Posts Tagged ‘Amanda Hamilton’

MSI Successful Board Retreat

16/09/2010

Burning the midnight oil

At MSI’s recent residential retreat, the energy was contagious. The board members worked on actively bringing Mountain Spirit to a new level of commitment and confidence. MSI was started in 1998, when R. Richards,  after having just returned from high alpine guiding in Peru, led a trip under the MSI name to the Cusco region of Peru.  Since then the non-profit organization has had numerous and successful programs and workshops ranging from a Peruvian Shamanic Studies program which ran over the course of two years, a wilderness experience educational program, author lectures, and a film series, ongoing programs to Peru, the teen healing adventure and the Peru/USA Music Exchange held in the Northeastern US in the fall of 1998.

“Becoming more sustainable as an organization, and building capacity to deliver programs ” has been the board’s goal for the last two years.  At each board retreat we’ve identified how we can move forward, and at our last retreat, we dug in and wrote our first grant together. Laptops were all over the room, crunching numbers from every program we have on the calendar.

We had a ball, put in some long hours and have some great results. Importantly, we have set a time to develop our annual program schedule where we’ll slate new programs for the coming year during our Board of Directors summer retreat. Also, as  a result of the great work every did putting together some great programs and an top-notch organization-wide budget, we applied for our first grant to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Express Grant. We put in some serious hours, and suffered from a bit of what fellow board member Craig Cimmons calls “HBO”.  The acronym stands for “Haven’t Been Outdoors”.

Thanks to Cindy Heath, Craig Cimmons, Bob Stremba, and Amanda Richards for all the work and energy that they put into the board retreat! Adelante!

Image: MSI Board Members LtoR: The beagle Daphne (not a board member), Randy Richards, Amanda Richards, Bob Stremba, dinner guest and author *Henry  Homeyer, Cindy Heath and Craig Cimmons. (*Who you’ll be seeing more about on this blog)

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MS Names New Board Member

29/10/2009

AmandaRichardsBOD

Amanda Richards, MSI Board Member

Amanda Richards was named to the board of Directors of Mountain Spirit Institute, at the organization’s recent annual retreat held in Sunapee, NH. She was also elected treasurer.

Amanda brings a wealth of marketing and business background plus great energy and ideas to MSI.  She has also been a backcountry hut Ranger for the Department Conservation in New Zealand’s Mt. Aspiring National Park.  Amanda has trekked extensively in the Himalaya,  climbed Kilimanjaro in Africa, and done extensive adventures in New Zealand, Australia and other parts of the world.  She is a classically trained Homeopath and has a degree in science. She speaks conversational Spanish and English.
Says Richards of her new appointment, ” I’m thrilled to be part of the Mountain Spirit team, and look forward to contributing.”

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MSI Founder Purchases Land in Peru

28/10/2009

Randy and Amanda Richards have purchased a small parcel of land near Hauraz Peru, which if their plans come to fruition, could mean a basecamp for Mountain Spirit Institute. The couple would eventually like to build a small retreat center/basecamp on the spot which overlooks the Cordillera Blanca range in northern Peru, including the highest peak in Peru, Mt. Huascaran.

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Possible MSI Basecamp, Peru

Richards first saw the site 12 years ago when we was taken up there by his godchild’s family. Richards was guiding Huasacaran at the time. He always had it in the back of his mind that the site would be ideal for either a small cabin or retreat where participants could come and take Mountain Spirit programs.

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Huascaran from MSI's Basecamp(?)

The site had only been accessible by foot – a 1.5 hour hike from the valley floor below, but two years ago a dirt road was put in to access the area, and Richards thought it was better to act now than wait any longer.

Although Richards purchased the land, depending upon funding from Mountain Spirit, the organization could become involved if the board thinks it would like to expand operations in Peru by offering a basecamp. Regardless, The Richards will enact conservation  and stewardship practices, maintaining the protecting the area from further development by possibly purchasing additional acreage or seeking others willing to put the land into protection. The location is particularly special and deserves protection from hotel interests that have been interested in the area. The area us currently used for farming, and the couple will encourage their “Peruvian family”, the Sanchez family to add the parcel to their nearby fields.

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Tai Chi on Land near Hauraz, Peru

Says Richards, originally of Sunapee, NH, “I never thought I’d be purchasing land in Peru, but the time and situation seemed right.” He added, “It has a special spirit of the place,” which would be a appropriate for an organization called “Mountain Spirit”.

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Posted in Conservation, Environment, Mountain People, MSI News, Peru, Power of Place, South America, Spiritual, Sustainable Living/Communities | Leave a Comment »

A Joyful Ceremony Planned

15/05/2009
R. Richards and A. Hamilton are getting married in NZ

R. Richards and A. Hamilton at Mt. Cook, NZ Ceremony set for 30th May near Auckland

Executive Director Randall Richards is getting married to Amanda Hamilton. Randy 51,  is a native of Sunapee New Hampshire, USA, and Amanda, 40, born in South Africa, who has been living in New Zealand for a number of years, are planning a simple ceremony at the end of the month.  Neither have been married before, nor have any children.

It took their mutual friend Lizbeth Asserhoj from Denmark,  living in Copenhagen, to put them together. Richards knew Asserhoj from travels in Peru, and Hamilton first met her in Australia, and later traveled with her in India. Lizbeth thought the two would get along, and went so far as to invite Richards on the India trip in hopes the two would cross paths and hit it off.

What started with some emails and Skype video calls, soon developed into a trip to New Hampshire, USA for Amanda, and month later, a trip for Randy to NZ. The two will be having the ceremony on the 3oth of May at Piha Beach near Auckland, New Zealand, Amanda’s twin sister, mother and friends will be present. The two will also plan celebratory gatherings in the U.S. when they eventually return.

Getting Married on Piha Beach, NZ

Ceremony on N. end of Piha Beach, NZ

Both are lovers of the mountains. Hamilton has been a ranger for the Aspiring National Park for the last few seasons on New Zealand’s South Island, and has enjoyed trekking in Nepal, the Alps and other areas.  Richards has been climbing, skiing and mountain guiding most of his life.

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Posted in Holistic Living, Mountain People, New Zealand, Spiritual | 1 Comment »