Getting to Mo Internationally Acclaimed Architect Mike Konzen

In summer 2007 an inquisitive spider monkey from the rainforest visited Asheville - a city that has national buzz as a model for green living. Mo’s adventures included learning about a new science and health adventure park called Momentum. Mo will stay in Asheville to explore how hands-on learning transforms our lives and improves the amazing world within and around us.

This month, Mo sat down to chat with the lead project manager for Momentum and internationally acclaimed architect Mike Konzen of PGAV Destination Consulting of St. Louis.


MO: What is your favorite thing to do at The Health Adventure?
Mike: See the wonder people who work there. They are without question, my favorite, fun people to hang out with!

MO: I love fruit and nuts. What’s your favorite food?
Mike: Mo, you need to get out mo’. If you came to my town, I'd introduce you to some of my favorites: Bar-be-qued pork steaks, Vietnamese food, great Italian food, and of course lots of St. Louis-style beverages. All of this tastes best at a Cardinals baseball game.

MO: How long have you been with PGAV?
Mike: 22 fantastic years – I look forward to at least that many mo’!

MO: What is it about Asheville that’s special to you?
Mike: I love Asheville, so I can’t pin it down to just one thing. So my list would include: the people, the food, the mountains, the crafts, and of course, The Health Adventure.

MO: When Momentum opens, what’s the first thing you want to do? The second?
Mike: Gotta ride the monorail first. Then go climb in the tree house!

MO: What are the key ingredients you’re using to create Momentum?
Mike: Fun, adventure, curiosity about life, and the funky, eclectic sense that is uniquely Asheville.

MO: What is one way you work to heal the environment in your own life?
Mike: First, I try to put sustainable design principles into every project that I do. The Health Adventure is going to be very exciting this way. Second, I try to recycle at home. Third, Whenever I can, I drive my Vespa to work – it uses less gas and it’s fun!

Getting to Mo Founding Mother and Longtime Friend Maralee Gollberg

This summer an inquisitive spider monkey from the rainforest visited Asheville - a city that has national buzz as a model for green living. Mo’s adventures included learning about a new science and health adventure park called Momentum. Mo will stay in Asheville to explore how hands-on learning transforms our lives and improves the amazing world within and around us.

This month, Mo sat down to chat with Founding Mother and longtime friend of The Health Adventure, Maralee Gollberg.

Mo: What is your favorite thing to do at The Health Adventure? Maralee: Watch excited children pull their parents towards their favorite things, like watching the fish swim.

Mo: I love fruit and nuts. What’s your favorite food?
Maralee: Gumbo and rice, and cookies - a sometimes snack.

Mo: How long have you been involved with The Health Adventure?
Maralee: Since the beginning, nearly 40 years ago.

Mo: What is it about Asheville that’s special to you?
Maralee: The beauty of the mountains, the French Broad River that seems to flow backwards, and all the artists who come here to create .

Mo: When Momentum opens, what’s the first thing you want to do?
Maralee: Walk the gardens, look at the stars, and pedal around nature on the monorail car.

Mo: What are they key ingredients you’re using to create Momentum?
Maralee: Enthusiasm in answering all the questions the public asks

Mo: What is one way you work to heal the environment in your own life?
Maralee: I try to grow flowers and vegetables, recycle, buy fewer things that are in packages, use my own canvas bags at the grocery store, and laugh a lot and clown around (in and out of my clown character, "Merry, Merry")

Next up: An interview with Paige Johnson, President & CEO of The Health Adventure

Mo to Come: 9.18.07

Ola!

I saw the billboards - you know, the bright green ones I sent you photos of that said "Mo to Come: 9.18.07" - but I had no idea what they meant. I do now!

Walking along the Reed Creek Greenway, I found a pretty piece of land just as a video shoot was taking place. And even though I was supposed to come home this week, the story I heard convinced me that I need to stay in the region just a little longer. Once you hear the story, you'll know why.

I left home to visit Asheville because of its reputation as a model city and hoped to bring back valuable lessons about how we can save our rainforest home. I've seen a lot of great places on my travels, and cool things are happening here. After talking with the lady in the video, whose name is Paige, she convinced me to stay. We have much we can teach one another!

Paige told me a story about a place where all ages will be able to play and discover the amazing world within and around them. This new place will become the very first home for a treasured family museum that has touched the lives of people in the Asheville region for nearly 40 years! It will have indoor and outdoor opportunities for learning and play, and it will also teach people how our health and wellness is linked to the health of the planet.

And as if that wasn't cool enough, this new place will also have America's Greatest Tree House, a pedal-powered monorail (the very FIRST in North America!), a cafe featuring healthy food, an outdoor amphitheater, and more!

