The Dirtbag Diaries

I've gotten a bunch of emails pointing out I had overlooked something. In Mr. Smart Goes Big (Year of Big Ideas 2009), two of the contributors have really cool projects in the works.

Megan Sturdy is a climber and scientist working at the University of Illinois Chicago. She has figured out a way to incorporate here two seemingly incongruent passions -- cancer research and climbing -- into a singular project. Last year, Sturdy launched Climbing for Cancer Research. Her mission is two-fold. First, Sturdy is hoping to travel to Samoa where she can employ her climbing skills to reach lakes containing rare strains of cyanobacteria, which she uses in her research (I'd explain but it's above my pay grade). Second, she wants to get climbers involved in the collection process. Check out what you can do to help. Sounds kind of fun.

Also Shane Robinson of Episode 15 fame is taking part in The Kamchatka Project. A team of ripping boaters who also happen to be scientists, photographers, filmmakers and marketing types hope to shed light on the world's richest wild salmon spawning grounds deep inside Kamchatka Peninsula. Kayaks will be the vehicle. Conservation is the mission.