Picture of the Week 4/29/11

Spring has sprung in the Pacific Northwest!

2011 Leave No Trace e-tour is set to take off!

Last night our newest team arrived at the Leave No Trace office, set to take on a brand new educational exploration as the 2011 e-tour team.  I would like to introduce you to Mark and Tara. Mark and Tara are excited, ecstatic, enthused and energized to explore and enjoy the out of doors with you this season. They will be in Colorado for the next couple of weeks going through training as well as providing some local outreach to groups across the front range before they ultimately head east to start their (e) tour. The Leave No Trace e-tour, sponsored by the Coleman Company and The North Face, 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. Check out their schedule and come say hello to them when they are in your neck of the woods. We look forward to seeing you on the road this summer!

Sincerely,
-Dave Winter
Outreach Manager

Meet the 2011 Leave No Trace e-tour team!

MARK ARDAGNA AND TARA MCCARTHY

Mark and Tara met on the shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe, dancing to a local band one starry summer night. They both worked for the Forest Service; encouraging responsible recreation and stewardship of our public lands. Mark feels blessed to work teaching outdoor ethics as a naturalist, interpreter, children's ski instructor, and backcountry wilderness ranger. Tara specializes in outreach, conservation education, interpretation and outdoor recreation. She feels fortunate to have also spent many days in the field restoring ecosystems of the Sierra Nevada. They believe in the power of intention, living their lives through direct experience, while continually seeking new and exciting opportunities to learn and teach. With a commitment to ensuring a sustainable future, they share a passion for inspiring meaningful connections to the environment and getting youth outside. Together they enjoy backpacking, snowsports, mountain biking, stand-up paddleboarding, live music, and game nights. Their most relished sojourn is living out of a tent, having logged thousands of miles in the pursuit of happiness visiting the cherished places and open spaces our gorgeous country has to offer. Tara and Mark are energized for their next adventure, life on the road as your 2011 e-tour team!

National Junior Ranger Day

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH - On Saturday, we visited Ohio's only National Park for National Junior Ranger Day. In celebration of junior rangers everywhere, the park put on a day of free programming. The festivities included arts and crafts with park rangers, fun activities, cake and ice cream, and the opportunity to earn a junior ranger badge.


About 100 kids, parents, and grandparents came out for Junior Ranger Day and enjoyed all the fun, hands-on activities the event had to offer, including exploring Camp Oh-No at the Leave No Trace booth.



Cuyahoga Valley National Park was the 10th most visited national park last year. The park is close to the urban environments of Cleveland and Akron, and offers a variety of things to do, including riding your bike on the Towpath Trail, hiking, horse-back riding, and scenic train rides.

All the best,


Agata and Jason

Bigfoot Snowboarding?

The Traveling Trainers spent a day off at Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe, CA looking for Bigfoot. Check out this video to see if they spotted Bigfoot on the mountain!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

What's the big deal about Invasive Species?

The number one reason for species extinction worldwide is due to habitat loss. The number two reason is the spread of invasive species. Invasive species are non-indigenous species (e.g. plants or animals) that adversely affect the habitats they invade environmentally or ecologically (definition courtesy of wikipedia.org "> ). Many outdoor enthusiasts like you and I can inadvertently spread invasive species, alter habitats and contribute to species extinction by simply playing outside. To avoid spreading of invasive non-native and noxious species empty, inspect and clean out your tent, pack, boots and other equipment before and after trips to different areas.

St. Francis de Sales School

Parma, OH - Last week, Bigfoot joined us for a visit to the Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades at St. Francis de Sales School. The students enjoyed hearing about Trek and Track's Great Adventure to Misty Mountain and learning about the seven principles of Leave No Trace, but nothing beat the visit from Bigfoot as the video above clearly illustrates.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Leave No Trace designates Mount Rainier as 2011 Hot Spot

April 18, 2011 (Boulder, CO) The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics recently nominated Mount Rainier National Park’s Paradise Area as a Leave No Trace Hot Spot. Located in Washington, Mount Rainier is an extremely popular park, receiving 1.5 to 2 million visitors each year. The park hosts the tallest volcano and the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States receiving over 10,000 summit attempts annually.

