Win Telluride Bluegrass Festival Tickets!

Leave No Trace is honored to partner with Planet Bluegrass - the organization who puts on three of Colorado's (and the nation's!) best music festivals each summer. Among these is the quickly-approaching Telluride Bluegrass Festival - and you could win a chance to go this year!

How? Planet Bluegrass has generously donated tickets to Leave No Trace, and we're giving members a chance to win them if they donate, join or renew their membership between now and Friday, June 4th.

Simply visit https://store.lnt.org/support to make your donation or (re)activate your membership, and you'll be automatically entered. (Hint: want to get entered multiple times? You can make more than one donation!)

This is a year not to miss at Telluride! Check out the festival lineup here.

We'll contact the winners by email on June 4th by 1:00pm MST. Please, no emails, phone calls or inquiries.

Good luck!

Seattle & Portland Elementary Schools

On Tuesday, we visited two second grade classes at TOPS elementary school in the historic Seward school in Seattle. The energetic eight year olds kept us on our toes as we discussed the seven principles of Leave No Trace and went out side to find all the living things we could find within a circle of rope as part of the PEAK pack's Watch Your Step activity.


By Thursday we were in Portland to visit Lewelling Elementary as part of their Wild Things Day. We saw four classes of fourth and fifth graders who had a blast creating their own nature names for the day, learning the rule of thumb, and playing Minimum Impact Match.


We are off to Idaho!

All the best...

Agata and Jason

The Unofficial Start of Summer!

As we travel up north to the Adirondack Mountains to kick-off a new partnership with the Adirondack Mountain Club, we are also excited to be kicking off the unofficial start of summer! We have a busy weekend planned up at ADK, with staff training, trailhead outreach, campfire talks, and evening ranger programs. We are also going to be joined by Kate's family, who will be camping for the first time this season. We will be staying in an adirondack lean-to at the wilderness campground at Heart Lake.

For some of you, this will also be the first camping trip of the season. Make sure to check all of your gear before reaching your destination. Check the weather to ensure you have to appropriate clothing and gear. Also, be sure to make a reservation. This is a very busy weekend for many parks, so call ahead first! We want to remind you to practice Leave No Trace, wherever the road may take you this Memorial Day weekend, and never forget those who have died in honor of this country!

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Introducing Betsy

Meet Betsy!

With 3 weeks under her belt as our new Information Coordinator, we wanted to introduce Betsy to you properly!
After being born a Midwest girl and picking up a degree from the University of Kentucky, Betsy has now lived here in Boulder, Colorado for nearly 10 years... and considers herself home! With an avid interest in animal rights and being conscious of preserving the environment through her food choices, Betsy is excited to bring that passion for all things living to her other favorite thing: PLAYING OUTSIDE. Her favorite things include hiking with her dachshund (mitchell t), camping under the stars, and dunking her head in a mountain stream. She is excited to be a part of the Leave No Trace family, and can't wait to learn more while helping teach others about how to responsibly enjoy the outdoors. Welcome Betsy!

Trainer Course with Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI)

This weekend we traveled to Ashford, Washington just outside of Mt. Rainier National Park to instruct a Trainer Course for RMI's six newest guides. RMI has been guiding mountaineering expeditions around the world for over 40 years and is a proud partner of Leave No Trace.


The weather over the weekend was pretty typical of Washington with nonstop rain, but the guides were excited to learn ways to share Leave No Trace information with their clients over the busy summer.

In the first picture, David is taking a closer look at the Restop 2, designed to safely contain and neutralize human waste when facilities are not available and digging a cathole is not an option. In the second picture, Eryka presents her teaching topic on minimizing campfire impacts, and in the final picture Agata facilitates a round of campfire scramble.

Thanks to David, Mike, Eryka, Zeb, Mike, and Thomas for a great course and have a fun and safe summer on Rainier!

All the best...

Agata and Jason

Kentucky Declares May Leave No Trace Month

Photo above: Scenes such as this at Kentucky's Red River Gorge inspired the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to declare the area its first Hot Spot.

