By David Freese

I have always been fascinated with transitional places – both physical and metaphorical.
Coastlines are where land and sea meet or – is it where they part ways? Weather adds another ever-changing dimension to this landscape. The overlook to the sea becomes a place for contemplation as we ponder our evolution and imagine our future. The salt is in our blood and in our sweat.

Farmstead Chef, co-authored by Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko, captures the movement back into the kitchen, and gardens. Whether to savor the flavor of fresh, unprocessed foods, to reduce the number of miles some foods are shipped from farm field to plate, or just save some money by eating seasonally and locally, millions of people are hitting the farmers’ markets, supporting restaurants that feature locally sourced ingredients or growing their own food in their backyards, rooftops or community gardens.

By Mary Kuhner

Celebrating 35 years of research and education at the edge of the Arctic, the Churchill Northern Studies Centre (CNSC) recently cut the tape on its state-of-the-art 27,000 square-foot facility. In keeping with its mission to understand and sustain the North and to live sustainably on the fragile tundra, the new building is on track to obtain Manitoba’s northernmost LEED Gold certification. The CNSC reduces both the high cost of operating in the North and reliance on outside services and utilities.

On July 29, 2012, The Squaxin Island Tribe will host the Paddle to Squaxin 24th Annual Canoe Journey, an inter-tribal celebration of Pacific Northwest canoe culture and tradition. More than 100 canoes will land at the Port of Olympia, in Washington state, with thousands of people joining together to welcome each arrival. For centuries, Pacific Northwest tribal people navigated the waterways in intricately carved dugout canoes. The Salish Sea, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia in Canada, were the central force that connected canoe cultures for inter-tribal communication and trade.

Las Salinas – the salt flats – are 5 kim from Playa Viva near the Pacific Coast of Mexico, about 45 minutes south of the resort of Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa. 120 families are members of a salt harvesting co-op. Of these, eighty are actively harvesting salt. Of those, less than half are using traditional means to harvest the salt. Playa Viva is a sustainable boutique hotel located nearby. Playa Viva has been working in this area for the last for years with the goal to go beyond green (doing less damage) and sustainable (net neutral) to be a truly “regenerative” resort, improving the biodiversity and resilience of the ecology and community.

By Michelle Nowak, Farm Stay USA/ The Farm Stay Project

Agritourism and farm stays are common in Europe, particularly Italy, where they play an important role in preserving rural food traditions and protecting small farm livelihoods. In the United States, however, farm stays aren’t as well known. Two organizations, The Farm Stay Project and Farm Stay U.S., aim to change that – we’re working to spread the word about farm stays in the USA.

Millions of people travel all over the world every year. Some have the hopes in spending their vacations relaxing by white sandy beaches, while others have high hopes in doing things like helping a tiny turtle hatchling find its way to the sea and become familiar with a variety of yoga practices. This is where Destination:PEACE comes in. As a brainchild to PEACE Mexico, Destination:PEACE combines a cultural and adventure experience with the chance to practice different types of yoga.

One of the most important protected areas in the Mexican Caribbean, the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an (Mayan for “Gift from the Sky”) is a place with an incomparable natural beauty and immense richness in flora and fauna. For these unique characteristics in biodiversity and its cultural treasures Sian Ka’an was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, and has gained significant importance as a destination for ecotourism and sustainable livelihood development projects for local communities.

By Michelle Rodrigues – Tourism in Mexico has seen a drastic drop since the swine flu fright and the recent economic downturn experienced throughout the world, but this doesn’t stop everyone. Mexico is still optimistic and thriving with the continuation of its beautiful colors, traditions and cultures. Initiatives like La Ruta del Tequila and the public awareness of World Heritage Sites in Mexico have been able to release knowledge and understanding of the deep history Mexico holds.

By Jacqueline Baleon – Located in the Ejido (communal land) of El Rosario, only 45 minutes to the south of La Paz (the capital of the Mexican state of Baja California Sur), is the lonely Cactus Sanctuary (Santuario de los Cactus), in which 50 hectares of parkland have been divided into 50 distinct areas to preserve cacti and endemic plants found only in this part of the globe. Despite its beauty, the sanctuary has been mostly forgotten, as is too often the case with many of the small communities in this area.