#134 - Exploring the 2025 Quiet Adventures Symposium - Lansing, MI USA

WEBVTT

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Welcome to Paddling the Blue. With each episode, we talk with guests from the

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Great Lakes and around the globe who are doing cool things related to sea kayaking.

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I'm your host, my name is John Chase, and let's get started paddling the blue.

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Welcome to today's episode of Paddling the Blue. Today's episode comes to you

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directly from the show floor at one of our favorite events, the 30th annual

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Quiet Adventures Symposium in Lansing, Michigan.

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Quiet Adventures is a celebration of quiet sports like ours.

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And as paddlers, when we hear symposium, we often think on-water education and experiences.

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And this one's a little different. It's more like a trade show with the Great Lakes emphasis.

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But even if you're not from Michigan, or even the USA, or our neighbors in Canada,

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I'm certain that you'll find value in hearing from today's guests.

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Our guests today include representatives from the U.S. Coast

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Guard auxiliary michigan sea grant the boat

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bus a super cool concept by the way the

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wolf moose foundation the connected paddler and

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woods and waters adventures with a special announcement on an upcoming adventure

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featuring yours truly all of them are working to educate and excite paddlers

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protect our waterways and keep our great lakes great if you're not already a

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subscriber to online sea kayaking.com you're missing out on some great content

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and a growing community So visit OnlineSeaKeyaking.com,

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use the coupon code PTBPODCAST to check out, and you'll get 10% off just for

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being a member of the Paddling the Blue community.

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Enjoy the live show floor energy in today's episode from Quiet Adventures Symposium.

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I'm here with Denise DeKett. Denise, welcome.

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Thank you, John. Yeah, Denise is with the Coast Guard Auxiliary Air Station

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Traverse City. That's our home here.

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And we are talking a little bit about the AUXPAD program. So,

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Denise, tell us a little bit about AuxPad, what it is.

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Okay. AuxPad is a paddle craft safety program that the Coast Guard is involved in.

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We have kayakers that come into the area, and we try to educate them with wearing

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their PFDs, wearing clothes that would be appropriate for the water,

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the weather, educating them in paddle safety. Okay.

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So now the Coast Guard Auxiliary, what is the Coast Guard Auxiliary and how

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does that differ from Coast Guard proper?

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So the Coast Guard Auxiliary is a volunteer program.

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We have people from all walks of life that come in and they want to work with

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the Coast Guard to help out the active duty Coast Guard.

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So we have people in the auxiliary that do boats for border safety, such as fireworks.

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They help out with kayaking programs to assist them.

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We have culinary assistant programs where we help the Coast Guard.

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We have classes that we teach the public.

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We have pilots that offer their

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airplanes to help fly, to do search and rescues for people in the water.

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That's quite a range of activities that the group does.

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Your focus is the AuxPad programs, the auxiliary paddlecraft,

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and really focusing on paddlecraft safety, right? Yes.

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The AuxPad program started around COVID, maybe even a little bit before COVID.

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And one of the reasons that it did start, we have a lot of people that wanted

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to get out of their homes into nature. They started kayaking.

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Unfortunately, a lot of people started kayaking without the safety aspects of it.

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We have had a lot of deaths, injury, recoveries, searches, because people were

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unprepared for the water.

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And so what the AuxPad program mainly does, again, is trying to educate the

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public into the paddle craft safety.

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Okay. And you have both an AuxPad ashore and AuxPad afloat, right? Yes, we do.

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The aux pad afloat is when an auxiliarist paddle craft goes out on the water.

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We usually start up a conversation with a fellow paddler out on the water and

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to try to find out what level skills they have, what type of information they might need.

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And then we try to get them, if they need more skills, you know,

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to offer them classes that we have.

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We might talk to them just in general, you know, what type of PFDs to wear and

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to prepare for the water.

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So we're not in any way law enforcement. We don't do any enforcement.

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It's not like we're out writing tickets. All we're doing is trying to educate people on the water.

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Sure. Now, the Ashore program, what we do is we set up booths in different festivals

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where there's large groups of people.

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And we offer literature, again, telling them where the classes are available.

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Encourage them to wear the PFDs. We also go into schools and try to educate

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the kids, middle school, early high school, the importance of wearing their PFDs.

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Give them good stories and bad stories on people that have worn them and didn't wear them. Okay.

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All right. So people interact with the Coast Guard Auxiliary both through the

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events and festivals, like you'd mentioned, that you're giving out that education

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and information, and then through in-person interactions on the water.

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Yes, it's amazing on people when

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we do the ashore or afloat of all of the different questions they have.

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You know, one of the things, you know, on the jackets, the PFDs,

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you know, we really try not to get people to wear blue PFDs when if they capsize

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and the helicopter's out looking for them, It's very, very hard to find someone

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floating in the water with a blue PFD.

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So we encourage the colors, you know, bright colors to be found.

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Anything that we can do to educate.

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But there's such a range of questions

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that we are out there helping in any way we can on paddle safety.

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Great. Well, thank you for that education that you're providing and for continuing

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to bring safety to our community. So how can people interact with or connect

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with the Coast Cutter Auxiliary?

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Well, our flotilla in Traverse City is at the air station.

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We don't have cutters at our flotilla where we're at.

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If anyone is interested in more information about the auxiliary,

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we can offer you a link where you could contact someone else.

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The air station, Traverse City Air Station. Okay. I'll make sure I put links

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in the show notes to both Air Station Traverse City as well as just a general link.

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So if somebody outside of the Traverse City area is interested in connecting

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with Coast Guard Auxiliary in their local area, and then you're nationwide, correct?

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Absolutely. Yeah. So there's flotillas all over. And if somebody's interested

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in getting involved in that and helping continue to promote the safety message,

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we'll give them that opportunity.

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That's great. Thank you. Denise, thank you for the opportunity to join us today.

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Thank you very much, John. Yeah.

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Erica Kledz has joined me. Welcome, Erica. Thank you. So Erica is with Michigan

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Sea Grant. So Erica, what is Michigan Sea Grant?

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So we are a program that does research, outreach, and education about the Great Lakes.

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So we do have staff that are based all over Michigan. So we cover all of Michigan's coastal counties.

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Then we cover all different topics. So we have colleagues that work on fisheries

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and fish health. I do some work on habitat restoration for paddlers.

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We've actually got a couple programs for paddlers.

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The biggest one is called My Paddle Stewards.

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And that's where we teach people to identify invasive aquatic plants in the water.

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So while you're out paddling, if you see something weird, you can learn how

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to recognize what that is through our training classes and then also report

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it so that people know that it's there because that's our best chance for invasive plants.

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It's best to find them early. Sure.

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Now, how long has that program been running? It's been running almost,

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I think, six or eight years now.

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So we're on our second grant for it. So since I think around 2019.

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Okay. Yeah. All right. And you mentioned other paddling programs as well.

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Yeah. So one of the other areas that I work a lot in is in education around harmful algal bloom.

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So sometimes when we see the water turn really green, it can be an indication

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that we're having an algal bloom.

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And so we do a lot of education programs about that because paddlers,

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of course, when they're out, they might not just encounter invasive species,

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they could encounter, yeah, water that's green from an algal bloom as well as

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just like other sorts of like.

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Charges or, you know, something weird coming out of a pipe, any kinds of things.

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But yeah, harmful algal blooms are unfortunately becoming more common or at

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least more recognized in Michigan.

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And so they've occurred in most of the counties in Michigan and want people

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to be aware because often even when they're reported and there's testing done

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for them, that process is not immediate.

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So it's best if people just know how to recognize them that way.

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If they're ever in an area that's having one of those, they can just avoid that area.

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Sure. Now we've got listeners all around the world for the podcast,

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and some may not be familiar with algal blooms.

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So tell us a little bit about an algal bloom. What is it? How does it happen?

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Absolutely. So algae is a natural part of our ecosystems, and it's actually

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a really important foundation of our ecosystem.

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So everything that goes all the way up to fish, we need to have algae as part of the food.

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But some algae does produce toxins, and since it's all around the world,

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that could be just different ones that produce those toxins.

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And so when algae, algae is often not visible unless you use a microscope.

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But when it blooms, that's when we can see it with the naked eye.

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And so we might notice something in the water.

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And then we want to try to figure out what type of algae is it.

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Because there's algae that are more sort of like clumpy and you could put a

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stick in it and it would be more, have more structure to it.

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That algae is typically not harmful.

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But then there's stuff like, at least in fresh waters, cyanobacteria is one

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of the ones we have an issue with. and...

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That looks more like spilled paint or pea soup in the water.

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So a really darker color that you'd be looking for. But depending on what region

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you're in, it's good to research like what might be an issue.

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So you might have heard of like red tides or things like that in more coastal areas.

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So yeah, that's a good thing that you could encounter while you're out paddling.

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Okay. So what can we do as paddlers to help stop that?

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Yeah. The big thing with harmful algal blooms is to reduce the amount of nutrients going into the water.

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So if you do happen to live along a lake or a water body, if you can install

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like a buffer strip of plants, using less fertilizer, anything that removes

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additional, that's not putting more nutrients into the water.

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Because typically they're occurring in warm water and in areas where there's

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kind of an excess of nutrients. Okay.

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All right. Thank you. And now you also kind of support another program.

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We've got sea lampreys in the Great Lakes. And I think you kind of get involved

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in that program a little bit. Yeah, we don't do any direct of the hands-on work

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for it, but we do do education as part of our partnership with the Great Lakes

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Fishery Commission that does that work. Yes.

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So sea lamprey are, before we were able to control the sea lamprey,

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they were one of the main things that was causing a big, there to be not that

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many fish in the Great Lakes because the sea lamprey, we were eating them.

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So they are an invasive species that came from the Atlantic Ocean all the way

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through the lakes and eventually throughout the lakes.

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And they do kill millions of pounds of fish here.

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So keeping them in check is part of what helps us have healthy Great Lakes fishery

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with fish for people to catch.

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And what are some of the things that agencies do to keep them in check?

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So a lot of it involves preventing them from getting to an adult stage.

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So sometimes they actually use traps that like draw them into certain areas

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and sometimes they will, when they're still in like a larval stage,

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that's typically going to be in streams and rivers.

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So they try to trap or control them at that stage before they can get out into the lake.

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Okay. And so it's really important that we have people that are doing that work

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to make sure that we are controlling the sea lamprey population.

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Because a good example would be the year of COVID when people couldn't go out

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and do field work. We saw a significant increase in the amount of lampreys.

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So they have a schedule of where they go at different times.

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And most areas don't need to be controlled every year, but they do need to be

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controlled on a regular schedule.

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So whenever years are missed, they do see that difference in the amount of lampreys.

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The more lampreys that are out there just means the more fish that are going

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to be killed by them. Okay.

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All right. How can people connect with Michigan Sea Grant and learn more?

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Yeah. So they can go on our website, michiganseagrant.org. And depending on

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where you are, if you're in the U.S., there's Sea Grant programs in all of the

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coastal states. So you can check those out.

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And we also have an email newsletter as well as social media.

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So people can follow us on any of those platforms that they'd like to and find out more.

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We do a ton of webinars and other free educational events and training. Okay.

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Well, we'll make sure we put links in the show notes so folks can check out

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Michigan Sea Grant and the other educational resources you have.

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And definitely appreciate the work that you do for My Paddle Stewards and for

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supporting and helping stop harmful algal blooms.

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Excuse me, I didn't pronounce that correctly. And then the work that you support

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through the Fisheries Commission for the Sea Lampreys. So thank you very much for all that work.

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Absolutely. Yeah, it was great talking with you. Thank you for talking to you, too.

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Micah Leinbach has joined me, and Micah is with Boat Bus. Micah, welcome.

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Thank you. Glad to be here. Appreciate it. So, Boat Bus. I saw the Boat Bus

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here, and then a couple of days before the event, I saw something about Boat

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Bus, and the concept just fascinated me.

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So, it's pretty cool. Tell us a little bit about Boat Bus and what it is. Yeah, happy to.

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So, Boat Bus stands for the Bus for Outdoor Access and Teaching.

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Although, I'll warn you and any other listeners, we're actually going to be renaming

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the organization soon as we grow and expand so they find us under a different

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name i can't tell you what it is yet but the concept still applies the concept

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applies and what we are is it's a bus it's actually several buses and we turn

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those buses into mobile wilderness programs which means we have enough camping

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gear and equipment for over 30 people to a bus and the seats to train.

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Do with that is we partner with different organizations and community leaders

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who want to add camping trips to the work that they do.

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And we bring them the resources they need to run those camping trips with their

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own vision on their own terms.

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Okay. So if you're like a teacher and you want to run a really cool field trip,

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but you don't have 30 sleeping bags, or you don't feel confident enough to take

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30 kids camping for days at a time, you can call us.

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We'll provide the transportation, we'll provide the gear, and we'll help train

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you to run that trip so that you can lead your own trip, but you'll have support

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from the organization that we are.

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So it's their vision, and then you're supporting their vision for them to make it happen.

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Yep, that's exactly right. So we spend a lot of time thinking about how do we

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make the outdoors more inclusive.

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And one of the ways to do that is to let people tell the story they want to tell.

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And I noticed that a lot of the programs that were out there,

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fantastic programs, but if you went, you got their curriculum,

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you got their style, you got their schedule.

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And I said, oh, wouldn't it be awesome if people could go out and have a trip

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feel like them, feel like their culture, feel like their community?

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And we just empower them with the resources. That is very cool.

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Tell us about one of the trips.

00:15:33.289 --> 00:15:36.809
Yeah. So it's so hard to just talk about one because they're so different.

00:15:37.009 --> 00:15:41.709
But here at the Quiet Adventures Symposium, we've got a group from Detroit Outdoors.

00:15:41.949 --> 00:15:44.589
They're tabling with us. And we have done so many trips with them.

00:15:44.769 --> 00:15:47.909
And what's really cool is they're working with a lot of high schools to start

00:15:47.909 --> 00:15:52.289
outdoor adventure clubs. And those outdoor adventure clubs are just like kids

00:15:52.289 --> 00:15:54.949
can go to school and join a chess club or join the football team.

00:15:55.209 --> 00:15:59.309
Now in Detroit, they can join an outdoor adventure club. And with those groups,

00:15:59.489 --> 00:16:03.369
they get to go both with us and sometimes without us for local trips.

00:16:03.369 --> 00:16:08.489
And just last week, we took a crew up ice climbing and curling and doing all

00:16:08.489 --> 00:16:11.469
the classic Upper Peninsula activities in Michigan's UP.

00:16:11.889 --> 00:16:15.329
I mean, a couple of weeks, we're taking them skiing down up at Crystal Mountain.

00:16:15.649 --> 00:16:19.109
Over the summer, they've done backpacking trips, including some pretty like

00:16:19.109 --> 00:16:22.409
rugged off-trail learning to navigate backpacking trips.

00:16:22.609 --> 00:16:24.929
And that's something they're getting exposed to through school.

00:16:25.069 --> 00:16:26.809
So we're reaching those kids where they're at.

00:16:26.949 --> 00:16:30.609
All right. And what I love about the group is a lot of them have parents who don't camp.

