A part of Girl Guides that I love is camping. I love the effort you have to put into it, I love sleeping under the stars, and I love the people that do it with me.

Every summer I go to camp, and last summer I paddled the Missinaibi River for 22 days. You might think it’s a bit late to be reminiscing about last summer’s adventure, but stars are timeless.

On our last night of the trip, we were far, far away from any civilization. The closest town probably has a year-round population of fewer than a dozen. We had been through physically the hardest three weeks of our lives, portaging and walking our boats through rapids that were too shallow to shoot, nervously shooting huge rapids (and tipping on one) and getting far too little sleep. Some days, we would paddle until eight o’clock when camp policy determined we had to set up site – so we’d set up our tents on grassy shores and deal with sore backs in the morning, when we’d wake up in the dark and only see the sun rising after an hour or so.

After all that, we never forgot the beauty whose presence with which we were graced.  On the last night, we all lay down on the sand (it was probably close to midnight and as black as night can get) and stared up to the stars, and someone said something like, “I know it’s cold and late, but I know I’m not going to see this for a long... long, time.”

This weekend I went camping with the Brownies for whom I’m a junior leader, and as we were stargazing at the somewhat pathetic amount of stars you can see 40 minutes outside the city, and as we were silent to the sound of the highway, I thought back to that night. It’s one of those moments that I’ve replayed a thousand times.

It’s hard to have intense camping experiences at the age of eight, but Brownie camp is a start. I really hope some of the girls that I lead fulfill nature-related dreams. I, for one, dream of tripping the Coppermine River, which is in Nunavut, and flows out into the ocean in the northern part of Canada. I think it would be absolutely amazing to trip one of the rivers that far north. Part of the Coppermine River that I’m really interested in is the midnight sun – in certain parts of the summer, there is 24-hour sunlight that far north, and I think that would be cool to see.

For some of them, this will be the closest to the middle of nowhere they ever get, but I’m sure that for others, they’ll find they can excel in nature.

Camping really is a gift, even if it’s just two nights in the lowlands. It’s a break from constant crowds, Internet access, and the omnipresent labelling of people and things. Some people would say I like camping because it’s a break from reality, but it’s quite the opposite: it’s a break into reality. 

This is going to be a short post. I went winter camping this weekend and my hands are still a bit frozen. :)

Last weekend my Ranger unit went to William A. Switzer Provincial Park (just outside of Jasper National Park where the Rocky Mountains begin) to do some winter camping, hiking, and snowshoeing. We certainly got the full winter experience!

When we first arrived on Thursday night we were completely alone in the campground. There was not a soul in sight, and it didn’t look like anyone had used the park in weeks!

There was a bit of snow on the ground, and it was packed down hard. The park looked wonderful; the snow-covered lake with mountains of pine-covered trees for a backdrop was a peaceful postcard scene. It wasn’t too cold -- just around freezing, and it looked like it was going to be a relaxing weekend. Winter had other ideas!

When we woke up Friday morning there was almost a foot of fresh snow on the ground. And since it was only two degrees, the snow was melting and wet. It soaked into your boots and snow pants, mitts and hats. Still, we soldiered on. We set up the fire to cook our meals and used tarps over the tables to provide shelter from the snow.

Then we followed a park trail for a long hike where we saw three pheasants in the heavy woods, and plenty of animal tracks. We crawled into our tents once it was dark – and fell right to sleep despite our plan to play cards and talk about the day.

On Saturday, we hiked through knee-high -- and then thigh-high -- snow!  It was tough work taking turns breaking the trail, and I felt exhausted afterwards. But I felt very proud that we were able to travel so far as a team.

Snow was piled high up our tent walls when we got up on Sunday to break camp. We loaded up our stuff and then poured our wet and cold selves into the van for the drive back home.

Sure, the weather was a challenge. But there were times you could lie in the clean fresh snow and hear only absolute complete silence. Or the clouds would suddenly clear to a brilliant blue sky and the sun would flood the endless forest of evergreens. I felt awed by the vastness of the nature around me and the hush of winter in a way I never have during summer camps.

However, I was still grateful to come home after camp and warm up under a pile of blankets after a hot shower and a home-cooked meal. :)

I loved this camp. It is so different than my usual camp experiences. And tough. But it was also one of the most memorable weekends ever in one of the most beautiful places ever.  I absolutely have to go back in summer and see the same scenes and the beautiful lakes when they are not frozen solid. And be a lot warmer!

What do you guys think? What is your best camp experience?  Or the toughest thing you had to deal with when camping –rain, wind, snow, bugs or even scary sounds outside the tent?  Please share your great camping story.

