The Inaugural Spears and 'Shoes Biathlon - A huge success!

"Ready....five seconds...set....GO!!!!!!!"

I've been told Vancouver is hosting some sort of major sporting event right now...all I know for sure, is this past Sunday afternoon, I had the privilege of shaking hands with a world champion!

The Inaugural Spears and 'Shoes Biathlon - a multi-sport event featuring atlatl accuracy competition (spears) combined with a 2.4km snowshoe race ('shoes) - saw 14 hearty racers have a blast, test out some traditional technologies, and compete in a fun new race.

The winner of the event was Lane Coulter, of Virden, MB, who posted a score of 9 minutes, 21 seconds, to claim first place.  Scoring was simple:  each racer's snowshoe race time had 90 seconds shaved off for each successful atlatl hit on the range - four shots each, for a combined possible bonus of 6 minutes.

Lane, a young man who came to the race with his Cadet group, ran a solid snowshoe race, and was the most successful atlathlete (officially a word now!) of all the racers.  Lane was quite a bit younger than most racers, and had never seen an atlatl before the race.

Pre-race practice throw by J. Harms, currently ranked 3rd in the world with a personal best score of 12:09.

When asked about his performance, the world's first champion said, "I mess around with a bow and arrow a little bit, but this is new...I guess I'm good!"  the young Mr. Coulter will have a good chance to get even better, as his prize is a hand-made atlatl set!

Another racer came up to me after the race, smiling.  "I thought I was the only one who would be interested in this type of event - now, I see there are more like me!"  She added, "When's the next one?"

The next one is in the works!  No date, or details...yet...but the next, similarly-inspired race/challenge is in the first stages of planning.  It's still a long way off, but early indications are Spears and 'Shoes will happen again next winter, as well - 9:21 is the score to beat!

As with all FortWhyte Alive programs, a big thank-you goes to the volunteers who helped with this race.  Another HUGE thank-you goes to all participants, spectators, and well-wishers.  A few months ago, this race was an off-beat idea.  Now, it is in the history books as an awesome event - mixing fun, fitness, cultural education, and...FUN.

No big TV contracts.  No performance-enhancers.  No multi-million sponsorship deals.  Just good, old-fashioned (like paleolithic-fashioned!) fun.  This event, for me, reflected human spirit at its best!

The final racers coming toward the finish line

(A big thank-you to all who contributed photos to this post!)

FortWhyte Owlive?

Quick - what bird do you think of when you think of FortWhyte Alive?

If you would answer, "Canada Goose", you would be in good company.  We had our start when our founders released some geese back in the 1950's, back in the days when the bird's numbers were in serious decline.  One of the first logos for Fort Whyte Centre featured stylized geese.

This winter, a different type of bird is giving the geese some serious competition for becoming FortWhyte Alive's avian mascot.  These days, it seems one cannot turn around without encountering owls!

The Northern Hawk Owl, last seen around of the New Year, popped up again last Saturday in the extreme northeast corner of FortWhyte's property.  Though I've been advised the Northern Hawk Owl (or, NHO, if your into brevity) is not a capital-letter-worthy Rare Bird, it is unusual, and certainly beautiful.

The NHO isn't our only beautiful owl.

This Great Horned Owl (GHO) pic was snapped by Stuart O. about two weeks ago, near our Tree House.  In the winter of 2007-2008, we had a pair of GHO's choose this forest neighbourhood for a nest, and we got to see their family grow from egg to owlet to owl.

Just in case you're not feeling owl overload yet, I'd like to mention a Great Gray Owl (GGO?) and a Snowy Owl have also been seen at FortWhyte Alive since January 10, 2010.

Simple ecological principles tell us we'll never see as many owls as geese - owls need larger habitats, because they eat higher on the food pyramid.  However, I would suggest owls as a fitting icon for FortWhyte's urban forest - certainly this winter, at least.

Speaking of iconic - what has four legs, claws, teeth, and is coming to the touch museum?  It's going to create quite a stir...not a roar, cuz this animal cannot technically roar...but it's going to be BIG!!!

Tomorrow:  Weather Maps - which are best for your purposes?

'Til then, all the best.

-Barret

It's in my nature - to say thanks!

Hello, everyone!

An article profiling some of my work at FortWhyte Alive, and some of my side interests, ran in the Winnipeg Free Press this past Saturday.  A series of web videos accompany the article; if you've been on a tour of FortWhyte with me, you'll likely see something familiar in them, and if you've never been, I encourage you to watch them, and let me show you around!

The title is, "It's in His Nature", and the jist is my love of the outdoors and our Manitoba culture is reflected in my work and personal life.  Which, I hope, is true.  I try.

The article also got me thinking about the people who've helped ensure outdoor life, an appreciation for this province and its peoples, and the willingness to learn and share new ideas and facts are part of my nature.  So, I'd like to take a time-out from my usual blog fair of coyote tracks, owls, and wild-fungus-foraging to say some thank-yous.

First, a big thanks to Alison Mayes of the Free Press...for thinking up the story idea, and for doing a great job turning a series of random Barret-facts into a readable piece.

Another big thanks is due to Ruth and the folks in the photo department of the Free Press.  The videos are great...I never get to see myself on a program, so I appreciated the chance to say, "gee, that's what I look like at work!", and the opportunity you've given me to share what I do with friends and family far away.

The article also mentions some of the people who helped shape my nature into what it is today.  My parents and Grandparents played a big role in making me into the "Nature-nut" I am today - and taught me a lot of other good things along the way.  My extended family have always encouraged my outdoor pursuits - a big thanks to my family, those close, and farther away.

The only reason I get to have any sort of adventure in my everyday work is the great team I work with.  My colleagues on the Education Team here at FortWhyte - current and past - I've been so lucky to work with you...I mean it.  Ed Team forever!  Another big thanks is due to all the other staff at FortWhyte Alive... administration, development, site crews, my camp colleagues - we're a jigsaw puzzle, and aren't complete without all the pieces.  Also, without the dedicated efforts of a huge volunteer base, FortWhyte Alive would be very much alive at all.  Your time, talents, and teaching is something I value deeply.  Thank-you.

To those who taught me at Pinawa Secondary or U of W...thanks!

The Free Press article references my Scouting experience.  My Scout leaders - from Beavers on through those at the Manitoba office, and everyone in between...thank-you.  Some of my proudest moments have come through Scouts Canada - and my experience in the program has given me skills and abilities to create more proud moments.

To the people who I've worked with at summer camps, or worked with me when I was a camper (LV and Amisk - you rock!!!), through youth work, and to the RP detachment at Kildonan...wouldn't be doing what I do if I hadn't learned something from you along the way.

To my friends - you encourage me, you laugh with me, you humour me when Interpreter Barret decides to show up at inopportune times, you challenge me and support me...and I thank-you for it all.

Finally - blog readers, a great big thank-you.  Knowing people read the posts help me keep them coming!

I've left no one off the list by intent...if I missed someone, it's an oversight.

Stay tuned.  Tomorrow, I've got owl news, fun with weather maps, another teaser on our new museum resident, and much more!

-Barret