Women’s leaders, readers, events, and adventures around the world…
Hawaii, USA
Pro surfer and Patagonia Ambassador Mary Osborne represents surfers at the NOAA Marine Debris Conference from March 17 to 25 in Honolulu. Pollution prevention and cleanup are part of her mission to keep her sisters (all of you!) on the water. marinedebris.noaa.gov
Washington, D.C., USA
D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists heads up National Bike Month each May. Check for bike-to-work events in your area coinciding with National Bike Week, May 16-20, or plan your own. bikeleague.org
Arizona, USA
Joining forces with 30 angels, adventuresses, and survivors, editor Kristy Holland joins the Project Athena Foundation from June 1st thru 5th to take on the 46-mile endurance challenge of hiking rim to rim to rim in the Grand Canyon. projectathena.org
Colombia
Tropical temps and 100-percent humidity have changed how WAM reader Brittany Bilderback, spends time in the outdoors. Since moving to Cartagena, Colombia, last year, the 22-year-old is doing more dancing than trail running, and more swimming than hiking.
Argentina
Finishing their two-and-a-half-year ride along the Pan-American Highway, the Vogel family will reach Ushuaia, Argentina, in mid-April. From there, they’ll go home, but they haven’t quite decided where that is.
Morocco
Speeding over sand dunes and navigating desert hills, more than 200 women drivers from around the world will rally across the Moroccan desert between March 19th and April 2nd in the Rallye Aicha des Gazelles. American driver Emily Miller (featured in WAM last Spring) hopes this third time effort will land her atop the podium this year-for the first time she’ll be racing against two other American teams who’ll be cheering her on. rallyeaichadesgazelles.com
England
Setting out from London April 1, 25-year-old Sarah Outen begins a two-and-a-half-year expedition to power herself around the world by bike and boat. She’ll travel more than 20,000 miles on her own and document the entire thing as inspiration for others. sarahouten.com
Germany
Most of the world’s top kayakers-including champs Emily Jackson and Canadian Ruth Gordon Ebens-will take to whitewater on the Isar River in Plattling, Germany, on June 20th for the start of the ICF Freestyle World Championships. Whitewater meets finesse, style, and grace at this event where they’ll crown the most explosive-and expressive-world champion kayaker on the water. icf-freestyle.de
Ethiopia
Is she pushing the model of development? It’s hard to say, but Shannon Wilson and Imagine Ethiopia are putting “creatribution” into action and helping educate a nation. Read more about Shannon and Imagine Ethiopia’s 2011 plans in “Imagine That.”
Israel
Even the mayor will run the first-ever Jerusalem Marathon on March 25th. The course hits every major attraction in the city. Plus, WAM’s own Jayme Otto ran the prelim 2010 event last year. jerusalem-marathon.com
India
Since 1970, the Earth Day festivities of April 22nd have morphed into the largest set of civic observances in the world-more than 1 billion people celebrate each year. Along with their newest program launch in India, the Earth Day Network hosts and promotes events with their 22,000 partners in 192 countries. April 22. earthday.org
100 Countries, 5000 Ideas
This new book from National Geographic is 400-plus pages packed with best-of travel tips and adventure destinations for 100 countries. Information, inspiration, and infallibility all in one place. (National Geographic, $27)
New Zealand
They’ll be the first to thru hike the 2,000-plus mile Te Araroa trail across New Zealand-it officially opened in February -but Canadian Shalane Hopkins and Brit Alex Ward won’t be the last. Read more about thru-hiking and start planning your own adventure. missionlivelife.com
Beijing, China
Steep ascents and 4,000-plus stair steps add an element of surprise-and difficulty-to the Great Wall Marathon, about 50 miles northeast of Beijing. Full and half-marathon distances or a 10k, May 21. great-wall-marathon.com
Philippines
The Kiteboarding4girls Foundation (KB4girls) hosts an advanced skills clinic and kiteboarding competition on Boracay Island near Malay, Philippines, March 8th thru 10th. This first-time event is one of six stops in Kiteboard Tour Asia’s second-ever season. kb4girls.org
Photos courtesy of: MATT OUTEN, JACQUELINE WINDH, BRITTANY BILDERBACK, DAN CAMPBELL-LLOYD, NANCY VOGEL, (GERMANY) ALLEN EBENS, (PHILIPINES) MIRKO NENNETZ, (ETHIOPIA) JAMES EDWARD MILLS, (NEW ZEALAND) ALEX WARD
Low on funds, but love to travel? Voluntourism isn’t always cheap, but World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms offer room and board in rustic, rural settings all over the world in exchange for a few daily hours of hard work. Cultivate food, learn about new cultures, and connect with participating farms around the world at wwoof.org.
