Don Starkell

"Winnipeg adventurer and author Don Starkell, known for his paddling journeys to the Amazon and Arctic, has died. The 79-year-old Starkell, who fought pirates, hunger and frostbite, lost a battle against cancer and died Jan. 28. Starkell and his two sons, Dana and Jeff, embarked in 1980 on a 20,000-kilometre canoe adventure from Winnipeg to Brazil, a journey which established them in the Guinness World Records book for the longest canoe trip ever..."

Chopsticks

"A Japanese man was bothered by all the wood going to waste from disposable chop sticks, so he spent two years collecting the used chopsticks from the cafeteria. And he then used them to build a 13-foot canoe by gluing together 7,382 chopsticks into strips..."

Winter canoeing

"The law was passed in September and it will mandate that everyone on small boats less than 16 feet long, anchored or moving, will be required to wear a life jacket during the winter months. Life jackets save lives, and soon they’ll be mandatory by law. In winter, with water temps of about 35 degrees, experts say without a life jacket you have only 15 to 30 minutes to live. A preserver can buy you as much as 90 minutes to get to safety..."

"The Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery will begin testing an old Lodi landfill near the Mokelumne River for methane gas content next month, a process that could eventually lead to the city converting the land into a kayak launching pad or other forms of river access... "We're not afraid of kayaks or kayakers," said Joan Morrison, an Awani Drive resident and board member of the Mokelumne Village home owners association. "It's the other things that come along with it." Morrison said she and her neighbors worry that opening up the site to the public will bring unwanted traffic to the quiet neighborhood..."

	United Way

"Students at Grantsville and Accident elementary schools and Southern Middle School will be able to attend after-school adventure activities beginning April 19. The adventure program will be conducted after classes mid-week on the campuses of each of the three schools, participating in a smorgasbord of activities, including rock climbing, a nature hike, orienteering, mountain biking and canoeing.” It is believed that this type of adventure activity programming can be very effective in helping the younger students develop a more positive attitude and increasing focus and confidence..."