With summer fast approaching, many College staff are welcoming the warm rays of the sun. But before you head out for that lunch-hour walk, take proper precautions to protect your skin.

Most of us grew up in an age when a tan was considered a healthy glow. In fact, a tan is a sign of damage, your skin’s effort to protect itself. The thinning ozone layer and our continued quest for that tanned look are making us more susceptible than ever. These days, skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Canada, and will affect one in five people.

There is no such thing as a healthy tan. Always use sunscreen. (MS-Office ClipArt)

The Canadian Cancer Society’s top five killer facts about tanning and skin cancer are:

1. There is no safe tan. Tanning beds cause skin cancer, and a gradual early season tan does not protect you.
2. Melanoma skin cancer is one of the most common and deadliest forms of cancer in those 15 to 29 years of age.
3. Tanning bed use before the age of 35 increases your risk of developing skin cancer by 75%.
4. UV rays from tanning beds can be five times stronger than the mid-day summer sun.
5. Tanned skin is damaged skin. Even when the tan fades, the damage is still there.

We all know that prevention is key. Take precautions and be proactive.

• Reduce your sun exposure. Avoid the sun especially between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are the strongest. Up to 80% of the sun’s rays can penetrate light clouds, and you can still get a sunburn on a cloudy day.
• Cover up. Use a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least 15 SPF to protect against UVA and UVB rays. Wear hats, sunglasses and clothing to protect your skin. Apply 20 minutes before going outdoors, and reapply at least every two hours. Remember that sunscreen cannot totally protect you.
• Know your skin. See your health care provider immediately if you notice changes in a mole or discolouration; a sore that does not heal; or red and bumpy areas of skin that are itchy or bleed.

Know the facts. Learn more at: http://www.cancer.ca or http://www.cancercare.mb.ca .

Here’s a very interesting talk by mycologist Paul Stammets, which came to me via my mushroom hunting father (Steve) and his colleague Alex.  Now that mushrooms have begun popping up, it seems timely to look at some of the farther reaching applications for mushrooms in bio-technology – inlcuding a possible solution for cleaning up oil spills.  It’s a fascinating chat.

Here’s the author’s bio from the TED talks site.

Entrepreneurial mycologist Paul Stamets seeks to rescue the study of mushrooms from forest gourmets and psychedelic warlords. The focus of Stamets’ research is the Northwest’s native fungal genome, mycelium, but along the way he has filed 22 patents for mushroom-related technologies, including pesticidal fungi that trick insects into eating them, and mushrooms that can break down the neurotoxins used in nerve gas.

There are cosmic implications as well. Stamets believes we could terraform other worlds in our galaxy by sowing a mix of fungal spores and other seeds to create an ecological footprint on a new planet.

This one is for is for Sara MacArthur (our Sustainability Officer). Yes, rrrr… stands for Red River Rebel Riders, your team in the Sept. MS Riding Mountain Challenge. But as I was reminded at a sustainability symposium last Friday, rrrr also stands for Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recharge (OK, I added the last one).

