Through his music and his actions, Glen Caradus has hammered home the message that we need to think about, and look after, our natural environment now — not tomorrow, not next week or month, but today.
On Saturday, August 7th, the Peterborough musician and puppeteer will elevate his life mission to a whole other level, cycling 350 kilometres on his 21-speed bike to raise awareness of, and dollars for, climate-related programming offered by Peterborough GreenUP.
Departing from Runner’s Life on Charlotte Street at 5 a.m., Caradus will cycle to the Stoney Lake region, head to Apsley and Coe Hill, and make the trek west to Haliburton and Bobcaygeon before heading back to Peterborough for his scheduled 7 p.m. arrival at the finish line on Charlotte Street back at Runner’s Life.
According to Caradus, the distance goal of 350 kilometres was chosen by design, not accident.
“Climate science says for every one million air molecules, there shouldn’t be more than 350 carbon molecules,” he explains. “What’s happening with the burning of fossil fuels is we’re now up to 420 (carbon) parts per million, so we’re seeing the effects of climate change as a result.”
“The distance might be more than your average bike ride,” he points out. “A lot of people do big rides, it’s not unique, but linking it with that 350 number is different.”
With his ride still a month out — the rain date is Sunday, August 8th — the total amount raised is closing in on $1,500. That’s in addition to the sponsorship of Runner’s Life, For Our Grandchildren, and the Kawartha World Issues Centre that have covered the costs of a promotional video and related material. Those who wish to make a donation to the ride can do so through Peterborough GreenUP at greenup.on.ca/350-climate-ride.
VIDEO: 350 Climate Ride with Glen Caradus
The promotional video was shot by local filmmaker Jeremy Kelly and features the puppets that are a big part of Caradus’ live environmentally themed musical presentations. The fun but purposeful video features two of his songs — “Stand Up For What We Stand On” and “The Bike Song” — recorded by local music producer James McKenty.
“A lot of people find the climate issue pretty heavy, so I’m trying to find ways to bring some fun to it,” says Caradus.
Preparing for this ambitious trek is something that Caradus has been doing for some 40 years, competing in running events and, over the past 15 years, in triathlons — including Iron Man events.
“That gives me a certain amount of confidence,” says Caradus. “One of the silver linings of the pandemic is I’ve had a bit more time for training. I’m out every day. On the tenth day I take the day off and just do a light run to let my body rest a bit.”
“My bike isn’t anything super fancy but it has certainly been a good friend for 12 years — it gets the job done,” adds Caradus, noting he undertook a 260-kilometre ride last summer and recently completed a 240-kilometre ride.
“Since April I’ve put in about 3,500 kilometres. I’ve got three more weeks of hard training and then I’ll start to taper off.”
Phil Stephenson has been Caradus’ musical partner for more than 20 years. Together they’ve toured across the country, bringing their Paddling Puppeteers show and its messages around nature and Canadian history to audiences, young and old, in just about every setting you can think of. Stephenson, for one, has every confidence his friend will make it to the finish line in good shape.
“We have so much in common other than the fact that he really is quite an athlete,” he assesses.
“It’s nothing for him but I’ve always been blown away. I’m the opposite. I was born flat footed and left-handed. I was the last guy to be picked when we picked teams as a kid. That’s why I gravitated towards the arts. Not only is Glen an amazing musical artist but he has this really phenomenal ability. I find it so inspirational. 350 kilometres. That’s mental but it’s great. It’s killer.”
Asked if there’s any chance he’d hop on a bike and join Glen on his ride, Stephenson laughs.
“I joke that I’m his spiritual advisor. I’m the guy that cheers from the sidelines. I’d be lucky to bang out three and a half kilometres.”
Now teaching a forest school program for Peterborough-based Rowan Tree Children’s School, Caradus has taught outdoor education programs for years at Camp Kawartha and also performed regularly during family events at GreenUP’s Ecology Park. That speaks directly to his primary ambition of helping young people make “a nature connection.”
“And in this day and age, there’s the whole mental health piece of getting kids off their screens and out into the fresh air. With the pandemic, in the backyard or a nearby park, people are connecting with nature more. I’m in Jackson Park a lot and I’m seeing a lot more people there.”
Caradus adds that while he hopes his bike inspires people to think more deeply about the effects of climate change and donate a few dollars to GreenUP, any time he’s on a bike is inspirational for him as well.
“When I did the ride last summer and just recently again to get a feel for this, so much of my day was spent being inspired by what’s around us. Often when I bike I will sing and that gets me thinking about song lyrics, so it’s inspiring on that level too.”
From where he sits, Stephenson says no one can argue with his longtime collaborator’s passion.
“Everything he does, he never takes a nickel. It’s all about climate change and awareness. It’s what he wants to do, not what he has to do. I’m literally playing music with one of the best athletes in Peterborough. I’m inspired and I hope everyone else will be too.”
For more information on The Paddling Puppeteers, visit philandglen.com/paddling-puppeteers.
For information about Peterborough GreenUP and its programming, visit greenup.on.ca.
