The Big Bend Ultra 2011 has been resurrected after a hiatus of some years. In preparation for the January, 2011 event Whole Earth is hosting a workshop in our San Antonio Quarry Market store on August 5th at 6:00 pm. The workshop will include all the information you’ll need to prepare yourself for this rare opportunity to run in Big Bend National Park next January 16th. Register here for the races: 50K and 25K trail runs plus the Hot Springs 10K race.

On Thursday evening, the 5th of August, you can meet Courtney Lyons-Garcia, the Executive Director of the Friends of Big Bend National Park, and also Carroll Voss, Big Bend Ultra Race Director and owner of Fleet Feet Sports in San Antonio. Mr. Voss can answer all your questions about the race course, tips on preparing for an ultra run, and running in Big Bend in particular. Ms. Lyons-Garcia will cover the many wonders of Big Bend itself: places to stay, hiking trails and driving tours, all sorts of fun activities in one of Texas’ great wilderness areas. She will also tell us about the Friends of Big Bend, a fine organization that works to improve the Park - and the host/beneficiary of the Big Bend Ultra 2011.

Come on over to the Quarry Market for the short presentation, have a snack, and a chance to take home cool door prizes provided by Marmot Mountain Works and Whole Earth Provision Company. If you can’t make it to this workshop, it will be repeated on September 9th in Austin in the Whole Earth store at the Westgate Shopping Center.

The 2010 edition of the Banff Mountain Film Festival that stopped in Austin this Spring on its world tour was a huge success and great fun for the hundreds of Festival attendees at the Paramount Theatre. In the five years that Whole Earth Provision Co. has hosted the event, thousands of dollars have been raised for the many environmental non-profits of the event-including this year’s recipient of some $4000, Austin Parks Foundation. This could not have been possible without the folks we want to mention now.

Whole Earth is very grateful to the many organizations that contributed to the event in their own ways. We of course cannot stage the Festival without The Banff Centre. They have done so much to nurture art in all its many forms, including putting together one of the greatest outdoor-themed film festivals in the world. A portion of these films make up the World Tour and Radical Reels that circle the globe in the year following their Fall event. They even provide a moderator to introduce each film and give us some insight into its origin - thanks to Nancy Hansen for traveling here from Banff , Alberta for our showing.

A number of the fine manufacturers of Whole Earth products participated: with free stuff for Festival attendees, donating funds, having a display in the Paramount lobby, or all of these. In particular we want to thank SmartWool (maker of fine Merino wool clothing), W.L. Gore & Associates (developer of GoreTex for a multitude of applications), Feetures (environmentally conscious maker of great socks), and The North Face (the creator of great outdoor equipment and clothing). Others making a mark on the Austin Festival are Mountain Hardwear, Outdoor Research, Deuter USA, and Petzl . Our thanks to all of these fine companies - please patronize them and their products.

Whole Earth is also happy to have a number of non-profit organizations represented at the Festival. Thank you to the Austin Sierra Club, TreeFolks, American Youth Works, and the University of Texas Recreational Sports Department for having displays at the Paramount.

Last, but certainly not least, we thank our media partner: KUT-FM for their coverage; and to Firelight Pictures for their informative presence at the Festival. We hope to have everyone back for the 2011 Banff Mountain Film Festival.

The proceeds from the 2010 Banff Mountain Film Festival amounted to $4000 from the two-day run this Spring. Shown above is Whole Earth Provision Company founder Jack Jones presenting a check for that amount to Rosie Weaver representing this year’s beneficiary, Austin Parks Foundation. APF does such special work in projects all around Austin - we know that these funds will be well spent improving the open space within the city.

Whole Earth is teaming up all summer with Teva and the Dallas Museum of Nature and Science to show a thrilling, big-water river trip at the Imax theatre in the Museum’s domed theatre. The film is titled Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk. Besides wonderful action footage of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. , his family, and other notables, the music is done by the Dave Mathews Band and the narration by Robert Redford. The environmental message is a timely one about water, it’s growing scarcity, and human responsibility for protecting and conserving it.

As an extra incentive to see the film, Teva and Whole Earth are offering a 20% off coupon good at our Dallas location (5400 E. Mockingbird Lane) for a discount on a great pair of sandals suitable for running around town or running the big rapids. An Imax ticket stub is also required for the footwear deal.

