Rain or Shine-Leave No Trace!

This weekend marked the first Leave No Trace Trainer Course for Team West in the 2011 season. Eight participants came out and were eager to learn about the principles of Leave No Trace. We had six students from local San Diego colleges including trip leaders from University of California at San Diego, Point Loma Nazarene University, and the University of San Diego. We also had one staff member from the Outdoor Adventure Program at USD and one "stud muffin" from Orange County who will be starting a outdoor business in the near future. With this diversity in the group, each participant had a passion towards the outdoors and educating others on ways to preserve and protect it!
After a rainy start to the course on Saturday, sunny California lived up to its name sake and Sunday proved to be a beautiful day. We were able to hike up Kwaay Peak at Mission Trails Regional Park and take in the gorgeous views from the Pacific Ocean to the west to the majestic mountains to the east. We truly appreciated each individual on the course, as our discussions were thoughtful and thorough. Please enjoy a slideshow of photos from the course over the weekend.
Congratulations to the latest Leave No Trace Trainers! We know you all will do great work in the future as you educate others about Leave No Trace!
Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Leave No Trace Master Educator (Frontcountry Stock): April 11-15, 2011 - REGISTER NOW - ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT!

Leave No Trace Master Educator (Frontcountry Stock): April 11-15, 2011

Cost: $650

Leave No Trace Master Educator (Frontcountry – Stock): This course is a pilot course focusing specifically on front country stock use, techniques, issues and impacts. Ideal participants for this course are equestrians who are interested in Leave No Trace, willing to teach others Leave No Trace and who have an understanding of equestrian impacts when riding and camping in front country areas. This course is sanctioned by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and students will receive a “Master Educator” certificate. The course is taught by Bob Hoverson, Program Manager for the Ninemile Wildlands Training Center and he is assisted by other Master Level Instructors. This course is located on the Shawnee National Forest, near Carbondale, Illinois.

To register, please visit http://tinyurl.com/4utdle5 or call Ninemile Wildlands Training Center: 406-626-5201

Backyard Session at Houston REI Galleria Feb. 26th!

This Saturday, the Houston community will be joining Texas Volunteer State Advocate Griff Danheim and the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers Jason and Agata Ketterick, in efforts to increase community action and volunteerism!

Backyard Sessions, such as this one, are opportunities to mingle, share your ideas with area educators, volunteers, community partners and members to discuss all things Leave No Trace for your community. You might even catch a glimpse of Leave No Trace's Bigfoot at the event!

If you are interested in joining this weekend's Backyard Session at the Houston REI Galleria, Saturday Feb. 26, Its not too late to RSVP!
Email Dana with your first & last name, email address, phone number, and any specific dietary restrictions if applicable.

Saturday's Schedule includes:
9:00 - 11:00AM PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) training
11:30 - 1:00PM Catered lunch
1:00 - 3:00PM Round Table discussion

This event is FREE and open to the public.

San Antonio Outreach Continued

On Saturday of last week, we met twenty-six high school students at Eisenhower Park in San Antonio. These students are in the Upward Bound Program, which provides intensive college preparatory support to high school students from low-income backgrounds with the potential to be the first generation in college from their families. As part of this program, the students devote entire Saturdays to additional academic instruction. This Saturday, they had a couple of hours available so we could introduce them to Leave No Trace.


While only two of the participants had ever heard of Leave No Trace before meeting us, the students caught on quickly and realized that our program is rooted in common sense and scientific studies.


In the first photo, two girls draw a picture of their ideal campsite in an activity that strives to show the impact others can have on our experience as well as the impact we can have on others. In the second photo, two students share how their gear helps them Leave No Trace, and in the third photo, students are mingling and attempting to figure out their gear for Minimum Impact Match.

Thanks to Arless Lenz and Roy de la Cruz for putting this event together!

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Outdoor Club of the Claremont Colleges

Last night we had the pleasure of working with the outdoor program On the Loose (OTL), the outdoors club of the Claremont Colleges!

The goals of the OTL program are a natural fit for the Leave No Trace program. Their mission is as follows, "OTL dispatches student-led trips to destinations across California and the Southwestern states. OTLers like to backpack, climb, car-camp, surf, bike, and bear-wrassle. To these ends, we offer advice to those who are lost, cars to those who need transportation, and a wide-ranging assortment of gear to all students—all for free. We also provide extensive subsidies for our adventures. We welcome students of all ability levels, from the most hardened sherpas to the freshest greenhorns. We host talks to engage our intellects, classes and training to hone our skills, and weekly Tuesday Shindigs to see each other’s shining faces."

We had the privilege of seeing their shining faces last evening as we presented an introduction to the Leave No Trace program. The insightful students were eager to learn about the skills and ethics that are the Leave No Trace program. We would like to thank Martin Crawford for inviting the Traveling Trainers to present an awareness workshop at Ponoma College.

A friendly reminder to all those OTL's out there...

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Leave No Trace Backyard Session in San Diego

The first of many Backyard Sessions was just recently hosted at the San Diego REI store!

Backyard Sessions are new in 2011. They are a chance for community members to mingle and share their ideas with area educators, volunteers, community partners, and members to discuss all things Leave No Trace for their community.

Look out for Backyard Sessions coming to your area as well as a chance to see Leave No Trace Bigfoot at the event!

If you would like to host a Backyard Session in your own community contact Betsy Workman, Leave No Trace Outreach Manager Betsy@LNT.org!

San Antonio Outreach

On Friday of last week, we met with ten home-schooled children and their parents to introduce them to the Leave No Trace program. Ranging in ages from 6 to 14, the kids had a great time coming up with creative nature names, deciding how long trash can last, and figuring out the gear they were in Minimum Impact Match. We used several activities from our PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) program as tools to teach Leave No Trace, and felt that the parents walked away ready to teach the program themselves.

Thanks to Peggy Spring and Stacy Barnwell for putting this event together.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Why Should I Avoid Feeding Wildlife?

Since leaving Boulder a few weeks ago, we have been asked numerous times a common question: "Is it really that big of a deal if I toss a banana peel out the car window, or leave my orange peels under a rock while on a hike?" As an organization, we strongly recommend avoiding these behaviors. Besides the danger of wildlife coming too close to the road or highway in search of food, here are more reasons to keep human food away from animals highlighted in our FAQ section of the website:

Most items though of as biodegradable, such as apples and apple cores, orange peels, banana peels, nuts, candy, etc., aren't native to most natural environments, and generally aren’t thought of as suitable food for wildlife. Anything that we carry into the woods should come out of the woods with us. Otherwise it's simply trash. One apple core will not completely disrupt the local ecosystem, but litter is litter.

The biggest problem with improperly disposing of food waste, e.g. tossing apple cores into the woods, it that it is ultimately harmful to wildlife. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters their natural behaviors and exposes them to predators and other dangers. News headlines are often made when wildlife is attracted to human food. Bears, more than any other animal, get the most press for tearing into tents, raiding food caches, coolers and cars in search of a meal. Generally, however, campers and hikers have to deal with less threatening, but often more annoying, rodents, raccoons, birds, etc., looking for a handout. These animals are a nuisance and can be vectors for disease, not to mention that their dependence on human food is a detriment to their own well being. Human foods are harmful to wildlife because animals would otherwise forage and eat a nutritious diet derived from their natural environment.

Ask yourself this question: Would this [insert biodegradable item] be here if I weren’t?

Pack it in, Pack it out...Kate & Tracy

APPLICANTS WANTED! Leave No Trace e-tour job opening!

LEAVE NO TRACE JOB OPENING

Are you interested in one of the premier outdoor jobs in the industry? Do you have a passion for teaching and working with youth? Are you looking to work with a friend or a significant other? If you answered yes to these questions then we have the job for you! The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is seeking a dedicated, savvy, dynamic team of educators (only teams of two are accepted as applicants) for a seasonal traveling position.

The Leave No Trace e-tour team, sponsored by the Coleman Company, The North Face and Subaru, brings hands-on Leave No Trace demonstrations, interactive activities and general Leave No Trace education to schools, camps and youth-serving organizations from May through November. The e-tour team promotes Leave No Trace information to kids and families. The e-tour provides basic Leave No Trace education programs that inspire youth to get outside while promoting responsible enjoyment of the outdoors.

For more details, please click here.

Life on the Road as Traveling Trainers

Life on the road as Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers is an adventure each and every day! In our first year we traveled over 50,000 miles and educated thousands of people about enjoying the outdoors in a safe and responsible manner. Well into the start of year number two we find ourselves well versed in the daily practice of packing the vehicle, unpacking educational materials for programs, setting up camp, and enjoying all the different locations our work has us visiting.

Above we have a snapshot of the less glorious but still important practice of loading our 2010 Subaru Outback for the road ahead. Living out of the vehicle is a daily challenge in logistics and efficient use of space, and as you can see every square inch is utilized to keep the team well equipped for our travels. Thanks to the generosity of our program sponsors like The North Face we are provided gear and clothing to make the journey more comfortable and organized!

Keep an eye out for our teams in your location in 2011 and get involved through education and volunteer opportunities with your community to learn more about Leave No Trace!

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Leave No Trace Trainer Update from Florida

In November 2010, The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers Team East, Jason and Agata Ketterick, conducted a Trainer Course for Boy Scouts in Orlando, FL. We recently received an email from a participant who attended this Trainer Course with his son.

Here is an update from North Florida.

Noah and I have taught a number of Leave No Trace classes in Boy Scouts of America Council forums, such as the University of Scouting; Outdoor Leadership Skills to Scoutmasters and Assistants and on the Troop level. We are reaching out to other groups, such local elementary schools, with an emphasis on the PEAK training.

A class of note is the one Noah taught this past weekend on Leave No Trace Hunter Ethics at a Youth Hunt sponsored by the Future of Hunting in Florida (FHF).

Noah used the quote from the orange Leave No Trace Hunter Ethics card as his theme: “Hunting builds family traditions. Set a positive example for future generations by practicing Leave No Trace Principles.” The class was incorporated into the Hunter Safety program, and each participant, youth and adult, was given one of the Principles to explain or demonstrate. There are three (3) bears in the hunt area, and Noah is shown in the photo above leading the participants in using the “rule of thumb” for keeping a safe distance from wildlife. The participants dug "cat holes,” conducted a forensic examination of the fire ring the following morning, measured out a “bear triangle” and collected garbage to haul out.

John Fuller, the Executive Director of Future of Hunting in Florida (FHF), invited Noah to teach the Leave No Trace class. He said “We want every young hunter in Florida to develop a passion for the outdoors and to learn the best practices to be safe, responsible hunters. The Leave No Trace Hunter Ethics are something we look forward to incorporating into FHF’s programs and Youth Hunts. Noah Bush’s use of games and hand’s on demonstrations by the Dads and Sons started a conversation the first night that continued throughout the weekend. Everyone was talking about Leave No Trace when they were leaving. We look forward to having Noah back at our next Youth Hunt in February.”

Hope all is well on your end,
Richard
Are you interested in taking a Trainer Course from the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers in 2011? Check our Community Pages to see if there is a course in your area. March 12-13th there are openings on a course in Kentucky at General Butler State Park.

City of Phoenix Partnership Thrives

Phoenix park rangers and volunteers play How Long Does It Last?

In April of 2009, the Traveling Trainer program made Phoenix a priority stop. It was a monumental time for the city, as they were kicking off an official partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. While in Phoenix, we presented multiple awareness workshops, ran a full trainer course with 16 City of Phoenix employees, and even interviewed for the local evening news! This was a huge event for both Phoenix and Leave No Trace.

