EKOS Communications, Inc.

We are four adventurers on a mission to discover environmentally sustainable initiatives along the Pacific Coast, learning, exploring, and spreading the good word as we go. We are leaving Vancouver in September 2005 by bicycle and riding through Washington, Oregon, California and into Mexico. Along the way we will be searching for farms, schools, communities, and individuals who are examining alternatives and solutions to the environmental crisis, to learn from them and to carry their ideals and dreams onwards with us. Friends have asked us to share stories and thoughts from the trip, which we will do through this website. We hope you will tune in as well for updates.

The Team

Andrew Chapman: explorer, entrepreneur, river guide.

I am intrigued by the apparent disconnect between our understanding of ecological processes and our behaviors as individuals and societies. On this trip I aim to learn how ecological knowledge is being incorporated into the actions of citizens and into public policy.

Sibylla Helms: adventurer, biologist, wood nymph, nut bar, love bug.

After five years of university biology and geography, I want to explore the relationship between humans and the natural world. My love of wilderness areas fuels my interest in developing public awareness of the impacts human actions have on ecosystems.

Andrew Bieler: sensitive, soft-souled, philosopher and historian.

I am perturbed by the relationships between wilderness and urban sprawl, between preservation and progress, and am unsure whether these co-evolving aspects of North American culture can be successfully reconfigured in a more sustainable manner. I am hopeful that attempts in this direction will be fruitful, since our well-being depends on it. My degree in history and contemporary studies from the University of King’s College/Dalhousie has left me with more questions than answers. These questions, along with my passion for bicycling, will be my daily fuel down to Baja California.

John Chapman: questioner, windshield, scribe.

I am looking forward to experiencing a new part of the world and learning from the people and the countryside along the way. How can humans live in a harmonious manner with one another and with our mother earth? Perhaps some answers lie along this trail.

We are concerned with the deteriorating state of the environment today and acknowledge that humanity is complicit in this process. As we set out on our life journeys, we are searching for inspiration on how one can live responsibly in this world. Recognizing that people are part of nature and reconciling our lifestyles to this fact will be essential for our generation; we cannot continue to live in the wasteful, materialistic manner we grew up with. It is time to affect change, to bring into being the alternatives that have been gestating and developing for so long.

Why bicycle? Why the West Coast? We want mud rather than plastic, lactic acid rather than peptic acid, and an unmediated experience of this region. We look forward to seeing a wide variety of ecozones, from coastal to alpine, rainforest to desert, and traveling through wilderness, countryside, and cities. Along this route we will interact with people from many socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Thank you for your interest in our project. We welcome questions and comments at biketour@telus.net.