Hey there this is Leslie Kolovich.  Joining me today is one of my favorite Planet Paddlers, Norm Hann.  Norm and I have a wonderful conversation about his latest documentary called “Stand” brought to you by the QuickSilver Foundtion.  This is the 2nd film and expedition through the Haida Gwaii off of British Columbia, a 220 mile paddle to raise awareness of what is at risk with a proposed oil tanker route.

We also talk about the importance of being connected with our environment, raising our youth to love and protect it, and getting back to simple, getting off the grid, and communicating with our voices.

Norm grew up in Ontario with parents and grandparents that helped him appreciate nature.  In this podcast Norm recalls  summers as a child with his parents taking him to his grandfather’s cabin to fish and explore the great outdoors.  These experiences gave him such a great base for his passion for the planet.

It is our challenge to all to get connected to the environment, make sure our youth have the opportunity to be outdoors and experience all it has to offer.  Norm is an outstanding person, a role model for all of the world.

You can help support the Great Bear Rainforest and in turn the planet.  One person starts a wave, and  as said by our mutual friend, Bob Purdy, “collectively we can send a Wave of Change to the World!”

For More photos visit my Tumblr

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Thank you to my sponsor of today’s segment Precision Paddleboards

This show originally was posted December 4, 2012.  Norm is bringing this film to World Paddle For The Planet in October here in Panama City Beach Florida!  Join us!

He discovered Yoga could really help our military men and women in so many ways, particularly when they return home from war.  He Founded Yoga for Vets 6 years ago and mainly as a welcome home gift, and to get them to try something he personally experienced as a life changer.  As you might think there was some resistance to the idea among some veterans, so Paul offers 4 free classes to get them to try it.  The program is nationwide with over 650 locations of  studios and gyms offering the free classes for combat vets.  Veterans are encouraged to search for a location near them www.yogaforvets.org  Paul has seen some amazing success with this program, and is happy to say attitudes towards the practice of Yoga are changing with military people.  It certainly is a good topic for discussion, and in fact, should be discussed more.

Paul owns a Yoga studio in Panama City Florida, called Yoga for You PC, and teaches all levels of Yoga.  He  just recently completed SUP Yoga Queen Julie Roach’s H2Yo course and is currently offering private SUP Yoga classes.  Taking the course from Julie Roach he said was fantastic!  The emphasis is on water safety, and using an anchoring system to keep the group together.

I’ve know Paul for a couple of years now, with our first meeting on Lake Powell here in Panama City Beach for a sunrise group paddle.  He is very involved with the Panama City Beach Paddle Club and paddles as much as he can. Paul is just an all around good guy, honored to call him friend.

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Also on Stitcher Radio and iTunes

Anne has built  and maintained a sand labyrinth with treasures she finds here in Miramar Beach Florida.  Each marker has meaning to her and symbolizes the path through life.  The labyrinth experience of quieting the mind, setting an intention and walking slowly to the center one often finds a healing transformation of mind and spirit.  For more information and to locate a labyrinth near you for World Labyrinth Day you can visit www.labyrinthsociety.org  and visit Anne’s wonderful website with beautiful photographs and writings on her experiences at www.followyourheartadventures.com

Anne was the one who introduced me to walking a labyrinth, and I am forever grateful to her.  It truly was life changing for me.  I encourage you to find a labyrinth and experience all that it has to offer.

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Over 3,000 children took part in the relay.

David tells us the connection of the Chinese Dragon Boats and the circumstances that put him into finding a way to get a message to America.  It is the ancient story the Dragon Boats carry that gave him the idea to create a boat that everyone could paddle, and send a message to the world.  His journey started 20 years ago, and the Bell boat was created.  The Bell boat is similar to having 2 OC4 boats connected, making it easy for anyone to paddle.  The theory, get more people on the water, it worked! David tells how he has been able to  take his boats and paddles around the globe getting world leaders to sign paddles committing to help solve climate change problems. He hopes to voyage from Frankfurt, Germany to Bonn and the United Nations centre for Climate Change and sustainability. Having a huge Regatta of paddlers with flags of different countries and paddles for leaders to sign.  David believes“we can change the world through our children”, and paddling together with the message, “Saving Our Home on Our Blue Planet- with a Paddle for Life”, can and will make a difference.

 David has a long list of people he has gotten to sign including Tony Blair, William Hague, foreign secretary, Alex Salmond, first minister for Scotland and many other British leaders, together with people and children from Worcestershire.  He has also been to  Wisconsin, USA and 2 senators, and the Governor’s signatures on the paddle.  He has challenged me to get President Obama’s signature, while he trys to get the Queen of England.  It can happen.  David is on the right path, and has made huge progress with world leaders. He talks about his experience in China which was very positive.   He believes it’s because his Bell boat is made in honor of their Dragon Boat traditions.  It was more than a pleasure speaking with David.  I know you will be inspired to help get your local, and State leaders on board with Paddle For Life!

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SUP Fuel, Mind, Body, and Soul

Hey there! This is Leslie Kolovich and joining me is elite racer Jenny Kalmbach. She shares her favorite Oatmeal recipe given to her from her aunt, she affectionately calls it Aunt Mimi’s Raw Oatmeal.

Enjoy this simple, hearty, healthy recipe to fuel you through a long paddle, racing or just heading out the door to punch the clock for the 8- 5 workday.

