WEBVTT 00:00:00.810 --> 00:00:04.330 Hello everyone, my name is Ryan and you are listening 00:00:04.330 --> 00:00:08.230 to The Vegan Report. Today is a solo episode. 00:00:08.730 --> 00:00:12.070 I have been wanting to record this since forever. 00:00:12.789 --> 00:00:16.250 If you follow me on social media, you might guess 00:00:16.250 --> 00:00:19.809 where I'm going with this. As you know, every 00:00:19.809 --> 00:00:23.050 year people come up with new ways of exploiting 00:00:23.050 --> 00:00:26.579 and harming animals. I remember the first time 00:00:26.579 --> 00:00:30.039 I heard about those Chinese streamers torturing 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:33.899 cats in front of a live audience. It was pretty 00:00:33.899 --> 00:00:37.299 horrifying at the time. Recently, I came across 00:00:37.299 --> 00:00:40.899 a disturbing video of a food stall in Thailand 00:00:40.899 --> 00:00:44.719 serving live shrimps. They call this a dancing 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:48.579 shrimp salad. And of course backyard chickens 00:00:48.579 --> 00:00:52.100 were not at all as prevalent when I was a kid. 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:56.659 My last solo episode was all about that. Link 00:00:56.659 --> 00:00:59.820 in the episode notes if you want to fall into 00:00:59.820 --> 00:01:03.659 that rabbit hole. For today, I want to address 00:01:03.659 --> 00:01:08.159 one of those new harmful trends. Hiking raves. 00:01:08.519 --> 00:01:11.260 Have you heard of those people going into the 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:14.719 heart of the wilderness, often in protected spaces 00:01:14.719 --> 00:01:18.560 like national parks, only to blast techno music 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:22.769 and dance? It's real. It has been happening for 00:01:22.769 --> 00:01:26.230 a while now. And I'm making an episode denouncing 00:01:26.230 --> 00:01:30.250 it because we need to stop this trend dead in 00:01:30.250 --> 00:01:33.670 its tracks. This should not become another new 00:01:33.670 --> 00:01:37.189 normal. And I invite you to check if there is 00:01:37.189 --> 00:01:40.310 a local hiking rave group plaguing the forest 00:01:40.310 --> 00:01:43.489 near you. Maybe this concerns you more than you 00:01:43.489 --> 00:01:48.189 think. So, my interest for hike raves started 00:01:48.189 --> 00:01:52.430 last spring when Instagram's algorithm recommended 00:01:52.430 --> 00:01:56.870 me videos from an account called PartyScientistLab. 00:01:57.750 --> 00:02:00.730 It was a bunch of people carrying the biggest 00:02:00.730 --> 00:02:04.810 and loudest speakers and flashing lights, and 00:02:04.810 --> 00:02:08.830 they were hiking and dancing, hike dancing across 00:02:08.830 --> 00:02:13.300 the forest of a protected park. In one video, 00:02:13.319 --> 00:02:16.759 they had stopped at a pond near a waterfall, 00:02:17.319 --> 00:02:21.460 if I remember correctly. In another, they were 00:02:21.460 --> 00:02:25.439 hike dancing at night. When I saw those videos, 00:02:25.960 --> 00:02:31.460 my heart broke. Truly. I thought of dogs cowering 00:02:31.460 --> 00:02:36.460 in fear from fireworks detonating far away. I 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:38.780 thought of the birds I feed outside my home. 00:02:39.229 --> 00:02:42.349 flying away completely panicked when they hear 00:02:42.349 --> 00:02:46.729 me open a window. I thought of our streetlights 00:02:46.729 --> 00:02:50.370 and car lights and how they disturbed the behavior 00:02:50.370 --> 00:02:55.789 and flight patterns of countless insects. I thought 00:02:55.789 --> 00:03:01.189 of a simple truth, observable by anyone. Animals 00:03:01.189 --> 00:03:04.990 are incredibly sensitive to sounds and light. 