To celebrate the outdoors, teach minimum impact skills and ethics, and highlight the Leave No Trace's naming of Kentucky's Red River Gorge a Hot Spot, the state park system has declared the May, 2010, Leave No Trace month. During the month of May, the Kentucky State Parks has provided 30-minute “Leave No Trace” outdoor ethics training sessions for all hikers, horseback riders, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.

These free workshops are among the objectives promoted by the Kentucky Recreational Trails Authority, Department of Parks and Office for Adventure Tourism to support responsible recreation in Kentucky. In their words, they say of the Leave No Trace program: "As part of the web of life that surrounds us, Leave No Trace teaches us how to responsibly interact with nature, how to handle encounters with wildlife, follow trail routes, the proper use of materials, supplies and containers to take along and why."

For more information, contact: Gil Lawson at 502-564-4270 ext 168 or visit www.getoutKY.com.

Delaware Water Gap Trainer Course

This weekend we led a trainer course at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area in PA for park staff and volunteers, as well as staff from PEEC- Pocono Environmental Education Center. We spent the weekend along the McDade Trail, as we explored the principles of Leave No Trace. All of the participants we excited to learn ways to positively communicate the Leave No Trace information to park visitors and students at PEEC.

In the above picture, the class learns about proper disposal of human waste in the backcountry and along river corridors. We also had a great discussion about the importance of leaving what we find and how to encourage children to enjoy the natural world, but also to leave the gift of discovery for the next visitor.

We would like to thank all of the participants for their thoughtful participation throughout the two days and wish them the best this summer!

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Heavy oil from spill reaches Louisiana marshes

Heavy oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill threatened Louisiana marshlands on Thursday after washing ashore for the first time since a BP-operated rig exploded a month ago, sparking ecological disaster. Calling it a "day that we have all been fearing," Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said on Wednesday that heavy oil -- not simply tar balls or sheen -- had entered the state's prized wetlands. "It's already here but we know more is coming," he said.The marshes are the nurseries for shrimp, oysters, crabs and fish that make Louisiana the leading producer of commercial seafood in the continental United States. A large no-fishing zone in Gulf waters seen as affected by the spill has been imposed.

Energy giant BP Plc scrambled to contain crude from the gushing undersea well, which ruptured after an April 20 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig that killed 11 workers. The company said it is now siphoning about 3,000 barrels (126,000 gallons/477,000 liters) a day of oil, from what it has estimated was a 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons/795,000 liters) a day gusher. The company said it could begin injecting mud into the well as early as Sunday in a bid to permanently plug the leak. BP shares rose nearly 3 percent on Thursday in early London trading.

Adding another name to the group of companies connected to the doomed rig, Schlumberger Ltd said it had a crew on the Deepwater Horizon that departed only hours before the explosion and fire that engulfed it. The world's largest oilfield services company had not previously revealed its work on the Horizon.

Article continues: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6430AR20100520

Inspiring Quote

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
-- Edward Abbey

Crook County 6th Grade Outdoor School

This month all the 6th graders at Crook County Middle School are getting to spend one week at Outdoor School on Suttle Lake outside of Sisters, OR. This is a Crook County tradition dating back over 40 years and a chance for the students to get their hands dirty as they learn about forestry, take water samples, and practice their GPS skills.

We were invited to give an hour long presentation on Leave No Trace. The students were surprised to learn that it takes aluminum cans and plastic six-pack holders so many years to decompose, but were quick to point out the impacts a carelessly thrown orange peel could have on wildlife. The 6th graders also had some fun playing Minimum Impact Match, guessing what object was taped to their back, and how that object helped leave no trace. As we wrapped up, the students took out their camp song books and sang the night away.

All the best...

Agata and Jason

Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania

Today we visited with two Leave No Trace trainers, Sarah Erickson and Meredith Sortwell, from Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania. The pair recently took their trainer course with us and has already put their training into action. We were invited to their region to provide an awareness workshop for the Outdoor Program Managers and volunteers from the area.

Upon arrival at Camp Hawthorne Ridge, we were introduced to a new tasty treat in campfire cooking…Mountain Pies! Those may have been our first, but they surely won’t be our last. We would like to thank all involved in making our stay so hospitable. We look forward to working with this group in the future and we wish you all a successful summer in your camp programs, especially as you teach Leave No Trace!