Paradise is the most heavily visited location in the park, known for its outstanding scenery, spectacular wildflower displays, historic inn, hiking trails and winter recreation opportunities. Recreation-related impacts at Paradise are severe, including miles of social trails and damage to subalpine meadows caused by off-trail travel. All these factors have led to the designation of Mount Rainier as a 2011 Leave No Trace Hot Spot.

Currently in its second year, the Leave No Trace Hot Spots initiative aims to raise 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.

In partnership with the National Park Service, the Center will mitigate these impacts by effective implementation of the Leave No Trace program. Solutions include providing Leave No Trace training for key park service staff and volunteers, developing Paradise-specific Leave No Trace information, creating signage to convey the newly developed information, and providing consultation on best management practices for minimizing the impacts in the Paradise area. The Center will also host community events in conjunction with the Hot Spot initiative, in order to involve the local community and raise awareness regarding the program.

“This is an important initiative on many levels,” according to Dana Watts, Leave No Trace’s executive director. “The Center’s long partnership with the National Park Service, as well as the great love and popularity of Mount Rainier, make this a perfect fit for extensive Leave No Trace education.”

For more information on the 2011 Hot Spots initiative, as well as ways to get involved, visit Hot Spots

About the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics
The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics teaches people of all ages how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly, and is the most widely accepted outdoor ethics program used on public lands. As the leader in sustainable recreation practices, the Center trains a nation of outdoor advocates to put Leave No Trace principles into action. Through relevant and targeted education, research and outreach, the Center seeks to ensure the long-term health of our natural world. www.LNT.org.

About Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is the fifth oldest national park, established in 1899. The park’s boundaries encompass pristine stands of old growth forests, subalpine meadows, an inland rain forest, alpine lakes, waterfalls, geothermal hot springs and mineral springs. At 14,410 feet, millions of people can see Mount Rainier on a clear day, and it stands as an icon of the Pacific Northwest. The park contains the greatest single peak glacial system in the United States, with 26 glaciers radiating from the mountain’s summit and slopes. It is also the second most seismically active volcano in the Cascade Range. The park’s resources are accessible to a large, diverse, and growing population.

Gladstone Elementary School Raising Environmental Awareness

Gladstone, OR. Today Team West visited the fourth grade classrooms of John Witter Elementary School in Gladstone, OR to educate them about Leave No Trace. The students have been learning about water conservation and protection during science and they even organized a recycling and composting station for the cafeteria, so our discussion during the activity "How Long Does It Last?" sparked lively conversations and thoughtful questions.

The students gained an appreciation for the principles of Leave No Trace in the activity "What Principle Am I?" They learned just how fun and easy it is to leave no trace and were proud of themselves in realizing that many of them were already practicing it without knowing it. In the photo above, Kate teaches the students about the rule of thumb- a way to gauge safe distances from wildlife. Their imaginations went wild in thinking about what type of animals they would like to see using the rule of thumb!

Wouldn't you know it, here we are in Bigfoot Country and sure enough, our friend Bigfoot came out to visit the fourth grade lunch. He was so excited to see their recycling/composting station and gave a high five to anyone that learned about Leave No Trace. A special thank you to Mr. Curtis B. Williams for inviting us to come today!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Mud!

Leave No Trace – Be ready to get muddy!

What effect does a footstep have? The answer is, it depends. A footstep means different things to a tree sapling and meadow grass, to leaf litter and cryptobiotic soil, to a gravely riverbank and muddy springtime trail.