00:16:30.849 --> 00:16:33.589
And I ask people this question all the time. Why do you camp and why did you

00:16:33.589 --> 00:16:36.269
start camping? Most of us get introduced to it by family.

00:16:37.166 --> 00:16:40.966
For a lot of kids in America, their families don't camp. So what's the option for them?

00:16:41.266 --> 00:16:44.186
Now, in Detroit, we have this solution, and we've been helping to build it with

00:16:44.186 --> 00:16:47.286
Detroit Outdoors that they get to do it through school. So that's one of my favorite examples.

00:16:47.546 --> 00:16:50.446
Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, you're right. There's so many people that would like to

00:16:50.446 --> 00:16:54.066
be able to start getting involved in outdoor activities, but aren't really even

00:16:54.066 --> 00:16:56.446
sure where to start. And the gear is a big investment.

00:16:56.866 --> 00:17:01.086
And so you're able to meet people not only where they are physically and be

00:17:01.086 --> 00:17:03.666
able to get them to that location, but then you're able to outfit them with

00:17:03.666 --> 00:17:07.626
gear as well. Yeah, we basically tell people, show up ready for gym class.

00:17:07.766 --> 00:17:10.846
Okay. If you have the clothes that you need for gym class to get a little dirty,

00:17:11.006 --> 00:17:13.886
a little sweaty in, and a good pair of shoes, we can take you from there.

00:17:13.966 --> 00:17:15.806
You also got to bring a toothbrush. We don't provide that.

00:17:16.046 --> 00:17:18.766
But what will happen when you show up, we're going to give you coats.

00:17:18.886 --> 00:17:19.926
We're going to give you backpacks.

00:17:20.046 --> 00:17:23.126
We actually have a bare barrel that you'll get with a number on it,

00:17:23.286 --> 00:17:26.166
and it'll have a headlamp and a bowl and a spoon and a compass.

00:17:26.446 --> 00:17:31.486
So down to the details, we have learned that if you solve for just one barrier

00:17:31.486 --> 00:17:35.326
to outdoor access, you don't solve the problem. It's what we call limiting factor,

00:17:35.526 --> 00:17:36.486
which we got from ecology.

00:17:36.746 --> 00:17:39.646
It doesn't matter how much carbon and hydrogen you have. If you don't have enough

00:17:39.646 --> 00:17:41.506
nitrogen, the ecosystem doesn't thrive.

00:17:42.006 --> 00:17:45.286
Similarly, if you solve for gear but not transit or transit but not gear,

00:17:45.486 --> 00:17:46.566
you're not solving the problem.

00:17:46.786 --> 00:17:50.406
So that's why we try and make sure that our model is going to factor in all

00:17:50.406 --> 00:17:51.826
the different barriers we see

00:17:51.826 --> 00:17:56.066
frequently and try to address each one strategically piece by piece. Okay.

00:17:56.346 --> 00:18:00.846
Now, when did boat bus start? So we launched in late 2019, which if you do the

00:18:00.846 --> 00:18:04.926
math in your head, was a terrible time to start a new outdoor program because

00:18:04.926 --> 00:18:07.806
pretty quickly, while a lot of people were going outside during COVID,

00:18:07.966 --> 00:18:11.366
they weren't doing it by cramming into a small metal tube and flying far away

00:18:11.366 --> 00:18:12.686
from definitive medical care.

00:18:12.846 --> 00:18:17.686
So we relaunched in 2021 in Michigan with an ice climbing trip with James Mills,

00:18:17.846 --> 00:18:20.686
works for National Geographic, and we've been bopping around the Great Lakes

00:18:20.686 --> 00:18:22.406
ever since doing all kinds of programs.

00:18:22.666 --> 00:18:26.906
That's pretty cool. Now, how do groups that are interested in the service connect

00:18:26.906 --> 00:18:29.266
with you? honestly, it's mostly word of mouth.

00:18:29.746 --> 00:18:33.086
And they hear about us from someone else who's heard about us and they'll reach

00:18:33.086 --> 00:18:35.026
out. And the questions are simple to get started.

00:18:35.206 --> 00:18:39.226
It's what is your goal? What do you want to use the outdoors to do for you?

00:18:39.366 --> 00:18:41.826
For some people, that's character development or leadership.

00:18:42.026 --> 00:18:44.806
For other people, it's just relaxing or getting to see somewhere else.

00:18:44.966 --> 00:18:48.606
Or for yet more, it's, hey, I have this curriculum or this place I want to go.

00:18:48.746 --> 00:18:49.946
So we figure out the goal.

00:18:50.106 --> 00:18:52.646
We figure out how many days, how many people, how many miles.

00:18:52.886 --> 00:18:56.566
And that lets us figure out what is this going to cost? And then it's a conversation

00:18:56.566 --> 00:18:58.646
about, do you have budget? Are we fundraising?

00:18:58.946 --> 00:19:02.366
We do have grants that we bring to the table. We try and raise dollars to support trips.

00:19:02.526 --> 00:19:06.066
And many of our partners pay because they've learned that we're the most cost-effective

00:19:06.066 --> 00:19:09.646
way to do this compared to traditional summer camps and other models.

00:19:09.866 --> 00:19:14.306
We're typically between 30% to even, I kid you not, 100% or more cheaper.

00:19:14.726 --> 00:19:18.426
And that's where we'll go from there. But every trip looks a little different.

00:19:18.626 --> 00:19:22.606
And we found that that is part of what has made us so in demand is because folks

00:19:22.606 --> 00:19:24.366
are really looking for like that set of.

00:19:25.211 --> 00:19:28.131
That's really cool. Now, how many guides do you have that are helping?

00:19:28.611 --> 00:19:31.951
Is it guides or how is it structured for the group?

00:19:32.171 --> 00:19:34.991
Yeah. So most trips are going to go out. There's going to be a bus and there's

00:19:34.991 --> 00:19:38.591
going to be a guide or a driver or as we call them, the driver guide.

00:19:38.731 --> 00:19:40.491
And that's the person who has the medical training.

00:19:40.671 --> 00:19:43.491
They know how the bus works. They're going to get you oriented to where do you

00:19:43.491 --> 00:19:45.291
find the stoves. They're there to help you. Yeah.

00:19:45.451 --> 00:19:48.471
And then the leader of the trip is actually the person from the community that

00:19:48.471 --> 00:19:51.391
we're working with who has that connection to the people we're going out with.

00:19:51.391 --> 00:19:53.371
Often youth, but many of the trips are adults.

00:19:53.891 --> 00:19:57.031
We hire throughout the year. Actually, if anyone's interested,

00:19:57.231 --> 00:19:58.371
we're doing a training in June.

00:19:58.371 --> 00:20:01.671
It will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for folks who want to work with us or volunteer

00:20:01.671 --> 00:20:05.611
with us to learn the bus and also to learn how do you be on a trip and be a

00:20:05.611 --> 00:20:09.311
resource, but not take charge of it, you know, and make sure that you're balancing that.

00:20:09.611 --> 00:20:12.911
But we have a variety of folks who've worked with us over the years around the

00:20:12.911 --> 00:20:14.771
country. There's two of us on it full time.

00:20:14.971 --> 00:20:18.151
And then we bring other folks in trip over trip based on the numbers,

00:20:18.151 --> 00:20:21.111
based on the needs. And we also hire folks every summer to guide for us.

00:20:21.151 --> 00:20:22.911
Okay. And how many programs do you run a year?

00:20:23.451 --> 00:20:27.791
Right now, we're looking at about 24 trips this year. We did about 26 last year.

00:20:27.891 --> 00:20:30.791
We just finished our 100th trip last weekend. Congratulations.

