Creative Video Uses Legos to Depict Leave No Trace Principles

Snow on the Mind

Jason and I had the opportunity to get some skiing & snowboarding in at Solitude Resort before the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City. It was an epic day with 11 inches of fresh snow, but while getting on the lifts I kept noticing a sign I had never seen at a resort. The general gist of the sign was: "Protect our water, use the facilities provided at the resort." It turns out that 60% of Salt Lake City's water comes from the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons and between these two canyons there are four ski resorts that see an enormous amount of recreationists throughout the year.

While deep snow is an excellent durable surface, it's important to remember that it is water and in certain places, like the Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons in Salt Lake City, a major source of municipal water. When you're visiting snow covered places, remember the four objectives of proper human waste disposal:

* Avoid polluting water sources * Eliminate contact with insects and animals * Maximize the rate of decomposition * Minimize the chances of social impacts

When possible, use the facilities available! Otherwise, pack out human waste.

All the best...

Agata and Jason

Be careful what you ask for ...

I really just want a few days of sun and warmth. It has been bitter here lately – cold that is. My wish was granted the other day as the sun warmed the day to a balmy 45 degrees. I headed to the trail to get my share of fresh air and open space. It turned out to be warmer than I realized and about the muddiest day I have seen, possibly ever. Mud so thick my shoes started feeling like 25 pound weights tied to my feet. And I could see what used to be a single-track trail widening practically before my eyes from people trying to avoid the mud pie.

As spring makes its way slowly to our corner of the world, (OK, not yet but soon) here’s a friendly trail reminder – be prepared to get dirty! It’s sometimes hard to do but no one wants trails to turn into small highways up the mountain. So walk or hike right through that mud and enjoy it! And if the trail looks like this, it might be better just to avoid it altogether.

Video: OKay! or No Way! PEAK Activity for Youth

Okay! or No Way! is a new downloadable activity through the Leave No Trace PEAK program. For more information, contact the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics at www.LNT.org.

Winter Outdoor Retailer

Outdoor enthusiasts, the latest and greatest gear, and Bigfoot sightings, all mixed up in the chaos that is the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City, UT, made for a busy but exciting weekend for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics!

The Outdoor Retailer Show is a bi-annual event that showcases the newest gear and trends in the outdoor industry. With over 15,000 people in attendance, this show is a great venue for us to share Leave No Trace education. Our best opportunity to reach people is through the Great Gear Giveaway sponsored by Backpacker Magazine and Subaru of America! This year, we had over 500 people take part by testing their Leave No Trace knowledge, as well as taking the Bigfoot Challenge. 18 very happy participants walked away with sweet prize packages that included lots of fabulous gear. Thanks to all the companies that donated products to the Great Gear Giveaway, and to Backpacker Magazine and Subaru of America for sponsoring the event. This was a wonderful kick-off to the 2010 season for the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers!

Safe Travels...Kate and Tracy

Animal Intelligence

The intelligence of animals on this planet never ceases to amaze me. Life always seems to find a way to carry on. Enjoy...

Winter Outdoor Retailer, Day 2

Even more pictures from our Bigfoot Photo Booth today:

Complete album can be viewed here.

Announcing Leave No Trace Hot Spots!

We were very excited to receive your email because it gives us a chance to tell you about an exciting new program in 2010.

This program is called “Leave No Trace Hot Spots” and is aimed at accomplishing exactly what you proposed in your email—grassroots and community-driven projects that work to improve the condition of a designated “hot spot” using Leave No Trace education, resources, and outreach.

The intended outcomes of this program are:

• Measurable improvement in on-the-ground conditions

• Engaging a large number of volunteers to support efforts

• Enlisting new partners/members to get involved in the area

• Building sustainable relationships and programs that perpetuate effective Leave No Trace programming

One primary Hot Spot will be chosen per quarter, though the Center intends to work with all applicants to the program. Application criteria includes:

• Name of the individual and/or organization

• List of impacts that are occurring as a result of recreation

• List of potential partners in the local area who would be well suited to collaboration on project efforts

• Intended outcomes of the project efforts

• Description of the potential reach of the project efforts and who will benefit

• Nominator(s) history with the Leave No Trace program

It is also important to note that applications must be submitted with either photographs or a short video of the proposed Hot Spot. This media will serve as a means to quantify the before and after of the project, as well as to communicate program successes.