Unfortunately, trampling causes vegetation damage and soil erosion in virtually every environment. Recovery that takes a year in the southern Appalachians might require 25 years or more in Glacier National Park, MT. Other impacts are also possible. Most pristine soils contain animals that live or feed on decaying plants. Trampling destroys habitat for these insects, earthworms, mollusks and snails, as well as the fungi that fertilize the soil and help make regrowth possible. Vegetation protects underlying soils. Once plant growth is destroyed, erosion can continue with or without further use.

As the weather warms and the days get longer, the urge to hit the trail grows stronger every day. While springtime is a great time for hiking and trail running, it can also be a very sensitive time for the trails we enjoy.

Cycles of snow and sun and freeze and thaw can make for wet and muddy trail conditions in many parts of the country. In order to do the least possible damage to the trail, and to Leave No Trace, please keep the following in mind:

• Be prepared to hike or run down the middle of the trail even when wet or muddy – stepping off the designated trail to avoid mud or standing water can quickly lead to the creation of undesignated trails, which can lead to even more erosion.
• Wear water-resistant or water proof footwear – even if you don’t have waterproof footwear, remember that shoes dry overnight while erosion can take years to recover.
• Consider wearing gaitors to help keep your feet dry – gaitors, available at most any outdoor store, will definitely help keep your feet dry when sticking to wet or muddy trails.
• Hike or run in the early morning or late afternoon – muddy areas are more likely to be harder (colder air temps) and less messy since harder soils are much less likely to erode.
• When possible, stick to south-facing trails, which tend to be drier – the drier the trail, the less damage – if any.
• Consider using small sheet metal screws in the bottom of your soles – this will increase traction on icy areas, allowing you to stick to the trail in all conditions.

By following these simple recommendations, you’ll be more comfortable and more likely to hike or run right through the puddles and mud thereby causing no damage to trailside vegetation or unnecessary trail widening. Enjoy the springtime and Leave No Trace!

University of Wisconsin-Stout Trainer Course

Menomonie, WI - Last weekend Team East was out in the land of cheese for a two day Trainer Course hosted by Stout Adventures at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. The nine participants were well prepared to take on the challenge of learning how to practice and teach the seven principles of Leave No Trace in both theory and application.

The course was held on campus due to early spring wintry weather, but the flow of the weekend was educational and focused thanks to the efforts of the group. The office of Stout Adventures doubled as a classroom as well as a recreational opportunity as seen in the group photo at the rock wall.

Stout Adventures staff facilitate outdoor recreation trips around the world for the student body on campus. The participants were enthusiastic and very quick to connect with the common sense approaches to enjoying the outdoors in a responsible manner. The opportunities to develop the ethics of stewardship for public lands and minimum impact recreation skills were well received by the group on the course.

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Richard Louv Speaker Series

This is an article written by Suz Lipman, Social Media Director of the Children & Nature Network. We just reserved our tickets for the Seattle talk on May 12th. We are so excited! Richard Louv will be coming to Denver on June 7th & 8th. Click here to see if he is coming to your city.

Richard Louv will be appearing across the U.S. and Canada this spring in a series of book release events and presentations. Many of these local appearances are free and open to the public, providing an excellent opportunity to introduce community members and potential partners to the goals and vision of the children and nature movement.

In his bestselling book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv helped launch a vital dialog that spawned an international movement to reconnect children and nature. In his new book, The Nature Principle: Human Restoration and the End of Nature-Deficit Disorder, Louv delivers another powerful call to action—this time for adults. He will be speaking about the book in various cities.

What do adults have to do with the children and nature movement? Plenty. While time in nature helps people of all ages vastly improve our physical, psychological and spiritual health, children cannot make the nature connection without the help of the adults in their lives. In addition, Louv suggests, it will take people of all ages, working together, to shift the cultural norms that apply to all of us, to address and restore the fundamental human need for nature that he describes in his book, calling on much current research to underscore his case.

The more high-tech our lives become, Louv writes, the more nature we need. The Nature Principle lays out a scenario that integrates nature into every aspect of our lives, from homes and family life to offices, urban planning and recreational spaces.