00:20:31.131 --> 00:20:34.831
We've done about 5,000 days of camping in that time, and every year is getting bigger.

00:20:35.011 --> 00:20:39.531
So I mentioned that we have had one bus that's been kind of our old reliable

00:20:39.531 --> 00:20:43.631
for the last couple years, and it's just no longer able to meet the demand.

00:20:43.811 --> 00:20:45.831
We have folks who are scheduling the same week.

00:20:46.091 --> 00:20:49.371
Everyone wants it, especially in the summer. So we're expanding our fleet.

00:20:49.471 --> 00:20:52.091
We're going to have three buses that are going to be operating out of different

00:20:52.091 --> 00:20:53.851
areas to support more programs.

00:20:54.051 --> 00:20:56.251
That's fantastic. How can people connect with you and learn more?

00:20:56.591 --> 00:21:04.031
If you go to our website, www.theboatbus.com, that's T-H-E-B-O-A-T-B-U-S.com,

00:21:04.331 --> 00:21:07.251
you'll be able to find us. There will be a chat. You can reach out to me there.

00:21:07.411 --> 00:21:10.151
You can find my email there. That's the best way to get started.

00:21:10.291 --> 00:21:13.971
And even with the name change, that website will be live. So that's a good way to start the journey.

00:21:14.331 --> 00:21:20.751
Okay. And I know we talked earlier about paddling is not your first and most frequent trip.

00:21:20.911 --> 00:21:24.071
You've got some paddling trips, but the concept still applies.

00:21:24.211 --> 00:21:26.911
You can still meet people where they are. You can still outfit them with gear

00:21:26.911 --> 00:21:27.971
and be able to get them to places.

00:21:28.151 --> 00:21:30.991
So whether we're paddling or whether we're on foot or we're on a bike,

00:21:31.131 --> 00:21:33.911
we're still enjoying the outdoors and that's really what it's all about.

00:21:34.291 --> 00:21:37.471
Yep. That's exactly it. And we had a bunch of disciplines through other partners.

00:21:37.671 --> 00:21:40.371
So if there's something you want to do, ask, we'll be able to figure it out.

00:21:40.591 --> 00:21:43.191
Super. Micah, thank you very much for joining me. Thank you for having me.

00:21:44.143 --> 00:21:47.863
Michael George has joined me from the Wolf Moose Foundation. Michael, thank you.

00:21:48.163 --> 00:21:52.143
Well, it's a pleasure to be here. Yeah. So what is the Wolf Moose Foundation?

00:21:52.523 --> 00:21:55.963
Well, the Wolf Moose Foundation, actually, it's relatively young.

00:21:56.143 --> 00:22:00.063
It just was where 501c3 just set up really within the last year and a half.

00:22:00.543 --> 00:22:06.543
The idea there was to help support the research that takes place on Iowa Royal National Park. Okay.

00:22:06.843 --> 00:22:11.123
And the research, I don't know if your listeners know, but it has been running

00:22:11.123 --> 00:22:13.443
for about six and a half decades.

00:22:13.663 --> 00:22:18.023
Yeah. It's the longest predator-prey study in the world. So what we try to do

00:22:18.023 --> 00:22:24.723
is to bring awareness to the project, and we want to help sustain it into the

00:22:24.723 --> 00:22:27.203
future in terms of the cost of doing it.

00:22:27.963 --> 00:22:34.743
And then maybe one of the biggest things is advocating for research and education

00:22:34.743 --> 00:22:41.023
as it pertains to predator-prey relationships, and particularly IRL National Park.

00:22:41.023 --> 00:22:48.543
So we want people to feel the importance of predator-prey studies,

00:22:48.543 --> 00:22:51.023
not just at Isle Royale, but throughout the world.

00:22:51.443 --> 00:22:57.883
And what we learn at Isle Royale can often be easily transported to other parts

00:22:57.883 --> 00:23:00.283
of the world. Sure. They can understand things.

00:23:00.483 --> 00:23:05.323
So predator-prey studies are important, and predator and their prey,

00:23:05.563 --> 00:23:11.483
as the animals, it's important for ecosystems to be— healthy.

00:23:11.843 --> 00:23:15.243
Yeah. So tell us, tell us what is the importance of that study and how does it happen?

00:23:15.783 --> 00:23:20.183
Well, again, we're basically collecting, I'm going to back up here a little bit.

00:23:20.603 --> 00:23:25.223
A lot of the people that are involved in it are actually on the ground. We're volunteers.

00:23:25.843 --> 00:23:29.903
We're called moose watchers. We go to the island.

00:23:30.483 --> 00:23:34.243
There are four teams that go to the island each year. And what we're trying

00:23:34.243 --> 00:23:37.443
to do is literally collect bones.

00:23:37.723 --> 00:23:41.563
Once you have the data that you're collecting, the bones and things like that,

00:23:41.903 --> 00:23:43.303
those then can be measured.

00:23:43.483 --> 00:23:47.063
They can be analyzed. DNA analysis can help.

00:23:47.643 --> 00:23:53.183
Teeth of a moose will give us a lot of information in terms of actually the

00:23:53.183 --> 00:23:54.003
health of the environment.

00:23:54.283 --> 00:23:57.283
They can take the teeth. They can analyze that.

00:23:57.443 --> 00:24:02.883
We can actually find levels of mercury that might be in the environment or sulfur

00:24:02.883 --> 00:24:04.163
or nitrogen, things like that.

00:24:04.343 --> 00:24:09.223
And that actually goes back to the Clean Air Act back, I think, I think the 70s.

00:24:09.763 --> 00:24:14.663
I'm not sure if they will quote me on that. But within actually a fairly short

00:24:14.663 --> 00:24:19.803
period of time, early 80s, we actually found out that the Clean Air Act was doing its job.

00:24:19.983 --> 00:24:23.063
We were actually finding the things were being cleaned up. And you can tell

00:24:23.063 --> 00:24:25.103
that from the moose and from the wolves.

00:24:25.243 --> 00:24:28.303
From the moose, particularly because of what's in their teeth.

00:24:28.303 --> 00:24:31.323
The wolves, of course, that relationship...

00:24:32.666 --> 00:24:39.786
Is quite dynamic, Isle Royale offers the opportunity to really look at a single

00:24:39.786 --> 00:24:44.366
prey and a single predator situation, which,

00:24:44.866 --> 00:24:50.626
and I'll use the term simple, kind of a grain of salt, because it's a little more than that.

00:24:50.986 --> 00:24:55.766
But when we compare it with Yellowstone National Park, and that whole area out

00:24:55.766 --> 00:24:59.846
there, where they deal with the predators are grizzly bear,

00:25:00.566 --> 00:25:07.906
wolves cougars and then the prey species not just one but elk bison and and deer and deer.

00:25:08.706 --> 00:25:11.826
So it's it's more dynamic with this

00:25:11.826 --> 00:25:17.226
situation at our royal it it allows for us to really key in on this these specific

00:25:17.226 --> 00:25:21.826
relationship without having to have a lot of other things going on around it

00:25:21.826 --> 00:25:27.186
that might maybe give us different kind of data points so and then the nice

00:25:27.186 --> 00:25:30.086
thing about our royal the key word there is isolation.

00:25:30.426 --> 00:25:34.486
The island is isolated from the mainland by 15 miles or so.

00:25:34.706 --> 00:25:39.206
And that helps to keep certain things, well, back up.

00:25:39.406 --> 00:25:45.526
There are about approximately 30 species of mammals on the mainland that are not found in our world.

