The WildeBeat

Tue, Jun 24, 2008

Introducing Kate Taylor

Posted at 16:10

/blog/news [link ]

We'd like to welcome Kate Taylor to the WildeBeat project as our new Assistant Producer. In addition to producing entire editions by herself, she'll also help Steve and Jean research and edit other stories in progress.

You can look forward to hearing Kate's voice and creative work in future editions of the show.

Sat, Jun 14, 2008

Women of Color 4-Day Backpack

Posted at 11:00

/blog/outings [link ]

Chelsea Griffie wrote to tell us about an outing she's leading for the Balanced Rock Foundation. Chelsea is the program director for Bay Area Wilderness Training. Chelsea appeared in our editions 91 and 92, Bay Area Wilderness Training, part 1 and part 2.

Chelsea writes:

Announcing our Women of Color backpacking trip from the evening of July 16 through July 20. If you are a woman of color, please join us! This trip is a super fun way to recharge your batteries.

Event: Women of Color Backpacking Trip
"The only one in the country!"
What: Camping Trip
Host: Chelsea Griffie / the Balanced Rock Foundation
When: Wednesday, July 16 at 6:00pm
Where: Yosemite National Park

Official information for this trip, as well as the registration form is on the Backpack Trips page of the Balanced Rock Foundation.

Tue, May 06, 2008

Thanks to Wilderness.net

Posted at 08:00

/blog/recognition [link ]

Wilderness.net is a reference web site maintained as a partnership project of the Wilderness Institute at the University of Montana's College of Forestry and Conservation, the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center, and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute.

Wilderness.net has chosen to feature the WildeBeat on their main page. We thank them.

One very useful feature of the Wilderness.net site is their Find a Wilderness feature. Use it to find detailed information on over 700 of the protected wilderness areas in the U.S.

Mon, May 05, 2008

Become our Fan on Facebook

Posted at 19:30

/blog/news [link ]

If you're a user of Facebook and a fan of the WildeBeat, you can become our fan on Facebook.

Just go to the WildeBeat page on Facebook and click on become a fan.

Fri, Apr 04, 2008

Meals for a 3-Day Adventure

Posted at 13:30

/blog/sponsors [link ]

We're delighted to welcome Alpine Aire Foods as new sponsors. They are supporting the WildeBeat by providing a Three Day Gourmet Instant Meal Kit as a thank you gift to new WildeBeat members. This kit retails for $55.70.

If you join as a full member ($48/yr.), or above, we'll thank you by sending you a coupon for one of these kits. The kits include: All American Roast Beef Hash, Beef Rotini, Mountain Chili, Pasta Roma, Peanut Butter and Cracker Lunch, Spaghetti Marinara with Mushrooms, Alpine Minestrone Soup, Strawberry Honey Granola with Milk, Apple Almond Crisp, and Chicken & Almond Salad w/Crackers.

Not only that, but you'll get all the other regular benefits of being a WildeBeat member: Access to discussions and premium content on our WildeBeat Insiders Web pages, a subscription to the the award-winning Earth Island Journal, and most importantly, the feeling of having helped others explore and appreciate our wild public lands.

Now you have one less excuse for not getting into the wilderness. We've got your meals taken care of!

Fri, Mar 28, 2008

Problems traveling with your gear?

Posted at 16:35

/blog/skills [link ]

Have you ever travelled to a wilderness trailhead using a major commercial airline? If so, what difficulties did you have taking your gear? Did you have to leave anything behind at a security checkpoint? When you claimed your checked bag, did you find that your gear was searched-through and it's contents disturbed?

We'd like to hear your comments for possible use in next week's show. Please call-in your stories to our toll-free (in the U.S.) comment line: 1-866-590-7373

Mon, Mar 10, 2008

Discussion of Scared Indoors

Posted at 08:00

/blog/letters [link ]

In response to our two-part program, Scared Indoors, we saw quite a bit of lively discussion in various forums online...

