Archive for November 3rd, 2009

MSI’s Blog: Up 700% in 1st Year

03/11/2009

Mountain Spirit Institute celebrates Blog’s 1st year with 700% increase in readership.

By Randall Richards
A blog that started with 2 views in Oct 2008 and 286 one month later has grown 700% in one year to 2000 views per month. The one year anniversary of Mountain Spirit’s Blog has seen posts as diverse as the organization’s mission statement.  Seven months after the blog started the readership rose to 1,540 per month and has been growing steadily since its start.

Blog Stats 11-09

MSI Blog growth: 1 year

Board members have occasionally contributed and are now adding more subject material as well as breadth and type of posts. Says MSI founder Richards of the blog, “It’s been a ball getting this blog going. It’s eclipsing our quarterly newsletter in activity and interest, so I think we’ll continue building it.

Special thanks go to MSI Board members for their contributions, and to executive director Martin Fox of Center for Global Leadership in Park City, Utah for his initial coaching on using WordPress.com as our blog.

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Giardia Myth-Buster:

03/11/2009

How Hearsay and Anecdotal Evidence has Created a False Industry Standard

By Erik Schlimmer

Avalanche Lake

Avalanche Lake in the Adirondacks. Image: Craig Cimmons

There are many things outdoor educators agree on. For example, a warm meal feels great at the end of the day. Cotton fabrics take forever to dry in the field and should thus be avoided. Most small groups generate less impact than large groups do. Mosquitoes and black flies come straight from hell. And, all backcountry water must be treated due to the presence of Giardia, a protozoan that has infested water sources throughout the United States, causing the debilitating gastrointestinal illness giardiasis.

Now, there is no denying hot meals are soothing, cotton kills, good things come in small packages, and camping during bug season is cruel and unusual punishment. But, has Giardia really infested our water sources? Ask this question to nearly any outdoor educator and you will receive a harried, “Oh, yes it has!” However, to the above question I calmly answer, “No, it has not.” I teach a curriculum that embraces drinking straight from the source.

read the rest of this article:

Posted in Experiential Education, Health, Leadership, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

MSI Co-sponsors “Fresh-The Movie”

03/11/2009

Film-Series-Fresh-Poster

"Fresh" Screening, in NH, USA

Mountain Spirit Institute is co-sponsoring the screening of the movie Fresh in New London, NH on Saturday November 21, at 7PM at the Whipple Auditorium on Main Street.

Says MSI director Randall Richards, “We saw the oportunity to get involved and help with the screening of this movie. We’re providing some desktop layout skills, and equipment for the showing.

Marketing and Development director Amanda Richards,  had heard about the movie Food.Inc, and having just arrived from New Zealand, had been concerned about what she was seeing in the U.S. food supply. When she heard that Linda Howes, CN, HHP, CBE was preparing to show the  movie Fresh, she decided to get involved. Howes is the local chapter representative of the Weston A Price Foundation and owner of Nourishing Wellness, in New London, NH. (more…)

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Posted in Environment, Health, Holistic Living, MSI News, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »