Our AOTE Sustainable Bike Outreach Team

• Name: BECKY
• Where from: Downers Grove IL
• Educational Background: Communication major
• What do you like to learn about? Arabic literature
• Why are you doing this bike ride? I like late night meetings.
• Favorite quote: “Never let ‘hard to do’ get in the way of something worth doing”
• Ways in which you give back to your community? I had always gone to schools in towns outside of the one I grew up in, and never felt very connected to the people that lived there. When I recently had 9 months to live back at my parent’s house, I decided I would take a job that would connect me back to my community. I ended up working in a day care facility, interacting with the children and parents of my hometown. Now when I go home I have more familiar faces and deeper connections to people I see everyday.
• What inspires you? Teaching
• Who inspires you? My co-workers
• Organizations you’ve been a part of: DuPage County Forest Preserve – Fleet Services.
• Favorite company to support: Heartland Café, Rogers Park Chicago, IL
• Favorite food: creamed cucumbers
• Furthest you rode your bike before this trip: It’s almost a tie, but there is a small difference. My second longest trip was 30 miles from Santa Monica to San Pedro, it took about four hours. I suppose I’ll never know how many miles we traveled during my longest bike trip. All I can say is that we went from San Pedro to Santa Monica, it took us eight hours, we were seriously lost, but ate some good burritos.
• What type of music do you listen to? The Stones & The Clash.
• Favorite book: Skinny Legs and All – Tom Robbins
• Favorite biking gear/outfit: bike gloves. My grandma had a pair growing up that I begged her to give me. She never did, but that might be why I’m so happy with mine today.
• Name of your bike: Haven’t asked her yet.
• Favorite ice cream: mint chocolate chip

• Name: CAROLINE GASSER
  
• Where from: Waukesha, WI
• Educational Background: B.S.-- U of Minnesota/Twin Cities
• What do you like to learn about? Right now I’m really into learning about birds and rocks, but mostly people, bikes, and Spanish speaking tips.
• Why are you doing this bike ride? It’s a baby step in the right direction for saving our planet.
• Favorite quote: Don’t write a check your butt can’t cash.
• Ways in which you give back to your community? I like to hangout with kids and educate ourselves about community happenings, by just getting involved.
• Favorite company to support: I like to spread the dough around
• Favorite food: my grandma’s potato salad…yummy.
• What’s the furthest you rode your bike before this trip: 600ish miles
• What type of music do you listen to? Anything that inspires me to dance and sing
• Favorite book: anything by Shel Silverstein
• Favorite biking gear/outfit: warm clothes while night riding/cruising
• Name of your bike: One Crotch Rocket (OCR 1)
• Favorite ice cream: Blue Moon

• Name: COURTNEY
• I’ve traveled a long way for this bike trip and I’m pumped! My name is Courtney, I grew up in Tasmania, Australia and I own a pre-loved Trek 1000, fully kitted out and sold to me by a wonderful guy named Ralph. My dream is to ride sustainably down the east coast of Australia, but for now my unconditioned butt will have to try and slog it out 700 miles along the beautiful Californian coastline. I’m most looking forward to getting to see sunrise everyday and the home communities of children I know; helping them to develop more sustainable paths in their lives.
  

Those who come to know the grace of nature will find in it a strength to nourish them for the rest of their lives

• Name: CYNTHIA GOULET
  
• Hi, I’m Cynthya Goulet and I am from Montreal, Canada. I graduated this past May from the University of Illinois with finance and accounting degrees. I played on the varsity tennis team and am very active but I’m fairly new to biking. I am very excited for this bike trip because I have never seen the coast of California. Riding our bikes, we will get a closer and more intimate look at the beautiful coastline. The longest time I have ever spent on a bike is a day. So I am a bit worried about sitting on a bike daily for three weeks but being with such great friends and coworkers will make it memorable. I just bought a used bike and hope that I love it even after spending three weeks riding it. I’m hoping to find a name for my bike along the ride. The best part of this trip is that we are using our own energy to travel and not fossil fuels.

• Name: HEATHER
• Where from: Massachusetts
• Educational Background: Anthropology
• What do you like to learn about? Eastern philosophy
• Why are you doing this bike ride? I wanted to run along the California coast during the bike tour. Everyone tells me that will take much longer, so I will just ride.
• Favorite quote: "When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."-- Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• Ways in which you give back to your community?
• What inspires you?
• Who inspires you? My Mom.
• Organizations you’ve been a part of: Naturalists at Large
• Favorite company to support: Santa Barbara Roasting Company
• Favorite food: Thai
• Furthest you rode your bike before this trip: To my Grandma’s house
• What type of music do you listen to? Bob Dylan
• Favorite book: Catch-22
• Favorite biking gear/outfit: maroon sleeveless riding jersey
• Name of your bike: Mocha
• Favorite ice cream: Strawberry

• Name: JACOB SCHEIDLER
  
• My name is Jacob Scheidler, and I’m from Indiana. I moved to Michigan for a degree in Biology from Hope College. I’ve worked with a range of wildlife from mongooses to condors and now people. For me, this trip is an opportunity to see the California coast from the unbeatable perspective of a bicycle as well as to help reconnect students with their environment.