Flash forward two years to present day. We are back in Phoenix and the Leave No Trace presence is thriving! Yesterday, we provided an awareness workshop for 23 City of Phoenix staff members and volunteers. During the presentation, we had extensive discussions about some of the greatest impacts present among the city's public trail systems. These impacts included pet waste, vandalizing cultural areas, trash left behind, and visitors traveling off trail. The staff members see the value in implementing the Leave No Trace programs as a way to mitigate these impacts that are occurring on the very spaces that locals recreate. We applaud the efforts of the staff members that we worked with yesterday. Not only will they share the Leave No Trace information with their fellow coworkers, but they will also utilize the program to teach the public about stewardship of lands shared by the public!

A great big thank-you to Liz Smith and the City of Phoenix for continuing to spread the Leave No Trace ethic to kids, families, and adults that enjoy all of the beautiful outdoor spaces that Phoenix has to offer. We look forward to continuing to strengthen this partnership between the City of Phoenix and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Bigfoot's February Challenges

Bigfoot needs your ideas and creativity! His February Challenge is a call to action through suggestions and ideas. If you have any new ideas for 2011 Challenges, Bigfoot wants to hear them at Bigfoot@lnt.org. If your idea is selected, you will win a pair of Smartwool socks. Further, since this month's challenge is sponsored by Coleman, you have the chance to win some sweet gear!

Take Bigfoot's Challenge!
Rotating monthly!

Trainer Course in Glen Rose, Texas

Over the weekend of February 12th through the 13th we were in Glen Rose, Texas for a two day trainer course. The course was an opportunity for all 12 participants to learn and teach together about the seven program principles and minimizing our impacts while enjoying our favorite public lands. The weather was pleasant and the group chemistry was enjoyable as many generations of scouting and outdoor recreation experiences were well represented over the two days.

In the photo above a participant teaching his section on the principle Minimize Campfire Impacts offers a variety of options to consider as alternatives to the standard campfire. From left to right in the photo, we have examples of a mound fire, various camp stove models from across antiquity, and finally a basic fire pan. The lesson this Venture Scout led was very informative and comprehensively explained the various methods to reduce our impact while safely and responsibly enjoying the outdoors.

Many thanks to our host Candace Lewis and friends Alan and Mic out at the Bush Ranch House in Longhorn Country.

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Northern Arizona University Outreach

Northern Arizona University (NAU) in Flagstaff, Arizona is one of the many nation-wide educational institutions that has partnered with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. The mission of the NAU Outdoor Program is to facilitate experiential opportunities where students have the ability to learn the values of trusting one's self, intrapersonal communication, diversity, health, leadership, and the importance of creating life-long friendships while exploring and preserving our natural environment.

NAU Outdoors consists of a collection of programs designed to assist NAU students and others to explore Arizona and the surrounding area. Programs include Trips and Classes, San Juan River Program, NAU Challenge Course, Gear Rental, Rescue Medicine and the NAU Disc Golf Course. We had the pleasure of working 13 animated members of NAU community that were wrapping up a weekend of outdoor staff development. These eager leaders are preparing to bring students on adventures throughout the semester, and more than likely for the rest of their lives. This is why we are grateful to Matt Hartman for successfully implementing Leave No Trace into the NAU program. We would like to also thank each of the 13 participants for their thoughtful participation during our time together. We look forward to returning to the NAU campus in the future. If you or the outdoor recreation program at your school might be interested in becoming a partner of Leave No Trace, click here for more details. You'll be glad you did!

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Bigfoot sends love on Valentine’s Day!

Want a unique way to send love to your valentine AND the earth? Make a $14 donation to Leave No Trace and your valentine will receive love from Bigfoot.

Here’s how it works:

1. Make a $14 donation (or become a member) to Leave No Trace by 7pm EST today.

2. Include your information in the “bill to” section

3. Include your Valentine’s information in the “send to” section, but include his or her email address in the “phone” field

4. Enter your credit card information and submit your order

Bigfoot will email your valentine an e-card to let him or her know that you love them AND the environment.

