Meet our Operations Lead: Lacey Rose

Lacey on Whitson Lake

I was lucky enough to attend TEDxAlgonquinPark last September.  Besides watching a few TED talks, this was my big introduction to the TED scene.  There is something about sitting in a room full of receptive, open minds that is inspiring in itself, especially since every person in the room that day had their own special connection to Algonquin Park.  I learned a lot and walked away with a renewed sense of optimism.  I got involved with the planning of this year's TEDxAlgonquinPark mainly for that reason: to be part of something positive and be surrounded by energetic, interested people who are receptive to "ideas worth spreading".  I think after attending a TED event, most people walk away feeling inspired and hopeful. 

Algonquin Park is a very special place to me.  I had some incredible experiences there while working a few years ago, and continue to have adventures there on a regular basis on interior camping trips and day hikes.  I make sure anyone who comes to visit me from afar gets the "Algonquin Park Experience", seeing the highlights of the East side.  My livelihood is also somewhat connected to Algonquin Park - the world-class sustainable forest management that takes place there supplies a large portion of the wood supply for the area I live and work in as a forester, and sustains many communities and families here. 

I am very happy to be part of the TEDxAlgonquinPark team, as the Operations Lead.  I'm looking forward to planning some Adventures for you to partake in - stay tuned!!  

Listen Differently: Adam Ruzzo at TEDxAlgonquin Park 2012

There are many benefits to exploring nature. Perhaps one of the most profound is its transformational effect: it forces us to see the world differently.

At TEDxAlgonquinPark 2012, guitarist Adam Ruzzo made us listen to nature differently. In his TEDx Talk, Adam created a living musical landscape by imitating sounds from Algonquin Park on guitar. "After being so taken by this amazing place, I decided to express its beauty through music," says Adam. "I figure if painters and photographers can do it visually, why can’t I do it through sound?”

Watch Adam's TEDxAlgonquinPark Talk:

TEDxAlgonquinPark will be back in the Fall of 2013. Get ready for more amazing speakers who will challenge you to think differently about Algonquin Park, nature and your place in the world. Details coming soon. If you haven't signed up for our newsletter yet, don't miss out on the announcement of this year's theme and date! Sign up here. 

Reflections of the TEDxSummit

From April 15-21 we had the privilege of gathering in Doha, Qatar in the Middle East with about 700 other TEDx organizers from all around the world. This was a remarkable trip – designed for learning, sharing, growing, and becoming inspired.

Let us start by saying – this was not your average conference. It was much much more. Never have we experienced such a positive, creative, and diverse environment. Each day we had the opportunity to meet incredible people from all walks of life. We began to make connections before the conference and workshops even began, through organized tours like sand dune bashing.

Arriving in Doha -  we were greeted by the Power of X

The conference kicked off in an amphitheatre, where we sat alongside 1200 locals, taking in some remarkable TED talks. (Hans Rosling’s talk at the Summit can be viewed here) This really set the tone for the week.

In a large dome built especially for the TEDxSummit we gave our ears to some fellow TEDx organizers as they got on stage and shared their best practices as well as their ‘Ideas Worth Spreading’. Over 3 days we attended workshops that we hand selected in order to best inform ourselves on relevant topics. Some of the workshops we attended included; How to Build a Resilient Volunteer-Organized Event, Partnerships, Building a Local Community, Ticketing, Getting a Great Talk from your Speakers, Hosting, Filming, Designing your Stage, How to Engage your Audience, and Public Relations. These workshops were quite informative and allowed for a lot of discussion and new ideas to surface. We had an opportunity to gather with all of our fellow Canadians to discuss issues relevant to our region and opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing.

 

Left to right: Courtney and Megan taking a tour on a camel during dessert day

TEDxAlgonquinPark was very well received and there was much excitement from other organizers upon hearing that this event would be focused on and hosted in a provincial park. In fact, you may see some of their smiling faces volunteering on September 6^th!

We are happy to report that we have returned home with the tools needed to make TEDxAlgonquinPark a positive and memorable event for you, as we continue to go forward in the planning stage, with great excitement. We hope to implement some of the best ideas we heard at the TEDxSummit and are grateful to have had this opportunity to learn from other organizers.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Algonquin Visitors Centre,

Megan and Courtney

Apply to Attend TEDxAlgonquinPark

As of today, we’re exactly 1 week and 3 months away from the big day, September 6^th. The TEDxAlgonquinPark team is excited to see something that was originally just an idea, start to come together piece by piece. Over the next month, one of the most important parts of the day will come together – the audience!

From June 1-30, a short application will be available on our website under “Apply to Attend,” for people wishing to purchase a ticket to the event on September 6^th. While the application process may at first seem odd, we’ve decided that due to three main factors, accessing tickets to the event via a short application made the most sense for TEDxAlgonquinPark.

1. Space Limitations– Our venue only holds approximately 100 people, making this a very concrete limit to the number of people that can attend.
2. TEDx Guidelines – At TEDx events around the world, the concept of curation is used to form a diverse and balanced audience. With only 100 seats, we felt that a first come first serve ticketing process wasn’t the fairest nor best way to encourage diversity. The curation process of having people demonstrate their interest in the event was deemed the best option.
3. Commitment Level – With any event, there are a standard number of ‘no-shows,’ people that had good intentions of attending, but ]ed, other priorities came up, and they aren’t able to make it. Because of the distance of the venue from populations, if a ticket holder cannot make it to the event without prior notice, it will be very difficult for someone else to make it to the venue to enjoy the event. By taking the 15 minutes to fill out the application, you’ve demonstrated a level of commitment that says to us you’ll try your darndest to be there.

Obviously, this application process won’t be without its difficult decisions - we sincerely wish that everyone who wants to attend TEDxAlgonquinPark could buy a ticket and enjoy the event.

Who should apply?

Anyone interested in Algonquin Park and surrounding communities. You don’t need to be a prodigy to attend, we’re looking for people with all backgrounds. We’re looking for engaged people with their own ideas. Whether you’re a long time TED talk fan, your TEDxAlgonquinPark will be your first experience, we want you there! Don’t let the application process intimidate you – you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!