Viera Linderova: Location: World. Bio: I was born in Slovakia just before the fall of the communist regime. I grew up in Edmonton, but enjoy travelling and have lived, volunteered, worked in, or visited most of Canada’s provinces. I've studied psychology, philosophy, literature, and international development, but have yet to finish my degree. I play viola and music is a big part of my life. I enjoy discussions with people and trying new and random things. And I'm super pumped for Otesha!

Julie Salmon hails from the small funky town of Robert's Creek on the beautiful west coast of Canada. She is an artist and an activist, a forest lover and an ocean admirer, an experience-seeker and life enthusiast. She's pumped (like a fully inflated bike tire) to be participating in The Otesha Project and can't wait to explore the land and the culture of the opposite coast of Canada. She loves being around children, and has been working as a teacher and leader. Julie can't wait to inspire kids to live sustainably, make conscious consumer choices and spread the message of peace and love for mother earth!

My name is Leah Taylor. At the moment I am a teacher at the International Language School of Canada in Vancouver. I have been teaching here since the start of the summer but the students are great and I have met a lot of really interesting teachers! Growing up I always knew I would be a teacher. My parents were teachers and we spent most of the summer camping, swimming and exploring the outdoors. As I have gotten older I have realized how privileged I was to spend so much of my youth in the great outdoors, and this is one reason why I have joined Otesha's Rising Tide bike tour. I want to educate youth about our responsibility to protect our environment. By making small adjustments to our lifestyle we can drastically decrease our impact on the earth.

My name is Julia Rys. I'm 25 years old and I currently live in Ottawa, Ontario. I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta and spent much of my adulthood in the charming city of Montreal. I've recently rediscovered a passion for biking and have been hitting the incredible trails around Gatineau and Ottawa all summer in preparation for the tour. I'm in the midst of training to be a lawyer and currently work in the fields of aboriginal, tax, and civil litigation for the government. I chose to do Otesha to wake myself up to a different way of living and thinking – and to participate in this youthful environmental revolution that's currently changing the world!

My name is Carla Taylor and I am from Vancouver Island, mostly Victoria. I am nearing completion of my Bachelor of Arts in Hispanic and Environmental Studies, with a diploma in Intercultural Education Training. I love working with youth and I have spent many summers as a camp counsellor at youth outdoor and leadership centres. I am super excited to share my pizzazz and enthusiasm with other Otesha team members, as well as all of the communities we will visit on Canada’s east coast. "My bike is my SUV" and I am excited to put my words into actions – “to be the change I want to see in the world"!

My name is Kevin Cooper, and I am mad about mobility! And by mad I do not mean angry, I mean totally psyched! Since I split my home town of Vancouver for a solo bicycle / mind expansion journey through France, Italia, and die Schweiz I have become infatuated with cycling as a mode of healthy transportation, as a cultural phenomenon, and as a means of burning off masses of tasty, tasty local food! I have since co-founded the Langara Bicycle Collective, a non-profit, member-driven organization that has helped to provide space, tools, information, and motivation to cyclists and potential cyclists at Langara College. Now a student at UBC in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, I have been focusing on food and transportation infrastructure at various levels, with specific interest in urban community planning. I am currently volunteering with the Ecology Action Centre in Nova Scotia for whom (while I wait for Rising Tide to begin) I am assisting with the installation of a residential solar hot water system. My hands are covered with bike grease, and I am super stoked to ride the rising tidal wave of Otesha! Eastern Canadian autumn harvest season, here we come!

I'm Finn Upham, an urbanite Montrealer with a soft spot for trees and the awesome complexity that is life on this planet. Taking a break from studying the what, how and why of music, I jumped at the chance to experience this mobile community and spread the joys of sustainable living. While at McGill University, I fell into student government and grew fascinated with how institutions and communities evolve, deliberately and accidentally. After working with other student groups, I was blown away by the positive energy of those devoted to the cause of sustainability: here were young people actively trying to change their world through co-operation, innovation, and respect for everything and everyone! I hope to help spread that excitement for a healthier planet and people on the Rising Tide tour, and I am eager to learn from the people and experiences we will meet along the way.

My name is Jess A.K.A. Spooner! I am 26 years old and super excited about joining the Otesha Project! I am joining the tour from Halifax, although I am originally from Ontario! I work in the tourism industry and am looking forward to continuing my education in business as well as ecotourism! My bike is greased, my bags are packed, and I am ready to hit the pavement!

My name is Erin Mallon. I am an environmental biologist from Ontario who is looking for new ways to inspire people to care about our world. The Otesha Project is the perfect opportunity for people like me to dive right into communities and spread the word and the love to youth across the country. I am not a cyclist, but by November I am sure it will be my new favourite hobby. I admit I loved driving across Canada in my car, but I have a feeling this will be a more memorable journey.

Kristi Mahy: I am freshly graduated from the University of Guelph’s Natural Resources Management program and I’m looking for more interactive and challenging ways to learn and share information with others. I've been involved in activism around issues of bottled water, forestry, Native solidarity and waste reduction. I am also terribly interested in organic farming and hope to start a market garden with friends next summer. Other interests include sustainable construction, canoe tripping and yoga. Theatre is going to be new and challenging! I hope this tour is an opportunity for growth for myself and those I interact with.

Chandel McAuley 

Reed Wanless