See more ...

Wed, Feb 27, 2008

Comment on Scared Indoors, part 1

Posted at 19:30

/blog/letters [link ]

In last week's program, Scared Indoors, part 1, We asked for your examples of scary or reassuring mainstream media stories about wilderness travel. A couple of people wrote in...

See more ...

Fri, Feb 15, 2008

Update for "Forest Admission?"

Posted at 12:55

/blog/wild_places [link ]

Jim Bedwell from the National Forest Service in Washington, D.C contacted us to update a detail in yesterday's show:

A factual correction (and I should have mentioned it as it was posted the day we did the interview) is that we have extended the comment period to March 20, 2008. That will make the comment period a total of 150 days, hardly a "stealth tactic".

You can read the official notice of the extension of the comment period here: Notice of Extension of Public Comment Period

We'd also like to clarify that it wasn't our intent to assert that the Forest Service was trying to implement these rule changes without public scrutiny. Rather, our comment in the story describing the proposed rule changes as a semi-secret document was meant to be a comment on the relative lack of mainstream media coverage this issue has attracted.

Another Book as a Membership Thank-You

Posted at 12:24

/blog/sponsors [link ]

Reminder:If you join as a full member ($48/yr.), or above, we'll thank you by sending you books. Read about it here.

Wilderness Press has just provided us another book to offer you as a thank you for supporting the WildeBeat: Outdoor Navigation with GPS by Stephen Hinch

We interviewed Stephen Hinch for our recent edition number 124 of February 7th, 2008.

Wed, Jan 30, 2008

Members Get Deals on Gear!

Posted at 20:00

/blog/sponsors [link ]

We're offering discount coupons to WildeBeat members, but these deals expire soon (between February 4th and March 15th, 2008). These coupons allow you to order outdoor gear online at dealer cost or below. We have a limited number of coupons for products by Patagonia, Outdoor Research, Helly Hansen, Suunto, Zeal, Ogio, Mammut, and Kayland.

Our members can claim a coupon by logging-in to the WildeBeat Insider web pages. You can become a WildeBeat member right now by making your tax-deductible donation online.

Fri, Nov 23, 2007

Comment on Desert Roadless Traveled

Posted at 14:39

/blog/letters [link ]

This week's program, Desert Roadless Traveled, prompted a thoughtful comment from a listener, and a response from Kurt, our guest reporter who contributed the story.

See more ...

Wed, Nov 21, 2007

Discussion about Ticket to Half Dome

Posted at 16:08

/blog/wild_places [link ]

The National Parks Traveler web magazine has been hosting an interesting discussion thread about the topic of this week's edition of our show, Ticket to Half Dome.

The discussion ranges from calls for drastic changes in park management, to expressions of satisfaction with the status quo.

We encourage you to provide us audio comments about our shows. Just pick up your phone and record your thoughts by calling our toll-free comment line at 866-590-7373. We'll post any comments you provide on our companion podcast, Vox WildeBeat.

Tue, Nov 06, 2007

Support us by buying new gear

Posted at 13:45

/blog/sponsors [link ]

iGearList is free classified ad directory web site focused on outdoor gear. You can buy, sell, or trade used outdoor gear and equipment by placing an ad in their listings.

iGearList also offers a gateway to a number of online retailers of new gear. Between now and the end of February, iGearList will donate 100% of their referral commissions from new gear sales to the WildeBeat.

Just browse to their new gear page, and click on any of the retailer banners or buttons, or use any trip planner you see on iGearList, and buy what you need.

The proceeds go to support the WildeBeat's educational mission to help more people to discover our wild public lands.

Fri, Sep 28, 2007

More on Ranger Laurel Boyers

Posted at 10:55

/blog/wild_places [link ]

Among the ways in which Yosemite Ranger Laurel Boyers has been an inspiration to people, she's the role model for the protagonist in a series of spy novels. This week's edition of our show is a tribute to Ranger Boyers.

We asked our friend Tom Mangan, newspaper hiking columnist and author of the Two Heel Drive hiking blog, to look into any interesting history about Ranger Boyers' career.

Thanks Tom!

Join the WildeBeat, Get Books

Posted at 08:30

/blog/sponsors [link ]

We're delighted to welcome Wilderness Press Books as new supporters. They are sponsoring editions of the WildeBeat by providing promotional copies of their books for us to give to WildeBeat members as thank you gifts.

If you join as a full member ($48/yr.), or above, we'll thank you by sending you a copy of one of these books:

• Joy of Backpacking by Brian Beffort
• Wild Soundscapes by Bernie Krause
• Afoot & Afield San Francisco Bay Area by David Weintraub
• The Trinity Alps by Luther Linkhart & Mike White
• Best Snowshoe Trails of California by Mike White

Higher levels of supporting membership will get you more of these books. A $250 donation will net you all five! Our quantities are limited, so if you want one title in particular, join soon.

Tue, Aug 21, 2007

More on the SPOT

Posted at 13:10

/blog/gear [link ]

In this week's edition number 99, Andy Mytys of BackpackGearTest.org described the SPOT Satellite Messenger as a potentially cost-effective alternative to the Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) that Doug Ritter of the Equipped to Survive Foundation recommended in our edition numbers 78 & 79, titled Counting Up Essentials.

The SPOT Satellite Messenger, as well as a conventional PLB, are devices that are designed to summon search and rescue services in life-threatening situations. They're proven to be more reliable in remote locations where more conventional communication techniques might be ineffective.

Andy's preliminary impressions of the product, before actually having one to test, is that it promises to provide more user-friendly features than a PLB, for less than a quarter of the price. While it's too soon to tell whether this claim is true, or too good to be true, Doug Ritter has published a more thorough analysis of this product.

If you want to know more, you can read Doug Ritter's article, First Look, SPOT Satellite Messenger.

Mon, Aug 06, 2007

Welcome New Radio Listeners

Posted at 16:55

/blog/recognition [link ]

We'd like to welcome our new listeners from these public radio stations:

• KTIM: 101.9FM in St. George, Utah.
  Heard twice a day on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• KVMR: 89.5FM in Nevada City and 105.1FM in Truckee, California.
  Heard on Tuesday afternoons between 1:30 and 2:00 p.m.

If you'd like to hear the Wildebeat on your local public, community, or college station, please let them know, and then let us know.

Fri, Jun 08, 2007

Tom Mangan's Hiking Column

Posted at 11:55

/blog/wild_places [link ]

Tom Mangan is another San Jose local who's given us a lot of recognition and behind-the-scenes moral support. Tom created and writes the Two Heel Drive blog about all things hiking.

We want to offer our belated congratulations to Tom for his new job as a hiking columnist for the San Jose Mercury News. You can see the archive of his hiking columns here: www.mercurynews.com/tommangan.

Best of luck on this endeavor, Tom, and happy trails!

Sun, Apr 29, 2007

Our New Nonprofit Status

Posted at 12:00

/blog/news [link ]

The WildeBeat Adopted as a Project of Earth Island Institute

• Read about it in this press release.

Earth Island Institute (a nonprofit incubator of environmental organizations) has adopted the WildeBeat as one of its projects, providing us the opportunity to support our efforts through tax-deductible donations and corporate underwriting, as well as foundation and government grants. This new relationship gives us a nonprofit structure that allows us to keep doing what we have been, and more.

We're excited about the future under this new organization. We hope to expand out efforts to produce more shows and make them available to a wider audience.

On our new support page, you'll find a link to a membership form where you can make a tax-deductible donation to support production of future programs. We'll be looking for ways to make that membership even more valuable to you. You might also notice that the Google Ads have been removed from the web site — they're not compatible with our nonprofit status.

Thank you for listening and participating, and for your continued interest.

— Steve Sergeant

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. (Details)