Thank you for loving Leave No Trace!

Leave No Trace Visits Kansas City Public Schools

On our way through Kansas we had the opportunity to visit with students from the Kansas City public schools and talk about Leave No Trace. The students were very excited to learn about the programs common sense approach to enjoying nature in a responsible way!

Above a snapshot into our visit with almost one hundred students from Whittier elementary as the Traveling Trainers facilitated an awareness workshop for kindergartners and fourth grade students. The focus of the workshop was on the PEAK principle "trash your trash" as the students had selected keeping nature free of trash as a goal for their school.

Special thanks to Teri Fulton for all her hard work to bring the Traveling Trainers to town for these events!

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Leave No Trace in Nepal

My friend Emily recently visited Kathmandu, Nepal and the Khumbu Valley at the base of Mt. Everest as part of an expedition for The North Face. Herself, along with TNF athletes Matt Segal and Cedar Wright went to the Khumbu Climbing School to educate Sherpas in technical mountain skills.

The KCS was founded by the climbing legend, Conrad Anker and his wife Jennifer Lowe-Anker following the death of the renowned mountaineer, Alex Lowe, with the goal of increasing the safety margin of Nepali climbers and high altitude workers by encouraging responsible climbing practices in a supportive and community based program.

About a week into her trip, I received a Facebook message from Emily saying that students watch a Leave No Trace video during their training. In addition, every time they pack up after a day of climbing, all the students and Sherpas run around yelling, "LEAVE NO TRACE, LEAVE NO TRACE", while picking up their trash and belongings. I thought this was cool. You can view Emily's blog here: http://emilyaharrington.wordpress.com/2011/02/06/nepal/ to read more about this amazing effort to give the Nepali people more resources and knowledge while guiding and working at high altitudes.

Snow Delay In New Mexico?

Everyone that learns we are in New Mexico is excited that we have been able to migrate to warmer weather. With an arctic freeze covering nearly all of the country, we are here to tell you that not even the "seasonably warm" places are enjoying their usual 50-60 degree temperatures! We spent today, after a two hour snow delay, presenting to an entire elementary school. Not all at once, of course, but we reached all 147 kids at the Tesuque Elementary School just north of Santa Fe. The picture above shows one student, nature name-Pecos River, getting ready to attach his Leave No Trace kids hang tag to his back pack. A special thanks to parent, Mickey Fong, and principal, Colleen Korce, for taking the time to schedule a Leave No Trace visit from the Traveling Trainers. If you are interested in hosting a Leave No Trace event, please click here for more information on how to put in a request.

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Dog Days of Winter

With winter weather affecting much of the US this past week, hope you are finding some time to enjoy the snow as much as these guys:

Aside from braving the chill, going out for a winter walk, sled or ski can be very peaceful, relaxing and fun. Remember to extend the same set of practices as you would on a summer outing - be it picking up after your pet, planning ahead for extreme weather or sticking to designated trails/areas.

If winter is prime season for your outdoor programming, consider incorporating a short talk/discussion on Leave No Trace for the winter. Grant season is upon us as well, check out this program page on our website for updated deadlines, beginning as early as March 1. Grants can be used to purchase educational/teaching resources for Leave No Trace programming: Grants and Scholarships

Stay warm and safe and thank you for practicing responsible recreation!

Leave No Trace in Jayhawk Country

On Saturday February 5, 2011 Team East was in Pratt, Kansas working with the Boy Scouts of America. The afternoon was focused on teaching general awareness around responsible outdoor recreation through the seven program principles of Leave No Trace. The discussions also addressed personal responsibility for our actions in nature and how to develop a sense of stewardship for public lands. In the photo above, we have Team East and the event host David Hearn outside of the event. Below a moment of connection between generations of Scouting as the pair teaches from their discussion around how to use Leave No Trace in the field.


A very warm thank you to David Hearn for the invitation to visit the Jayhawk state!

