cheers

The Under Solen Team

It’s Friday! We’re hoping you get to explore someplace amazing this weekend… something along the lines of the photo above.

We’ve seen some big social media initiatives this week, being used to do everything from raising awareness to helping out a friend. Pepsi went all out and launched the Refresh Project, the National Park Conservation Association turned to its social networks to talk about the latest budget shortfall and eco bloggers and green-minded folk across the internet reached out to help pay writer Derek Markham’s hospital bills.

Meanwhile, our friends over at The Kamchatka Project are planning a one-of-a-kind event to raise money for their conservation awareness trip to the Kamchatka Peninsula. If you live in the Portland area, put March 13, 2010 on your calendar. It’s going to be a night of gambling, salmon and espionage… that’s right, it’s the To Russia With Love Casino Night. Door prizes, raffle items, drinks and more! More info and tickets can be found here. Speaking of salmon, read this article and five easy tips on how to take action to save them!

We’ve also been filling our week with amazing photo essays. Thanks to Matador Network for always finding up and coming travel photographer that take amazing photos like these.

And how could we forget? The Joy Trip Project published a wrap-up piece about social media use at the recent Outdoor Retailer and our very own Emily Nuchols was quoted.

Emily adding her photo to the Keen wall at Outdoor Retailer to raise money for Haiti relief efforts

Two of the most talked about exhibitors weren’t brands but non-profit organizations, 1% For The Planet and The Conservation Alliance. With the help of key influencers who support these groups the issues of wildlife conservation and environmental conservation became top-of-mind.
“Social media makes the connection between brands, causes and adventurers clearer than ever before,” said Emily Nuchols, an industry influencer and a principle at Under Solen Media. “It’s not about who gets the most action on Twitter, it’s about who uses their social media to take action on things that matter. We believe in the power of social media to make positive change, and we believe in people who are passionate about their causes — be they businesses, advocates or adventurers.”

And what’s the best part about this Friday? We’re looking forward to some exciting things that are going to happen next week. We can’t tell you just yet, but stay tuned! In the meantime though, be sure to check out the slightly absurd site started by our good friend Dave. Team Ridiculous: We are going to awesome your socks off.

Now we’re off to do a snow dance in the hopes of inviting better skiing weather!

According to the National Parks Conservation Association, every $1 invested in National Parks means $4 for the US economy. But the nonpartisan group said that the Obama Administration’s 2011 budget request for national parks will “barely cover costs to pay the bills, let alone restore the operational needs to serve park visitors and protect America’s wildlife and heritage for their second century.” That means not only are parks at risk, but economies that depend on them as well.

Here at Under Solen, we’re avid media consumers, and that includes newspapers, but often, some of news topics we find most interesting come to us via social networks, which is exactly how we were alerted to this budget shortfall.

Here were some of NPCA’s top retweeted posts.

Americans are visiting #nationalparks at rate not seen in years, stimulating local economies http://bit.ly/dzoXF1

Every $1 invested in #nationalparks means $4 for the US economy. Ask Congress to fund them http://bit.ly/dzoXF1

current budget reduces or eliminates nearly $100 million in #nationalparks programs http://bit.ly/am1T0C

The NPCA is calling on President Obama to to keep his campaign commitment to restoring national parks, and to raise awareness about the budget shortfall, capitalizing on its social networks and spreading the word via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and beyond.

“We’re using social media to spread the word as quickly as possible with our community that the President’s budget request does not reflect his campaign promise to address the national parks’ funding shortfall. National parks mean green jobs and bring real revenue to local economies. We believe there has never been a better opportunity for Congress to invest in our parks and our people than now. Our goal is to create a groundswell of support to convince our leaders to invest in the national parks. Using the internet as part of a comprehensive strategy, we can reach more people faster than ever before,” said NPCA Media Relations Manager Lindsay Bartsh.

Social media is becoming key for groups like NPCA because it allows them to quickly and efficiently distribute information and encourage people to take action. Another point for the power of social networks.

You can learn more and take action at the NPCA website.

[Photo: ccharmon]

A little Wednesday social media humor for you!

Pepsi accepts 1000 new ideas for grants every month. Visitors to the refresheverything.com site can vote daily on which ideas they think are best. There’s a lot up for grabs; grants will be made in $5,000 to $250,000 bundles. Anyone that has an idea that just might change the world, it looks like this project just might be what you were looking for.

In the past branding might have been about getting people to put a Pepsi in their hand and recommend it to their friends, but now it’s about engaging communities to raise awareness about great causes. Pepsi will be using the power of social media to spread the word. In fact, Pepsi has partnered with some of the biggest names in the online industry to promote the project including Hulu, AOL and MTV.