Happy Adventuring…Kate and Tracy

Climber Documents Ascent to Mount Everest’s Peak via Social Media

Photo source

From mashable.com:

“Right now I’m sitting in a very small yellow tent with my laptop, I’m holding a 50-watt light and we’re at 17,500 feet above sea level at Mount Everest base camp. The Sherpa staff is serving dinner,” says Elia Saikaly, a filmmaker and adventurer who is currently climbing the massive mountain as part of a huge social media campaign focused on education and philanthropy.

Saikaly, who set out on his expedition in March, expects to reach the peak of Everest this month — and for the intrepid explorer, the climb is more about the journey than reaching the apex.

You see, the whole adventure is part of a project that the filmmaker — along with his organization, Finding Life— launched with Wigup.tv, a new interactive web channel for kids (“Wigup” stands for “While I Grow Up), and the Canadian Ministry of Education.

Currently, 130 schools are following his journey, chatting with the explorer three times per week via Skype, and following along with his exploits via Twitter, Facebook, a tool called Epic Tracker that uses geolocation to show exactly where the climbers are at any given moment, and the webisodes that he shoots and editing while scaling Everest.

Read the complete article from mashable.com here.

Leave No Trace visits Crook County, Oregon

Earlier this week we arrived in beautiful central Oregon to visit the Crook County Middle and High Schools for a few days of awareness workshops. The students and staff in Prineville, Oregon were very responsive to the PEAK and TEEN activities we shared and were incredibly motivated to learn more about responsible outdoor recreation and stewardship of the public lands they enjoy recreating on in their area.

In the photo above the students at the middle school are excitedly sharing their perspective on the principle Leave What You Find. Below the students at the high school are demonstrating their frontcountry knowledge in the Principle Presentation activity using creativity and humor to discuss disposing of pet waste responsibly.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Calling all Great Ideas

The PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) and Teen programs are aimed at teaching responsible recreation and environmental stewardship to youth through hands-on activities. Both the PEAK and Teen “packs” provide materials and resources for educators teaching youth about Leave No Trace.

This month The Center is hosting a PEAK and Teen Activity Submission Contest as part of the Bigfoot Challenge. To take part in the PEAK and Teen activity contest, please complete the online form. One PEAK and one Teen activity will be chosen as the contest winners. Winners will be announced to the community and will be awarded outdoor gear from a Leave No Trace partner. The winning submissions will be hosted on the Leave No Trace website as free downloadable activities for educators and youth leaders.

Thank you for your participation! We look forward to receiving your great ideas.

Damascus Trail Days

This weekend marked the 24^th annual Damascus Trail Days in Damascus, VA. Trail Days is a celebration of past, present, and future hikers that walked the Appalachian Trail, a 2175 mile trail from Georgia to Maine. The festivities began early last week, leading up to the main events during the weekend. There were workshops, vendors, live music, local artists, and plenty of excitement to go around. Hikers were able to take advantage of free gear repairs in the campground, check out the latest gear available from manufacturers, and learn about Leave No Trace techniques at our booth in Town Park. We were asked many important questions about proper human waste disposal in the backcountry, precautions to take in bear country, and how to travel in pristine areas. Education is vital to protecting all of the beautiful places we enjoy recreating, like the Appalachian Trail, which is bustling with hikers every summer.

We enjoyed sharing our stories from the road with representatives from many of the Center’s partners, including Enertia Trail Foods, Grand Trunk, Hennessey Hammocks, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. This was a wonderful experience and opportunity to reach hundreds of hikers that are proud to call the AT their home during the spring/summer season. Happy and Safe Hiking to all the thru-hikers, section-hikers, and day hikers of the Appalachian Trail!

Happy Adventuring…Kate and Tracy

Pay to Play - Okay or no way?

A Forest Service proposal might institute new fees to camp and/or climb several of Colorado's 14ers in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The South Colony Basin sees ~4,500 visitors a year, with many climbing one of four nearby mountains over 14,000 ft.

