This week marked the return of TedxAlgonquinPark at the Algonquin Visitor’s Center. I was thrilled to be able to attend this year! As I posted on Tuesday some of the speakers included Kevin Callan, Preston Ciere, and Jeff McMurtrie. The visitor’s center’s theatre was full and decorated really cool! As you can see in the pic above they had a canoe and the Tedx logo on the stage. To the right of the stage behind the speakers was a map made by Jamie McCrae from McCrae Lumber in Whitney!
As I said the theatre was full! As was the lobby!
The theme was Think Outside. From the very first speaker (Kevin Callan) right to the very last (Preston Ciere) we were inspired and encouraged to get outside. Some of the memorable quotes from the day are below!
“One month in the wilderness can change your life!” – Kevin Callan
“To reconnect with yourself, you need to reconnect with nature” – Kevin Callan
“Bears can’t help themselves. If natural food sources fail, they will look for other alternatives. They have no choice.” – Martyn Obbard
“It’s important to be still, be silent! I get my best ideas that way” – Lyndsey Mask
“If kids are having fun, they’ll get something out if it. (Silly nature songs ) open up doors for questions.” – Lyndsey Mask
“A map is a lens that shines perspective on the world around you.” – Jeff McMurtrie
“Context can enliven the world around you.” – Jeff McMurtrie (Knowing what’s there is important!)
“64% of Toronto’s tree species are non-native and about half of the once native tree species are gone.” – Eric Davies
“Find a tree, get some seeds and plant a new tree!” – Eric Davies
“Barriers to camping: no experience, need comfort, no equipment, no transportation, no interest.” – Boris Issaev
“We need to refocus our message about our parks to get more people to embrace the opportunities out there.” – Boris Issaev
“Want to talk to aliens? The radio telescope in #AlgonquinPark will soon be able to let you do that” – Chris Soucy
“Get outside. It’s good for you! (And encourage other people to get outside, too!)” – Preston Ciere
It was great to rub shoulders and converse with fellow outdoors people! The highlight for me was meeting people that I’ve admired for years like Kevin Callan, Preston Ciere, and Jeff McMurtrie. During the breaks and evening reception we all got the chance to talk, mingle, and share ideas!
For those of you who went I’d love to hear from you your thoughts! Thanks to the organizers for a great day and I look forward to next year!
~Enjoy your trip!