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Letters from a 5th Grade Class

Friday was spent with astute students from Red Rocks elementary school in Morrison, CO. We worked with kindergarten students that listened rather excitedly to "Trek and Tracks Great Adventure" as Trek and Track climbed their way up Misty Mountain, all the while learning about the 7 principles of Leave No Trace. We then visited the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes. The 5th graders promptly wrote letters to us recounting what they learned and before the day was through, they were hand delivered. Here are a few of the impressions we left on these young children:

"I am also going to change. I will pick up trash when I see it on the ground. I won't throw my banana peels on the ground anymore because I don't want the animals to get sick."

"I will always remember the 4 R's-Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, REFUSE. Thank-you for teaching me all that!"

"I also will not leave trash the next time I go camping, hiking, and bike because it may take many years or forever to decompose."

Lastly, our favorite quote came from the one student that exclaimed:

"Thank you for coming to teach our class. I had more fun than a monkey on his birthday!!"

Kids say the darndest things.

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

It's biodegradable, right?

A question the education dept. frequently gets is: CAN I LEAVE BIODEGRADABLE WASTE (E.G. AN APPLE CORE OR BANANA PEEL) IN THE WOODS, AS LONG AS I HIDE OR BURY IT?

The short answer:

Most items though of as biodegradable, such as apples and apple cores, orange peels, banana peels, nuts, candy, etc., aren't native to most natural environments, and generally aren’t thought of as suitable food for wildlife. Anything that we carry into the woods should come out of the woods with us. Otherwise it's simply trash. One apple core will not completely disrupt the local ecosystem, but litter is litter. The biggest problem with improperly disposing of food waste, e.g. tossing apple cores into the woods, it that it is ultimately harmful to wildlife. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters their natural behaviors and exposes them to predators and other dangers. News headlines are often made when wildlife is attracted to human food. Bears, more than any other animal, get the most press for tearing into tents, raiding food caches, coolers and cars in search of a meal. Generally, however, campers and hikers have to deal with less threatening, but often more annoying, rodents, raccoons, birds, etc., looking for a handout. These animals are a nuisance and can be vectors for disease, not to mention that their dependence on human food is a detriment to their own well being. Human foods are harmful to wildlife because animals would otherwise forage and eat a nutritious diet derived from their natural environment.



Ask yourself this question: Would this [insert biodegradable item] be here if I weren’t?

Leave No Trace is coming to San Diego

San Diego REI Leave No Trace Community Event
Thursday February 10th from 6-7:30PM

Share your ideas about Leave No Trace and ways to increase community action and volunteerism at the REI San Diego store on Thursday, February 10th from 6pm-7:30pm. Join Ben Lawhon, Leave No Trace’s Education Director, and area educators, volunteers and members to discuss all things Leave No Trace for your community. Enjoy light appetizers and a rumored appearance from Leave No Trace’s Bigfoot at the event.

Register here: http://www.rei.com/event/18007/session/22057

Strategies and Philosophies

Last week we met up with Team East, the Education Department, and the Outreach Department (yes, we now have an Outreach Department!) in El Jebel, CO, a small town outside of Aspen, for three days of Strategic Planning for the upcoming 2011 Traveling Trainer season. This was a rare occurrence as this is only the second time in Traveling Trainer history that both teams are returning for another season! Because of this, we were able to dive into more than the skills and ethics involved with teaching Leave No Trace. We strategized about new initiatives for the 2011 season and philosophized ways to improve the Traveling Trainer program. Both teams officially hit the road this week so stay tuned for exciting times ahead!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Looking out my backdoor...

Waking in the mountains outside of Boulder, Colorado this morning, we were greeted by temperatures well south of zero degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately for the Subaru/Leave No Trace traveling trainers we are well equipped for such an occasion with apparel from head to toe! Thanks to the generous support of outfitting partners like Smartwool we are able to enjoy our favorite outdoor activities in total comfort and warmth in any conditions. The socks and base layers we receive will keep the teams warm and stylish for any adventures we embark upon as the 2011 season gets started.

All the best,

Agata and Jason