It makes sense that folks who kit out their vans are usually creative and adventurous types. They are all about exploring the world and making the most of the journey. This is why we wanted to quickly highlight the fine folks at Shelter Publications who are currently featuring Kirk Williams (and his customized van – Spock) on their site.
The story is as beautiful and inspirational as the above photo shows. Here’s an excerpt:
“Kirk’s concern after he broke his neck was that he could no longer explore nature and see the world, but his van has helped him travel all over the United States (including Alaska), as well as to Mexico, Argentina, and Chile. His van is customized with the right tools to help him eat, sleep, use the bathroom, and drive more independently. He calls Spock his “freedom pod.” Kirk enjoys exploring remote campsites, off the beaten path, where his van can take him. ‘My life is easy within the van; it’s once I get outside that things get complicated!’”
Click on through to read the full post.
Also, be sure to check out Rolling Homes: Shelter on Wheels by Lloyd Kahn as well and meet more folks customizing their vans and trucks for the adventures ahead.
The Antiquities Act was signed into law on June 8, 1906 and authorized all future presidents to protect historic landmarks or objects of “scientific interest” on public lands as national monuments. Since the Antiquities Act was passed, nine republican and nine democratic presidents have used the tool to protect nearly 160 important historical, archeological, or public lands across the nation. Many iconic landscapes were first protected under the Antiquities Act, such as Grand Canyon National Park (1908), Great Sand Dunes National Park (1932), and most recently, the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument Expansion (2024).
National Monuments are one of the most effective ways to permanently protect public lands. AdventureKEEN is one of 100 companies who are #MobilizingforMonuments in an effort to protect over 3 million acres of our public lands. Conservation is a shared value that connects people from every corner of the continent and all walks of life. Everyone, regardless of race, income, or political affiliation, can benefit from access to outdoor spaces. On the anniversary of the Antiquities Act, we are proud to stand with local communities, tribes, and business leaders in supporting the designation of more national monuments.
One of the smartest ways we can ensure we are moving towards a healthier Earth is to help create spaces for birds, bees, and butterflies. These species are a key part of nature, and Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees, and Butterflies for the Rocky Mountains helps you turn your yard into an oasis for all of our pollinating friends.
Overview of native pollinator species in the Rocky Mountain region
Field guide to 106 native plants, organized by types of plants, such as shrubs, trees, and wildflowers
Quick-reference chart to plants, blooming periods, and what animals each plant attracts
Hardiness zone information, weed control tips, and more
Plus, there is a section with garden plans that can be customized to suit your specific interests, location, and goals you have for your garden and yard.
These green spaces are so important and can be the most beautiful jewels in your neighborhood. So let professional nature photographer and botanist George Oxford Miller guide you through your smartest plant choices for Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, northern New Mexico, and northeastern Utah.
Today is the 32nd annual National Trails Day when people all across the country unite to celebrate the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day®. It’s the perfect opportunity to set off on a local trail with others in your community.
There’s something magical about being outdoors. Fresh air, birds singing, moving along a trail, or even just around the block – there’s nothing quite like it. But today, trails and public spaces are in dire need of help – and not everyone has access to or feels welcome in these places that can calm and inspire. National Trails Day® is the perfect opportunity to get out there with the people you love, give back to the trails that bring us together, and make sure no one is left out.
If you do get out and hike today, be sure to tag any Instagram posts you create with #NationalTrailsDay and @AmericanHiking for a chance to win several outdoor gear prize packages that they are giving out.
Join the nationwide movement to give back to trails and build a world where everyone has access and feels welcome to enjoy the great outdoors.
Americans celebrated Earth Day for the first time in 1970. It has since grown from that single bipartisan US government proclamation into a global day of recognition. It is a day to highlight the joys of the outdoors while staying focused on the need to protect and restore the planet. Deforestation, nature loss, toxic chemicals, and plastic pollution are real threats to our health and nature. Here are a few ways to celebrate and participate today:
Cleaning up the High Ore Line Trail which was “adopted” by AdventureKEEN a few years ago.
