At this point in the week, we suspect you're in the mood to get out and enjoy the world outside of your computer screen, but it's Thursday, and you can't–yet. Don't despair! We've got just the thing to make you smile, daydream or draw inspiration from for your weekend, which is just around the corner.
This short film about man and his best friend is all at once lighthearted and funny, as well as dark and deeply emotional. Above all, it's a beautiful tribute to what it means to bond with another soul, and a reminder that unconditional love transcends everything. Take eight minutes out of your day to watch the latest collaboration between producer Ben Moon, director Ben Knight and cinematographer Skip Armstrong of Wazee Motion Pictures. If you're about to press play, we'll make one last suggestion: only do so in a place where you're free (or comfortable enough) to weep openly.
At this point in the week, we suspect you're in the mood to get out and enjoy the world outside of your computer screen, but it's Thursday, and you can't -- yet. Don't despair! We've got just the thing to make you smile, daydream and draw inspiration from for your weekend, which is just around the corner.
We discovered this video on Banff Mountain Film Festival's Facebook page, and because we're dog lovers here at Klean Kanteen HQ, we had to share it. We suggest you take a one minute break right now to watch Jake, Vail's newest (and youngest) patrol dog, romp in the snow. It's undeniably adorable -- and a great reminder to enjoy life's little moments of pure joy.
I was 13 years old when I saw the Grand Canyon for the first time. It was spring break, and my parents took my brother and me on a trip to Arizona. Before we went to the canyon, we did touristy things -- bought turquoise earrings, checked out crystals in Sedona, rode the Pink Jeep tours. That was all fun, in a typical vacation kind of way. And then we got to the Grand Canyon. I remember stepping out to the viewpoint for the first time. I was from Maryland and had never seen anything like this. There were no words for the colors, the silence, the wildness, the space. This was why we were here.
We stayed in a little one-room cabin, and we still laugh about how we all had to put up with my dad snoring all night. The next morning we hiked a little bit on a trail. It was steep and icy and I remember being nervous. The views were amazing, dizzying. I wondered about the people who hiked all the way down to the bottom. We turned around after a little while and headed back up the trail, sufficiently challenged and satisfied, humbled and in awe.
I overheard a woman exclaim: “It’s so beautiful, it looks manmade!” I remember thinking that was a weird thing to say. To me, the canyon was so beautiful because I didn’t see any sign of people. Because it was wild and natural, created by water and wind and time.
This place left its mark on me and I always remember that family vacation. Two decades later, I got to raft the Grand Canyon, diving deeper into this place, immersing myself into its timeless magic. I didn’t sleep much on that trip, either – the stars at night were so beautiful, I wanted to stay up and not miss a second of it.
But today this place, this magic, is threatened. American Rivers named the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon America's #1 Most Endangered River for 2015. From a massive construction project in the heart of the canyon, to radioactive pollution from uranium mining, to a development that could drain vital groundwater supplies, this place faces a battery of threats that could forever harm the very values that make it so special.
Now that I'm a mom, I'm thinking about the family vacations I want to take with my boys when they're older. The Grand Canyon is at the top of the list. I want them to feel what I felt, standing on the rim for the first time. I don't want that experience to be tarnished and cheapened by pollution, trash and noise.
Have you visited the Grand Canyon? Have you shared it with your kids? Please share your own stories and speak up for protecting the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon so that it remains protected for all of us, for all time.
Klean Voice Contributor Amy Kober is the Senior Director of Communications at American Rivers, as well as the mother of two little boys. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Winter doesn’t mean you have to be stuck inside all day. While braving the rain, snow and cold with kids requires additional layers and a little more planning, this season has lots of wonderful treasures for those who venture out!
Here are three ideas for avoiding cabin fever and enjoying all that winter has to offer.
Explore a blue trail
Rivers and streams offer great opportunities to connect with the outdoors. Blue trails are rivers with enhanced access and recreation amenities. Stroll the boardwalk along South Carolina’s Congaree River Blue Trail, or watch birds along Arizona’s Verde. Even if it’s too cold for fishing and boating, blue trails are a great place to hike, play and explore. Find a blue trail near you.
