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 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 and many other businesses in Austin will be donating 5% of our Earth Day receipts to a group of non-profits that are committed to the environment. Come shop with any of us on April 22nd and know that 5% of your purchase will be donated to these worthy organizations. The seven groups who will share these funds are Hill Country Conservancy, Sustainable Food Center, Save Barton Creek Association, Austin Film Festival, Austin Green Art, Sierra Club, and Friends of Barton Springs Pool.

For a complete list of participating businesses click here.

Join Whole Earth Provision Company for an Earth Day Celebration at our Alamo Quarry Market location here in San Antonio. Saturday, April 17th, Noon to 5 pm.

We’ve invited several of our environmentally conscious suppliers to be in the store to talk with you about what their companies are doing to be truly green. We’ll have representatives from Patagonia Clothing and Footwear, also good folks from Klean Kanteen, Osprey Packs, Keen Footwear, and Prana clothing. Come and join the discussion about the environmental initiatives of these progressive companies.

Don’t forget to sign up for the great door prizes.

Additionally, it’s Community Recycling Day at the Quarry Market, courtesy of Allied Waste, you can drop off your recyclables in bins provided in the parking lot.

Banff Festival Show Times

April 10, Radical Reels, 8:00 pm

April 11, World Tour, 6:00 pm

(Doors open 1& 1/2 hours earlier)

Whole Earth is happy to report that tickets for the Austin edition of the 2010 Banff festival are available for sale.  To understand how wonderful the new films are, watch the short video below. Two shows are scheduled at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Austin: Radical Reels on Saturday, April 10th and the World Tour on Sunday, April 11th. Tickets for a single night are $20.00 each and two-night passes are available for $35.00.

Tickets are available at the Paramount box office and on-line through www.austintheatre.org or by phoning (866) 977-6849. (A service charge will be added.) They are not available the days of the festival at Whole Earth stores.

All proceeds from this year’s event will be contributed to the Austin Parks Foundation. These folks have done so much for the citizens of Austin that it’s worth the price of admission just to see their cause advanced.

Media Sponsor:

Beneficiary:

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!