Get outside
Today is a global day of recognition when folks all over the Earth think about getting outside, protecting the natural world, and celebrating outdoor spaces. You should get out, too. Take a walk for a 15-minute break during the day, eat your lunch outside, or plan a hike at dusk. In today’s commute-dependent and screen-driven world, it can be tough to “turn off” and get outside, but getting outside is one of the best ways you can help recognize Earth Day.
Get the kids excited about outside.
Help the kids learn about rocks, water, and plants (books are a great start). Once children start to understand where all the parts of nature come from and how they work together, they can start to understand why they are all so important. Once kids understand how important a healthy planet is to all of us, then they will want to start helping protect it.
Three Ways to Take Action
There are so many wonderful conservation organizations out there working to protect our planet, not just on Earth Day. It’s easy to make a monetary donation or volunteer some time to help pick up a trail or street in your neighborhood. It’s good to think about how your action along your sidewalk or road is part of a larger effort to protect our planet.
You can also donate old gear. Check your local outdoor shops and search online. Many places are looking for used gear to sell (and often will let you ship for free), and even more outdoor folks are looking for cheaper used gear. Plus, it keeps the old shoes, backs, and gear out of the landfill! How often do we get a win-win-win scenario?
You can also sign the official Earth Day Global Plastics Treaty Petition. It’s pushing for an audacious goal of a 60% reduction in the production of all plastics worldwide by 2040. That would be amazing! This petition starts with the United Nations and hopes to grow the movement from there.
BONUS: Think about how you can make any Earth Day-focused efforts you do part of your daily routine. This can be a tough one, but thinking about plastics in the home, water usage and even the plants in your yard is how we all will really start to make a difference. The outdoors belongs to everyone. Claim it. Protect it. Share the love of nature.
On Earth Day Today, remember that it’s our shared responsibility to treat it with care. We hope that wherever you are on Earth Day 2024, you can get outside, spread the word about the importance of a healthy planet, and enjoy what nature offers you.
Today, we are sharing a few book launches that include stellar stories, hikes, bites, and literal stars. Look for these titles wherever you buy your books, or you can buy them directly from AdventureKEEN.
Whitewater Rescues by Charlie Walbridge is adventure armchair reading for anyone who has touched a paddle. This book includes more than 75 compelling true stories of canoeing, kayaking, and rafting rescues. These stories come straight from the American Whitewater Accident Database and explain how they are connected to today’s whitewater rescue techniques and tools.
Five-Star Trails: Asheville by Jennifer Pharr-Davis helps readers explore 35 of the most spectacular hikes and walks around Asheville. This full-color guidebook will help you discover peaceful waterfalls, dramatic mountain vistas, bountiful nature preserves, and, of course, the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Homestyle Kitchen by Julia Rutland offers 154 fresh and timeless recipes focused on comfort food that brings people together. This full-color cookbook is overflowing with photos, ideas, stories, and recipes. The book covers breakfast, bread, main dishes, and sides and even offers vegetarian options for many of the recipes.
Stars by Mike Lynch frames the night sky in a month-by-month plan to help beginners learn all year long. Mike’s casual and friendly tone is the perfect way to introduce yourself or someone else to the constellations overhead. This full-color guide offers sky charts and detailed descriptions to help readers learn and plan ahead.
We hope you’ll check out one (or all!) of these fun books, and most of all, we hope you’ll use them and get outside to enjoy the benefits of nature.
We are so excited that Good Morning Mother Nature, Lucas Alberg’s and Megan Marie Myers’s newest book, is finally hitting bookstore shelves. The artwork in this children’s picture book is just as playful and inspiring as the words, which are heartwarming and encouraging.
Good Morning, Mother Naturehelps readers of all ages celebrate the great outdoors. Follow a chickadee at sunrise as it flits through the forest, wishing “good morning” to bears, beavers, deer, and other beloved critters. Along the way, the friendly bird encounters familiar sights and sounds of the forest, from fresh dew on leaves to a burbling brook.
Written as a companion to the acclaimed Goodnight Great Outdoors, this children’s book is a warm, rhyming homage to wildlife and the outdoors.
