Activities, Adventures, Conservation

Trail Life USA and Tread Lightly! announce outdoor preservation partnership

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Trail Life USA (TLUSA) takes another major step in building its outdoor adventure program by announcing a partnership with Tread Lightly!.  Together, Tread Lightly! and TLUSA will promote outdoor education, awareness, and habitat restoration projects that will preserve wilderness lands and teach environmentally friendly practices for all outdoor activities.

“Our partnership will teach outdoor stewardship and provide lasting benefits to our communities,” said Mark Hancock, Chief Operating Officer of TLUSA. “‘To be a good steward of creation’ is a key tenet of our Trailman Oath.”

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News

Happy Birthday Ansel Adams!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Shamelessly borrowed from Wikipedia:

Ansel Easton Adams (February 20, 1902 – April 22, 1984) was an American photographer and conservationist. His black-and-white landscape photographs of the American West, especially Yosemite National Park, have been widely reproduced on calendars, posters, and in books.

“Once destroyed, nature’s beauty cannot be repurchased at any price.” – Ansel Adams

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General Aviation

Garmin Adds Synthetic Vision to Pilot App

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced an updated version of the Garmin Pilot application for the iPad and iPhone featuring synthetic vision as an option for premium subscribers. 3D Vision incorporates GPS-derived airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed overlaid on rich 3D topographic landscape. 3D Vision is transformed when optionally paired with the GDL 39 3D, which superimposes back-up aircraft attitude information overtop the Garmin SVX display.

“With the addition of synthetic vision, Garmin Pilot takes a big step forward by offering pilots great situational awareness in all weather conditions, day or night,” said Carl Wolf, Garmin’s vice president of aviation sales and marketing. “When combined with the GDL 39 3D, attitude information as well as ADS‑B traffic and weather are all conveniently accessible within one application, further demonstrating our commitment to bringing safety enhancements to all pilots.” 

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News

Ethanol production continues to drain California’s water resources during drought

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a scientist.  I’m just a guy who believes in conservation and making California the best it can be.  Now that we’re three years into below-average rainfall in California and even the sluggish state government has decided that we’re in a drought, it’s time to look at ways to conserve water.  It’s something we should have been doing for years, but … well, we’ve been too busy trying to decide what marriage is while we’re riding on the high speed rail train to bankruptcy.

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Dead Tree Books, eBook

2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest entry period now open

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The 2014 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest (ABNA) entry period has opened. The ABNA contest is open to unpublished and self-published English-language novels. Entries will be accepted through March 2, 2014, or until 10,000 eligible entries are received, and can now be submitted through CreateSpace. To enter today, log in and select ABNA Breakthrough Novel Award from the left side bar.

Amazon Publishing is pleased to announce that one Grand Prize winner will receive a publishing contract with an advance of $50,000. In addition, four First Prize winners will each receive a publishing contract from Amazon Publishing with an advance of $15,000.

Authors can submit their work in one of the following categories: general fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, science fiction/fantasy/horror, and young adult fiction. For complete eligibility details, review the Official Contest Rules. Visit the prizes page for the full list of prizes and details.

Log in to enter today.