For more information about the Leave No Trace program, and to apply, please visit the page on the Leave No Trace website (under Community): http://lnt.org/01_community/hotspots.php

You will find a link to the application on this page. If you have additional questions, please email hotspots@LNT.org

Winter Outdoor Retailer, Day 1

The Leave No Trace Bigfoot Booth saw lots of activity today as folks flowed through taking the Bigfoot Challenge. As an added bonus, photo opportunities with the Center's own Bigfoot were available. Here are a few shots from the booth this afternoon. Stay tuned for more pictures throughout the weekend!

For the complete album, please visit our Facebook Fan page!

Bigfoot is Back 2010!

By now you have probably noticed that Bigfoot is Back this year to help us promote responsible outdoor recreation on our favorite trails, waterways, mountains and other outdoor spaces. The elusive Bigfoot leaves no trace of his passing through the wild, but we fortunately have been able to track him down to help us in 2010. He even made a visit to our office last week.

Bigfoot met with Education Director, Ben Lawhon, while visiting the Center.

Bigfoot will be hanging out starting today with our Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers at the Outdoor Retailer Trade Show in Salt Lake City. He will be helping us with a number of different outreach efforts. Keep your eye on Bigfoot over the next four days on Facebook. We will be uploading stories and photos from the show. There ought to be some pretty funny pictures of Bigfoot interacting with the crowd.

You can also get involved in your local area to help Bigfoot promote outdoor ethics, take the Bigfoot Challenge. Each month this year we will be challenging you to take on one simple Leave No Trace action, that will be fun and easy to do. You can follow the challenges and pledge to practice Leave No Trace each month by clicking here. You will also get some great opportunities to win some prizes donated by Leave No Trace partners.

Dear Education Department: Leave No Trace Hot Spots

Dear Education Department:

First and foremost, I am a huge fan of Leave No Trace. Your efforts, along with many other organizations, are helping to ensure the enjoyment of the outdoors for generations to come.

I am emailing you because I would like some information on how I could go about posting signs in a state park. My family and I regularly go camping and one of our favorite spots is a State Park near our community. In fact, we go on a camping trip there every year for my son’s birthday.

Over the years we have seen a lot of trash left behind from careless or negligent visitors. While camping there this past Thanksgiving I found the attached image on our island and I was greatly disappointed. I have never noticed before, but there are no signs on these islands asking people to clean up after themselves and leave the campsites better than they found them. I think signs would make campers and beach goers more aware of the impact they have.

Can you provide me with any information on how I can accomplish this outreach? I’m not sure if you could send me signs that I can post, or if I need to get permission from the land managers. Either way, I really want to take action.

Any help or advice you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Un-Happy Camper

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Un-Happy Camper,

Thanks for your support of the Leave No Trace program and for doing your part to promote responsible outdoor recreation. We were very excited to receive your email because it gives us a chance to tell you about an exciting new program in 2010.

This program is called “Leave No Trace Hot Spots” and is aimed at accomplishing exactly what you proposed in your email—grassroots and community-driven projects that work to improve the condition of a designated “hot spot” using Leave No Trace education, resources, and outreach.

The intended outcomes of this program are:

• Measurable improvement in on-the-ground conditions

• Engaging a large number of volunteers to support efforts

• Enlisting new partners/members to get involved in the area

• Building sustainable relationships and programs that perpetuate effective Leave No Trace programming

One primary Hot Spot will be chosen per quarter, though the Center intends to work with all applicants to the program. Application criteria includes:

• Name of the individual and/or organization

• List of impacts that are occurring as a result of recreation

• List of potential partners in the local area who would be well suited to collaboration on project efforts

• Intended outcomes of the project efforts

• Description of the potential reach of the project efforts and who will benefit

• Nominator(s) history with the Leave No Trace program

It is also important to note that applications must be submitted with either photographs or a short video of the proposed Hot Spot. This media will serve as a means to quantify the before and after of the project, as well as to communicate program successes.

For more information about the Leave No Trace program, and to apply, please visit the page on the Leave No Trace website (under Community): http://lnt.org/01_community/hotspots.php

You will find a link to the application on this page. If you have additional questions, please email hotspots@LNT.org

Thanks again for your support! We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

The Education Department

My Backyard: Bigfoot is Back!

Bigfoot is back in 2010, helping Leave No Trace partners, volunteers and supporters introduce Leave No Trace skills and ethics in their communities. In 2010, Bigfoot and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics will introduce new challenges each month to inspire people to get more involved in practicing, teaching, and promoting Leave No Trace.

It’s easy. Just choose from the challenges below which rotate every month and you’ll have the opportunity to win great outdoor gear prizes every time you participate. Double your chances of winning by capturing your Bigfoot Challenge in a photo or story and sending it to: Bigfoot@LNT.org.

The Bigfoot Challenge’s goal is to encourage simple acts of environmental activism and teach Leave No Trace principles. By taking the challenge, you are not only joining a nationwide conservation movement, you are also Leaving No Trace where it matters most — the places you play.

Road Wisdom: Guess who's back!

Bigfoot has teamed up with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics for another exciting year of promoting minimum impact recreation while exploring and enjoying the great outdoors.

This year’s debut of Bigfoot will make a big splash at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City, Utah. At the show, you can answer Leave No Trace-related questions at the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer booth in order to get entered in the Great Gear Giveaway - and your chance to win some great gear!

If the Outdoor Retailer show is not in your immediate future, not to worry. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer 2010 season is getting underway this week. The Traveling Trainers act as a liaison to Bigfoot and will be helping to spread the Leave No Trace skills and ethics far and wide from coast to coast. Check out the Traveling Trainer web page, where you can view the schedules of both teams and you can request a visit from the trainers.

We look forward to seeing you out there!

Safe travels…Kate and Tracy

Greetings from Florida!

While hiking the other day in St. Joseph Peninsula State Park in Florida, I had a chance to get some beach time in a beautiful place and learn some new ways to Leave No Trace. The clear white sand dunes of Florida's panhandle beaches support native plant and wildlife, and provide nesting habitat for endangered sea turtles. So even though sand may be a seemingly durable surface, it still maintains a fragile environment. Please stay on established trails when hiking in these areas!

For more information, please visit the Florida State Parks website and the Clean Beaches Council.

New Zealand Starts Leave No Trace Organization

In cooperation with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, New Zealand is the latest country to start a Leave No Trace organization. The organization will be taking on Leave No Trace education and training for the millions of New Zealanders and visitors to the outdoor recreation rich paradise. To learn more about their efforts visit:http://www.leavenotrace.org.nz/.

Bigfoot is heading west!

Everyone here at the Center in Boulder are working hard to get ready for the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City later this week. Much to our surprise, we had a special guest come by to get ready as well. Yep, you guessed it, Bigfoot is Back!

Bigfoot had a pleasant hibernation period and now he is rested and ready for another fun-filled year of outreach, awareness and adventure! He will be joining us in Salt Lake City, so be sure to look out for him if you are heading to the show. If you are not going to be at Outdoor Retailer, be sure to check out Bigfoot's web page and take the Bigfoot Challenge! There will be new challenges posted every month and a chance to win some sweet gear from our partners to use on your next outdoor adventure.

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

ATC WINS $25,000 CHASE COMMUNITY GIVING GRANT

Leave No Trace nonprofit partner The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is the only West Virginia nonprofit and the only trail organization nationwide to win a $25,000 grant in the first round of a Facebook-based charity campaign sponsored by the JPMorganChase Foundation, automatically becoming eligible for a chance at a $1-million one next month.

Tens of thousands of charities across the country competed for votes in the last month on the social networking site in a Chase Community Giving campaign that ended Dec. 12, with the 100 winners announced December 17, 2009.