00:03:05.669 --> 00:03:11.110 And the idea of invading some of the only places 00:03:11.110 --> 00:03:15.289 left on earth where they can get a break from 00:03:15.289 --> 00:03:20.889 human harm only to blast loud music and blinding 00:03:20.889 --> 00:03:26.270 lights is just cruel at the heart of their habitats 00:03:26.270 --> 00:03:31.990 it's what I call an act of animal terrorism and 00:03:31.990 --> 00:03:35.639 terrorism is a good word for this because With 00:03:35.639 --> 00:03:38.740 your music, you have injected in their small 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:43.759 hearts profound terror. And this is not just 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:47.639 common sense. The harmful effects of noise pollution 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:51.900 on animal behavior has been documented extensively. 00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:56.599 Even the direct impact of that sound blast can 00:03:56.599 --> 00:04:01.539 cause tinnitus, hearing loss, if not death. to 00:04:01.539 --> 00:04:05.060 creatures with a sense of hearing far superior 00:04:05.060 --> 00:04:09.500 to that of humans. Well, let me tell you, the 00:04:09.500 --> 00:04:14.520 guy behind the party scientist lab account is 00:04:14.520 --> 00:04:19.399 named Jack Martique. He's based in Vancouver 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:26.279 and calls those high craves a natural antidepressant. 00:04:27.060 --> 00:04:30.579 I decided to message him. And this is what I 00:04:30.579 --> 00:04:35.319 told him. Hi Jack, my name is Ryan and I'm messaging 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:38.860 you today about the hiking raves you organize. 00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:43.319 I'm happy for your success. However, can you 00:04:43.319 --> 00:04:47.540 please consider that your forest raves are disturbing 00:04:47.540 --> 00:04:52.139 countless animals and insects? Human generated 00:04:52.139 --> 00:04:56.879 sound negatively impacts animals by interfering 00:04:56.879 --> 00:05:01.740 with communication, foraging, navigation and 00:05:01.740 --> 00:05:04.759 reproduction, potentially leading to stress, 00:05:05.540 --> 00:05:09.699 habitat abandonment and even injury or death. 00:05:10.420 --> 00:05:14.139 By avoiding loud music or screams in the forest, 00:05:14.699 --> 00:05:17.759 you are providing a safe and peaceful environment 00:05:17.759 --> 00:05:21.819 for innocent beings who struggle to survive. 00:05:22.410 --> 00:05:26.689 Maybe your groups could wear headphones or organize 00:05:26.689 --> 00:05:29.910 those raves in the artificial environment of 00:05:29.910 --> 00:05:34.170 a greenhouse or glass house. I hope this message 00:05:34.170 --> 00:05:39.470 finds you well. Thank you, Ryan." His response 00:05:39.470 --> 00:05:45.649 was that he blocked me. But a few weeks later, 00:05:46.110 --> 00:05:50.550 his hiking raves videos reappeared in my Instagram 00:05:50.550 --> 00:05:56.920 feed. Coming from another account of his, SubberRaveGuy. 00:05:57.379 --> 00:06:00.860 Now, I'm not trying to pick on him, but this 00:06:00.860 --> 00:06:04.139 is an interesting case study. I mean, how has 00:06:04.139 --> 00:06:08.079 he been allowed to terrorize wildlife for so 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:13.920 long? Is it not illegal? Well, I did some investigative 00:06:13.920 --> 00:06:18.199 reporting and was able to interview someone who 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:22.079 knows him very well. I believe that the person 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:26.240 is employed as a park ranger. The person did 00:06:26.240 --> 00:06:28.879 not want to appear on the podcast, but this is 00:06:28.879 --> 00:06:33.480 what they had to say about the party mad scientist. 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:38.839 Search and rescue teams and others keep asking 00:06:38.839 --> 00:06:42.560 him to do a few really basic things like have 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:46.019 a list of people participating, a noun route 00:06:46.019 --> 00:06:49.319 and something like a sweep, someone designated 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:54.199 to go last and make sure there are no stragglers. 00:06:55.060 --> 00:06:58.600 It would be nice to also have someone to do first 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:03.100 aid. Land managers dislike him because he's doing 00:07:03.100 --> 00:07:06.879 large events in regional parks without permits. 