Leave No Trace thanks you!

The end of the year for Leave No Trace, and most nonprofit organizations, is the time when we are blessed with the donations we need to continue the important work of educating people about responsible recreation. Personally, this is why I love what I do. I get to see how people with the means to help can make such a difference in the lives of others.

This year because of your donations Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics has provided advanced Leave No Trace training to nearly 3,500 people. And of that group, we were able to provide many of those trainings at little or no cost because those outdoor leaders are sacrificing their time to take under-served children into nature and teach them to love and respect the wild.

And that is just part of our success this year. Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and our traveling teams have raised awareness about the need for outdoor ethics in more than 2 million people this year. This outreach effort is often the first step that people take to learn more about how to Leave No Trace when visiting the outdoors....and in their lives. As I'm sure many of you can relate, Leave No Trace ethics extend well beyond outdoor recreation.

On behalf of all of us at the Center, thank you for supporting this important cause. Your donations and your advocacy are making a big difference in the way people enjoy and respect the outdoors.

Happy Trails To You!

Professional Development Day 2011

As we bid farewell to the year 2011, we are reflecting on the many successes of the Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program.  For the past two seasons, we have had the pleasure of working with two fantastic colleagues.  As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  We wish only the best to our associates who are moving on to their next great adventure.  Thank you Jason and Agata Ketterick for all of your hard work.  We look forward to seeing where the trail takes you and never stop making teeny tiny shadow puppets in your tent!

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Guest Perspective: Leave No Trace in Brazil

Rodrigo Cavasini is a Leave No Trace Master Educator and a Professor at Physical Education and Sports Science Faculty of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Outdoor activities are spreading in the world and the number of involved people is increasing, year-by-year, as it can be seen in Brazil, too. The environmental impacts that are being related to trekking, kayaking, abseiling, climbing, mountain bike and others outdoor activities are concerning different sectors in the Brazilian society, as educational institutions, outdoor activities related people, NGOs, etc.

During the last years outdoor areas have been highly impacted and, in some cases, the access is being limited or canceled, which highlights the relevance of efficient educational approaches, as the Leave no Trace Educational Activities, which are known for some people here, but is not so common in the Brazilian outdoors.

In the second semester of 2011, Leave No Trace Educational Activities started to be carried out in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, in an effort to promote the outdoor ethics discussion among participants in outdoor activities. Three Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops were promoted. The first two were carried out in September, for Physical Education students, during field activities in an outdoor activities related discipline and the third in December, during indoor and outdoor activities in a Basic Climbing, Abseiling and Trekking Course.

The formal and informal evaluations showed that the participants were pleased with these approaches and pointed the need of continuity of these Leave No Trace education activities and the inclusion of longer courses. By the end, for 2012 more Awareness Workshop are been planned, as well Trainer Courses are been prepared, which we hope that could be a good beginning / continuity for all these Leave No Trace experiences in Brazil.

Rodrigo Cavasini

Late night bear bag visit?

Have you ever been laying in your tent, about to fall asleep, and realized that you either forgot to put that chapstick in your pocket into the bear bag or you just need one more piece of chocolate before dozing off? It seems to happen to me all the time, which is why I have used reflective cord for hanging my bear bags for many years.



While there are likely several options on the market these days, I have been using the Kelty Triptease Lightline (50 ft. Guyout Cord), and have always been very happy with it. The cord has reflective material embedded in it which makes it show up at night when hit with light from your headlamp. This makes those after dark trips to the bear bag a cinch.

I'm not sure how many times this cord has saved me from an epic late-night bear bag search but it's been several. It's worth a try on your next trip...

For more information on hanging bear bags, visit: http://leavenotracecommunity.blogspot.com/2011/11/hanging-bear-bag.html

Picture of the Week 12/16/11

Hale Reservation in Westwood, MA

Bigfoot's Shopping Spree

Checking out the tubes for fun on the hill!

Freeport, ME.  While we were at LL Bean last week, we noticed some strange activity throughout the store.

Bigfoot loves the warm Bean flannels!

 Every where we looked, crowds of people we watching as Bigfoot came to take care of some of his holiday shopping.  LL Bean is one of the top stores where Bigfoot can find all kinds of outdoor products.  And because they support Leave No Trace, Bigfoot gets even more excited!
Where else will Bigfoot shop this year?  Check out the list of companies and organizations that support Leave No Trace through partnership here.  Keep these companies in mind as you do your holiday shopping this year!

Why not just a little more fur?

Taking a rest after a long day of shopping

Explore Responsibly...Kate, Tracy, and Bigfoot

Reflection into the future.

We've wrapped up life as the e-tour. We'd love to thank everyone who helped to make these last seven months such a successfully fulfilling adventure. We reached out to educate and share awareness with thousands of folks in more than twenty states. We were backed by dedicated sponsors, partners, and members. A tireless team of office staff in Boulder made sure we were stocked, scheduled, and connected. An endless stream of gracious hosts made nights out of the tent interesting, inspiring, and invigorating. Simply put, thank you.

Just as in this snapshot out of Big Blue's side mirror, the e-tour is also looking forward. Our reflection time home in Tahoe will allow us to focus momentum to roll into 2012 as Team West of the Subaru / Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers. We are truly grateful for this opportunity.

Let it Snow!

Mark and Tara

Backyard Session in Maine

Freeport, ME. Team East traveled to LL Bean's Flagship store to take part in a Leave No Trace Backyard Session. Hosted by the Maine Steering Committee, this session brought together 45 key volunteers from across the state of Maine. The energy in the room was exhilarating as the group discussed ways to increase training opportunities and awareness of Leave No Trace within their communities. In the photo to the left, Marcia and Gabe Williamson, former Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers and current Maine State Advocates, lead a brainstorming sessions on ways to strengthen and promote Leave No Trace in the state of Maine.

Attending the meeting were representatives from local schools and universities, such as Colby College and the University of Maine, Council leaders from the Boy Scouts of America and US Girl Scouts, staff and volunteers from Maine Island Trails Association and other local conservation groups, the Nature Conservancy and Saco River Recreation Council, local summer camps, and the Maine Bureau of Land Management, just to name a few. It was amazing to see such a diverse group of outdoor enthusiasts and educators come together and share ideas.

As a special thank you to everyone for volunteering their time to participate in the Backyard Session, partners of Leave No Trace donated some fun gear to raffle off at the end of the workshop. Included were materials from the Leave No Trace store, Outdoor Research T-shirts, RestStop Portable Toilets Systems, and one lucky winner walked away with a Keen Shoe gift card!

A special thank you to Charlie Jacobi, Marcia and Gabe Williamson, and the rest of the steering committee for hosting such a rewarding Backyard Session. Also, thank you to LL Bean, a long-time supporter of Leave No Trace, for providing a space for the session!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Calling all Master Educators!

Are you a Leave No Trace Master Educator? We need you!

As the demand for local Leave No Trace training continues to increase (yeah!), our Master Educators across the country play a crucial role in helping to provide a strong, local Leave No Trace presence. If you haven't already contacted The Center regarding joining our local outreach efforts, any interested Master Educator can get their name listed on the Community Page of their particular state as a local Leave No Trace resource. Our goal is to have far reaching local Leave No Trace training and outreach across the country and you, Master Educators, are the key to that success.

Please send an email to Jason to get your name added to our growing community of Master Educators. He will need your full NAME, CITY, STATE, and EMAIL address.

Thank you, Master Educators!

Bigfoot. Challenge. December.

It's December. The Bigfoot Challenge is back. December is sponsored by the wonderful Industrial Revolution. Let's check out the challenges:

1. Minimize campfire impacts! Plan a winter outing and find an alternative to a campfire, such as using a lightweight stove for cooking and a candle lantern for light. Email a short story or photo to be entered into this month's drawing twice!

2. When wrapping your holiday presents this year, consider using newspaper, another eco-friendly wrapping paper, or reusing paper from other presents!