You can hear Richard Louv speak about The Nature Principle in the following cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago, Denver, Austin, Vancouver, Toronto and Saskatoon. More information is available about Richard Louv’s appearances. Not on one of the tour stops? You’ll be able to join him for live chats on Twitter, dates to be announced.

For more information about some of the concepts in The Nature Principle and how they apply to the children and nature movement, please see A Conversation with Richard Louv.

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Trail Skills College - Cascade Locks, OR

Cascade Locks, OR. The 3rd annual Trail Skills Collge was held at Cascade Locks Marine Park in Oregon on April 15, 16, and 17. The College, which is free to all, teaches participants about building and maintaining trails. There are a variety of classes to choose from including trail tread construction, cross-cut and crew leadership. The Traveling Trainers were on hand to provide general outreach, as well as an awareness workshop. The nearly nonstop rain for the first two days did not deter these dedicated students from learning to be trail stewards. Our trail systems are dependent on the work of volunteers to keep them maintained and safe. The Pacific Crest Trail Association is dedicated to protecting and preserving the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,600 mile trail that runs from Canada to Mexico. The PCTA does a great job of providing development programs for their volunteers to take part in, like Trail Skills College.

If you missed your chance to take advantage of this invaluable resource, check out the up coming trainings offered by the High Cascade Forest Volunteers on May 13-15 in Westfir, OR, and June 3-5 in Allingham, OR. Visitwww.highcascadesvolunteers.com. Thank you to Isaac Daniel of the Pacific Crest Trail Association for inviting to take part in this event!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Picture of the Week 4/15/11

Have respect for all things, big or small!

Compromise Principles?

"Compromise is always wrong if it means sacrificing a principle"

This was the bold statement I found this week from my fortune cookie and it made me think of the Leave No Trace Principles. If principles are the fundamental truths that guide rationale and behavior, then the Leave No Trace principles guide outdoor behavior and the rationale behind it.

Do you believe in the fortune cookie's wisdom? Is it "always" wrong to sacrifice a principle when exploring and playing outdoors? Are there times you have had to sacrifice a Leave No Trace principle?

Exploring Leave No Trace with Girl Scouts

Carbondale, IL - On Tuesday, Team East joined several Girl Scout troops for an evening awareness workshop. To introduce the scouts to the Leave No Trace program, we drew on various activities from the PEAK program, including What Principle Am I? and Minimum Impact Match. Once the participants had a better understanding of the seven principles, we decided to take advantage of the green space outside and play an exciting game of Ok! or No Way! (You can give this activity a try by downloading it for free from our website). We finished the evening off by having the scouts draw on their artistic talents and create Leave No Trace posters. Check out a sampling of the posters in the slide-show above.

Thanks to Jamie Corr, the Assistant Program Director for Family Housing at Southern Illinois University!

All the best...

Agata and Jason

Backyard Session Paddle, Phoenix

Come join the Daring Adventures program at Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department's Lake Pleasant for a kayaking adventure. Kayaking is relaxing, adventurous and most importantly, fun. Gliding free across the water, seeing wildlife and recreating with friends are some of the best reasons for kayaking! No previous experience is necessary as our instructors will teach you all there is to know about kayaking. This short instruction session will ensure that you have more fun, gain confidence and excel on the water. Our guides will lead these excursions, getting up close and personal with native plant life while looking and listening for different types of wildlife.

Come to the Desert Outdoor Center and meet up with the Leave No Trace program guide to learn how you can reduce your impact when enjoying the outdoors in the Leave No Trace Backyard Session. Backyard Sessions are social events where all types of Leave no Trace supporters, members, volunteers and partners will gather. During this paddle we will be exploring the beautiful scenery the lake has to offer while enjoying good company and gathering lake litter. Using the seven Leave No Trace principles you will learn how to enjoy kayaking without leaving an environmental impact.

