Malkolm is cycling on! He is now cycling from Alaska to Washington DC, and then continuing on to the UN Climate Change conference in Cancun in December.
It all started with Bird Year, Malkolm and his parents' year-long, fossil-fuel-free journey in search of birds. Cycling a total of 13,133 miles (21,144 km), they identified 548 different bird species and raised more than $25,000 for bird conservation. Bird Year turned them into confirmed cyclists and taught them that climate change was more serious than they had thought.
In 2009, Malkolm biked from Whitehorse to Ottawa as a part of Pedal for the Planet: the project called for the Canadian Government to become a leader in the struggle to come to grips with climate change. The Harper Government did not even meet with the young cyclists.
Malkolm is now 18 and just finished high school. On August 24, he dipped his foot in the Pacific Ocean in Skagway, Alaska. Then headed up and over the White Pass to the Alaska Highway on his journey to Washington and on to Cancun.



Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Older cyclists and statistics - Ken


It’s warm and muggy in Clinton, BC and we’re trying to call home to Whitehorse. Our bikes are across the street, propped up against the wall of “Budget” Foods. The italics are mine. An old man scrutinizes our bikes. He squeezes my seat as if it’s an avocado and he’s not sure if it’s ripe. He gazes intently at my “Bob” trailer as if he can’t believe anyone could be stupid enough to drag that much gear. Then he grabs Malkolm’s bike, lifts it up and winces.
“I’m going to see what he wants,” says Wendy and crosses the street.
He has lots to say. He’s 72 and is two months into a cycle tour of his own. The only flat tire he’s had was in Chicken, Alaska. It was raining so he switched to a new tube and repaired the hole later. He didn’t mean to brag, but his average daily distance was about 30% more than ours. He has a sore butt today, so he’s resting. Malkolm’s bike is too heavy, and why does a kid have such a load? How old is Malkolm anyway?
It won’t wash to tell someone nearly a generation older than Wendy and I that Malkolm’s legs are younger than ours and why shouldn’t we load him down? I don’t think fast enough to tell him that this trip is Malkolm’s idea.
For you statistics junkies, Malkolm has identified 140 bird species and we’ve cycled 1724 kilometers. That’s one new species every 12.3 km or 5.18 per day. I don’t think he’ll keep up those amazing averages.

1 comment:

lynnhoops said...

Really enjoying your journey notes, Malkcolm, Wendy and Ken! What an impressive total of birds you've sighted thus far and what an incredible distance you've managed to travel. I hope the road continues to be kind to you and the traffic doesn't become too onerous as you start to get nearer and nearer more populous centres. Happy birding to you all. And now: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WENDY, YOU YOUNG THING!! Some people tackle a marathon, you decide to cycle diagonally across a freakin' continent - you rock! Big hug, Lynn