• Reduce: Is your bike out yet? Riding will help you to reduce weight, greenhouse emissions, and stress. Reading signs while you ride can also reduce time. And of course there’s the sticky bun factor. The farther and harder you ride, the more you reduce the guilt of indulging in that little sweetie at the end, Like my cinnamon bun after 41 km at Darakeh, the little Persian restaurant  (yes, Persian) in St. Adolphe last week, or my 4,327.13 calorie berry crumble (now I’m salivating) at the Mountain Bean.
• Reuse: You don’t have to reuse the same old routes to get a good ride. A recurring theme at the symposium was that reclaiming, re-purposing, and restoring are central to sustainability: Both new and improved trails are transforming Winnipeg into an increasingly bike-friendly city.Take the new bridge over the Chief Peguis Trail on the recently resurfaced reclaimed Raleigh rail-bed (rrrrr…). This is one route that I do reuse a lot, and a prefect example of reclamation. The only difference between a bike route and a regular street used to be the signs. Not any more. Only 2 of the 30 km from my doorstep in Westwood to the Mountain Bean on Henderson are not over bike routes. And most of that distance is over dedicated paths, from the pedestrian bridge over Sturgeon Creek, past busy Moray through Assiniboine Park, past the bears on the Riverwalk and Gandhi at the Forks, Stephen Juba park, Higgins, and Raleigh.
• ReCYCLE: As in cycle again and again and again. The more you do, the easier it gets to do longer and longer distances. Like my Saturday ride, my previous 82 km run to St. Adolphe was mainly on bike routes, this time through Assiniboine Park and the Assiniboine Forest, along the Sterling Lyon Parkway, up Waverly to Bishop Grandin, and  Red River Drive. What a great way to start the day!
• Recharge: Great… I forgot my water bottle again. So recharging was top of mind on last Saturday’s ride. Come to think of it, recharging is pretty well always top of my mind (lattes, sticky buns, black bottom cupcakes, berry crumble). Or, Bud, Spud, and Steak! As in this Friday at the Palomino to recharge our Dragon Boat Team. And speaking of recharge, what a lift the Rockwell show at the WAG gave me this week! It’s only here until the end of May, so if you haven’t yet taken it in, cycle on down! This has been the biggest show for the WAG since Andy Warhol (who said, in the spirit of sustainability, “I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.”).

Norman Rockwell Triple Self-Portrait

At Red River College, we value a healthy environment: through promotion of creativity, wellness, flexibility, safety, and sustainable learning. RRC President Stephanie Forsyth is a strong proponent of health, wellness, and life balance.

She recently provided some insight into her personal beliefs, attitudes, and activities on the subject. In addition to elaborating on some of the ways she likes to relax while enjoying precious downtime, Stephanie also shared her thoughts on community, ideas about wellness at the College – and even her favorite snack.

This is the second of a two-part series featuring a Q+A with Red River College’s chief executive.

Missed part one? Read it here.

Read More →

A pink and white lady-slipper

If you’re an avid outdoorsy-person or someone who is looking to learn more and do more in the great outdoors, a great resource is Nature Manitoba. Nature Manitoba  is a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1920 as the Natural History Society of Manitoba (later known as the Manitoba Naturalists Society), “for the popular and scientific study of nature”.  The goal of the organization is to promote an appreciation and understanding of nature, and to preserve and enjoy it.

Nature Manitoba offers a wide variety of indoor and outdoor programs year-round, and advocates for the protection of our natural environment. You can check here for a full range of outdoor activities – that include both physical activities such as canoeing, hiking, cycling, snowshoeing, camping, cross-country skiing, and other outdoor recreational pursuits – as well as bird-watching and other educational workshops.

The birding link is pretty cool, as it features a slide show that includes a turkey vulture (which is a vulture, not a turkey, or a vulture-turkey hybrid). These birds are great to see in the wild, as they are so huge that they are still visible when flying high in the sky.

Two other great aspects of Nature Manitoba is the bi-monthly newsletter that always has interesting stories and profiles and the garden tour – which is especially good for urban gardeners who are looking for some ideas for their own backyards. Memberships are relatively inexpensive, and funds go towards a good cause. Find out more by exploring their website, and perhaps signing yourself up.

If you’re into gardening, check out my previous post on Where to Go for Prairie Plants.

It’s not too late to register for a RRC Spring fitness class!

RRC Athletics and Recreation Services offers a number of fitness classes for staff and students. We have designed a class for everyone and they are taught by the some of the best and most experienced fitness professionals in Manitoba.

This spring we will be offering Yoga, Rapid Revolution Spin, Zumba, Total Body Workout, Aikido, and Dynamic Core. These classes run at lunch and at the end of the work day at the Notre Dame Campus.

Please note that we have cancelled Tuesday Circuit and Thursday Aikido due to low registration numbers. All other classes will run.

The costs are:

• $40 for Yoga – 5 sessions (90 mins each)
• $30 for all other classes – 5 sessions (45 – 60 mins each)

Register for more than one class and you will receive $10 off your registration!

Click here to visit the Athletics and Recreation website for more detailed class information, dates, times and the registration form.