The Leave No Trace Backyard Session Paddle
Date: Sunday, May 1, 2011
Time: 9am -2pm
Address: 41402 N 87th Avenue, Peoria, AZ 85383
Ages: 8 +
Fees: Adult program $45, Youth program $20 (includes kayak instruction and lunch)

Spaces limited to 30 so RSVP!
For more information, and to RSVP, please contact Jeff Spellman at 602-495-5507 or via email at jeff.spellman@phoenix.gov

The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation and Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Departments have partnered together to support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and full inclusion of participants with a disability and would like to request an accommodation, please contact us two weeks prior to the program start date to note accommodations needed.

Bigfoot visits Evergreen Elementary School

Cave Junction, OR

On Monday, Team West traveled to southern Oregon to work with students at Evergreen Elementary School in Cave Junction, OR. Each classroom that we visited was very enthusiastic about learning Leave No Trace. Pictured above, students from the first and second grade class, pose with their hang tags and their new fuzzy friend, Bigfoot!

The fifth grade students we worked with will be going to Siskiyou Field Institute, a partner of Leave No Trace, for an overnight campout in about two weeks. We introduced the principles of Leave No Trace to the students as they prepared for their night under the stars.

Also visiting the school that day was the program Farm to Market. This program educates students about fruits and vegetables, whole grains, farm animals, and how to make good healthy choices in their diet. For lunch, students helped themselves to an A-Z salad bar, which included fruits and vegetables starting with every letter of the alphabet. We were lucky enough to join them for lunch in between classes.

A special thank you to Sherri Graham at Siskiyou Field Institute for setting up our visit and working hard to bring Leave No Trace to southern Oregon!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Trace

Outreach in Sweet Home Alabama

Huntsville, AL - On Saturday, we teamed up with Alabama Outdoors for a new event in the Huntsville community. We were joined by many local and national organizations like North Alabama Canoe & Kayak (NACK), Chaco, the Land Trust of Huntsville and North Alabama, Born Wild Ministries, Priority Medical Training, HEMSI Search Dog Unit, and Boy Scouts of America. Throughout the day community members and shoppers joined us for outreach and workshops.

Many thanks to Derrick, Brian and all the friendly staff at Alabama Outdoors!

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Seriously?

Leave No Trace with Pack #149

Lutz, Florida - Team East began the week with a bang as they caught up with over seventy Cub Scouts, Webelos, and their families for an evening Awareness Workshop with pack #149. The audience was very animated and went full tilt into the PEAK program games and activities with as high a level of enthusiasm as we have seen this year on the road!

Pictured above a gaggle of Cub Scouts take the "Rule of Thumb" to a whole new level as the audience learns more about enjoying wildlife from a safe distance and the PEAK principle "Respect Wildlife"!

Many thanks to our host Orlando Serrano and the all the families who attended this event. Keep an eye on Team East as we head up north through Alabama, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio over the next few weeks!

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Leave No Trace Member Steve Kominsky's 10in6 Challenge to promote Leave No Trace Awareness!

Meet Steve.

Steve is a member of Leave No Trace and will be climbing the 10 highest mountains (majority over 10,000 ft) in Oregon in 6 days. Total elevation gain is 50,000 feet! This event is to help promote Leave No Trace Awareness. The Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will be traveling and camping with Steven, providing outreach to local state parks and REIs along the way.

He will begin Sunday July 10, 2011 by climbing Oregon’s 7th and 10th tallest mountains. Sacajawea Peak (9,833′) 13 miles and Aneroid Mountain (9,702′) 14 miles. He will be running the 27 miles with nearly 10,000 feet of elevation gain. During the climb, the Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will be holding trainings at Wallowa State Park for the public and for local Boy Scouts.

Monday, July 11th I will climb Matterhorn Mountain (9,845′) and Hurwal Divide (9,775′). Matterhorn is Oregon’s 6th tallest and 19.5 miles long, and Hurwal Divide is Oregon’s 8th tallest at 15 miles long. Again, I will run the 34.5 miles with nearly 10,000 feet of elevation gain.