00:25:45.786 --> 00:25:51.106
Okay. So it allows us to kind of more easily, again, I should be careful with

00:25:51.106 --> 00:25:55.326
easily because there's a lot of work there, but more easily maybe look at the

00:25:55.326 --> 00:25:57.666
dynamics of these particular two animals.

00:25:58.006 --> 00:26:00.206
And without having a lot of other stuff that might get away,

00:26:00.406 --> 00:26:03.566
if that makes sense. But that's basically what we're trying to do.

00:26:03.966 --> 00:26:07.326
We, you know, again, it's been going on for a lot of years. We're trying to

00:26:07.326 --> 00:26:10.046
support the scientists that have been doing it for so many years.

00:26:11.026 --> 00:26:15.066
And, you know, it's kind of like boots on the ground. And we try to do our best

00:26:15.066 --> 00:26:20.386
to, you know, get the things they need so they can best do the measurements

00:26:20.386 --> 00:26:25.606
that they need to determine, you know, what's how the island, how the study is going.

00:26:25.866 --> 00:26:30.046
Okay. Yeah. So, in addition to being able to tell what's going on with the environment

00:26:30.046 --> 00:26:34.046
from the animal specimens that you're collecting, you're also able to better

00:26:34.046 --> 00:26:37.046
understand the relationship between the prey and the predator.

00:26:37.586 --> 00:26:40.906
And so, tell us a little bit about that and why that balance is important to maintain.

00:26:41.086 --> 00:26:45.786
Well, the importance there is also how those two prey and the predator,

00:26:45.806 --> 00:26:47.806
how they affect the rest of the ecosystem.

00:26:48.346 --> 00:26:52.446
You know, it's not as, again, I've used the word simple again.

00:26:53.086 --> 00:26:57.246
We have to be careful. But it's not as simple by just saying,

00:26:57.346 --> 00:27:03.726
well, if the, say, if the moose population goes up, the wolf population is automatically going to follow.

00:27:03.926 --> 00:27:06.006
You know, the numbers will increase and vice versa.

00:27:06.426 --> 00:27:09.726
What we found over the study is that that's not always true.

00:27:09.866 --> 00:27:13.066
There are other things that come into play that you just can't predict.

00:27:13.406 --> 00:27:15.946
You know, maybe there's a severe winter, and I'll give you an example.

00:27:15.946 --> 00:27:23.366
Winter of 96, 97 at IRL, just before that winter, there were about 2,500 moose on the island.

00:27:23.606 --> 00:27:28.286
Within that winter, almost 2,000 moose starved.

00:27:28.566 --> 00:27:32.366
Winter was so severe, it came early, stayed late. Wolves were...

00:27:33.665 --> 00:27:38.705
Somewhat impacted by that to a degree, but that's what the weather did to it.

00:27:38.825 --> 00:27:42.165
Again, I mentioned kind of different things here, but the weather,

00:27:42.385 --> 00:27:46.765
the climate changes, I mentioned isolation of the island.

00:27:47.145 --> 00:27:51.925
Back in the 60s, 70s, in usually every decade, four or five,

00:27:52.045 --> 00:27:55.925
maybe six ice bridges would be formed from the mainland to the island.

00:27:56.185 --> 00:28:01.405
That allowed for immigration wolves to come and go if they wanted to now it's

00:28:01.405 --> 00:28:06.505
like once or twice a decade so we don't we so that's changed the.

00:28:07.485 --> 00:28:10.405
It changed the health of the wolves because they're

00:28:10.405 --> 00:28:13.545
i don't want to get real technical but there

00:28:13.545 --> 00:28:16.805
you know when when the wolves when they're the genetic

00:28:16.805 --> 00:28:21.105
diversity is less so when there

00:28:21.105 --> 00:28:23.905
are no new wolves coming into you know

00:28:23.905 --> 00:28:26.765
into the environment sure so if an

00:28:26.765 --> 00:28:29.585
immigrant comes brand new starts mating

00:28:29.585 --> 00:28:32.925
with the wolves some of the wolves there the genetic diversity

00:28:32.925 --> 00:28:36.725
increases and you and the wolves are healthier when

00:28:36.725 --> 00:28:39.785
when that doesn't happen the wolves become less

00:28:39.785 --> 00:28:45.985
healthy they don't reproduce the way they should so that's maybe in a nutshell

00:28:45.985 --> 00:28:50.145
how that works and of course well that's how that's how that would work yeah

00:28:50.145 --> 00:28:53.545
i think the last time i was there there were two two wolves on the island that

00:28:53.545 --> 00:28:57.605
was probably 2018 and and they were if i'm not mistaken they They were brother

00:28:57.605 --> 00:28:59.025
and sister and a mating pair.

00:28:59.225 --> 00:29:01.505
So you do the math on that, and it's not very sustainable. Yeah,

00:29:01.725 --> 00:29:06.265
and they had a pup they actually produced, and the pup didn't survive because

00:29:06.265 --> 00:29:07.505
it was just so malformed.

00:29:07.665 --> 00:29:11.845
And it wasn't healthy enough to do that. And you were very right.

00:29:12.125 --> 00:29:15.445
And then, of course, the National Park Service decided right after that,

00:29:15.605 --> 00:29:19.845
when you had been there, 18, 19, they brought wolves to the island.

00:29:20.045 --> 00:29:24.585
Right. Now we're seeing that, the benefit of that, 30 plus wolves now,

00:29:25.285 --> 00:29:29.645
moose are, you know, maybe a little more in balance, right around between 700, 800 now.

00:29:30.545 --> 00:29:34.945
But we'll have to see how that plays out over the next, even the next decade,

00:29:35.085 --> 00:29:38.505
because things can change. And, you know, again, that.

00:29:40.003 --> 00:29:44.743
Back in the early part of the study, maybe about 30 years ago or so,

00:29:45.243 --> 00:29:48.063
a canine parvovirus got to the island.

00:29:48.323 --> 00:29:51.443
And that devastates domestic dogs. Well, somehow it got into the,

00:29:51.743 --> 00:29:54.943
someone brought, maybe on a boat, they brought their dog or something like that.

00:29:55.003 --> 00:29:55.823
They're not supposed to do that.

00:29:56.003 --> 00:30:01.803
But the wolves somehow interacted with what was left. Maybe a scat, but the dog left.

00:30:02.123 --> 00:30:07.923
They got it. And the population in one, no, two years dropped from 50 to 14 animals.

00:30:08.203 --> 00:30:12.023
Wow. So there's an outside thing we didn't know about. It just happened,

00:30:12.083 --> 00:30:15.263
and it affected the relationship then. Sure.

00:30:16.443 --> 00:30:21.483
So if people wanted to learn more about the Wolf Moose Study and the Wolf Moose

00:30:21.483 --> 00:30:22.863
Foundation, how would they learn more?

00:30:23.043 --> 00:30:25.483
Well, actually, there's a couple of sites you can go to.

00:30:25.683 --> 00:30:28.163
You can go to the Wolf Moose Foundation.

00:30:28.843 --> 00:30:33.723
And then another one that is more specific, it'll draw you right to the volunteer

00:30:33.723 --> 00:30:38.683
part of becoming a moose watcher, is ioroyalwolf.org.

00:30:38.743 --> 00:30:42.263
All right. And once they go there, hit volunteer and it'll tell you all about it.

00:30:42.523 --> 00:30:44.703
Fantastic. We'll put links in the show notes to both of those.

00:30:45.063 --> 00:30:47.523
Michael, thank you very much for joining me. Thank you for having me. All right.

00:30:48.543 --> 00:30:51.623
Trey Rouse has joined me from The Power of Water. How are you doing, Trey?

00:30:51.963 --> 00:30:54.583
I'm doing great, John. Thanks for having me. Super. So we're having a good time

00:30:54.583 --> 00:30:58.843
at the show here and you've released a new tool.

00:30:59.243 --> 00:31:01.443
So tell us a little about that new tool that you've released here at the show.

00:31:01.983 --> 00:31:05.223
Yeah, it's an online learning platform called the Connected Paddler.

00:31:05.963 --> 00:31:10.803
There's resources for people to learn how to teach themselves how to paddle

00:31:10.803 --> 00:31:14.883
or be better prepared to take instruction from people like you.

00:31:15.203 --> 00:31:18.063
All right. All right. So who's the audience with this?

00:31:19.136 --> 00:31:24.436
The tagline is learn to paddle where you are. And that doesn't mean just geographically,

00:31:24.596 --> 00:31:26.496
but also where you are in your paddling journey.

00:31:26.816 --> 00:31:31.556
So it really spans all levels and all types of craft.

00:31:31.756 --> 00:31:36.716
It's about mindset and our approach to paddling and building the foundations

00:31:36.716 --> 00:31:42.016
and the conceptual bits that kind of get skipped and filling in those gaps so

00:31:42.016 --> 00:31:44.636
that when you're out there, you're actually in a learning place.

00:31:44.876 --> 00:31:50.736
Okay. So, different than the mechanics of how to paddle, it's how to be in the

00:31:50.736 --> 00:31:52.896
right mindset to learn to paddle.

00:31:53.436 --> 00:31:59.136
Correct. Yeah, there's many people out there that we respect that have made

00:31:59.136 --> 00:32:03.396
many good videos on how to do a forward stroke or how to go sideways.

00:32:03.656 --> 00:32:08.596
So, that's not what this is about. Well, this is about the foundations of how

00:32:08.596 --> 00:32:14.016
a boat moves and why, how we function as humans and why, how we work with each

00:32:14.016 --> 00:32:15.996
other, how we debrief incidents,

00:32:16.716 --> 00:32:20.476
how we decide whether or not the people we're paddling with are the people we

00:32:20.476 --> 00:32:24.356
should be paddling with, how we decide if the environment we're in is the appropriate

00:32:24.356 --> 00:32:26.176
environment for ourselves.

00:32:26.436 --> 00:32:30.156
Okay. So what was the impetus for this? What kind of got you started on it?

00:32:30.716 --> 00:32:34.796
Well, we designed a course for Michigan State University during COVID,

00:32:35.096 --> 00:32:36.496
where we had to teach paddling.

00:32:36.756 --> 00:32:41.756
We didn't have to. We were given the opportunity to teach paddling online and

00:32:41.756 --> 00:32:43.016
thought that that would be impossible.

00:32:44.616 --> 00:32:48.916
And true to a learning mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset,

00:32:48.916 --> 00:32:51.236
we were open to the possibility.

00:32:51.236 --> 00:32:57.256
And I was pushed in a way from a gentleman friend of mine who created a course

00:32:57.256 --> 00:32:59.916
with us that actually is very unique,

00:33:00.116 --> 00:33:03.676
collaborative, and innovative for online learning and found that you can get

00:33:03.676 --> 00:33:07.916
people prepared to teach themselves how to paddle online. Okay.

00:33:08.236 --> 00:33:11.416
And then the name of the tool again? The Connected Paddler.

00:33:11.616 --> 00:33:15.236
All right. The paddling course is called Kayak, Canoe, Sup, and You,

00:33:15.436 --> 00:33:19.376
and it's all blended together, and it's about being curious,

00:33:19.856 --> 00:33:23.616
being a little bit uncomfortable or having discomfort, just like I do right

00:33:23.616 --> 00:33:27.036
now trying to talk this close to a mic. This is really weird. Yeah.

00:33:27.661 --> 00:33:31.281
And then in that process, we get growth. And that's what we're exploring in

00:33:31.281 --> 00:33:34.141
the Connected Paddle. All right. Now, where do you see it going from here?

00:33:34.701 --> 00:33:36.581
We see it going worldwide, man.

00:33:37.941 --> 00:33:42.481
It's unlimited. And eventually, there'll be other layers to it.

00:33:42.881 --> 00:33:46.041
But for now, we're focused on just getting this out and building this community

00:33:46.041 --> 00:33:49.261
and supporting the people that are involved in that community.

00:33:49.261 --> 00:33:52.961
Because you will build a community as a result of being a participant in the

00:33:52.961 --> 00:33:53.841
Connected Paddle. Okay.

00:33:54.041 --> 00:33:56.901
So, yeah, you mentioned that community aspect of it. So, how are you building

00:33:56.901 --> 00:33:58.701
the community? within the Connected Paddler.

00:33:58.981 --> 00:34:03.361
So once you join the course, you become a part of that community,

00:34:03.361 --> 00:34:07.461
which stays open for as long as you want it to be.

00:34:07.641 --> 00:34:12.021
It's a closed community, so you're not bombarded with all the social stuff that

00:34:12.021 --> 00:34:14.301
we all are trying to navigate away from.

00:34:14.441 --> 00:34:20.681
But you can share, collaborate, and be a part of a community inside the course itself.

00:34:20.901 --> 00:34:24.121
Okay. All right. And you've had another program that you've been doing this

00:34:24.121 --> 00:34:28.441
year, kind of that teaching bit, right? So focusing on the stuff that as instructors,

00:34:28.481 --> 00:34:32.581
we might not be taught at the initial training, the initial certification,

00:34:32.581 --> 00:34:34.381
but kind of what you learn after that.

00:34:35.001 --> 00:34:38.981
That's correct. So that's hosted on the Connected Paddler platform as well.

00:34:39.381 --> 00:34:42.621
And that focuses on the things that we didn't learn in our instructor workshops.

00:34:42.621 --> 00:34:46.401
And it's not a criticism of workshops. They're filled with all these other things,

00:34:46.461 --> 00:34:48.981
but we didn't really get to spend a whole lot of time on how we teach.

00:34:48.981 --> 00:34:54.141
And so just like we look at different strokes and maneuvers and concepts as

00:34:54.141 --> 00:34:59.281
a paddler, as a teacher, we need to look deeper at the techniques and the ways

00:34:59.281 --> 00:35:00.421
that we're actually teaching.

00:35:00.641 --> 00:35:04.421
So we're building on things that people are already doing, but actually exploring

00:35:04.421 --> 00:35:09.001
them in a little bit more detail and how they can apply to make people better,

00:35:09.161 --> 00:35:11.761
better teachers, better instructors, which is more fun for everybody.

00:35:11.961 --> 00:35:14.741
That's right. That's right. So where can people find the Connected Paddler?

00:35:14.941 --> 00:35:19.841
At theconnectedpaddler.com. Wow, that's pretty creative. Yeah, we nailed it.

00:35:21.241 --> 00:35:25.741
And so you're, in addition to Power of Water, in addition to the Connected Paddler,

00:35:26.161 --> 00:35:29.841
Great Lake Sea Kayak Symposium, what year is this year?

00:35:30.081 --> 00:35:34.781
You would have to ask that. For us, I believe it is going to be our ninth year

00:35:34.781 --> 00:35:36.521
hosting it as organizers.

00:35:36.621 --> 00:35:41.321
I think it might be the 37th. It's the longest running sea kayak symposium in

00:35:41.321 --> 00:35:43.461
the country. I don't know the exact year. Okay.

00:35:43.841 --> 00:35:47.081
Still, that's a pretty good run. It's a pretty good run. And that's July Grand

00:35:47.081 --> 00:35:48.681
Marais, Michigan. That's correct.

00:35:48.921 --> 00:35:51.661
All right. We're sold out this year. There is a waiting list.