• Name: KATHY ROSE
  
• Where from: New York
• Educational Background: Sociology and Art at Vassar College
• What do you like to learn about? Communities around the world
• Why are you doing this bike ride? A fun way to learn about different communities in California, spend a lot of time near the ocean, and at the same time we’re spreading the word about issues I care about!
• Favorite quote: “Freedom is for all or it’s all for nothing!”--Team Dresch
• Ways in which you give back to your community? Educating, Agitating, and Organizing around issues that are important to me.
• What inspires you? Art, music, good discussion, critical thinking, and laughing
• Who inspires you? People who overcome challenges and make a difference in their communities
• Organizations you’ve been a part of: Community Works, Student Activist Union, Student Environmental Action Coalition, Books Through Bars, Food not Bombs
• Favorite company to support: Thrift stores and really cool non-profit organizations
• Favorite food: Thai
• Furthest you rode your bike before this trip: From LA to Phoenix last year
• What type of music do you listen to? Music my friends make, pretty music, fun music to dance to
• Favorite book: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
• Favorite biking gear/outfit: hot pink anything
• Name of your bike: Last year I had a purple bike named Purple Lightning, this year I don’t know yet
• Favorite ice cream: Soy Dream
• Biking in November and December? This is unheard of where I come from…My name is Kathy and I grew up in Syracuse, New York. Then I went to school in Poughkeepsie, New York where I studied Sociology and Art. There’s snow on the ground in New York now, so I’m extremely excited to be on my bike out here in California near the beach! Such a fun way to get around, and I get to wear funny biking outfits with bright colors. I moved out to California in the summer of 2005 I’ve back and fourth between Catalina Island and Berkeley, where I teach art in San Francisco jails. Both places are pretty fantastic in my opinion.

• Name: KENNY MEESE
  
• Where from: I was born in Auckland, NZ and grew up in Melbourne, Australia
• Educational Background: Graduated high school, decided to take a year off before going to university (that was 5 years ago!)
• What do you like to learn about? The Biome that surrounds me
• Why are you doing this bike ride? To enjoy one of the most amazing coastlines on the planet and have the opportunity to take the sustainability message on the road.
• Favorite quote: “Think Globally, Act Locally”
• Ways in which you give back to your community? Supporting Local Organic Farmers
• What inspires you? Seeing people learn something new
• Who inspires you? Paul Watson, Founder of Sea Shepherd
• Organizations you’ve been a part of: Greenpeace, Freecycle.org
• Favorite company to support: Any company that uses sustainable practices and pays fair wages to its suppliers.
• Favorite food: Mexican
• Furthest you rode your bike before this trip: A few miles, I haven’t owned a bike since I was a teenager.
• What type of music do you listen to? Beck, Bob Dylan, The Decemberists, Speakeasy, John Farhnam
• Favorite book: “Into The Wild” By John Krakouer.

• Name: LARS GAALAAS
  
• I am Lars Gaalaas and I grew up in the lakes region of northern Minnesota swimming, canoeing, fishing, cross country skiing in the winter, and generally spending time outdoors. I am 23 years old and studied chemistry and environmental studies at St. Olaf College, a small liberal arts school in Minnesota. To tour the west coast on bicycle stands as one of my life goals, and this trip catapults me into getting it done! I look forward to teaching students all along our California route about how they might help their communities become more sustainable. Between stops see me on my steel frame Novara Randonee touring bike pedaling by the words of Trey Anastasio: “Set the gearshift into the high gear of your soul!”

• Name: LAURIE HENRY
  
• Where from: The beautiful Garden State- New Jersey
• Educational Background: Stockton College of New Jersey BS in Environmental Studies
• What do you like to learn about?
• Why are you doing this bike ride? I think it is important to take our message on the road and to follow up with students. I also think it will be a great personal challenge to complete the ride and a cool way to see California.
• Favorite quote:
• Ways in which you give back to your community?
• What inspires you? Nature and music
• Who inspires you?
• Organizations you’ve been a part of: Clean Plate Club
• Favorite company to support:
• Favorite food: Ice cream
• Furthest you rode your bike before this trip: 650 miles on last years bike trip
• What type of music do you listen to? Anything I can sing to
• Favorite book: A Walk in the Woods
• Favorite biking gear/outfit: My new bike hat
• Name of your bike: Silver bullet
• Favorite ice cream : Ben and Jerry’s Chubby Hubby