Everything you’ll need to take advantage of this deal:

• Ticket information
• Printable Coupon

Whole Earth is so pleased to be partnering with the San Antonio River Foundation. We ask that you stop by our Alamo Quarry Market store to make a contribution there as you browse our eclectic offerings under the smoke stacks.  The S.A.R. Foundation is the organization working to beautify the San Antonio River through the heart of the city. Your generous donation will help all along the river with trail enhancements, benches, pavilions, parks and more. The Mission Reach is an eight mile river improvement project which begins downtown and heads south to the four historic missions. Even a dollar or five will be very welcome.

“This is a great opportunity for the San Antonio River Foundation to raise funds and share the news on the developing Mission Reach with engaged and educated consumers that have a keen interest in the community and environment,” said Kim Adams, executive director, San Antonio River Foundation.

“The San Antonio River is the most important environmental element in San Antonio. As the infrastructure and habitat of the river are restored, citizens and visitors will be able to access the river for its recreational and cultural connections.” “The River Foundation is key to enhancing these elements, and Whole Earth Provision Company is pleased to help by offering this limited promotion”, said company founder, Jack Jones.

The San Antonio River Foundation and its supporters, like Whole Earth Provision Company, believe that the river is the lifeblood of our city and continues to preserve and beautify it through public art, parks, outdoor learning spaces and the stories we share in the form of mission portals, reclaimed art works and more.

The San Antonio River Foundation is working on this large-scale, multi-phase project with Bexar County, the San Antonio River Authority, the Army Corps of Engineers and the City of San Antonio. Improvements are projected to be complete by 2013 for the Mission Reach.

For more information about the San Antonio River Foundation, please visit www.sariverfoundation.org or call 210-224-2694.

Add your name to the raffle spinner pictured above for a chance to win a North Face tent!  When you’re ready for a new daypack or a sport shirt or some fine rainwear, consider making that purchase at our Dallas Whole Earth store. If that purchase is from one of our favorite makers of all those things, The North Face, and totals $100.00 or more, you can drop your name in that raffle spinner. At the end of April, 2010 we will draw out one of those names for a sparkling new Minibus 23 tent from The North Face. It’s a roomy 2-person model that retails for $359.00. Wouldn’t that be great for your next trip to the Rockies!

These greyhounds and all their admirers spent a Saturday afternoon in Whole Earth’s San Antonio store recently. For future opportunities to adopt a greyhound while visiting our store, check out the events section on this site.

The message below was received on January 21, 2010 from the Acholi Beads company. Though it was directed to our jewelry buyer, it contains exciting news for all of us who appreciate and wear the wonderful beads being discussed.

Hello Acholi Bead Friends,

I just wanted to send along a Happy New Year and update you on some neat things happening with Acholi Beads. Acholi beads is happy to report that we had a wonderful year last year and feel so blessed about all the growth that is happening amongst us. It is so encouraging because the more we grow the more ways we can help those in Uganda. We started with just a few bead makers and last year were able to grow to 27 bead makers. Our goal for 2010 is to have 50 bead makers by the end of the year. This year many of our bead makers were able to get identification cards for the first time. This might not seem like a big deal to us America, but it is very hopeful for the woman in Uganda. Having identification opens new doors for them and allows them do things like open bank accounts and start new businesses. It is a delight to get to hear about all of the stories of success and hope that our bead makers are having. We want to thank you for being apart of this fantastic journey. We are all a team and it is so great l to be a part of a socially proactive business that is benefiting so many. James, our founder, will be heading to Uganda for a few months with a designer from California who will be meeting with the bead makers and teaching them many new things. We will keep you updated on his travels and pass along his incredible stories.

Hope all is well!

Macey Garwood

Whole Earth is very pleased to announce that the Banff Mountain Film Festival will return to the Paramount Theatre in Austin this Spring. It will be a two night affair on the weekend of April 10 and 11. On Saturday night at 8:00 pm, the Radical Reels lineup will play and on Sunday evening at 6:00 pm the World Tour for 2010 will be screened. As always, a special tour host direct from Banff, Alberta will introduce each film on both nights. Cost for the events are $20 for a single night and $35 for a ticket to both night’s features. Tickets will be available about March 1st at all three Austin Whole Earth locations, at the Paramount box office, and through ProTix.com (phone: 866.977.6849).

Be sure to come early – doors open one and a half hours prior to show time – and browse the various displays. Several of our gear and clothing manufacturers have their latest products to examine, and very often they have free stuff for you. In addition we’ll have interesting local non-profit organizations present to discuss their projects and missions.

The main attraction remains the incredible films: beautiful photography, thrilling action, intriguing cultures from around the world. For a breath-taking preview, take a look at this video: