Helen Thayer at Nature of Things 2010

This week, UMNH kicks-off the Nature of Things 2010 lecture series.

This year's theme is "Report from the Frontlines" and presents six speakers in five events, each with a unique perspective on their efforts toward building a more sustainable future. The speakers are all controversial in one way or another , and will not all necessarily agree with one another! The Museum is honored, through support from our sponsors and partners, to facilitate complex discussion and community dialogue around some of the most critical issues facing our society.

The series kicks-off tonight with global trekker, Helen Thayer. We asked Helen a few questions as she prepared for her trip to Salt Lake City.

JF: How much time have you spent in Utah and what are your impressions of our land?
HT: As a spokesperson for the CORDURA® brand, I have traveled to Utah several times to speak to community organizations and attend the Outdoor Retailer show. Though I have never had the opportunity to trek Utah, I find it to be a beautiful state and look forward to spending more time here.

JF: Ah, you need to spend some time in Utah wilderness! How did you end up as a ‘global trekker’?
HT: I began climbing mountains when I was nine years old and my global trekking evolved as a natural way to satisfy my desire to learn more about remote people and places.

JF: Your lecture kicks-off of the Nature of Things lecture series, which, this year, has the theme of “Report from the Frontlines". How do your adventures contribute to the series?
HT: My job is to make people aware of the remote corners of the world, the indigenous cultures that inhabit them and how it all fits into the big picture environmental awareness and the need for greater intercultural respect. It is only when we can respect each other and the world around us that we can all come together to make a better world for all the citizens across the globe.

JF: Polar Dream is the story of your first trek. Have you returned to the North Pole? Have you noticed any changes?
HT: I returned four years after my solo walk to the magnetic North Pole, this time with my husband to celebrate our 30th year of marriage. During my second trek I discovered changes in the ice thickness. Since then we have explored the Arctic regions extensively, and every year we have noticed changes not only to the ice and permafrost but also to the flora in general.

JF: What will people expect at this lecture?
HT: Attendees can expect to hear stories from my many journeys and expeditions across the world. I also hope to inspire individuals to set goals, plan for success and always use persistence in reaching those goals.

JF: You will be presenting at the Salt Lake Center for Science Education, a newly-formed charter school that focuses on science education, with an emphasis on outdoor experiences. What does science education represent to you?
HT: Speaking to a targeted group of students is a wonderful opportunity to reach an audience who can understand the importance of taking care of the environment, each other and most importantly giving back to the world around them.

JF: What prompted you to develop Adventure Classroom?
HT: My desire to share my expeditions with others led me to take the four corners of the world to K-12 kids though my Adventure Classroom program. Discovering nature in its untouched form, as well as ways to protect our environment, helped me make the realization that through my worldwide expeditions I could create educational programs to inspire students to find ways to help preserve a world they will inherit. Further, the program is aimed at encouraging kids to be confident and believe in themselves.

JF: You are known as an inspirational speaker, sharing adventures in which "going back is not an option". How do your audiences relate to your adventures?
HT: My experiences show that age is no barrier to our dreams and goals. It’s never too late to make this world or ourselves a better place.

JF: Can you tell us about some recent adventures?
HT: We have just returned from Africa after living for an extended period of time with the Maasai tribe. There we learned their ancient lifestyle by living amongst the people. In February we will return to Africa to live with the Bushmen - a culture even more ancient than the Maasai and threatened by extinction.
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You can read more about Helen Thayer's Nature of Things lecture at www.umnh.utah.edu/nature

You can read more about Helen and see some of her photographs at www.helenthayer.com

Hot, Flat and Crowded #2: Paying Attention

The UMNH Book Club met last week for our discussion of Hot, Flat, and Crowded. About half of the group had been to Thomas Friedman's SLC lecture, some had listened on the radio, a few had just skimmed the book. The group was comprised primarily of retirees, a handful of professionals in their 50's, three "40-something" women, two of us who have children, and our guest facilitator, Young Jonny Spendlove. (Sorry, Jonny, can't help saying your name as a title! It's so catchy!) I go into details of the make-up of the group because of the way the discussion went, but more about that later....

Jonny started the discussion by telling us about his search to find out why Al Gore had made a quiet visit to Salt Lake City the previous week. After some investigation, Jonny discovered that the former vice-president and the unofficial spokesman for climate change came to Utah to meet privately with the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints (LDS). Evidently, Al Gore initiated the meeting and we can only assume that the discussion centered on climate change. The fact that the meeting happened at all had particular significance for those of us living in Utah, regardless of our religious affiliation. What IF the LDS church leaders came out with a call to reduce human impact on climate change? What if?

Jonny asked the group "Where do you 'hook in' on the need for a green revolution?" For one woman in the group it is clean air quality, having raised three children with severe allergies. Many retirees in the group expressed the great sadness of observing a world in which so much that was good (salmon running in the river, growing up on a family farm, the freedom of growing up outdoors) has been lost. Lost for their grandchildren. Another expressed the frustration of having lived a life with great concern for conservation, only to have the world still careening toward breakdown, it seems. For Jonny, it was the importance of not living, working, raising his future children in a world led by petrodictatorships. As Friedman points out, there are many places to jump into the Green Revolution. So many that perhaps an effort to significantly changed our ways of living on our planet will continue to create some new unlikely partnerships. Like Al Gore and the LDS Church.

Our discussion headed toward: What does the "green revolution" look like in Utah? In Salt Lake City? Our discussion covered everything from the green lawns of LDS Ward Houses being converted to community gardens, to lowering our VMT (vehicle miles traveled), to using Solar Dryers (a.k.a. clothes lines). A lively discussion ensued on public utilities. The retirees in the group seemed to have detailed, elaborate tracking of their public utilities usage and bills. Really detailed.

I admit, at one point I had thoughts of, "Wow, these people are really focused on their utility bills!" But then it dawned on me: They are paying attention. And isn't that the whole point? The prosperous American Lifestyle as defined by Friedman, the one that nine "Americums" of people are living today, thrives on not paying attention. Just using more, buying more, burning through cheap oil, cheap energy, more plastic, more cars, more. Prosperity doesn't require having to pay attention to the small details of saving money.

But these folks, they are paying attention. Whether motivated by a fixed income, a life-long practice of conservation, or a desire to use only what is needed (really needed), these folks are paying attention! When can I get over my 1980's perspective of "more prosperity" and start truly paying attention?