00:07:07.579 --> 00:07:11.060 He refuses to do any of the basic safety things. 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:16.060 He is unreasonable about it. He claims it would 00:07:16.060 --> 00:07:20.680 ruin the vibe. He also claims the events are 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:24.259 sober but he has no way of knowing or enforcing 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:28.660 that. Just checking who shows up and that they 00:07:28.660 --> 00:07:33.040 all got home is the most basic thing so he would 00:07:33.040 --> 00:07:36.300 know to call for help if someone got lost or 00:07:36.300 --> 00:07:40.680 injured. Aside from all that a lot of people 00:07:40.680 --> 00:07:43.959 are upset at the music being played in the bush, 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:48.180 a place they value for peacefulness. He doesn't 00:07:48.180 --> 00:07:52.779 have much to say about how his party ruins other 00:07:52.779 --> 00:07:56.279 people's enjoyment of what some consider a sacred 00:07:56.279 --> 00:08:01.879 place. Following that, I asked that person why 00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:06.379 haven't authorities stepped in with fines, and 00:08:06.379 --> 00:08:09.769 I also asked to your knowledge Is he violating 00:08:09.769 --> 00:08:13.730 any law? And what about the animals of the bush? 00:08:14.029 --> 00:08:17.589 Some are endangered species. Have there been 00:08:17.589 --> 00:08:22.889 complaints regarding that? His answer was, he's 00:08:22.889 --> 00:08:27.089 been shut down, but I don't know if he has been 00:08:27.089 --> 00:08:30.990 fined. Like a lot of normal raves, he doesn't 00:08:30.990 --> 00:08:34.610 post the location until close to the event happening. 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:38.600 partly to avoid authorities from stopping him. 00:08:39.019 --> 00:08:43.120 So he knows what he is doing is against various 00:08:43.120 --> 00:08:47.080 laws or bylaw. In one case, he changed destination 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:50.399 at the last minute. And then person shared with 00:08:50.399 --> 00:08:54.960 me an article about one instance in which the 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:59.340 police intervened, but they did absolutely nothing. 00:09:00.039 --> 00:09:03.490 Let me read you from that article. Authorities 00:09:03.490 --> 00:09:07.190 meanwhile voiced concern about wildfires and 00:09:07.190 --> 00:09:10.350 the safety of those planning to dance their way 00:09:10.350 --> 00:09:13.789 up the mountain and back down in the dark. Party 00:09:13.789 --> 00:09:17.450 for Health, which organized a high -crave – it's 00:09:17.450 --> 00:09:21.490 the same party scientist guy – did not appear 00:09:21.490 --> 00:09:24.470 to be deterred by the police presence and took 00:09:24.470 --> 00:09:28.840 their party to the adjacent old Buck Trail parking 00:09:28.840 --> 00:09:32.059 lot. A crowd of about a hundred people turned 00:09:32.059 --> 00:09:35.360 up wearing eccentric fashion and for the most 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:38.379 part completed their outfits with sensible hiking 00:09:38.379 --> 00:09:42.360 boots or runners. The group made their way up 00:09:42.360 --> 00:09:46.779 Old Buck Trail, toting a sound system for about 00:09:46.779 --> 00:09:50.080 two kilometers where they stopped to have a dance 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:54.220 party under the power lines. Now going back to 00:09:54.220 --> 00:09:58.889 that person's answer. Whether he's breaking a 00:09:58.889 --> 00:10:02.590 law or not is not clear. Parks have regulations. 