Some may question the intentions of a major brand like Pepsi, but the people at GOOD are convinced that the initiative a positive thing. “That a major brand like Pepsi is taking a stand and saying that purpose and progress are core to its identity is critical,” said GOOD Founder and CEO, Ben Goldhirsh in a recent blog post. The New York Times calls that cause-related marketing or pro-social marketing, “by which corporations seek to back up their talk about benefiting society.”

As for the social media side of things, this initiative emphasizes the increased role that consumers are having in today’s branding and advertising campaigns. In fact, they’re no longer just consumers, but an active and engaged audience that can turn a simple campaign into a movement.

Go take a look at some of the many projects that have been submitted for grants… there’s some REALLY good stuff in there — a multimedia Afghan photo exhibit, an interactive website to learn about human trafficking, a cross country bike trip to build affordable housing, and beyond! — which gives us great hope that although this is certainly getting Pepsi a lot of good PR, it’s about something bigger and better.

What do you think? Is the Pepsi Refresh Project a vehicle for positive change or just another advertising campaign?

Winter in the Snake River Basin in Central Idaho. Photo courtesy Save Our Wild Salmon

The week after Outdoor Retailer is always blurry, including lots of follow-up, sleep and getting back into the groove of life. Our treatment for post-OR is to hit the mat, take some deep breaths, a sip of wine on focus on causes that move us and inspire us to do the work that we do… And a little laughter always helps too!

Photo courtesy Save Our Wild Salmon

For me, that cause is recovering wild salmon and restoring a free-flowing Snake River in the Northwest. Salmon are much more than just a fish — they’re a cultural icon, an environmental gem, an economic powerhouse and they provide a wealth of nutrients to people, bears, orcas and other wildlife… Hell, even trees thrive on nutrients from salmon.

So how are the salmon doing these days? Not so good, in fact. The mighty Columbia-Snake river was once the world’s largest salmon-producing river system, with more than 30 million salmon returning to its surging waters. Today, just one percent of that historic number remain. Why? The federal agencies charged with protecting these endangered fish have refused to take bold actions to save them.

In a recent op-ed from the LA Times, renowned scientist and writer Carl Safina writes:

…Keeping salmon in a coma and on life support does not heal them, nor help the other species, including people, that depend on them. The likeliest outcome of a salmon strategy based on just avoiding extinction will be extinction — and not only of salmon.

A wiser strategy would focus on restoring salmon’s workhorse role for people and ecosystems. In the Columbia Basin, it would include removing four federal dams on the Snake River, which would open 3,000 miles of healthy streams above the present dams for three salmon species and double the spawning habitat for a fourth.

The Obama administration missed its first chance to hit the “reset” button on Pacific Northwest salmon strategy. But it’s not too late to reconsider. It should embrace salmon abundance as the beating heart of the Pacific Northwest — the flow of energy that connects and sustains people, fishing towns, bears, wolves, orcas, forests and the rivers and seas we all love and use.

Read the rest of Safina’s op-ed…

Take action to save Snake River salmon!

A long-time yogini, I happen to believe that a glass of wine is at times a perfect way to round off your practice. And apparently, I’m not the only one. The good folks over at YogaDork blogged about the new rage of Yoga for Foodies:

It’s the expansion of the “traditional” yoga practice to heathens people who love chocolate, wine, and even bacon! (and frankly, the orgasm of enjoying it all together). Is that so wrong?

And from a YogaDork post on the subject last year:

If you enjoy an adult beverage every now and then, and perhaps the sweet indulgence of chocolate and good food, you can now delight yourself in the newest yoga fusion: the Yoga Cocktail Party.

Talk about the fruits of your efforts, David Romanelli (yeahdave) teaches yoga classes in the sunshine state and caps them off with treats like wine + chocolate, olives + cheese (so cali of him!). If we didn’t know any better we’d say this might be a recipe for post-yoga debauchery, with all that vulnerable energy flying around. It actually sounds like a fab idea, and a real test in thought control during practice… just mind the drool while you’re in down dog. Oh and we’re not saying you’re a lush, but keep that kundalini in your pants.

Stay tuned for the recap of the Under Solen Yoga + Wine Night next month…

Phew! Salmon, wine, yoga, now it’s time for some ridiculousness! Thanks to our friend Derek Markham for turning us on to this hilarious post: How To Suck At Facebook.

Happy Friday!

- Em + Anna

For our Portland friends, here’s an event you’ll definitely want to check out. We’ve mentioned Mountainfilm before, but what’s really cool about the film festival is that they take the whole thing on tour, giving people that can’t make it to Telluride to experience some of the amazing films and inspiring messages. Mountainfilm on Tour will be in Portland this Thursday, January 28, 2010, hosted at Portland State University. Check it out!