Visit a wildlife refuge
If you’re looking wildlife, head to a National Wildlife Refuge (look for the map on the homepage and type in your zip code). You’ll find lots of hiking and wildlife-watching opportunities for all ages and abilities. Winter is a great time to see birds. On a recent visit with my kids to the Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge near Portland, we encountered lots of waterfowl and bald eagles. We also enjoyed a good deal of puddle stomping (always good to bring a change of clothes)!
Go on a scavenger hunt
Sometimes with kids, it’s best to keep it simple and close to home. You can get inspiration from these scavenger hunt printables and lists (here and here). Take them with you on a walk to your local park and discover winter treasures in your own back yard!
Klean Voice Contributor Amy Kober is the Senior Director of Communications at American Rivers, as well as the mother of two little boys. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
The Wilderness Society is the leading American conservation organization working to protect our nation’s shared wildlands. In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of The Wilderness Act, the organization launched the #WeAreTheWild Campaign, which shares a myriad of stories from public icons, celebrities and athletes about the wild places that are the most significant to them.
This month, Oscar-Winning actor, director, philanthropist and environmentalist Robert Redford contributes his own life-changing story of America’s wilderness as he remembers the awe that overtook him on the first day that he set eyes on Yosemite National Park. In Redford’s own words:
“The first time I got really inspired by nature was when I went into Yosemite National park when I was about 11 years old. When I saw the park I thought, “Woah. This is the way it should be. This is a sculptured paradise.”
Take a few moments today to listen to Redford, and join him in helping to protect the wild or share your own story of the wild that’s moved you most powerfully in your life. Whether it’s you, me or Robert Redford himself, #WeAreTheWild.
Kids need the outdoors. They need wild places to run and pretend – where they can be, simply, kids. As parents, we know this – little children just aren’t meant to be cooped up inside all day.
That’s why I love this new video from American Rivers, following eight-year old Parker as he counts down his favorite things about rivers (#21, time with mom. My favorite).
I have two little boys, and outside time is important. Especially river time. Of course, a weekend on the North Umpqua or a float on the John Day isn’t always possible, because… work, laundry, groceries, diapers, naps, life. But we try. There are days we don’t get beyond the front yard, but sometimes exploring our old walnut tree, following bugs through the grass, and watching crows flying overhead is its own fantastic adventure.
When we get outside, we’re all happier.
When we’re outside, we get to bond as a family in new ways. My kids open my eyes to new perspectives. We’re away from screens and other distractions. My New Year’s resolutions centered around presence, patienceandplay. Being outside with my boys helps with all three.
So here’s to getting outside with our kids every day, rain or shine, whether it’s a camping trip or a simple walk around the neighborhood. Here’s to letting our kids be kids, and to enjoying the magic and beauty of fresh air and clean water together.
Klean Voice Contributor Amy Kober is the Senior Director of Communications at American Rivers, as well as the mother of two little boys. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
Earlier this month, we posted a call to action in the hopes of raising awareness about adding more protected public lands to our nation before the year's end. Today, we're proud to announce that just days ago, the United States Senate voted in favor of passing the National Defense Authorization Act, which included many public lands protection bills. All in all, the passed bill brought with it 524,300 acres of federally protected land, including 246,300 acres of new Wilderness in Washington, Nevada, Colorado, Montana, and New Mexico. That is officially the largest public lands protections that Congress has passed since 2009.
Alpine Lakes Additions, WA: Just 45 minutes east of downtown Seattle, the Pratt, Middle Fork and South Fork Snoqualmie Valleys are the closest mountain valleys to Puget Sound population centers. The legislation permanently protects 22,000 acres of additions to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and 40 miles of the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers as Wild and Scenic.
Hermosa Creek, CO: The bill protects the 108,000-acre Hermosa Creek Watershed in the San Juan National Forest of southwestern Colorado, including nearly 38,000 acres of new Wilderness within the watershed.
Rocky Mountain Front, MT: Montanans rallied around the new protections for 275,000 acres of public land in western Montana. The bill adds 50,500 acres to the Bob Marshall Wilderness and 16,700 acres to the Scapegoat Wilderness. The legislation also designates 208,000 acres as Conservation Management Areas.
Columbine-Hondo, NM: The protects 45,000 acres north of Taos, in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, including Gold Hill, its highest peak. The new Wilderness also contains the headwaters for two rivers.
Wovoka, NV: In Nevada, the bill designates 48,000 acres of wilderness in Lyon County, protecting historic, cultural, and natural resources. The Wovoka Wilderness will be named in honor of the Native American spiritual leader and father of the Ghost Dance, who lived near the area.
Pine Forest Range, NV: The bill protects the 26,000 acre Pine Forest Range Wilderness in northwest Nevada. The Pine Forest Range is a popular destination for sportsmen and recreationists and is prime habitat for mule deer, sage grouse, and mountain lion.
This year, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Wilderness Act, which defined, once and for all, wilderness as “an area where the Earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor and does not remain.”
This monumental recognition and powerful legislation is just as useful today as it was in 1964 because it allows Congress to protect some of our nation’s most precious wild lands, again and again. We love our public lands, the recreation opportunities they offer and the solitude and soul-feeding beauty they offer all of us. So it’s important that we protect as much land as possible. Adding to that, 2014 is a unique and potentially opportune year because lawmakers of the 113th Congress currently have the momentum necessary to some of these wilderness bills across the finish line. As a nation, we also have the momentum of the 50th Anniversary of The Wilderness Act to build upon by protecting more wildernesses for decades to come.
So, what can you do? Historically, wilderness protection comes from those who experience the natural beauty of their own backyards and then feel moved to fight for their protection. You can help protect the wilderness in your own neck of the woods by exercising your civic rights and speaking up!Email your Senator to tell them that you love these wild places and that you – and your community – want them to stay wild.Join us in a movement along with many local communities in urging Congress to pass wilderness protection.
We'll close this out with words from filmmaker Pete McBride, who created the film above. In a recent National Geographic post, he writes:
"That said, there one fundamental distinction we cannot forget: unlike farms and gardens, wilderness areas cannot change, nor are they allowed to be changed. No permanent buildings, no roads, no wheeled traffic. Their management plans might have adjusted over the last 50 years, but their undeveloped landscapes have not. A few trails may have appeared; a few trees may have sprouted skyward, crashed to earth, or even burned. Yet, what someone saw in 1964 is roughly the same today."
When filmmaker Ben Sturgulewksi set out for a few summer weeks in his home turf of Alaska during solstice, he decided to do what he does best, what comes naturally to him: to capture some of it on film. The final product quickly drew the attention of fellow filmmakers, adventure junkies and the staff of Vimeo, who snatched it up as a Staff Pick in no time. We can't help but agree with the general consensus: this short film is stunning. It captures Alaska in a way that few of us would ever be able to see with our own two eyes, and the film does so with a crispness, speed and elegance that only a filmmaker like Ben could master. We took a few minutes to talk to Ben about how he caught this all on film, and what it was like during the process of filming. Here's what he had to say:
Klean: How did you capture all of this aerial footage?
Ben: All of the footage was captured using the DJI Phantom 2. It's a small quadcopter that can easily fit down into a pack, with a stabilized camera mount (gimbal) that holds a GoPro. I love going on hikes while I'm up in Alaska, so I'd usually just throw it in the pack and march out to somewhere cool, and start flying! Before buying the Phantom, I had trained on a small $35 throwaway drone, the Syma X1. It has the same controls and everything, so it's a great learning tool. But putting a camera on it totally changes the game, and requires you to fly in a very delicate and controlled way. When I got to Alaska I had just picked up the Phantom, and was still largely learning the ropes, trying to line shots up through the video monitor (attached to the remote controller) and figure out what looks good, finding the right speed to fly at to get a desired effect, things like that. So I tried to experiment with a lot of different locations and camera moves, to see what looks good in the end. A whole lot looked terrible and was thrown away, and the stuff that ended up in Solstice were those that I thought worked out well. For me the allure of the drone in favor of a full-size helicopter (outside of the astronomical price difference, of course), is the drone's ability to get shots that helicopters can't. Flying through tight obstacles or very close to the ground, for example, where a helicopter's propwash would destroy everything. This opens up a whole new world of shot possibilities, and for me is perfect for my filming style. I like to get in tight with the subject. It just feels a bit more intimate. Drones, especially these smaller ones, allow you to do that in a way never seen before, and it's really exciting to explore all of the possibilities that opens up.