Jenny Kalmbach’s Oatmeal Day Starter

1/2 c raw oats
1/2 c water and 3/4 c water
1 ripe banana
1 Tbls walnuts or almonds
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
handful of dates

Pour 1/2 c water over oats. Let soak for 5 minutes. Blend 3/4 c water, banana, nuts, honey and vanilla until smooth (this is the “nut milk”). Pour over soaked oatmeal. Top with extra dried fruit and nuts.
Don’t forget to top with a dash of cinnamon a very good spice for our body.

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Original air date August 2011

Joe lives in the Bahamas and one of the initiatives Ocean Crest Alliance, Bahamas National Trust, and The Nature Conservancy are working on together is the Proposed Bahamas Marine Protected Area, specifically, Long Island Marine Management Area 480,000 acres +/-.  They have approached this with reaching out to the locals, working to protect the cultural heritage value of the community.  Education and communication is key for any change, especially for a sustainable planet.

Joe talks about the importance of creating Marine Managed Areas, that are enforced because one can have all kinds of rules on paper, but without enforcement it does not work.  His theory, education and enforcement equals marine conservation.  Also, he stresses, the approach for change needs to been done in a positive way.  The ocean is key to so many aspects of human life both inland and coastal.  It connects us all.  If the ocean isn’t healthy we all suffer.   The planet needs change now, and with the social media and online information systems we have right now, more people can spread the word and significant changes will happen. Again, we talk about how making small changes in our daily lives, educating, listening, and doing will make a difference.

Be sure to check out SUP’nKids this summer, it’s a wonderful event for families in beautiful St. Pete Florida!  Jo Jo Braddock and the Super Star Bailey Rosen along with the Ocean Crest Alliance Team, run this event, and are for sure fantastic examples of people being ocean advocates!

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He believes he is the first to Stand Up Paddle this route.  Stuart and I talk about the inspiration that compelled him to take on this challenge.  His father died last January, and while traveling by plane back to New Zealand, the place he grew up, he was wondering what he could do that would be special in the memory of his father.  He looks out of the airplane window and sees the beautiful harbor  below him and realizes he should paddle across and dedicate it to his father.

This waterway holds such important history, and tradition to the country, and to Stuart personally being the place he spent so much time as a boy with his father.  Stuart talks about his feelings on this 2 day journey of navigation.  It was not so much of a distance accomplishment as it was a waterman skills challenge.  Being able to navigate the tides, and strong currents, portaging across land with the board was key.  Stuart did not use a touring board or a race board, he did this on a 11’2 Adventurer.  We talk about his creation of Adventure Concept Paddling, discovering beautiful spots to paddle, and his passion for conservation of our oceans.  His experiences with this crossing were meaningful to him, he felt the presence of his father, which he feels “put the good word in with God for good weather”.  Expect a documentary film in the very near future.  It was wonderful to talk with Stuart, I know you will enjoy this interview.

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Jen also tells us about her travels around the world, meeting people who SUP.  She and her husband started Live, Love, SUP in 2011 as a photo blog of their travels, but wanted to do more.  They now use the brand to raise and donate money to a different charity each year.  They have a really cool Live, Love SUP bracelet  and with every sale, $2.50 goes to the charity called Charity: Water.  Eight million people are without clean water in the world, a very sad statistic.  This charity helps to provide clean water to these countries.  You can learn more about this by visiting Live Love SUP fundraising page.

Jen tells us about the growth of Stand Up Paddling in Abu Dhabi, and how having the World Stand Up Tour was really good for the area.  She and her husband both work for Universities, she in the athletic department of NYU Abu Dhabi.  She is working on arranging a P.E. SUP class for next year and getting more people involved in aquatic sports of all kinds. She also has organized SUP groups for Paddle For The Planet doing clean ups and raising awareness.

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Dr. Moir shows the toxic Algae growing on the Indian River Lagoon

Dr. Moir tells us why he is spending so much time in Florida these days specifically in the Indian River Lagoon.  “We are in the midst of battling nitrogen pollution, the worst pollutant of the oceans in the world, 40 dolphins a year are dying in the Indian River Lagoon”.  The lagoon is the most diverse wildlife estuary in North America, the number of dolphin deaths is more than alarming.  Dr. Moir has a solution for this problem.  It all boils down to human awareness, and willingness to make easy changes.  The nitrogens that are getting into the waterways are coming mostly from lawn fertilizers, and with heavy rainstorms like Florida is known for, the nitrogens get washed into the waterways.

A solution, don’t fertilize your lawns from June 1st to September 30th, and use a slow release nitrogen fertilizer when you do.

Here’s another alarming number,  100 of Florida’s beloved manatee died last month.  Why you ask?  Manatee eat seagrass that grows below the water, and 80% of the seagrasses in the Indian River Lagoon has died because toxic blooming algae is so thick on top of the water it is blocking the sunlight for seagrass to grow.  The manatee then are forced to eat the algae because it’s all that is there, and  the deadly toxic nitrogen in the blooms ultimately cause death.  The Ocean River Institute is trying to get decision makers to understand how they can stop this from happening.  They need your help.  Join with them in being good stewards of our planet, visit them at www.oceanriverinstitute.org sign a petition, become aware of your daily habits, ask yourself, “what can I do to make a change to protect the earth, our water, the creatures that live on land and water, and ultimately human lives?”  The answers are quite simple, and if we all just pay more attention to the fact we all live downstream big changes can and will happen.

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You can also listen on Stitcher Radio and iTunes