Now in its second round, ATC has submitted a proposal stating what difference $1 million would make in their work:

The Issue

The ATC needs to identify and nurture the next generation of volunteer stewards of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a world-renown path for recreation as well as ecological biodiversity, wildlife migration, and watershed protection. Our challenge is to connect with today’s youth, to capture their imagination and enthusiasm, and seed a lifelong passion to protect our treasured resources for years to come.

The Plan

ATC will engage one million kids, families, and communities in outdoor recreation, education, environmental stewardship, and civic engagement via: a youth membership program with website and e-zine; local and regional competitions via quarterly A.T. Virtual Faires featuring environmental studies, service projects, and other Appalachian themed material; enhanced creation and exchange of information and educational materials related to the A.T., trailside communities, and environment through web-shared curricula, podcasts, and apps for GPS-enabled devices; a youth scholarship program in science, literary and performing arts recognizing aptitude and interests promoting ecological, environmental, and trail ethics.

The Outcome

By capturing kids’ imagination we will, over 3 years, inspire 1 million new enthusiasts to enjoy the Trail, outdoor recreation, and to engage in environmental stewardship through creative new outreach to kids and families, and the augmentation of ATC’s current programs.

Vote here today!

Voting opens today, and lasts one week - until January 22nd, 2010.

Don't Be Scared!

Have you seen this guy around?

Neither have I but apparently he made a rare appearance. A creature known for his amazing ability to leave no trace, rumor has it he may show up at the upcoming Outdoor Retailer show next week in Salt Lake City, UT. If you happen to be going to the show, perhaps you should pop on into the Leave No Trace booth and see if you might get a view. Rare sightings could happen and even some potential photo opportunities. I hear he's actually pretty friendly and cuddly too!

2010 Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Season is getting set to Kick Off!

On Monday we began our annual Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Training for our 2010 teams. We are lucky to have Kate Bullock and Tracy Howard returning for their third season on the road, starting their year as our Team East. Check out their schedule so far.

We are also very excited to have a new pair, Jason and Agata Ketterick, joining us for our 12th year of the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Program as Team West. You can take a look to see if they will be coming to your area in the coming months by clicking here.

Both teams will be attending the Outdoor Retailer trade show next week in Salt Lake City, and then will be back here for another week and a half of training before they hit the road for the season in early February. If you are interested in hosting the Traveling Trainers this year, please request a visit online.

Kate and Tracy, are excited for you to meet Bigfoot!

Jason and Agata on top of Mt. Katahdin in Maine last June.

Master Educator Courses 2010

Beginning tomorrow, representatives of each one of the Center's Master Educator Course Providers will meet in Boulder to exchange ideas and plan for the upcoming Master Educator Course season.

A Master Educator course is typically five days in length and designed for people who are actively teaching others backcountry skills or providing recreation information to the public.

Course Providers include:

• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
• Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC)
• Landmark Learning
• US Forest Service - Ninemile Training Center
• Wilderness Education Association (WEA)
• Boy Scouts of America
• Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK)

Southern Illinois University - Carbondale (SIUC) students and staff participate in a Master Educator Course conducted by Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Team East.

If you are interested in participating a Master Educator Course, please check the 2010 schedule and contact the appropriate course provider.

Partial scholarships are available for course participants. Please check out the online application. Deadlines for 2010 will be set shortly, most likely mid-April and mid-August.

If you have any questions about scholarships, please email grants@LNT.org

Winter Trails Day

It's an exciting time in Colorado. This past weekend, we spent time with 600 snowshoe hikers at Echo Lake. Nationally, Winter Trails Day was held in nearly 90 venues around the country. Locations include alpine resorts, Nordic centers, and national parks. Organizers estimate that participation exceeded last year's total participation of 10,500 due to snow cover in most parts of the country. Winter Trails Day, celebrating it's 15th year, was created to enable children and adults new to snow sports to try snowshoeing and/or cross country skiing FREE at participating venues. This is an amazing opportunity to demo products and enjoy the cool crisp winter air. Not to worry if you did not make it out last Saturday. There are a few more events on January 16th. The Traveling Trainers will be providing outreach at the Rocky Mountain National Park in Estes Park, CO where all the festivities will take place. We hope to see you there!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

New National Monument in the Works in California

Mojave Desert National Monuments in the Works

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) says she plans to introduce legislation today to establish two national monuments on roughly 1 million acres of Mojave Desert outback that is home to bighorn sheep and desert tortoises, extinct volcanoes, sand dunes and ancient petroglyphs.