00:35:51.781 --> 00:35:56.141
If you go to the website, thegreatlakeseakyatsymposium.net, you can get on a

00:35:56.141 --> 00:35:58.401
waiting list, but we have already sold out for the event.

00:35:58.681 --> 00:36:01.561
So, yeah, it's great. And I think your tagline is, this place will change your

00:36:01.561 --> 00:36:03.981
life. This place will change your life. All right.

00:36:04.121 --> 00:36:06.921
And if people want to register, you know, they're thinking, I can't get in for

00:36:06.921 --> 00:36:10.081
2025, but they can get in for 2026. When do you open registration?

00:36:10.501 --> 00:36:13.221
We'll have that open later this month. Awesome. All right.

00:36:13.661 --> 00:36:15.781
Trey, thank you very much. Good luck with the Connected Paddler,

00:36:15.881 --> 00:36:18.341
with the Power of Water, with the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium,

00:36:18.361 --> 00:36:19.821
and wherever the future may go.

00:36:20.121 --> 00:36:22.441
Great. Thanks for having me, John. I really appreciate it. Thank you.

00:36:23.530 --> 00:36:26.810
I'm joined by Sue Bacala. How are you, Sue? I'm doing great.

00:36:26.910 --> 00:36:28.290
How about yourself, John? Fantastic.

00:36:28.530 --> 00:36:32.810
So, Sue, you joined us last year for a little short part of this episode coming

00:36:32.810 --> 00:36:37.430
from the great event here that is Quiet Adventures Symposium,

00:36:37.430 --> 00:36:39.690
and you're with Woods and Waters Adventures.

00:36:40.150 --> 00:36:44.890
I am. So, Woods and Waters up in the eastern UP on Lake Huron. Yeah.

00:36:45.190 --> 00:36:49.630
So, tell us a little bit about Woods and Waters. Are you the second owner of

00:36:49.630 --> 00:36:51.410
Woods and Waters? We are the second owner.

00:36:51.710 --> 00:36:55.750
We have officially been around now for six full years. So we're entering our

00:36:55.750 --> 00:37:00.130
seventh season up in the Le Cheneau Islands, which is, let's say,

00:37:00.190 --> 00:37:02.910
the eastern UP, about a half hour from St. Ignace. Okay.

00:37:03.250 --> 00:37:07.110
All right. So for those not familiar with it, so Michigan is two peninsulas.

00:37:07.250 --> 00:37:11.050
So there's a lower peninsula and an upper peninsula connected by the Mackinac Bridge.

00:37:11.250 --> 00:37:15.310
And so you basically go across the Mackinac Bridge, take a right and go about a half hour. Correct.

00:37:15.670 --> 00:37:20.090
All right. So what makes the area so special? Well, there's really no other

00:37:20.090 --> 00:37:24.110
place quite like it, especially in Michigan in terms of the Great Lakes.

00:37:24.410 --> 00:37:28.610
And so there's 36 islands that are just off the shoreline, which gives us the

00:37:28.610 --> 00:37:31.970
advantage of having both protected water and big water.

00:37:32.150 --> 00:37:35.370
So lots of different paddling opportunities. It's a beautiful area.

00:37:35.430 --> 00:37:39.670
We are lucky enough to have lots of public land that is both part of the Hiawatha

00:37:39.670 --> 00:37:45.390
National Forest, as well as preserves from Little Traverse Conservancy and the

00:37:45.390 --> 00:37:46.750
Nature Conservancy. Okay.

00:37:47.050 --> 00:37:48.790
And how much area are we talking?

00:37:49.110 --> 00:37:54.230
So the Les Cheneaux, we have, we like to say dozens upon dozens of shoreline miles.

00:37:54.430 --> 00:37:58.970
So some of the islands are actually quite large and some of them are really tiny.

00:37:59.190 --> 00:38:02.210
So Marquette Island, which is the largest of the Les Cheneaux,

00:38:02.350 --> 00:38:04.990
is about three times larger than Mackinac Island.

00:38:05.190 --> 00:38:08.650
A lot of people are familiar with Mackinac as a tourist destination.

00:38:09.390 --> 00:38:12.510
So Marquette Island is over 25 miles around.

00:38:12.730 --> 00:38:15.830
So some of the islands are pretty big. Yeah, that's a good size.

00:38:15.830 --> 00:38:21.070
So now you run a lot of day programs up there, but you run other programs as well.

00:38:21.210 --> 00:38:25.430
We do. We offer all sorts of, you know, short day paddles, two hours,

00:38:25.570 --> 00:38:28.050
four hours, full day, sunrise, sunset.

00:38:28.410 --> 00:38:33.150
But so we've recently added three night trips and we started featuring ones

00:38:33.150 --> 00:38:35.690
that were called WOW, which stands for Women on the Water.

00:38:35.890 --> 00:38:40.630
And those are once you come, we have two guides that are working with you.

00:38:40.950 --> 00:38:44.330
We're doing paddling trips. We're doing other fun things, some short hikes.

00:38:44.330 --> 00:38:48.590
And the biggest thing about it is the food is absolutely fantastic.

00:38:48.590 --> 00:38:53.630
We work with a graduate of the Le Cheneau Culinary School, and she does all

00:38:53.630 --> 00:38:58.390
the meals for us, working within people's accommodations in terms of allergies and other things.

00:38:59.314 --> 00:39:03.094
Food is everybody, they like having fun on the water, but they always want to

00:39:03.094 --> 00:39:05.794
know when the next meal is coming because once they're there,

00:39:05.974 --> 00:39:09.234
they just become so excited by this amazing food.

00:39:09.434 --> 00:39:14.814
So we have been doing that. We're going into our third season of offering these women-only trips.

00:39:14.994 --> 00:39:19.734
And then this year we decided that we would reach out and work with John to

00:39:19.734 --> 00:39:22.994
try offering an ACA paddling skills weekend.

00:39:23.214 --> 00:39:26.534
And so that we will be doing that in September of this year.

00:39:26.754 --> 00:39:30.174
So the one thing I kind of want to say about with Woods and Waters,

00:39:30.414 --> 00:39:34.054
with these multi-day trips, we do do an overnight camping trip.

00:39:34.274 --> 00:39:37.614
But what we like to kind of say is that we're white glove service.

00:39:37.814 --> 00:39:40.794
You know, we are not, and that's where the food is so good as well,

00:39:41.134 --> 00:39:45.554
is it is not about suffering in the woods. It is not about suffering with,

00:39:45.654 --> 00:39:48.714
you know, eating just lunch meat, you know, off the beach.

00:39:48.894 --> 00:39:52.594
It's really about, you know, enjoying time outdoors,

00:39:52.894 --> 00:39:55.654
getting to know people, but taking care of, you

00:39:55.654 --> 00:39:58.534
know everything in your well-being and part of that is good food

00:39:58.534 --> 00:40:01.474
and time spent with other people that like things

00:40:01.474 --> 00:40:04.394
like you do sure it doesn't have to be suffering we can we can have

00:40:04.394 --> 00:40:08.494
the finer things as well and have nice accommodations you've got up north chic

00:40:08.494 --> 00:40:12.954
is that what i what i uh i don't know if it's chic but it definitely is very

00:40:12.954 --> 00:40:17.434
comfortable the for the women on the water and then the weekend paddling with

00:40:17.434 --> 00:40:22.514
john the accommodations that are available to people are are very comfortable

00:40:22.514 --> 00:40:24.374
That's right on the water on McKay Bay,

00:40:24.534 --> 00:40:26.874
which is just to the east of Cedarville.

00:40:27.334 --> 00:40:31.894
And I mean, where else can you just like park your own kayak right on the water?