Klean: Is piloting a drone through tight places as tough as it looks?
Ben: Piloting the drone through tight spaces is actually pretty easy, but it takes a lot of confidence in both yourself and the ship. Usually I'll just line myself up at one end of the 'corridor' I'm flying through, and make sure the 'line goes', I guess, by seeing that there is a good line of sight path down it. Then I know that if I just throttle the drone forward and don't go side to side, it shouldn't hit anything. Of course this is all in theory, and I did take out some foliage for sure, but in the end it really is incredible how stable and controlled these crafts are, and it's surprisingly simple and easy to pilot it out again. Line of sight is the key though, and its not like you can be standing anywhere. If you were to try to pilot through the same scene from a profile perspective, you'd have zero depth of field and would immediately crash into something.
Klean: What was your inspiration for filming all of this footage?
Ben: I had just picked up the Phantom and was going on a June trip to Alaska, and thought I'd fly it around and learn how to use it. Ultimately the goal was to get lots of practice and be dialed in time for a ski-filming trip to South America I had in August. But over the month I was in AK, I guess I became obsessed with going out and trying to get all these different shots I had in mind... I was constantly thinking about things that might look cool, and exploring the system's possibilities, trying to get cool shots just to see what it was capable of. When I started to get some of the footage back in the computer and fiddle with it to make it look good, I realized that, whoa, this little thing can actually make some pretty impressive images. That only fueled the fire more, as I wanted to see how much I could really pull out of the machine. By the time I left, I had a big library of cool 'test footage', some of which I thought people would think was pretty cool, and it seemed like a shame not to do anything with it. So I started editing, and Solstice came together... the name inspired by the many hikes I took through the high northern June light that ended up being the basis for the video.
Klean: What was your favorite part of making Solstice?
Ben: Definitely my favorite part of making the piece was all the awesome places that it took me. I really became inspired to try to seek out the most beautiful locations I could, in the finest light, and show them in a unique way. It was an awesome excuse to get out and find yourself in an incredible place during magic hour. I'm addicted to sunsets and sunrises, and I found myself in a ton of them during the making of this. Ultimately these days I find that film has a wonderful way of getting me outside and doing some really fun things, whereas I might otherwise be inclined to sit inside and drink a beer and watch a movie, or sleep in. Having that drive to see and capture wonderful images has really made my life so much more satisfying, and while sometimes that drive can become a bit obsessive and ridiculous, I'm very happy I have it. At the end of the day, even if you miss the shot entirely, you're out there and doing it and internalizing it, and that, for me, is way more important than the end video product. But if other people can enjoy it after the fact in a well put together video, that's a great bonus!
Klean: What other film projects are you currently working on currently with STURGEFILM?
Ben: I've currently got several projects in the pipe. The biggest at the moment is a four-part skiing short film series in association with DPS Skis, Outdoor Research, and Gore-Tex, called The Shadow Campaign. They were shot in Mount Baker, Argentina, Chile and Baldface up in British Columbia. They're launching this fall, so I'm deep in the editing cave finishing them up, but we're hopefully going to be starting up a season two that should bring me to some more awesome locations. That was primarily shot on Red, but next season the drone will be in tow, and now that my skills are a little more dialed, I hope to incorporate it into the program quite a bit. Capturing ski action and a quickly moving subject is a whole new challenge that should be fun to explore. Otherwise, I'm involved in a bunch of freelance shooting and editing work. I'm currently involved in a really cool project with Rush Sturge's production company River Roots, which is working on extreme adventure sports films for the Mexican Ministry of Tourism. So getting some great experience there shooting a huge array of sports. A ton of fun! Lots more in the pipe as well, and I'm really looking forward to getting back up to my home state of Alaska to make some more projects happen up there.
Winter doesn’t mean you have to be stuck inside all day. While braving the rain, snow and cold with kids requires additional layers and a little more planning, this season has lots of wonderful treasures for those who venture out!