3. Bigfoot says put your money where your heart is! There were 11 billion visits to the outdoors last year; 2 million people learned Leave No Trace skills and ethics. With your year-end gift, we will attaint our 2012 goal of reaching 3 million people. Consider giving a year-end gift to the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics OR do some holiday shopping at the Leave No Trace store!

Thanks again to Industrial Revolution for sponsoring this month's Bigfoot Challenge! And thanks to those of YOU who will take the challenge this month and be entered to win a great prize from Industrial Revolution! Get out there and Leave No Trace!

P. S. - A hint on the first challenge; click here for some helpful ideas!

2012 Preliminary Master Educator Course Schedule

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.

As of December 2011, there are over 5000 Leave No Trace Masters world wide representing nine countries and 50 U.S. states. This valuable training is recognized throughout the world by the outdoor industry and land management agencies. The profile of our graduates is highly varied from USFS and NPS backcountry rangers to scout leaders, from outdoor retail executives to school teachers, from college outing club members to outfitters and guides.

Successful graduates of the Master Educator course have the ability to train others in Leave No Trace skills and ethics, and can offer Leave No Trace Trainer courses (two-day) and Awareness Workshops (one-day or shorter).

While we're not quite finished putting together the 2012 Leave No Trace Master Educator Course schedule, we do have some preliminary course locations/dates as follows:


Landmark Learning

March 4-8: Sea Kayaking, Cumberland Island Nat'l Seashore

April 16-20: Backpacking, Cullowhee, NC

June 25-29: Backpacking, Cullowhee, NC

September 17-21: Backpacking, Cullowhee, NC

Appalachian Mountain Club

April 9-13, 2012 – Delaware Water Gap, NJ – Backpacking

April 30-May 4, 2012 – Berkshires, MA - Backpacking

May 14-18, 2012 – White Mountains, NH - Backpacking

June 18-22, 2012 – White Mountains, NH – Backpacking

July 23-27, 2012 – White Mountains, NH – Backpacking

September 17-21, 2012 – Lake Umbagog, NH – Canoeing

No change to our course fees. Still $629 (AMC member) $699 (non-member)

NOLS

March 1 - 5, (Location to be decided), Arizona – Backpacking

April 29 - May 3, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia – Backpacking

May 7 - 11, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Utah – Backpacking

June 11 - 15, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming – Backpacking

August 4 - 8, (Location to be decided), Minnesota - Frontcountry base camp with day hiking

August 9 - 13, San Juan Islands, Washington - Sea Kayaking

August 20 - 24, Flat Tops Wilderness, Colorado – Backpacking

November 2 - 6, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona - Backpacking

Adirondack Mountain Club

June 25-29 – (Mon-Fri) – Backpacking

July 27-31 – (Fri-Tue) – Backpacking

August 11-15 – (Sat-Wed) –Canoe-based

September 10-14 – (Mon-Fri) – Backpacking



To register for courses, please visit: http://lnt.org/training/mastereducator.php

We are still working with the Ninemile Wildlands Training Center, the Wilderness Education Association and the Adirondack Mountain Club to round out the 2012 course schedule, which we hope to have posted on our website in the coming days.

For more information on Master Educator Courses, please visit: http://lnt.org/training/mastereducator.php

The Situation

In the November eNews, we asked: What would you do?

The weather is perfect, the dirt is tacky and you've driven far up into the mountains and camped get an early start on an epic bike ride with your crew. After hearing the proposed route you use your smart phone to double check the planner's itinerary. You learn that due to recent user conflicts there is an 'advisory' on a section of the route that asks that bikers should ride on even days only. Today is an odd day. What do you do?

A few responses:

Spend the day checking the bikes, get a training ride in, explore the mountains and shred the trail even earlier the next day. Minimize impact. Also, it is advised. Try a different route. -Summer Pearson Determine if there is sufficient information to resolve the conflict by timing, walking the specific section, or a reroute around the conflicted section. If none of these are a solution, I would look for a new route in the general area. -John Konyn Let us know what you would do.