What: Portland State’s Outdoor Program and Portland Mountain Rescue are hosting the Mountainfilm on Tour festival on campus. It will include four hours of films that celebrate the great outdoors—especially mountains and mountaineering culture. In addition to the festival screenings, the Outdoor Program will hold a raffle and silent auction. Both Portland State students and the public are welcome to attend.

Where: Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom, SMSU 355

When: Thursday, January 28, 2010, 6-10pm.

Cost: Students $7 advance, $10 door
Faculty and public $10 advance, $12 door

More info here.

"Everything... in the photograph -- trees, bushes, all the animals and plants in the forest and the water -- contains ocean nutrients from salmon." -- Carl Safina in the LA Times. © Save Our Wild Salmon

We live in an amazing place and nothing quite drives that point home like working with people who are passionate about their causes — be they businesses, advocates or adventurers. So, we’re excited to throw our weight behind a couple of great causes: saving Snake River salmon and the Flathead. Keep reading to see what’s happening, and how you can help!

Save Our Wild Salmon has been fighting to recover Snake River salmon for two decades. Snake River salmon Snake River salmon return to the biggest, highest, coldest, best-protected spawning habitat left in the Lower 48. In the last 6 months, tens of thousands of people across the country, nearly 100 members of Congress, three former Northwest governors, hundreds of local and national businesses, thousands of scientists from around the country have called on the Obama administration to end the legal and political deadlock to save wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest. And on Sunday, writer and founder of the Blue Ocean Institute, Carl Safina voiced his opinion in the Los Angeles Times:

Two months ago, in a swift trick no one saw coming, the Obama administration embraced the Bush administration’s failed salmon plan for an even more important watershed, the Columbia/Snake River system. The Columbia and its tributaries formerly produced more salmon than anywhere else on Earth, but the once-mighty rivers now have 13 salmon stocks in danger of extinction…

The fundamental problem with the plan is that its goal seems to be to maintain endangered salmon in an endangered state rather than revitalizing them. The administration appears unmotivated to restore salmon abundance and their role in the ecology and economy. Here’s what gives the administration’s game away: The one salmon species that is already at levels low enough to trigger additional action in the new plan has been exempted from the new triggers.

Jane Lubchenco, the administration’s point person for oceans and salmon, insists that “the actions in the plan will prevent further declines.” But keeping salmon in a coma and on life support does not heal them, nor help the other species, including people, that depend on them. The likeliest outcome of a salmon strategy based on just avoiding extinction will be extinction — and not only of salmon…

"Star" -- Puget Sound's most recent addition to it's resident Orca whale population. © Howard Garrett

There’s another photograph I saw recently. Taken just two months ago where Puget Sound meets the Pacific, it shows a new orca calf emerging from the water atop its mother’s back. The scientists from the Center for Whale Research who track orcas named her Star, hoping she will guide another seemingly intelligent mammal — us — to restore the salmon abundance she will need to become a mother herself 13 years from now. May she inspire the Obama administration to think again.

Read the rest of Safina’s op-ed at the LA Times…

Take action to save Snake River salmon here!

©Garth Lenz, iLCP

Miles of free-flowing river, sky-scraping jagged peaks and abundant wildlife make the Flathead River Valley one of the most wild and beautiful places on earth. But unfortunately, diversity and a natural aesthetic don’t always ensure protection. Proposed mountaintop removal mining in southeastern British Columbia, Canada is threatening the Flathead. Earlier this month, we wrote about the Epicocity Project’s new film, Flathead Wild.

Along with the film, people can really get a sense of place by viewing the gorgeous photos from the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). Visit Planet Green for a slideshow that will make almost anyone want to protect the Flathead!

Want to do more? Watch the video, and pass it along to your friends. And take action HERE!

In the midst of Outdoor Retailer Winter Market craziness, we found a couple of minutes to upload some photos and write a quick little Friday Faves! So what are we digging out here in SLC?

1. Kicked off the morning at the Conservation Alliance breakfast. Inspired by all the great things this awesome organization has taken on in the last year. Here’s just one of the slides from this morning’s presentation:

2. We dropped by the Keen booth where they’re donating $10 to Haiti relief efforts for every person that gets a polaroid shot and posts it on the HybridLife wall. All we had to do was write where we wanted to travel to… guess what the Under Solen answer was? Everywhere!

3. Digging the cool new products from Innate — some awesome re-purposed bags that use leftover materials from sleeping pads, etc.

Now we’re just counting down to happy hour…

Especially with snow… we couldn’t have asked for a better kick off to Winter Outdoor Retailer. Now here we go!