Antarctica…really! February 28, 2010

In March of 2009 I was selected to be a part of Team Inspire for an Expedition to Antarctica. The selection involved a three stage application process that not only changed my life, but also lead to a turbo-charging of my desire to inspire youth to be involved in the work of saving our environment.
Being selected for this opportunity meant I was flown from Denver, Colorado to the southern-most tip of Argentina – Tierra del Fuego. From there, I met with other researchers, students and policy makers from around the world. At the time, we discussed what we expected from the Copenhagen Climate Conference and talked about how our work fit into the realms of being good stewards of the global environment. After two days of preparation, we boarded a ship to cross the Drake Passage to Antarctica.
However, the most rewarding part of the whole experience and the center-piece of the expedition was being lead by polar explorer Robert Swan, OBE (Order of the British Empire). Rob is the first person in the world to have walked to both the North and South Poles! He and his team faced a number of their own challenges and disasters and personal losses in accomplishing these amazing feats. His leadership on the edge training has helped formalize so many of the axioms I’ve lived my life by from trial and error – which I hope to share with you here in the coming months.
Right, so I’ll be posting some videos and photos from that journey and you will have the opportunity to ‘meet’ with some of the researchers I went with. In the next week or two, we’ll be posting ‘schedules’ of speakers that you can sign up to speak to via Skype about their work. These are researchers, graduate students, activists and policy makers from all over the world: Canada, India, Hong Kong, US, New Zealand, China, England and more. If the timing doesn’t work or you don’t have access to Skype, we’ll have a forum where you can post questions for us to ask for you and will record these audio/video conversations for you to check out when ever!

The Flight February 21, 2010

Its 4am in Auckland…I’m on the flight just about to pass over the International Date Line. Back home in Fort Collins, its about 9am yesterday. Long flights can be dreadful; I don’t much mind them though. I’ve always got plenty to do, like catching up on sleep! Truthfully, long international flights are my favorites because it really feels like going to a different planet.
The flight is fairly full, but I’ve managed to acquire a full row to myself, so I’m quite comfy! Saving energy is pretty important as I’ve got a number of things to catch up on and get moving on once I hit the ground. First things first when taking on a new urban-wilderness: obtain local phone, mailing address and access to swimming. It’s my theory that once you’ve successfully found these, you’re set. The phone makes it possible to get a job and gain a social life, both of which lead to improving the living situation. The mailing address is a bit of an overlap but also gives the ability to receive mail – vey important for the upcoming utility bills and bank account that will be needed. In the past, when I’ve been on the urban adventure camping plan, getting a mailing address at a Mail Boxes Etc, UPS or FedEx allows you an address that can cleaverly look like an actual residence, unlike a P.O. Box (free tip for future adventurer in you).
Having the access to the pool is key as well. YMCA’s are the best because they tend to be frequented by some of the nicest people from all walks of life and have plenty of volunteer opportunities. Right, so I love to swim, been a swimmer all my life – well, since having to be rescued by a YMCA lifeguard in 3rd grade when I thought I knew how to swim. Anyhow, swimming is great for fitness, but where there is a swimming pool, you’re sure to find a shower. Most importantly, swimmers are a strange lot…yes, we are, we are some of the few athletes who are keen to carbo-load three meals a day, and we love new people – so, you’re always good to go with an instant community at the pool… not to mention, as creatures of habit, there is a whole cast of characters at the pool depending upon what time of day you show up.

Flight date set February 12, 2010

So, I’ve finally gotten my flights set up for Auckland… Oy, I’m on my way soon!
I’ll be heading out to New Zealand on the 21st of February and from there have a lot of work to do on being ready to go as well as being on the ground set to go. The plan is to hit as many Rotary clubs as we can. I’m one of those people who packs in his head then just takes a couple hours the day before the flight to pack – so Saturday, February 20th, I’ll be packing – for now, it’s just nice to have the new passport, visa, permit and flights taken care of.
I just this week was able to meet with Pam and Carina from the Fort Collins Boys and Girls Club – it looks like we’ll be able to talk to the students there as I communicate back to the US about activities I get myself into! So I’ll go ahead and say ‘hello’ to all the students at the Boys and Girls Club of Fort Collins! I can’t wait to hear from you and connect you with other students from around the world!