Registration forms, class descriptions, dates, and times are also available on the wall across from the North Gym Front Desk. Register and pay in the Student Services Centre (D101).

At Red River College, we value a healthy environment and express this through promotion of creativity, wellness, flexibility, safety, and sustainable learning. RRC President Stephanie Forsyth is a strong proponent of health, wellness, and life balance.

She recently provided some insight into her personal beliefs, attitudes, and activities on the subject. In addition to elaborating on some of the ways she likes to relax while enjoying precious downtime, Stephanie also shared her thoughts on community, ideas about wellness at the College – and even her favourite snack.

This is the first of a two-part series featuring a Q+A with Red River College’s chief executive.

Looking for part two? Read it here.

Read More →

Back by popular demand, the Wellness Committee is once again running the Blogging 101 and 201 workshops.

Blogging regularly can be a great way to improve your writing and share your thoughts and opinions on various subjects. And if you’re interested in blogging but don’t know where to start, writing an occasional post for the Wellness blog could be a good opportunity for you. Since its debut in December 2011, the Wellness Blog now has over 50 posts to its credit, with contributions from across the college community.

Go the Portal to register.

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Blogging 101 covers topics like:

• Why you should blog
• Types of blog posts
• Getting the most out of your blog

When: May 22, 12pm-1pm
Where: Notre Dame Campus – E305

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Blogging 201 is a hands-on workshop in a computer lab that includes:

• Using the WordPress blogging platform
• How to add links, photos and videos to your post
• Moderating comments

When: May 23, 12pm-1pm
Where: Notre Dame Campus – Room A115

When: May 29, 12pm-1pm

Where: Roblin Centre, Exchange District Campus – Room A410

Well, I just got my Bud Spud n Steak ticket from Cristina Gomes (Cashier’s desk, C212) for the RR Rebel Dragons Dragon Boat Team’s (rrrddbt…?)  event on May 11th at the Palomino Club. Go Rebels Go! (you can also get yours from Maria Evaristo at mtevaristo@rrc.ca  or Christine Buchanan at cbuchanan@rrc.ca}

Speaking of Rebels, we are now 4 RR Rebel Riders (rrrr…) gearing up for the MS Ride Sept. 8 & 9: Moi, Roxanne Hildebrand, Mike Poitras, and Wayne Ferguson. No team rides yet. But Mike did finally get his bike out this week and has now clocked over 100 km. Roxanne’s been doing two 30 min. commutes a day for weeks already. Wayne made a solo sticky bun run to Niverville last weekend (though the head wind was so bad that he opted for a Clubhouse instead to revive his tired legs; probably could have used a Spud n Steak!). I hit 300 km with a  couple of work commutes this week and a Sat. morning ride along Sturgeon Creek, the Assiniboine and the Red to St. Adolphe. No sticky bun for me either at the end of that run. This time my reward was lounging in the grass off Pembina with a black-bottom cupcake and a grande latte.

LGBTT* individuals often feel unwelcome and excluded, and they look for behaviours and signs that may indicate whether or not people will support and welcome them as LGBTT* individuals. The Ally Project seeks to create a safer, welcoming, and supportive environment for LGBTT* people by helping them to identify Allies who they can trust and with whom they can be open. This 1-day session will provide participants with knowledge and tools for potential Allies.

Date: Monday, May 7, 2012

Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Coffee Station and Light Lunch will be provided)

Location: Studio B (formerly CanWest Global studio) Notre Dame Campus (Session will be available online for staff from Regional Campuses)

Trainer: Brad Tyler-West, Healthy Sexuality Educator, Rainbow Resource Centre

If you would like to attend this Ally Training, please register online at https://apps.rrc.ca/facultydevelopment/default.aspx before April 27, 2012.

Red River College offers this Ally Training as part of the LGBTT* Initiative, coordinated by the Diversity and Immigrant Student Support department. This session is brought to you in partnership with RRC Faculty Development. For more information, please contact Nora Sobel, Diversity Initiatives Coordinator at nsobel@rrc.ca or 632-2404.