Teachable Moments: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Our "Dear Education Department" this month references the Leave No Trace principle, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces. How can you teach people about durable surfaces? Here are some tips:

• Define "Durable." Durable surfaces are those that are both resistant (won’t show much impact when people hike or camp on them) and resilient (will recover quickly). If you find that that this principle isn’t resonating as much with your audience try the frountcountry or kids versions: Stick to Trails and/or Choose the Right Path
• Get Visual. If you are outside, have people choose different natural objects from the trail/ground and create a “durable surface spectrum.”
• Play “Surface Hopscotch.” Create a fictional trail and ask participants to get from one end to the other using only durable surfaces (represented in words or photographs on various cards). For more information about this, check out our new Teen Program webpage.
  

Thanks for your support of Leave No Trace and Happy Trails!

Photo caption: Trainer Course participants create a durable surface spectrum out of natural object.