Its centerpiece, Mojave Trails National Monument, would prohibit development on 941,000 acres of federal land and former railroad company property along a 105-mile stretch of old Route 66, between Ludlow and Needles.


The smaller Sand to Snow National Monument, about 45 miles east of Riverside, would cover about 134,000 acres of federal land between Joshua Tree National Park and the San Bernardino National Forest in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. Its diverse habitats range from desert scrub to yellow pine forests 9,000 feet above sea level.

The legislation, which had been delayed by efforts to resolve conflicts among environmentalists, off-roaders and renewable energy interests, would also designate 250,000 acres of public land near the Army's training center at Ft. Irwin as wilderness; add 41,000 acres to the southern boundary of Death Valley National Park and add 2,900 acres to northern portions of Joshua Tree National Park.

Article continues: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mojave21-2009dec21,0,7093884.story

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle...REFUSE

In recent years the phrase "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" has become widely known, accepted, and practiced. At Leave No Trace, we would like to challenge you to practice a fourth "R", which stands for REFUSE. Here are two examples of refusing that could be easily achieved in your everyday life. First, carry your own reusable water container. Every five minutes, 2 million plastic bottles are thrown away, using 750 million gallons of crude oil per year. In the U.S. only 20 percent of those bottles are recycled. Refusing plastic bottles would cut down on the amount of plastics purchased and the amount of plastic that ends up in a landfill each year. Second, store reusable shopping bags in the trunk of your car, eliminating the need for plastic bags. Plastic bags are made from petroleum. Every year, Americans consume an extra 12 million barrels of oil for plastic bags! Take action today. Every little bit helps!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

We're Looking for Spring Interns!

Are you looking to gain experience in the nonprofit and/or outdoor industry? The Center is actively seeking interns for 2010. Internships vary in length (generally lasting 6 weeks or more) and are available on a part-time or full-time basis (10 hours/week minimum).

INTERNSHIPS
The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics offers internships throughout the year, giving interns an opportunity to work on a variety of different projects and gain valuable experience in a number of areas, including:

Education and Training
Program Development
Marketing
Scientific Research
Membership/Partnership Programs
Database Management
Development/Fund Raising
Grant Writing
Curriculum Development
General Outreach

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING FOR AN INTERNSHIP, PLEASE FOLLOW THESE STEPS:

• Complete an Internship Application with a letter of interest and resume.
• Two references are required, preferably from employers or professors/teachers rather than family members or friends. Please have your reference use the Intern Reference Form. We cannot process your application until we receive these forms from your references.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS:
Internships with the Center are generally unpaid.
Internships vary in length from a few weeks to six months. Length of internship and daily hours are negotiable.
Internships are only available in Boulder, Colorado, and the Center does not provide housing.
The Center for Outdoor Ethics is an equal opportunity employer.

More information can be found here.

National Park Visitation and Tent Camping Statistics on the Rise

It's that time of year -- to see how the recession affected our actions in 2009. While statistics have shown that many businesses and organizations have suffered as a result of the recession, visitation numbers from the National Park Service reveal growth in outdoor activities.

Overall visitation to the National Parks had been decreasing since 1996, and tent camping had been falling short since 2003. However, according to the 2009 statistics, this year marked a 6.24% increase in tent camping and a 4.3% increase in overall visitation. These statistics suggest, as many researchers have hypothesized, that in difficult economic times people spend their vacations closer to home. And recreating outdoors is a great way to spend a vacation!

Check out the Outdoor Industry Association's article about the National Park Service's statistics here.

Leave No Trace Canada launches new website in English and French

Leave No Trace Canada / Sans trace Canada has launched a new website featuring information in both English and French. Check it out at: leavenotrace.ca