Tuesday, July 12th Steve will run Oregon’s 9th tallest summit, Steen Mountain (9,733′) in only 3 miles round trip. The Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers are holding a PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) Training at REI BEND that night at 6pm. FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC. Tuesday evening we will be camping at Tumalo State Park, Leave No Trace and Steven will be holding an evening talk at the Park.

Wednesday Steve will be running South Sister (10,358’), Oregon’s 3rd tallest mountain. By the end of the third day he will have run over 3 marathons with almost 30,000 feet of elevation gain. This evening, come back to REI BEND at 6pm to hear Steven's stories thus far on the adventure. He will have photos, stories, and will be talking about his Leave No Trace experience during his climbs. Refreshments provided. FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC.

Thursday July 14th he will climb the remaining 2 Sisters. North Sister (10,085) and Middle Sister (10,056).

Friday July 15th he will hike Mt. Jefferson (10,497), skin up Mt. Hood (11,239 ) and ski down completing the challenge. There will be a press conference at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood after the summit. The Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will be on site for the press conference, offering booth outreach at the Lodge.

For more detail on his climb, visit his Facebook page.

Go Steve!

First Quarter Grants Awarded

The Education Department was pleased to award its first rounds of grants for both the Packing with PEAK and Tools for Teaching programs. Over 15 PEAK packs as well as educational materials were awarded to Leave No Trace community projects. Notable grant recipients included:

- Wonders of Wildlife (WOW), Springfield, MO. WOW is focused on wildlife conservation and serves youth through five outdoor education schools across the state of Missouri. WOW programs use volunteers from various land management agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Leave No Trace related activities will be incorporated into their programs.

-Headwaters Youth Conservation Corps (HYCC), NY. HYCC program conducts environmental restoration projects and education programs each summer. This summer, the Green Summer education program will focus on the theme of Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics with youth ages 5-17. One of the youth will participate in a service project based on what they learned from Leave No Trace.

To learn more about Leave No Trace grants visit:http://lnt.org/programs/grants.php

On Fire

Building a minimum impact fire

At Leave No Trace we advocate for safe, responsible and minimum impact campfires. First, it’s important to know the rules and regulations of the area you are planning to visit. After learning if campfires are permitted, consider the following:

• Does building a fire make good sense at your picnic or campsite?
• What are the pertinent regulations and campfire management techniques for the area?
• Judge the wind, weather, location, and wood availability. Is it safe and responsible to build a campfire?
• Where there are no fire rings or grates, bring a fire pan or set aside time to build a mound fire.
• Have a trowel or small shovel and a container for saturating the ashes with water.

One method for a low impact campfire is called a mound fire. Challenge yourself to try this technique. You can even practice in your own backyard:

• Mound fires are built using sand, gravel, or on soil with a low organic content. Try to disturb as little vegetation as possible when collecting this material.
• Fill a bag (a sleeping bag stuff sack works well) with the soil and bring it to the appropriate campfire site (a clear flat surface away from vegetation or low hanging branches with access from all sides). This may require a few trips.
• Build a mound of dirt that is 6-8 inches thick and 18-24 inches in diameter on top of a tarp or ground cloth. This helps facilitate cleanup. The cloth can be rolled up under the edge of the mound to prevent embers from singeing it. A thick enough mound insulates the ground and the tarp or ground cloth from the heat of the fire.
• Use small dead twigs from the ground to build your fire on top of the mound.
• Be sure to return the soil to its source when the fire is completely out.

Trainer Course in the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve

Green Swamp Preserve, Florida - Last weekend, April 2nd and 3rd, Team East was back in the sunshine state for a weekend long Trainer Course hosted by Florida Southern College. The nine participants represented students and staff from Florida Southern, the Boy Scouts of America, and various non-profits from around the state.