Paying to play is not a new concept, and has many vocal supporters and critics. I don't envy the government trying to find balance between all the disparate opinions out there. I personally put a very high value on the recreational opportunities that are abundant in Colorado, and if I wanted to go, I would be willing to pay to visit these specific areas.

What is your take? Let us know, and share your thoughts with the Forest Service as well.

First Leave No Trace Hot Spot: Red River Gorge

CONTACT: Sarah Folzenlogen, Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics

303/442-8222

Sarah@LNT.org

Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics Selects Inaugural Hot Spot to Raise Awareness for Areas with Critical Recreational Impact

Designates Red River Gorge in Kentucky as First “Hot Spot”

Boulder, Colorado (May 12, 2010) – The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (The Center) today announced the selection of its first “Hot Spot”, as part of an initiative to raise awareness for areas impacted by recreational use. Seeking to make a difference nationwide, The Center created the Hot Spot Program as a public call to action in which individuals, land managers, and communities can rally for support from Leave No Trace to protect their local recreational resources. The Center will assess nominated areas and select two sites in 2010 as the recipient of programs to reduce impact and increase awareness of how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly.

To kick-off the initiative, The Center designated the Red River Gorge, a National Natural Landmark managed by the USDA Forest Service, as its first “Hot Spot”. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics will assist land managers at the Red River Gorge, and future designated Hot Spots, to reduce recreation-related impact through outreach and education, and collaborating locally with motivated individuals, groups, non-profit organizations, and governmental agencies.

Located in eastern Kentucky near several urban areas, the Red River Gorge is home to high sandstone cliffs, waterfalls, natural stone bridges and arches, enjoyed by countless hikers, rock climbers, and recreational users. Much of the Gorge is located within the Daniel Boone National Forest and is managed to protect its watersheds, wildlife, archaeological resources, and spectacular geologic features. The Center chose the Red River Gorge as a Hot Spot due to several recreation-related impacts including litter, trail erosion, damage to vegetation, and vandalism of property, natural features, and cultural/heritage sites within the Gorge.

The Red River Gorge was recently the focus of an intense planning effort known as the Limits of Acceptable Change process (LAC). The LAC process brought together a diverse group of concerned citizens that worked together with the Daniel Boone National Forest to chart a course toward improving the condition of the Red River Gorge. The need for increasing the effectiveness of Leave No Trace education was an important focal point of this group.

In many recreational areas impact is often a result of unintentional harm to the environment, or due to a lack of knowledge and skills of how to conserve wild places. The Center currently implements programs and initiatives to educate recreationists on how to prevent unintended impacts and protect natural resources. The Hot Spot program will select areas in need depending on a variety of recreational impact criteria.

As the scope of work at Red River Gorge begins to take shape, The Center will publicize volunteer opportunities, upcoming events and trainings as well as ways the public can get involved.

For questions about the program or for more specific information, please contact hotspots@LNT.org, call 1.800.332.4100 or visit http://lnt.org/01_community/hotspots.php

About the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
The award-winning Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is the international leader in sustainable recreation practices. The nonprofit organization teaches children and adults vital skills to minimize their impacts when they are outdoors. Leave No Trace is the most widely accepted outdoor ethics program used today on public lands across the nation by all types of outdoor recreationists. For more information about Leave No Trace, visit: www.LNT.org.

Leave No Trace Bigfoot Gear

Have you had a chance to check out some of our new Leave No Trace merchandise with Bigfoot? We will be adding more items this summer, please let us know if there is something you would like to see us carry in our store. To view Leave No Trace Bigfoot items check out our online store.

Take the Bigfoot Challenge today and enter to win some great prizes from Leave No Trace partners!

West Valley College

Our visit to West Valley College's Park Management class this week was educational and entertaining for all in attendance. The students in this class were very high energy and we enjoyed the dialogue generated around the principles and practices of Leave No Trace with the group.

Pictured above is a heated competition between two participants in the PEAK activity "Step On It." The discussion of what a "durable" surface is and why we suggest traveling and camping on those surfaces was entertaining and informative as the group shared personal and professional experiences during the activity.

