Arctic HOWLs

The long-awaited journey of Letty and her two senior dogs (Frazer and Denvor) from the coastal state of Goa (India) to Arctic Canada has come to an abrupt end with the passing of Frazer in Sept 2023 - Four days before their Oct road trip to Northern BC and the Yukon. A wild card entry called Suomi made their Arctic dream come true when they crossed the Arctic Circle, met Joulupukki, and visited Sodankylä (67.41 degrees N). Arctic HOWLs stands for the Arctic Habitat of Wildlife and Locals.

Episodes

  1. 10/15/2024

    TravelCurators: A service project in loving memory of Frazer

    I am resurrecting this podcast, Arctic HOWLs, which was paused indefinitely after the death of my best friend, Frazer. The initial purpose of this podcast was to capture the essence of the Arctic habitat of wildlife and locals with a focus on Arctic Canada and Finland. It is now a part of my ongoing tribute to Frazer’s ubiquitous presence, which includes my website (TravelCurators), a free service offer, a fictional story about the Frazden School of Boundless Joy, and any future endeavors related to giving B9 tokens. Two years ago, two kind Canadian souls (much indebted, Cara Moore and Anthony Mayne) helped me and my two best friends (Frazer and Denvor) start my long-awaited journey to the Yukon. I want to thank Cara and Anthony for supporting me and dedicate this episode to them. Our Canadian journey started in Edmonton, and it took us to Northern British Columbia (BC) and Québec (QC). A memorable 5300-kilometer road trip from BC to QC with Denvor still alive and Frazer's ashes was repeated this month as Denvor and I came back to Alberta (Calgary this time) to say hello to old friends and make new ones. Frazer lived a good 16 years, which isn't too bad for a medium-sized dog. Hoping that Denvor can celebrate his 16th birthday on Oct 24 and eventually rest with his brother in Alberta. As for the Yukon, I'm happy writing a fictional story about its geology for now. Note: To use Kate Wolf's songs, see ⁠⁠⁠Using a Kate Wolf⁠ song⁠⁠. You will hear a few minutes of Back Roads (1975) by Kate Wolf in this episode. 384 days since Frazer enfolded. Always here...

    16 min
  2. Finland’s Living Heritage (Winter Seine Fishing | Lake Puruvesi): In conversation with Noora Huusari from Snowchange Cooperative

    05/07/2022

    Finland’s Living Heritage (Winter Seine Fishing | Lake Puruvesi): In conversation with Noora Huusari from Snowchange Cooperative

    Two themes (sustainable fishing and biocultural heritage) guided this conversation. Here's what to expect in this episode... Introducing our guest, Noora Huusari and what got her interested in Snowchange Cooperative? The traditional practice of winter seine fishing in Finland. How old is this practice? 1300 since the first written record. The oldest fishing net in the world was found in Eastern Finland, and it was over 10,000 years old! This is not the cultural heritage of some remote location in Finland. It’s our heritage as a species – our biological cultural heritage (BCH) and our interconnectedness with nature. Here’s an article from Nature Conservation on why does this matter. What makes Finland’s lake Puruvesi so special and two short films on the winter seiners of Puruvesi. How to keep the traditional practice alive and the challenge of operating a small-scale fisheries program. The average catch this season was 250 kg and the team is on the ice once a week. Remember that it’s winter seining, which means that our climate action or inaction influences how long this practice continues. A crispy vendace that is endemic to lake Puruvesi, which gave it a specialized European Commission label: Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). Letty made a mistake and said that this fish has the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) label, but the correct label is PGI. Only two Finnish products have this PGI label. The other product is the rye crust pie with lingonberries. For more information about these labels, see the Finnish Food Authority. You cannot find this fish anywhere in the world. Are Finns aware of this special heritage of Finland? A string of micro conversations about the current fish supply chain in Finland, the lack of support for the local fish and the fishing community, our inability to tell a wild fish from a cultivated one, and the ongoing battle with the salmon farms in Norway. The global concern about food security and some random thoughts about making the connections locally through low-impact practices, such as winter seine fishing. A stewardship message from our guest in Finnish. Non-Finnish speakers, don’t you worry. Letty has your back 😉 Where to find your local produce? REKO Facebook group https://www.ekompi.net/ https://www.omapelto.fi/tietoa-meista https://lahikalatori.fi/ (Fish from Northern Karelia) https://blogs.helsinki.fi/kumppanuusmaatalous/lahde-mukaan/loyda/  https://www.rannastaruokapoytaan.fi/ (Fish from the southern coast of Finland)

    37 min

About

The long-awaited journey of Letty and her two senior dogs (Frazer and Denvor) from the coastal state of Goa (India) to Arctic Canada has come to an abrupt end with the passing of Frazer in Sept 2023 - Four days before their Oct road trip to Northern BC and the Yukon. A wild card entry called Suomi made their Arctic dream come true when they crossed the Arctic Circle, met Joulupukki, and visited Sodankylä (67.41 degrees N). Arctic HOWLs stands for the Arctic Habitat of Wildlife and Locals.

More From Frazden