00:40:32.114 --> 00:40:36.314
Beautiful beach. You get to watch sunsets and just take off from there and have,

00:40:36.334 --> 00:40:38.574
you know, laundry, a hot shower.

00:40:39.473 --> 00:40:42.753
And great food. And great food. All right. So, yeah.

00:40:42.913 --> 00:40:47.633
So, September, we're going to run this program so people can go to paddlingexercises.com.

00:40:47.773 --> 00:40:50.513
And there's a link there that'll take them there. But more importantly,

00:40:50.573 --> 00:40:52.893
your website. And it has all the details of it and the registration.

00:40:53.433 --> 00:40:58.773
Exactly. So, our website is woodsandwaters, both plural, .eco.

00:40:59.013 --> 00:41:05.173
So, that's woodsandwaters.eco, which is E-C-O. Right. So, this is a three-night adventure.

00:41:05.553 --> 00:41:09.273
And so, great food, great accommodations, and we'll have great instructions.

00:41:09.473 --> 00:41:12.653
We'll have a lot of fun with that. So the instruction content,

00:41:12.673 --> 00:41:15.193
we're going to make this about what the participants want.

00:41:15.333 --> 00:41:18.213
So this isn't a pre-formatted program.

00:41:18.593 --> 00:41:21.513
We're going to talk to you as participants and find out what you would like,

00:41:21.533 --> 00:41:24.673
and then make sure we can tailor that to meet you where you are.

00:41:25.313 --> 00:41:29.553
Exactly. And also with regards to the price, you don't have to bring your own

00:41:29.553 --> 00:41:31.633
boat, but you are welcome to bring your own boat.

00:41:31.893 --> 00:41:36.573
We are a P&H shop. So all of our solo sea kayaks are P&H.

00:41:36.673 --> 00:41:40.853
So we have Scorpios, we have Virgos, we have Leo, and even Delphin.

00:41:41.353 --> 00:41:45.973
All right. So you heard it here, folks. Go ahead and you can join us for the

00:41:45.973 --> 00:41:49.493
ACA Skills Weekend, and I'll be your instructor for that program.

00:41:49.533 --> 00:41:53.773
We're going to do that in September in the Le Cheneau Islands with Woods and Waters Adventures.

00:41:54.673 --> 00:41:56.413
Thank you very much, John. You're welcome. Thank you, Sue.

00:42:00.673 --> 00:42:04.493
If you want to be a stronger and more efficient paddler, Power to the Paddle

00:42:04.493 --> 00:42:08.153
is packed with fitness guidance and complete descriptions, along with photos

00:42:08.153 --> 00:42:12.553
of more than 50 exercises to improve your abilities and enjoy your time on the water.

00:42:12.713 --> 00:42:16.573
The concept and exercises in this book have helped me become a better paddler,

00:42:16.693 --> 00:42:18.233
and they can make a difference for you, too.

00:42:18.513 --> 00:42:22.173
The exercises in the book can help you reduce tension in your shoulders and

00:42:22.173 --> 00:42:26.773
low back, use Use the power of your torso to create leverage and use less energy with each stroke.

00:42:26.993 --> 00:42:30.833
Use force generated from your lower body to make your paddling strokes more efficient.

00:42:31.193 --> 00:42:34.753
Have the endurance to handle long days in the boat, drive through the toughest

00:42:34.753 --> 00:42:38.153
waves or whitewater, protect your body against common paddling injuries,

00:42:38.313 --> 00:42:40.613
and while you're at it, you might even lose a few pounds.

00:42:40.753 --> 00:42:45.853
And who wouldn't mind that? So visit PaddlingExercises.com to get the book and companion DVD.

00:42:47.683 --> 00:42:51.943
Thank you to all our guests from today's episode. I am very excited to be partnering

00:42:51.943 --> 00:42:54.683
with Woods and Waters Adventures on this upcoming skills program.

00:42:54.923 --> 00:43:00.143
If you're interested in joining us, the dates are September 18 through 21, 2025.

00:43:00.663 --> 00:43:04.143
Beautiful Lake Huron in the eastern upper peninsula of Michigan will be our

00:43:04.143 --> 00:43:07.283
playground to gain confidence, develop personal and group skills,

00:43:07.443 --> 00:43:11.803
and work on risk management strategies to stay safe and best enjoy your time on the water.

00:43:12.123 --> 00:43:15.203
This weekend is really about the willingness to play, to learn,

00:43:15.483 --> 00:43:19.443
try new things while enjoying the camaraderie among a small group of outdoor friends.

00:43:19.683 --> 00:43:24.343
Over the four days, participants are going to learn to improve their outdoor skills.

00:43:24.483 --> 00:43:29.003
You're going to paddle premium P&H sea kayaks and enjoy chef-curated meals by

00:43:29.003 --> 00:43:31.423
a Les Cheneaux Culinary School graduate.

00:43:31.903 --> 00:43:37.263
Details, pricing, and registration are available at woodsandwaters.eco,

00:43:37.263 --> 00:43:40.943
and you'll also find a link in the show notes for this episode to learn more.

00:43:41.243 --> 00:43:44.403
For those listeners from the Great Lakes region, I really hope you learn something

00:43:44.403 --> 00:43:46.923
about a new place, an outfitter, or an event.

00:43:47.163 --> 00:43:50.443
And if you're from somewhere else, I hope you also found another reason to visit

00:43:50.443 --> 00:43:54.063
the region that is home to 21% of the world's freshwater.

00:43:54.343 --> 00:43:57.543
We may not have ocean tides, but our Great Lakes are pretty great.

00:43:57.843 --> 00:43:59.183
In the state of Michigan, you're

00:43:59.183 --> 00:44:02.923
never more than six miles from water and 85 miles from a Great Lake.

00:44:03.363 --> 00:44:06.723
Don't forget to check out online sea kayaking.com and take advantage of the

00:44:06.723 --> 00:44:10.363
great video programming that James and Simon have assembled and enter the code

00:44:10.363 --> 00:44:15.323
PTB podcast to check out and get 10% off just for being a member of the Paddling the Blue community.

00:44:15.863 --> 00:44:19.243
Speaking of online communities, we'll also have information in the show notes

00:44:19.243 --> 00:44:22.543
about the Connected Paddler, which you heard about from Trey Rouse.

00:44:22.843 --> 00:44:26.383
In our next episode, we're on the road to another longtime favorite event.

00:44:26.543 --> 00:44:29.163
Our next episode is going to come to you from Madison, Wisconsin,

00:44:29.223 --> 00:44:33.423
where we'll be recording directly from the P&H Piranha Kayaks booth at Canoe

00:44:33.423 --> 00:44:36.103
Copia, the world's largest paddle sports expo.

00:44:36.283 --> 00:44:39.803
We'll be talking with paddlers, exhibitors, and share some of the newest and

00:44:39.803 --> 00:44:41.363
most interesting gear from the show.

00:44:41.583 --> 00:44:44.743
Until next time, Thanks for listening, and I look forward to bringing you the

00:44:44.743 --> 00:44:46.583
next episode of Paddling the Blue.

00:44:47.543 --> 00:44:51.103
Thank you for listening to Paddling the Blue. You can subscribe to Paddling

00:44:51.103 --> 00:44:56.403
the Blue on Apple Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

00:44:56.583 --> 00:44:59.543
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00:44:59.723 --> 00:45:01.403
We truly appreciate the support.

00:45:01.583 --> 00:45:04.843
And you can find the show notes for this episode and other episodes,

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along with replays of past episodes, contact information, and more at paddlingtheblue.com.

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Until next time, I hope you get out and paddle the blue.

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Music.