In the second photo, the group is working together to create a duplicate map of the USA and discussing their most memorable experiences in outdoor settings around the country.

A very warm "thank you" goes out to Heidi McFarland for her invitation to present on the campus of West Valley College!

All the best,

Agata and Jason

My Backyard: Responsible Campfire Relay

This past weekend a friend and I explored a new (to us) part of Colorado – North Park.

Situated in North Central Colorado, North Park touts many recreational claims to fame including the Moose-viewing capital of Colorado, as well as phenomenal fishing, hunting, camping and backpacking opportunities. The basin opens out northward into Wyoming, in the direction of flow of the North Platte. On the east side, it is rimmed by the Medicine Bow Mountains, the Never Summer Mountains and Rabbit Ears Range to the south, and the Park Range to the west. The continental divide rims the Park along the south and west. The best part of the area is probably the small population of recreationists (compared to many other parts of Colorado’s natural lands) that visit North Parks’ public lands. We did, however, come across this fire pit in the Routt National Forest on our second night of the trip.

The previous campers had apparently overestimated the amount of firewood needed for their evening enjoyment. After confirming campfires were allowed, we decided that we would have a fire that night. First, we picked out all the aluminum cans, glass bottles and tin foil to pack out in our garbage. Next, we removed the branches and started a small fire with the mission of burning all the existing wood to ash (more information on campfires and campfire alternatives can be found here: http://www.lnt.org/programs/principles_5.php).

Here’s what the next person will find when they camp there:

Which would you rather find on your next camping trip?

New for Bigfoot Challengers: PEAK and Teen Activity Contest this month puts educator creativity to the test.

This month, Bigfoot is putting Leave No Trace educators and community members to the test, to submit their ideas for new teaching activities to each of these programs. To take part in the PEAK and Teen activity contest, please complete this form: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/286168/peak-and-teen-activity-submission-contest

The PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) and Teen programs are aimed at teaching responsible recreation and environmental stewardship to youth through hands-on activities. Both the PEAK and Teen “packs” provide materials and resources for educators teaching youth about Leave No Trace.

One PEAK and one Teen activity will be chosen as the contest winners. Winners will be announced to the community and will be awarded outdoor gear from a Leave No Trace partner. The winning submissions will be hosted on the Leave No Trace website as free downloadable activities for educators and youth leaders.

On behalf of the Center and Bigfoot, thank you for your participation!

Road Wisdom: Geocaching

According to geocache.com, “Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.”

Currently there are over 1 million registered caches worldwide! As we travel the country, teaching the skills and ethics of Leave No Trace, we encounter many different schools of thought on this up-and-coming activity, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this month.

Some people feel strongly that geocaching bridges the gap for people that enjoy technological activities with being on an outdoor adventure in a natural setting. Other people feel that some geocachers miss a majority of the outdoor experience because they are so focused on the technology piece that they are driven into the wilderness only to put all of their energy into finding the coordinates. Yet another group feels that geocaching brings individuals and families together by getting them out of their living rooms and into the great outdoors. What is your opinion?

Regardless of each person’s motive to join the geocache movement, Leave No Trace has developed a reference hang tag (available in our online store) to promote responsible recreation practices while geocaching. Here are some points to consider:

• Plan properly for your geocaching outing by having the items or equipment you'll need to safely enjoy your adventure. Also, if placing a cache, make sure it's legal in your area.
• Be conscious of where caches are placed (choose durable surfaces) and think about how traveling to and from a cache can cause trampling, erosion, etc.
• Have the necessary knowledge/equipment to deal with trash, litter and human waste.
• Consider the impacts of geocaching to both plants and animals.
• Be mindful of other visitors who may also be enjoying the same areas as you.
  

If you would like to weigh in on your opinion of geocaching, email kateandtracy@lnt.org and we will post comments on an upcoming blog!

Happy Geocaching,
Kate and Tracy

Dear Education Department: Activate, Volunteer, Advocate

Dear Education Department,

I recently visited your organization’s website and remember hearing about the Leave No Trace principles years ago at summer camp. Anyway, I am very interested in what you do and would like to get involved. I was wondering if there are any volunteer opportunities? I do not live in Colorado so I was looking for something that I could get involved with more locally.