One of the really cool indoor exhibits is a radio broadcast theater, and they'll need a deejay once the place opens. You know how my dream was to become a reporter? Well, I think I may have found my new home to make my dream come true! Until then, I'll practice my interview skills with this blog. There are so many cool people who are making this new place a reality, and there are great tales to tell!

Until next time, I'm still getting Mo from life in Asheville!

- Mo

Take Me to the River

Ola!

I thought I’d lost my way, so I followed the river until I came to the
thriving Asheville River Arts District.

It reminded me of home and the way the jungle reclaims anything left too long. The old brick buildings were painted in bright colors and patterns and humans created artwork inside. Potters, glass blowers and other artists
worked in factory buildings that once had made tires and other industrial items, transforming clay and raw steel into bowls and sculptures.

It warmed my heart to see how these humans had transformed their setting, breathing life into a once abandoned industrial district. I wanted so badly to feel clay between my toes, so I entered someplace called Odyssey Center for the Ceramic Arts and spoke with the humans there.

I talked with a nice lady who showed me a block of clay mixed in this very
city! I peeled back the plastic and pulled a handful from the block, but I was
unable to really make a pinch pot the way a human could. But the woman
encouraged me to play and explore, and I stayed quite a while.

I went back to the river and watched the water roll against the shore. The red banks of the
French Broad River reminded me of how important pottery had been to humans.
I was struck with how ingenious they could be, transforming the very Earth
into pots and cups and figures.

I’m learning so much about Asheville, friends, and I’ve only just begun!

Getting Mo from Life in Asheville!

- Mo

Rockin' in a Green World

Ola!

It's much easier to find my way around the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina now that I've made the Asheville Visitor Center my first stop for directions. I'm no longer lost in Asheville!

This week I visited an invigorating spot just south of Asheville named Chimney Rock Park. I took a picture from one of the upper trails and tried to include myself in it, but you know how it is with these un-opposable thumbs!

I had a great time letting the mist of Hickory Nut Falls cool my fur. After hiking more than three miles of scenic trails I was happy to take a break at the park's cafe and put my thinking cap on about all the rare and indigenous plants, unusual geological formations and native wildlife I encountered.

Asheville is bursting with people who care about the environment and places that work to be an example of green living. Maybe we can heal our planet and save our forests after all!

Next week I get to visit the River Arts District, and hope to see how creators have reclaimed a factory district to produce distinctive, regional art. Until then, I remain getting Mo from Life in Asheville!

- Mo

Lost in Ville

Ola!

It was my own fault: I tried to take a shortcut from the North Carolina Arboretum to the WNC Nature Center. What I should have done is visited the wonderful Asheville Visitor Center before I planned my journey! The nice folks there gave me a map and told me about many other wonderful places to visit during my stay.

But first: back to my original goal to visit the WNC Nature Center!

Asheville really does remind me of home, with its lush forests and natural beauty. One place where nature really comes alive is at the WNC Nature, where I saw other animals that are loved and admired by the humans who work at and visit the center. I saw many children delighted to meet the different animals, and guests of all ages learned valuable lessons about wildlife and the environment!

I even got to meet a resident bear, who let me take its picture!

One thing is for sure: I won't get lost again in Asheville now that I now where to go for great directions in an embracing, enriching setting!

Until next time, I continue to get mo from life in Asheville,

- Mo

Botanical Bonanza!

Ola!

I send video greetings of Bele Chere, the region's largest street festival. You can see the video by clicking HERE.

The excitement of Bele Chere and the drumming circle at Pritchard Park was exhilarating, but I longed for reminders of home. I found just what I was looking for while visiting another treasure tucked away in the region's beautiful mountains: the North Carolina Arboretum!

With more than 430 acres of public gardens and trails nestled within Pisgah National Forest, I began to feel right at home. I mean, just look at the view in the photo above! Doesn't it almost look like our home?

This oasis is also an educational center that conducts research and works on conservation and economic development. Some of the humans were even riding these things called Segways - eco-friendly electric personal transport systems.

While visiting, I learned about native plants and the Arboretum's dedication to the traditional values, environmental resourcefulness, and botanical mystique of the Southern Appalachian region. I also took a little time to relax and enjoy the view!

Asheville is bursting with humans and organizations that care about environmental health and awareness, and it's no wonder we heard so much about it. I'm learning a lot about how humans here care for the environment and the world around them, and I'm eager for my next adventure: the WNC Nature Center.

Until next week, I remain, getting Mo from life in Asheville!

- Mo