Outdoor Journal

Now presenting: Diamond Brand Outdoors in Arden will host a talk by Carolina Day School’s Cathy Walters on Saturday, April 5.

For the past two years, Walters has been selected as a teacher/volunteer for Alaska’s Iditarod, the 1,150-mile sled race deemed by some to be “the last great race on Earth.”

What would egrets do?: Care about wildlife? Here’s an easy way to lend it a hand: The North Carolina Wildlife Federation will sponsor an annual “Canoe and Kayak-a-Thon” at Mountain Island Lake, near Gastonia, on June 7, with proceeds going to the federation’s conservation and habitat-enhancement efforts.

Participants and volunteers alike get some nifty swag, including a T-shirt, lunch and snacks. Those who register before May 9 qualify for an early bird prize.

Would-be paddlers who lack a canoe or kayak can get a borrower from the Mecklenburg County Natural Resources Division by prior arrangement. For more information or to register, called the NCWF at (704) 332-5696.

How convenient is that?: Reps from the climbing-shoe companies Evolv, Scarpa, La Sportiva and 5,10 will hold a shoe demo at Rumbling Bald in Hickory Nut Gorge on Saturday, March 29.

Would-be shoe testers should bring a photo ID with them to leave with the reps in order to secure a pair of kicks for breaking in on the boulder field.

A fundraiser for the Carolina Climbers Coalition will be held later that evening, but details have yet to be announced. Visit the group’s Web site (www.carolinaclimbers.org) for the latest.

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