viking has a good example of the stainless steel outdoor kitchens here on their website. If you are more of a do-it-yourselfer you might want to read this Popular Mechanicsarticle. HGTV also has an article about some outdoor kitchen designs. They note that "today's outdoor kitchens are an extension of their indoor counterparts and are far more sophisticated than a simple charcoal grill."
The Daily Coyote is a blog by writer/photographer Shreve Stockton who has adopted a coyote pup named Charlie that was orphaned when its parents were shot. Charlie lives with Shreve and her cat Eli.
Charlie is a wild-born coyote who was unexpectedly delivered to my doorstep this past April after both his parents were shot for killing sheep. Whatever reservations I had about raising a wild animal simply didn't matter - couldn't matter - when I realized his survival, at least in the short term, depended on me.
At the time I write this, Charlie is nearly six months old. I don't think of him as "my pet," even though he sleeps curled against me every night (every night except the nights around a full moon), and happily rides in my truck, and adores my cat. I don't wish to own him, just to live together in harmony. And that we do.
The story is very interesting and the photography is excellent so be sure to take a look. (via Get Outdoors)
An alternative to hunting and bagging birds is to count them. In 1900, bird lovers banded together and started an alternative to the hunt. It is called the Christmas Bird Count. Audubon Society bird clubs all over the country conduct counts around Christmas time. This video's entry on YouTube says that over 40,000 participants go afield for one day and list the number of individuals of each species they see.
A global warming cartoon created in a partnership The Sierra Club, Project 3650.org and Pecos Pictures has won an Emmy award.
San Francisco: The Sierra Club, Project 3650.org and Pecos Pictures won this year's "National Public Service Announcement/Broadband" Emmy Award for the "Big Fun with Global Warming" cartoon released online earlier this year.
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded the Emmy at its "Humanitarian, Public and Community Service Emmy Awards" ceremony on Nov. 9. The cartoon was created by Mark Greene of Pecos Pictures and was presented in cooperation with Project 3650.org.
"Big Fun with Global Warming" was the first of two cartoons by Pecos Pictures licensed by the Sierra Club to share information about the impact of global warming. In "Big Fun with Global Warming," the character 'Stinky' learns that the average American produces five tons of carbon pollution every year -- which is equivalent to the weight of 10 Steinway grand pianos.
The cartoon starring Stinky is called Big Fun with Global Warming. You can watch it here on the Sierra Club's website.
Snowboard Magazine reports that a company named Bearfire Resorts, LLC has ambitious plans to open a huge ski resort in North Texas near the Fort Worth area.
A highly committed group of individual and corporate investors will provide the funding necessary to transform Bearfire Resort from schematic drawings to reality.
Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey is an advisor to the project and assists in identifying equity investors.
"Not only will Bearfire Resort be a huge economic boost to North Texas, but its innovative approach may prove to be a trend-setter for other cities around the country looking for ways to spur their local economies," said Armey.
Wendell, Gene, and Evan Jacobson of The Jacobson Group of Management Solutions, Inc. (MSI) will oversee the financing aspect of the Bearfire Resort including the organizing of the debt instruments and the equity funding. The Jacobsons have nearly 30 years of history in the Texas real estate market and are experienced in putting together large real estate transactions. MSI, one of their property management companies, has corporate offices in Dallas and in Utah.
The 650,000 square feet resort is possible because of a technology called Snowflex. (via Get Outdoors)
National Geographic Adventure magazine has named 26-year-old Andrew Skurka as the Adventurer of the Year. Skurka completed a 6,875-mile hike through the American West in an effort to call attention to environmental and ecological threats.
National Geographic Adventure magazine has chosen Andrew Skurka, 26, as 2007 Adventurer of the Year for his epic seven-month, 6,875-mile hike through the American West to call attention to its magnificent landscape and the environmental and ecological threats affecting it. His first-of-its-kind journey took him through five major mountain ranges, 12 national parks and 75 wilderness areas. The magazine is also honoring British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson and polar explorer Will Steger with Best of Adventure awards for Lifetime Achievement.
The achievements of Skurka, Branson, Steger and 14 other adventurers are highlighted in the December 2007/January 2008 issue of National Geographic Adventure (on newsstands Nov. 27), which features the most outstanding accomplishments for 2007 in the world of exploration, conservation and humanitarian work.
The 2006 Adventurers of the Year, Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei, who completed a two-year, human-powered circumnavigation of the world, will present the 2007 award to Skurka on Thursday, Nov. 15, at a gala event at National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. The evening will be emceed by Boyd Matson, host of the new "National Geographic Weekend" radio program and the public television series "Wild Chronicles." He will present awards to Steger and 11 other adventure heroes.
You can visit Andrew Skurka's website here. It includes galleries of photos from some of his travels. A National Geographic story about Skurka can be found here.
Have you noticed less brilliance in the colors this Fall? Do the leaves appear dull and not quite as beautiful as previous years. You can blame that on climate change and the leaves in the Northeast have been especially hard hit reports the Associated Press.
Every fall, Marilyn Krom tries to make a trip to Vermont to see its famously beautiful fall foliage. This year, she noticed something different about the autumn leaves.
"They're duller, not as sparkly, if you know what I mean," Krom, 62, a registered nurse from Eastford, Conn., said during a recent visit. "They're less vivid."
Other "leaf peepers" are noticing, too, and some believe climate change could be the reason.
Forested hillsides usually riotous with reds, oranges and yellows have shown their colors only grudgingly in recent years, with many trees going straight from the dull green of late summer to the rust-brown of late fall with barely a stop at a brighter hue.
"It's nothing like it used to be," said University of Vermont plant biologist Tom Vogelmann, a Vermont native.
He says autumn has become too warm to elicit New England's richest colors.
With winters only expected to get warmer in the future it looks like fall folliage is another thing that will change thanks to global warming. Beautiful fall scenes like the one on the right will become less common. One forestry professor told the AP that the leaves will skip color changes and go straight from green to brown. Not fun for leaf peepers. You can find some fall foliage resources here on our previous post about fall leaves.
Those of you interested in traveling to see the leaves change for Fall can monitor the progress of Fall Foliage on the Weather Channel's Fall Foliage map. The map below shows the change in foliage for today, October 19th. Things are just starting to peak in the Northeast and beginning to change in the Mid-Atlantic.
DigitalPhotoGuy has a four part series of photographing the fall foliage on YouTube. Part I is below. Here are the links for the rest of the series: Part II, Part III and Part IV.
Digital photography is an important for anyone interested in the outdoors. We all want to take beautiful photographs of the places we have been and to film the nature we see. Writers Write has a great collection of digital photography resources in its journalism section that can help you find digital photography tips and photography websites. Some of the resources they mention include PopPhoto, Photojojo and a Digital Photogrpahy Blog from Photub.
This video shows photographs of four waterfalls during cpcuda65's full day journey to Skogafoss, Iceland. You can see many more photographs of the Skogafoss waterfalls here on Flickr.
The 
Michelle Kaufmann, a green blogger, is offering a free Earth Day Activity Kit. The kit contains instructions for building a number of green craft projects. Information about the projects can be found on 
A handheld new battery and ultraviolet lamp powered device called the SteriPen will sterilize a glass-sized amount of water for you. The SteriPen will clean 32 ounces of water in 90 seconds. The New York Times 
The 
Snowboard Magazine 
Have you noticed less brilliance in the colors this Fall? Do the leaves appear dull and not quite as beautiful as previous years. You can blame that on climate change and the leaves in the Northeast have been especially hard hit 