Thanks for your help,

Enthusiastic Volunteer

**************

Dear Enthusiastic Volunteer,

Thank you for your email! We love hearing about people getting involved in their local communities. The Leave No Trace program relies heavily on volunteers—conducting workshops, attending outdoor events, doing school presentations and setting up informational booths. Here are some tips for ways that you can get involved with Leave No Trace as a volunteer:

1) Contact your State Advocate. Their information is available on the state Community Pages. Often Advocates receive multiple event requests at a time and could use the help of extra volunteers.

2) Get involved with the Leave No Trace Hot Spot program. The program is aimed at improving the condition of a designated “Hot Spot” or recreational area that is experiencing multiple visitor created impacts. The current site the Center is working on is the Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky. More sites will be determined in the coming year and a list of all other Hot Spot applicants will be listed on the Hot Spot page with contact information on how to get involved.

3) Get involved in national initiatives/events. An example is National Get Outdoors Day on June 12, 2010, an event aimed at getting kids and families outdoors by introducing them to local resources and providing a host of hands on activities to teach them about outdoor recreation how to care for our natural resources. Many metropolitan areas around the country will be celebrating this event and all are looking for volunteers.

4) Take part in our Bigfoot Challenge. One of our most recent Challenges is a PEAK and Teen Activity Submission Contest. If you are an educator that has a great idea for teaching kids about Leave No Trace submit your activity. See the side bar for details.

5) Finally, stay tuned for our upcoming volunteer registry. We will now have a way for folks to express their interest in volunteers and get them connected with each other and with local events.

Thanks for all your support!

Sincerely,

Education Department

Photo: Volunteering at the National Get Outdoors Day event in Denver last year.

Patch & Pin Sale: Get your Leave No Trace 'flare' on the cheap!

Is your outdoor gear needing a little Leave No Trace love? Now’s your chance! The Leave No Trace Patches, the Lapel Pins, and the Bigfoot Patches are now on sale.

The Leave No Trace patches and pins are available in three versions;

1) Outdoor Ethics

2) Trainer - for those that have completed a two day trainer course

3) Master Educator - for those that have completed a five day Master Educator Course

The Bigfoot Patches are catchy, and make a great statement. All of these are 30% off through the end of the month.

Q: How many pieces of 'flare' do YOU have?

A: There's always room for more!

Outdoor Girls' Day at Allegheny State Park, NY

We were invited to be guest speakers at the 3rd annual Outdoor Girls' Day in western New York. The event is a day dedicated to celebrating professional outdoor women. Middle school students came out to learn about career opportunities available in the field of environmental education. We were thankful to be a part of this event because we feel it is important to reach kids when they are young in order to expose them to a variety of professions that exist and increase their awareness about the world around them. As one woman told the girls "You are very lucky to be kids today. When I was young, I was told I could be one of two things-a teacher or a nurse." She wasn't excited about either of those two careers. Today, kids have many more opportunities to find careers that are suited for their personalities. The hardest part is narrowing the fields down. In the words of Jane Goodall, "If you really want something, and really work hard, and take advantage of opportunities, and never give up, you will find a way."

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Leave No Trace New Zealand Video Interview

Watch this great video of Chris North talking about Leave No Trace New Zealand's work:

Whole Earth Festival, Davis, CA

Last weekend we were enjoying the sunny weather and eclectic vibe of the Whole Earth Festival in central California. The festival has been celebrating music, art, and education for over four decades and offers a little something for people of all ages and cultural interests. Pictured are two moments from the weekend, in the first photo a UC Davis medical student pensively ponders the various decomposition rates of various items of trash.

The second photo captures a family decision making process at it's zenith as the crew decides which of the May 2010 Bigfoot Challenges to take and consider at home and in every day life in the outdoors.

The community in Davis, CA was very conscientious and supportive of Leave No Trace and we genuinely enjoyed the festival atmosphere!