• Name: MAGGIE GRISET…Reading, MA…
• To me, this bike tour (although it’ll probably kick my butt) is a total dream. My name is Maggie and I come from just north of Boston, Massachusetts where going anywhere or doing anything “requires” riding in a car fueled by expensive, destructive gasoline—even if the destination is only one mile down the road. I am thrilled to ride down the beautiful California coastline in a more sustainable manner—powered by nothing but the food I’ll eat, the friends who’ll support me, and the second-hand bike so graciously donated to our cause. More than 60 years ago my grandfather rode solo on his ten-speed road bike from Massachusetts up the east coast into Canada, all the way to the northern tip of Nova Scotia. Someday I hope to follow his path up north. But for now these 700 or so miles southward from San Francisco to San Diego should do the trick—especially with such an incredible group of riders to encourage me and the inspiring communities we’ll visit to motivate me.

• Name: MEAGAN
  
• LEAVING LITTLE IMPACT are my three words for this bicycle tour. I can speak for everyone when I say we love, love, love the idea of taking the sustainable word on the road. I’m Meagan coming to you from Indiana. The message of Ambassadors of the Environment has spurred many including myself to take action in their communities all over the world. Inspiring to me are grass root movements making big statements and empowering people to help themselves. Vandana Shiva is on my must read list as a gal with a mission in the arena of food politics. On the subject of food I can’t resist home grown fruits or veggies. They’re the fuel that can power you to get from point A to B, which is typically 5 miles or less, everyday!
  “Be the change you want to see in the world”~Gandhi

• Name: NATE ERLANDSON
  
• Where from: Minnesota
• Educational Background: Bachelor of Arts from Saint Olaf College (Biology)
• What do you like to learn about? The Way Things Work
• Why are you doing this bike ride? To see the beautiful coastline of California, and to educate people on how to keep it beautiful along the way.
• Favorite quote: Today’s problems cannot be solved if we still think the way we thought when we created them. -Albert Einstein
• Ways in which you give back to your community? Volunteering
• What inspires you? Nature
• Who inspires you? Endurance athletes
• Organizations you’ve been a part of: Boy Scouts of America, Junior National Biathlon Team, Mount Itasca Biathlon, Saint Andrews Youth Group, PADI Diving Society, St. Olaf Nordic Ski Team
• Favorite company to support: Any company that believes in a sustainable future
• Favorite food: Venison
• Furthest you rode your bike before this trip: A couple Hundred Miles
• What type of music do you listen to? Everything but Country
• Favorite book: The Walking Drum
• Favorite biking gear/outfit: USPS team gear
• Name of your bike: Big Sur
• Favorite ice cream: Mint Chocolate Chip/Cookies n Cream

• Name: OWEN FARCY
  
• Where from: Vashon Island, WA
• Educational Background: BS from Emory University (Atlanta)
• What do you like to learn about? everything
• Why are you doing this bike ride? because this is the only real way to see California.
• Favorite quote: Every little bit counts.
• Ways in which you give back to your community? In any way I can!
• What inspires you? Anything and everything
• Who inspires you? The students!
• Organizations you’ve been a part of: Emory Cross Country and Track teams, PADI Diving Society
• Favorite company to support: Trader Joes
• Favorite food: Salmon
• Furthest you rode your bike before this trip: From camp to Two Harbors and back (10 miles)
• What type of music do you listen to? A little bit of everything
• Favorite book: I, Lucifer
• Favorite biking gear/outfit: my scorpion shirt
• Name of your bike: yet to be named
• Favorite ice cream: Black Cherry w/ chocolate chunks
• Owen Farcy hails from a tiny island in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, near Seattle. He studied biology and ethics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, before making the long and arduous journey back out west to arrive on Catalina Island. Having spent so much of his life on islands, he feels a strong connection to the ocean and nearly everything in it (the litter and pollution he could do without). While he loves to spend time in the ocean, he’s also big on running and has run on five of the seven continents. Biking represents a new challenge, however, and he’s hoping to survive the trip long enough to visit at least three schools - he’s sincerely sorry if the others miss out on his shining presence, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes.

• Name: CHRISTINE SCHWICHTENBERG
  
• Christine Schwichtenberg, 23 years old, from Minnesota.
• I recently graduated from St. Olaf College with a Biology major and an Environmental Studies concentration. I have always craved doing a trip down the California coast, and what better way to see the coastline than from the seat of a bicycle. I am a little nervous for this adventure because I am new to the sport of biking. I think the longest time I have spent on a bike is three hours, and now I’ve signed up for three weeks! Despite my lack in experience, I am excited to feel the wind in my face and the burn in my thighs as I pump up those hills. Transportation minus fossil fuels is not only sustainable, but good for the body; hopefully this trip will begin a lifelong endeavor to diminish my reliance on nonrenewable resources.