ShelterBox – Florida Conference February 12, 2010

ShelterBox conference in Sarasota, Florida…some of the coolest people most motivated…I suppose its only fitting that 88% of the attendees are Rotarians. We’ve spent the day learning about the ‘new world order’ that is ShelterBox! The re-organization of the organization is truly amazing! The training and energy of the people here are amazing.
We’re in a hotel here in Sarasota talking, exchanging and learning about the future of ShelterBox globally as well as how we go about it in the regional aspects.

Starting off in February February 4, 2010

I didn’t imagine that I would start off the month staying up late answering a call for assistance. I was just finishing cleaning my office and looking forward to the soft couch that was to be bed for the night, when I read that one last email.

It was from a student I tutored in math a few years ago explaining that she was now the president of the campus American Indian Sciences and Engineering Society (AISES) and hoping I could be of assistance. The club had just adjourned a meeting in which they wanted to mobilize in someway to raise awareness of an offensive event slated to take place on their campus. Students were being encouraged to dress up as indians – in war paint, head-dresses and the like… Never mind that their team mascot is a ram. The opposing team mascot are the cowboys, so I guess these students thought it would be a great idea to ‘welcome’ the visiting team dressed as indians.

As of now, there is a huge debate engulfing the Facebook page hosting/advertising the event. For those who feel that Facebook and other social media (like blogs) are nothing more the child’s play – wake up! This is the medium and one of the many battlegrounds of conversation and true learning our generation has spawned and is increasingly utilizing for communication that goes beyond the stereotypical “me-so-pretty” of social networking. The fluency and grace of conversation being had is right there next to the stupidity and clumsical – a true update in the civil rights battle our generation is having to navigate in the heated ‘look-how-far-we’ve-come’ mantra that accompanies every cultural awareness month.

No longer are we faced with the straight forward main-street racism that kept brown people out of most establishments, or the laws that kept our minds out of higher education. The battle of our generation is that of removing the delicate glass ceiling without having it shatter in spiteful shrapnel on top of us.

We are a generation in which many of our fathers tell us how good we have it – not too unlike how the world told them but only a few years ago. We are also a generation who is not allowed to complain about [sometimes subtle] injustices we run into because “so-much-has-changed”.

Overly sensitive is a term that has come up a lot lately – from members of the Jewish community offended by local government supported ‘Christmas lights’ to our current controversy over sports team mascots. Can one truly be overly sensitive? What does that mean…really?

Today is the start of Black History month – and also the anniversary of the Greensboro Sit-In. I wonder if those first few weeks those students sat at that counter, did the towns people snicker “Ahh, they’re just overlysensitive?” Certainly there are times when one may feel that another person is being absurd. But how often do we find an entire group of people feeling singled out and vocalizing their feelings of outcast and devalue – is that what Freedom of Speech was meant to protect? Or do we need to consider what it means to make a mistake, recognize it and move on?

Something about me…but only skin deep… February 2, 2010

My name is Phoenix Mourning-Star. There are a lot of things this site can and could be used for. In all, its likely that I will be utilizing it for all of it! But most obviously, I will be writing about and posting photos/videos about my life and activities.
I’ll try not to bore you all in one post here today about my life story – but, I’ll provide a little be here and then continue to insert little pieces throughout this site and hopefully answer questions as/if they come.
At the moment I’m working on getting myself to Florida to meet up with a man in Tampa about his work in environmental law. I’ll be in Florida anyway to participate in a workshop on disaster relief through ShelterBox. ShelterBox is an organization that provides emergency disaster shelter to people in need around the world.
The main reason for setting this up was to be able to communicate with Rotarians from District 5440 and others who are sending me to New Zealand in February to study International Environmental Law. I’ll be there for an extended period of time and hoping to connect with as many people as possible in New Zealand and connect them with my sponsoring Rotary club/district as well as my home university and town of Fort Collins. Currently, I’m studying Environmental/Public Health Epidemiology under Dr. Jennifer Peel at Colorado State University. Our work is funded by the US EPA is investigating the adverse health effects of source apportioned air pollution (if you’d like to know more, just ask).