All the best,

Jason and Agata

When the rules get broken

I went for a hike with my family yesterday in Rocky Mountain National Park to celebrate Mother's Day. It was a perfect day for a hike - 60's, sunny, a few clouds and no wind. As we hiked, we began to notice tracks in the snow that looked like those of a coyote. I'm no Tom Brown so I wasn't sure but they were fun for our son to follow. We hiked to an abandoned mine in the Park, found a nice spot for a picnic and had the place to ourselves. We only saw a few other people on the trails all day. However, on our way back to the trailhead, we heard a group coming from behind us. I turned around an noticed they had a dog on a leash. That explained the tracks in the snow but begged the question as to whether or not the dog owner knew that dogs aren't allowed on Park trails.

The dog owner was moving pretty quickly past us and I knew I'd only have one shot at talking to him about the dog. My initial thought was to just tell him dogs weren't allowed. But as he got closer I changed tact and said, "Howdy. Do you hike here much?" expecting him to say that he was new to the Park, which would allow me the opportunity to tell him about the Park's rule on dogs and why they weren't allowed. Much to my surprise, he told me he "hiked in the Park a lot." To which I said, "I didn't know dogs were allowed on Park trails [playing dumb]." His response got me, "Dogs aren't allowed on the trails but they're [the National Park Service] pretty cool about it this time of year. It's just not a big deal." At this point, I really didn't know what to say. Especially since this guy knew the rules but blatantly chose to break them.

This is the guy whose selfish actions impact the rest of us. Don't be this guy...

Kids Water Festival in Brookeville, Maryland

Last week, we traveled to Brookeville, MD to take part in the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission's 2nd annual Kids Water Festival. This outdoor festival provides hands-on learning about water issues, the environment, and the impact our day-to-day habits have on the availability and quality of water -- life’s most precious resource.

The event is held in conjunction with “National Drinking Water Week,” which is recognized annually in the first week of May. Over the two days, we educated nearly 700 fourth grade students, teachers, and parent chaperones from Prince George’s County and Montgomery County Schools. We would like to thank Angela Ballard-Landers for her efforts in organizing this massive event and inviting the Traveling Trainer program to be part of the experience.

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Celebrating Mom

It’s mother day, soon anyway. A time to let the most important woman in your life (or one of the most notable) know how much you love and appreciate her. This Sunday, the day we officially celebrate mom, how are you going to honor your mother? A couple of suggestions might be: get mom outdoors to enjoy spring and nature with you. What better way to spend time with her then by hitting the trail, breathing the air and taking in the new, spring energy and beauty. Not possible to go outside? Then do something in nature to honor your mother like plant a tree or flowers for her. Or, if you are compelled to buy something, then check out the following list of green mother’s day gifts: http://www.treehugger.com/galleries/2010/05/green-gift-guide-for-mothers-day.php?page=1

A lovely list of thoughtful gifts from recycled and plant-able journals to fair trade chocolates. You’re sure to find something for any mother on her day. Enjoy!

BLM Designates 2010 Free Days

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in conjunction with other agencies within the Department of the Interior, will waive recreation-related fees for visitors on June 5-6, August 14-15, September 25 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day) on many of the public lands managed by the BLM, including areas within the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

“In celebration of not only the 10th birthday of the BLM’s national conservation lands but also America’s Great Outdoors, we invite visitors to take the path less traveled and discover these treasured public lands during the fee-free days,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “For decades, millions of Americans have sought to connect with the outdoors by exploring the National System of Public Lands, and the BLM is proud to be a part of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.”

Site standard amenity and individual day-use fees at BLM recreation sites and areas will be waived for the day. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, and group day use, will remain in effect.

The NLCS encompasses more than 27 million acres and includes 886 federally recognized areas of National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, Wild and Scenic Rivers, National Scenic and Historic Trails, and Conservation Lands of the California Desert. More details about fee-free days and activities are available at http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/Recreation/BLM_Fee_Free_Days.html

A week in the Grand Canyon

As our week in the Grand Canyon continued, we interacted with quite a few visitors during our day of outreach at the General Store, trained the Grand Canyon Camp and Vegetation Staff in how to teach Leave No Trace, and even found a little time to hike down into the canyon.