Mount Rainier Hot Spot Success

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics recently completed work at Mount Rainier National Park’s Paradise Area, a 2011 Leave No Trace-designated “Hot Spot.” Located in Washington, Mount Rainier National Park receives up to two-million visitors a year. At Paradise, the most heavily visited area of the park containing 26 miles of trails, recreation-related impacts have been severe. Miles of additional social trails and damage to subalpine meadows caused by off-trail travel have resulted.

In partnership with the National Park Service, the Center implemented a multifaceted education program to mitigate these impacts. The Center provided Leave No Trace training for key park service staff and over 50 volunteers, developed Paradise-specific Leave No Trace information, created Leave No Trace signage for visitors, and provided consultation on best management practices for minimizing recreation-related impacts. The Center also hosted three Seattle-based events to involve the local community and raise awareness about the initiative.

“The adoption of Leave No Trace at the park will play an active role in preserving it for generations to come. We are very proud of this important work with the National Park Service,” says Dana Watts, Executive Director for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

In its second year, the Leave No Trace Hot Spots initiative raises awareness about natural areas around the country facing the threat of irreversible environmental damage. As part of the initiative, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics works with volunteers, nonprofit organizations, friends groups and governmental agencies to reduce the impact of recreational activities in the selected endangered area. This goal is achieved through community outreach, education, training, signage, educational materials and local collaboration.

For more information on the 2011 Hot Spots initiative, as well as ways to get involved, visit http://www.lnt.org/01_community/hotspots.php.

Pet For a Day

Wrapping up our season as the e-tour we found that we had a bunch of photos of the animals we stayed with during our journey. Not being able to have pets of our own while fulfilling the duties of being a traveling trainer we are always delighted when our hosts can share their furry friends with us. Here is a slideshow showcasing *nearly* all the four legged friends we shared a home with. As always remember to be a responsible pet parent when visiting the outdoors.

Who's your favorite?! We loved them all.

Be intentional, not conventional.

Mark and Tara

Find or Host a Leave No Trace Training Opportunity

With over 300 million people expected to recreate on our public lands in 2012, remember that without Leave No Trace education, additional people could mean additional impacts — resulting in potential damage to natural resources. With that in mind, make it a New Years Resolution to attend or facilitating a Leave No Trace training in your area.

Leave No Trace courses function like a pyramid. Master Educator Courses are at the top of the pyramid and train people to become comprehensive Leave No Trace educators, or Master Educators. Master Educators, in turn, teach the second level, the Trainer Course, to people who become Leave No Trace Trainers. Trainers (or Master Educators) are then able to conduct our third level of training called Awareness Workshops, which are designed for the general public and promote Leave No Trace.

Once you have decided which course is right for you, the next step is finding one in your area:

• Here, you’ll see information on how to find or host an Awareness Workshop.
• If you’d like to enroll in a Trainer Course, or if you’re a Master Educator wishing to facilitate a Trainer Course, more information can be found here.
• If a Master Educator Course is more up you alley, you can learn how to enroll in a course and find more details here:

Leave No Trace Skills and Ethics play an integral role in reducing our impacts on these beautiful and limited natural places we enjoy. By attending or facilitating Leave No Trace training, you are taking important steps toward ensuring the integrity and continued access to these precious resources.

Team West At The North Face Endurance Challenge

San Francisco, California -

This coming weekend brings the last event for Team West in the 2011 Traveling Trainer season at The North Face Endurance Challenge. The North Face has long been a strong advocate for promoting responsible outdoor recreation and has generously supported Leave No Trace over the years. Team West will be on site all weekend to provide information and educational materials to all the participants, friends, and family who have come out to support their favorite racers.

One of the many celebrities on the guest list this weekend will be our mascot (see photo above) Bigfoot, and the rumor is he will be out and about for the Karno Kids Race! Stop by and learn more about enjoying the outdoors with Leave No Trace in mind.

See you at the race,

Jason and Agata