Back in June, I posted about John McTaggart and his attempt to go coast to coast across the southern U.S. with the Pterosail, a pedal, sail, and electric-assist powered recumbent trike. Well, he’s done it! Check out this innovative machine and highlights of his journey in this 5 minute Youtube video.
Congratulations John!
Wondering what to get your favourite cyclist this Christmas? Check out my latest article at Granville Online for ten sure-fire choices for any budget.
“Cyclists can be finicky creatures. They know what they like. So, finding the right present can be fraught with problems of sizing, colour and brand. Here are some nearly sure-fire gift suggestions, whether your cycling friend is a bike commuter, a weekend recreational rider or training for the Tour de France.”
http://www.granvilleonline.ca/gr/shop/goods/holiday-bike-gift-guide-cyclist
Photo: UNICEF Canada
All around the world, the bicycle is having a positive impact, especially on the lives of children. The latest direct mail donation request I received from UNICEF puts bicycles at the top of their list of things that can help children in developing countries. For those young people, a bike is far more than just a piece of sporting equipment. It gives them the mobility to go to school, carry goods to market, spend less time on chores such as fetching water or firewood, and not least of all, enjoy being a kid.
That positive impact has also been recognized by the financial magazine Barron’s, which named the Chicago-based World Bicycle Relief as one of the top 25 most-impactful philanthropists for 2010. Others on the list include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, William J. Clinton Foundation, Skoll Foundation and Oprah’s Angel Network. Significantly, the ranking is awarded to individuals and organizations whose contributions deliver lasting change.
Since 2005, World Bicycle Relief has distributed 71,416 improved-design, culturally-appropriate bicycles to students, healthcare workers and entrepreneurs in Asia and Africa. These bicycles help students get to school, connect healthcare workers to people living with HIV & AIDS in rural areas and enable farmers to carry heavy loads and get to market with their goods. These 71,416 bicycles have reached and improved the lives of 702,080 people.
“A bicycle in the U.S. is a recreational vehicle or an alternative form of transportation. In developing countries a bicycle can mean the difference between getting to school, to a doctor or making a living or not. Simple, sustainable mobility is one of the most un-recognized tools of development work there is,” says F.K. Day, president, World Bicycle Relief. ”Yet what we found in Africa was a fundamental gap in the market that wasn’t being filled — the availability of quality, sturdy and culturally appropriate bicycles to the millions of its residents living at the bottom of the market.”
Closer to home (if you live in Vancouver) the charitable organization Pedal Development Alternatives (disclosure: I am on the board of the organization) runs a number of programs to make cycling an affordable option for one and all. The Foundation’s free bike program helps individuals with barriers to traditional employment or other challenges gain mobility with a refurbished, safety-inspected bicycle. The After School Bikes program runs bike clubs in a number of Vancouver schools, offering safety training and mechanical instruction, as well as an earn-a-bike program where kids provide a few hours of volunteer time in exchange for an opportunity to build their own bike using donated frames and parts.
All three causes are worthy of your support, but as you can guess, I’m partial to PEDAL. We’re now offering an easy, direct-deposit donation option so you don’t have to worry about writing one big cheque to help out. As small a donation as $10.00 per month will be enough to give a child or person living in poverty the freedom and low-cost mobility of a bicycle. To find out more about all PEDAL’s program or to request a donation form, please get in touch. What better way to honour the holiday season’s spirit of giving?
This blue whale skeleton was buried for over a decade on Prince Edward Island before undergoing a big clean-up and a long journey to its new home
A recently-opened museum at UBC is also a great resource for anyone looking for new attractions to entertain children over the Christmas break.
The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is not only the home of the magnificent blue whale skeleton prominently suspended from its ceiling. Downstairs there are hundreds of specimens from every branch of flora and fauna for kids to check out. Taken from the university’s extensive collection, with specimens dating back as far as 1910, the museum’s displays are literally a walk through the animal kingdom. Skulls, skins, stuffed animals… they’re all there, plus fish and amphibians preserved in jars, plants and lichens, fossils, and a small theatre, currently showing a preview of a Discovery Channel documentary on the blue whale skeleton that now calls the museum home.
My daughter (8 yrs old) and I spent at least a couple of hours there on a rainy November day, without boredom setting in. If your kids are into animals (aren’t they all?) then this is a great place for them to explore. Plus, it’s easy to get to whether you’re driving or taking transit, and is likely to be a little less crowded than Science World or the Aquarium, especially during the holidays. Here’s some additional information from the museum’s website.
| Hours: | Wednesday-Sunday | 11:00am-5:00pm |
| Monday-Tuesday | closed for research |
| Holidays: | The museum will be closed November 11 and closed December 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28.
The museum will be open December 29, 30, 31 and open January 1 and 2. The museum will be closed as normal for January 3 and 4, then open Wednesdays-Sundays beginning January 5, 2011. |
| Admission: prices include applicable taxes | ||
| Adult | $12 | |
| Senior, non-UBC student (with valid ID), and youth (13-17 years) | $10 | |
| Child (5-12 years) | $8 | |
| Child (under 4 years) | free | |
| Family | $35 | |
| UBC Alumni (with Alumni card) | 2 for 1 | |
| Current UBC faculty, staff, or student (with valid ID) | free | |
| Group rates: 10 or more people, self-guided, prices include applicable taxes | ||
| Adult | $10 ea. | |
| Senior, non-UBC student (with valid ID), and youth (13-17 years) | $9 ea. | |
| Child (5-12 years) | $7 ea. | |
What to do:
Temporary Exhibit: The Flora of BC
Over 100 preserved specimens of plants and algae from the research collection of the Beaty Museum are currently on display. Learn the names of plants you may see every day, as well as a few rare ones. Find out which “wildflowers” are native to British Columbia and which are introduced—the answers may surprise you!
Ongoing:
• explore over 20,000 square feet of collections exhibits right where the specimens are stored
• interact with the specimens in our teaching lab, find out how researchers use the collection
• watch films celebrating biodiversity in our auditorium
• view the largest blue whale skeleton on display in Canada and find out how it is one small part of a much larger whole
Wednesday-Friday
Story Time – 12:00
Museum Tours – 12:30 & 2:00
Saturday-Sunday
Family Hour – 11:30
Museum Tours – 12:30, 2:00 & 3:30
Family Hour
Get hands on with museum interpreters for specialized family programming in our Discovery Area. Daily programs will vary and may include story time, puppet work, crafts, kids activities & others.
Museum Tour
Biodiversity is about so much more than the number of species in nature! Join a museum interpreter for this 30 minute museum tour which highlights some of the museum’s amazing biodiversity specimens and stories.
*Program times are subject to change. Check daily schedule onsite at the museum.
Directions: UBC is easy to get to on transit (take any bus headed for UBC, these include the 43, 44, 84, 99, and 480) and we’re a short walk from the bus loops (see map at right and watch our video).
| The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is located at:
2212 Main Mall, University of British Columbia |