In the picture above the Vegetation Staff gets a little competitive during Minimize Campfire Impacts Scramble, and in the picture below the staff duels it out during Step On It.


Thank you to all the Grand Canyon Park Staff for their enthusiasm around the educational programs we shared with them. Special thanks to Kirstin Heins for the warm welcome she extended to the traveling trainers.

All the best....

Agata and Jason

March Bigfoot Challenge Winner!

March's Bigfoot Challenge winner is Erin Barker, Natural Science Program Coordinator from Cedar Creek, TX.

Bigfoot recently sat down with Erin for a little Q&A to learn more about how she spends her time outside and how she is involved in the Leave No Trace Program.

Bigfoot: What do you like to do outside?

Erin: Hiking, camping, exploring, teaching outdoor programs

Bigfoot: Who do you work with?

Erin: I work for the Lower Colorado River Authority at McKinney Roughs Nature Park.

Bigfoot: Why do you volunteer for Leave No Trace?

Erin: It’s a great program teaches the fundamentals of low impact land use.

Bigfoot: What was your original intention getting involved with Leave No Trace?

Erin: Get trained to teach Leave No Trace programs to youth and adults.

Bigfoot: How did your Bigfoot Challenge go?

Erin: Great, we did an Earth Day Festival, had Leave No Trace short programs and had REI demonstrating Leave No Trace using an interactive tent maze activity.

Bigfoot: Why is Leave No Trace important to you?

Erin: I think Leave No Trace is important because it’s a program that imparts some pretty important principles about land stewardship but in a fun, accessible way.

Bigfoot: If everyone out there could do ONE thing to Leave No Trace, what would it be?

Erin: Leave only footprints, take only memories!

Allegheny Outfitters Trainer Course

On Monday and Tuesday, we journeyed on a 10-mile paddle down the Allegheny River to train 5 participants to become Leave No Trace Trainers. Allegheny Outfitters, a partner of Leave No Trace, is just getting into the swing of their busy summer season and were thrilled to learn ways to share Leave No Trace information with their customers. We would like to thank Piper Lindell, owner of Allegheny Outfitters, for hosting the course and for her enthusiasm towards conservation and preservation of the Allegheny National Forest.
In addition to staff from Allegheny Outfitters, we also educated staff from the Girl Scouts of Western PA and Evergreen Outfitters in NY. All of the participants brought great energy and excitement to the course, which led to thoughtful discussions on the impacts that are seen in the outdoors and how we can mitigate those impacts! We had an awesome time paddling and camping on Thompson Island, especially hearing stories about Bigfoot from Grampa Dave.
Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Passing the Torch

Expect to see a new Information Coordinator taking on my responsibilities next week, as I move on to a new position with the Forest Service as a seasonal archaeologist. I've had the most amazing time working for Leave No Trace since I was brought aboard as the "Senior" Intern last June to working part-time as Information Coordinator to becoming full-time earlier this year.

I've gained crucial experience and made great friends, in addition to getting to know so many other great environmental organizations. From experimenting with the early stages of the Bigfoot Challenge with Outreach Manager Dave Winter, to helping to grow our membership base with Membership and Development Manager Sara Close, to making sure you all get your orders as quickly as possible...I've enjoyed every minute of it! Although I will no longer be working for Leave No Trace, I will continue to be a part of the Center's community of Master Educators, Trainers, Members, Partners, and other supporters.

Stay tuned as we bring aboard our new Information Coordinator, Betsy, and definitely give her a call next week at extension 100 to welcome her to Leave No Trace!

"Green" Exercise Improves Health

I recently came across this short article, which described how not only exercise, but "green" exercise (in a park, along a trail, by a lake) improves both physical and mental health. Here is a short excerpt from the article:

"The research focused on many different outdoor activities -- such as walking, cycling, horse-riding, gardening, farming and fishing -- and found positive physical and mental effects in the first five minutes of the exercise, the BBC reported."

Just another reason why environmental stewardships programs are so important, they preserve the quality of not only the resource, but of other peoples' recreational experiences and, thus, their health!