So open your eyes, stretch your arms, and gather the kids for a perfect story to begin the day. It’s available today wherever books are sold, or you can buy it directly from the AdventureKEEN shop.
Last year, The Conservation Alliance, Rivian, Flickr, and Nuestra Tierra embarked on a road trip from Colorado to California to advocate for the permanent protection of National Monuments. Meeting with local business leaders, elected officials, tribal leaders, on-the-ground champions, and recreationists, the M4MRoadTrip was an epic journey across the American West.
We at AdventureKEEN know that the future of business depends on a healthy planet, and that is why we are thrilled to announce our support for this ambitious initiative. The Mobilizing for Monuments (M4M) is a coalition of businesses that understand that protecting our public lands directly benefits our economy, culture, and way of life. Take the first step in protecting our lands, businesses, and communities. Watch the Mobilizing for Monuments trailer, and get ready to make your voice heard!
Alaska’s fish, wildlife, and public lands need your help! Across the state, 28 million acres of BLM-managed public lands could soon be repurposed for extractive industrial development. We’re talking about public lands that feed over 100 Alaska Native communities, nourish incredible fish and wildlife biodiversity, and serve as massive carbon sinks for the planet.
But RIGHT NOW, you can stand up to keep these landscapes safe. @BLMNational just opened a 60-day public comment period on this potential rollback of public land protections. The federal government needs to hear that we want public land uses that support local communities, and prioritize clean water, healthy habitat, and food security. Speak up now to maintain protections for some of the last, intact large landscapes left on the planet: https://wildsalmoncenter.org/2023/12/18/take-action-for-alaska-fish-wildlife-and-public-lands/
AdventureKEEN is excited to share the news that Shelter Publications has become the publishing group’s seventh imprint, effective January 1, 2024. Shelter Publications was founded by Lloyd Kahn and based in Bolinas, California.
“We are honored and appreciative to be able to shepherd the Shelter list going forward. Lloyd’s books have always been distinctive and smart. We’re pleased that we can continue his legacy of creating first-rate books that inspire and benefit readers around the world,” says Richard Hunt, president of AdventureKEEN.
Shelter Publications is a 50-year-old independent publisher known for its high-quality books about home building and personal fitness. With Lloyd’s start in the Whole Earth Catalog, Shelter’s building books (many written by Kahn), detail topics including small houses, campers, road rigs, houseboats, and much more. The long-selling fitness titles include Bob Anderson’s Stretching and (Jeff) Galloway’sBook on Running.
Publisher Molly Merkle adds, “Lloyd (aka “The King of D.I.Y. Dwellings”) has a voice and perspective that continues to resonate with readers. We are thrilled to carry forward his work and influence for future generations.”
“I’m more than excited to be working with AdventureKEEN in this next phase of my career. Our goals and aspirations are in sync, and I’m looking forward to this new relationship that will give me time to communicate via Instagram, Substack, and YouTube (and with an occasional book). We also look forward to having AdventureKEEN’s expertise and skills in marketing our Shelter Library of Building Books,” says Lloyd Kahn, Shelter founder.
Shelter’s administrative functions will transfer to AdventureKEEN’s Birmingham, Alabama headquarters. Lloyd will continue to author and promote the Shelter list.
“PGW has had a wonderful history with both publishers, and their shared sensibilities will allow Lloyd to continue to explore his many publishing ideas with an ideal and supportive partner,” says Kevin Votel, vice president of business development at Publishers Group West.
Publishers Group West (PGW) will remain the trade distributor of Shelter Publications. Established in 1976, PGW, an Ingram distribution company, is one of the top book vendors in the country, representing about 100 independent publishers, who together are publishing some of the most topical, innovative, literary, and award-winning books available today. PGW has been AdventureKEEN’s sales and distribution partner since 2007.
AdventureKEEN, headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with offices in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cambridge, Minnesota, publishes 50-60 new titles annually, primarily on the subjects of nature, outdoor recreation, regional interest, and travel. The company has a backlist of 1000+ titles.