00:10:02.929 --> 00:10:06.409 Events planned for parks require permits. They 00:10:06.409 --> 00:10:08.809 could find him or charge him with something, 00:10:08.870 --> 00:10:12.210 maybe trespassing. He's clearly breaking the 00:10:12.210 --> 00:10:16.389 regulations for British Columbia's parks. There 00:10:16.389 --> 00:10:20.110 have been some raves on Crownland I know of. 00:10:20.429 --> 00:10:23.570 They drive up Forest Service roads and set up 00:10:23.570 --> 00:10:27.159 in clearings. Cops usually try to shut those 00:10:27.159 --> 00:10:31.299 down too, but I do not know what part of the 00:10:31.299 --> 00:10:35.039 law they are violating. As far as endangered 00:10:35.039 --> 00:10:39.399 animals, that's hard to measure. The parks he's 00:10:39.399 --> 00:10:42.919 operating in see thousands of people a week hiking 00:10:42.919 --> 00:10:47.529 the trails. The rave is louder and at night, 00:10:47.750 --> 00:10:51.289 so it could disturb nocturnal animals. But it's 00:10:51.289 --> 00:10:54.250 not the main thing I'm concerned about. From 00:10:54.250 --> 00:10:56.929 the search and rescue perspective, it's just 00:10:56.929 --> 00:11:01.090 the simple safety things. Make a trip plan, have 00:11:01.090 --> 00:11:04.649 a safety plan, sign people in, and make sure 00:11:04.649 --> 00:11:10.350 they come home. Can you imagine the degree of 00:11:10.350 --> 00:11:14.470 navel gazing? I will even say narcissism and 00:11:14.470 --> 00:11:19.509 blind hedonism of those people. Going in those 00:11:19.509 --> 00:11:23.809 forests with no care in the world for other hikers 00:11:23.809 --> 00:11:28.570 and even less for the animals. In fact, I'm sure 00:11:28.570 --> 00:11:32.649 the whole underground aspect of this, the fact 00:11:32.649 --> 00:11:35.529 that this is illegal and possibly dangerous, 00:11:36.169 --> 00:11:39.049 just excites them even more, makes the whole 00:11:39.049 --> 00:11:42.759 thing more appealing. And the animals? Well, 00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:46.259 as long as they don't see them, it's easy to 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:50.419 ignore them. Although, I'm sure if I interviewed 00:11:50.419 --> 00:11:54.000 those rave hikers, they would have a story or 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:57.440 two to share about a baby bird falling from a 00:11:57.440 --> 00:12:02.139 tree, how random and incredible that was, and 00:12:02.139 --> 00:12:04.600 maybe they even took a few selfies with that 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:08.940 bird. Who knows? But it does sound like a plausible 00:12:08.940 --> 00:12:13.519 scenario to me. Like I said before this is not 00:12:13.519 --> 00:12:17.580 only happening in Vancouver. This has been happening 00:12:17.580 --> 00:12:21.200 everywhere The party scientist is the face of 00:12:21.200 --> 00:12:25.039 that in Canada in New Zealand It's a guy that 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:29.840 goes by rave hiking on Instagram He climbs on 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:33.679 mountains for what to enjoy the peace and serenity 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:38.039 at the top Oh no, it's to play loud disco music 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:43.200 while filming himself awkwardly dance for a social 00:12:43.200 --> 00:12:47.240 medium. Awkwardly because the surface is not 00:12:47.240 --> 00:12:51.620 flat and there is a risk that he falls down. 00:12:52.100 --> 00:12:57.019 So cool, at least he has not turned this into 00:12:57.019 --> 00:13:02.840 a business. Well, I hope. So that's it for today. 00:13:03.480 --> 00:13:07.519 Thank you everyone for listening. Thank you for 00:13:07.519 --> 00:13:13.740 allowing me to get this off my chest. You know, 00:13:13.820 --> 00:13:18.159 I'm a hiker. I'm a regular hiker. I do believe 00:13:18.159 --> 00:13:21.539 those places are kind of sacred. It's one of 00:13:21.539 --> 00:13:26.299 the few concessions humanity has made to Mother 00:13:26.299 --> 00:13:30.860 Nature. We give you back this land. We won't 00:13:30.860 --> 00:13:36.899 touch it. We won't let our greed destroy it and 00:13:36.899 --> 00:13:44.019 I don't want to see that agreement That those 00:13:44.019 --> 00:13:48.980 beautiful sanctuaries of peace disappear again, 00:13:49.220 --> 00:13:52.360 thank you everyone for leaving a good review 00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:56.659 for sharing the show and for subscribing and 00:13:56.940 --> 00:14:03.480 tuning in every week. It's truly gratifying to 00:14:03.480 --> 00:14:07.820 have an audience. Thank you for caring and see 00:14:07.820 --> 00:14:09.120 you next Tuesday.