There are many world issues today, and one that is at the forefront of many conversations is the environment. Often, it seems pretty boring to learn about how we can help the planet – turn off your lights, don’t leave the tap running while you brush your teeth, recycle plastic bottles, on and on the list goes. However, it’s important to find dynamic ways to help the planet because those are the things that people will want to do. Who wants to sit through another lecture about “you should walk instead of taking the car”? Usually, the way people learn about the environment is boring, however one woman decided to live in the environment in order to help it.

Jane Goodall is a woman who inspired many people to love the environment before it was a trend. Goodall is best known for her study of chimpanzees, and this she did remarkably. An avid environmentalist, she would immerse herself into the chimps’ environment and become one of their society.  After observing for weeks and weeks, and letting the chimps see her and get used to her, she would gradually move closer to the group that she was studying, and eventually they would accept her.

The way that she became one with these animals was amazing – they treated her as if she was a chimp, caring for her and interacting with her. Goodall opened our eyes to how similar we are to chimps and primates in general. She showed us that they care for each other just like we do.

In doing her work, Goodall inspired thousands of people to open their eyes to the animal kingdom, and, therefore, the environment. Her attachment to the chimps made people realize that we’re not so different, and that it’s our duty to care for animals just like we care for each other. In showing us that chimps are like us, we could relate to them, and people could be more sensitive to the needs of the natural environment.

Jane Goodall is a remarkable woman because of her exceptional work in nature. She did many great things, and she made everyone realize what a beautiful earth this is, and that we should take care of it. For her, environmental activism was more than giving speeches at elementary schools – it was about living your beliefs and being proactive, which are things from which every single one of us can take something. 

Ever heard of the cosmetics store Lush? You’ll know them in a mall by the scent of their products from around the corner, and their bold black, yellow and green signs. They sell everything from bath bombs to soap, from face masks to perfumes, from lip balms to shower gels. What sets Lush apart from all the other cosmetics stores out there though is their focus on the environment and sustainability. All of their products are made in Canada with natural ingredients, are not tested on animals, and either need no packaging or are packaged in pots and bottles made from recycled plastic.

I first started going to Lush a year ago because I liked their environmental ideas. At Guiding Mosaic 2010 a few Lush employees came in on the Eco Day to tell girls about their store in a workshop on the economics of green products. It was an accident that I attended the workshop in the first place, but I’m really glad that I did. There I learned about their solid shampoos. These are sold in a round bar, a bit like a shrunken hockey puck. All you do is rub the shampoo through wet hair a few times, then lather with your fingers. Not only is everything in these shampoo bars pronounceable (no chemicals!), but because they’re solid there is no need for packaging. I adore the shampoo bar Seanik, which is bright blue and contains pieces of seaweed (if you think that’s weird, I also love their cleanser, Coalface, which contains charcoal!). Seanik is just as good if not better than any shampoo you buy in a grocery store or salon, and one bar lasts around three months. A year after first discovering Lush, I continue to buy their products not just because they’re good for the environment, but because they work.

Another of my favourite products is the Mask of Magnaminty. I was told that it smells like mint chocolate ice cream, but I don’t agree. Fortunately, smell is this face mask’s only downfall, and after using it a couple of times you don’t notice that anymore anyways. It contains things such as mint (as the name implies), and primrose seeds to exfoliate. Not only does your face feel super nice after you wash the mask off, but it does amazing things for your skin, too. I would pick Mask of Magnaminty over something like Proactiv any day.

If you live near a Lush store, I recommend checking them out! If you already love Lush, leave a comment with your favourite product

Global Warming is an environmental problem that is causing a lot of trouble all over the world. This process is when carbon dioxide goes into the air from buses, cars, trains, and many more. The carbon creates a layer on the bottom of the ozone layer, so that other gases cannot escape the earth. So where else will these harmful gases go? Right back onto earth. This causes many problems. For starters, all this carbon dioxide is making our planet warmer. This can be a major problem in the Arctic, where polar animals have their habitats. They rely on the ice to keep everything in balance.  With the planet getting warmer, the ice is melting, which causes many of these polar animals to lose their homes.

Also, when you throw something out, it goes to a landfill. With all this garbage, it creates a gas called methane, which can also contribute to global warming. Did you know that for every unit of electricity that is made, three units of coal are burned? Coal, when burned, can create a very harmful gas that can add to global warming. If we keep burning a lot of coal, more gas is released into the air. By wasting electricity, more coal is burned, which can lead to more environmental problems.

What can you do to help? Instead of riding in a car, which lets out carbon dioxide, you can walk or ride a bike around. You can recycle, and you can reuse products that can be reused. You can reduce the amount of electricity you use by turning off the TV when you’re not watching it or turning off the light in a room when you leave it. One of the things that actually can help this problem is plants, which take in the carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen. Something you can do with your unit is plant some trees, because by planting even one tree, you’re reducing global warming. There are so many things you can do to help, so if you ever get the chance, do something with your unit to reduce global warming.

- Claire