The group dynamic was excellent and everyone on the course came together for what turned out to be a wonderful weekend of teaching and learning together about minimum impact outdoor recreation. The sixteen-hour course focused on the seven principles of Leave No Trace and how to use the educational program to practice and teach the skills and ethics of enjoying public lands responsibly.

The group was engaged by the educational experience as well as seeing alligators, snakes, and the ever popular "frankensandwich" (peanut butter, jelly, cheese, and summer sausage) that captivated group lunch on day two in the swamp!

Many "thanks" to all the energy and enthusiasm the participants and our hosts, Michelle Thompson and Era Keys, put into making this trainer course an enjoyable weekend for all.

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Can't Burn This...

San Luis Obispo, CA
Walking down the beaches of San Luis Obispo County, one can't deny the beauty that surrounds them. With the clear blue-greens of the ocean dancing and flirting with the rays of sunshine, the sweet salty air lifts your spirits, and the lush rolling hills surround you with peace. We love spending time in the mountains, but being at the ocean evokes many memories of our childhood growing up in New England.

Another fond memory we have about the beach is spending evening around a campfire as you listen to the waves crash on the shore. Unfortunately we have all seen beach fires that are entirely too large and potentially dangerous, often resulting in half-burned logs and trash left on the beach in the morning. The large log, or maybe we could call it a tree, in the photo below, is a prime example of the importance of practicing Leave No Trace and minimizing campfire impacts where ever you are. Sometimes, you just can't burn this...

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

April Training with the Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers

The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers are conducting the following training events across the country in April. For more information about these or to attend, visit their calendars.

Team East April Calendar: http://tinyurl.com/TEAMEAST

Team West April Calendar: http://tinyurl.com/662f645

Alabama:

· Alabama Outdoors – Huntsville

Florida:

· Florida Southern College – Lakeland

· Boy Scouts of America Pack 149 – Lutz

· Boy Scouts of America Powderhorn Venture Leaders – Deland

Illinois:

· Nine Mile Stock Course – Carbondale

· Southern Illinois University – Carbondale

New Jersey:

· Joint Base Earth Day – Tabernacle

Ohio:

· St. Francis De Sales School – Parma

· Cuyahoga Valley National Park – Peninsula

Oregon:

· Oregon Caves National Monument - Selma

· Trails Skills College – Cascade Locks

· Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington – Eugene

· Next Adventure – Portland

· High Desert Museum – Bend

· Portland State University – Portland

· REI Clackamas – Clackamas

· Mount Hood Community College – Troutdale

· Multnomah Falls – Portland

· Evergreen Elementary School – Selma

Wisconsin:

· University of Wisconsin – Stout – Menomonie

The New Leave No Trace Nalgene Bottles are in!

The brand new 24 oz. On-The-Fly Leave No Trace Nalgene bottle will have you drinking in style! The unique leak proof, one handed opening bottle will fit in most cup holders or even your bike's bottle holder. These great bottles are printed with the Leave No Trace logo and 7 principles. This bottle is a must for any thirsty outdoor enthusiast! (BPA Free!)

Regularly $12.95, get one this month for only $9.65 in our store, or free by joining Leave No Trace as a Member!

U.S. Parks Service Announces All Trails To Be Paved By 2015

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

U.S. Parks Service Announces All Trails To Be Paved By 2015
Washington, D.C. - April 1, 2011

A spokesperson for the U.S. Parks Service announced a new plan today to minimize the impacts of millions of visitors each year. The new plan calls for America’s most beloved parks to pave existing trails with asphalt or concrete.

“Each year more and more people are enjoying U.S. Parks, but don’t know how to respect them”, says U.S. Parks Service Associate Director David Winthrop. “It is taking a toll on our natural resources and paving park trails is one way we can combat the misuse of parks”.

Also included in the U.S. Parks Service plan is the creation of ditches that run along the side of the newly paved trails. These ditches will collect the millions of pounds of trash that park visitors leave on trails each year and will aid understaffed park maintenance teams in picking up after visitors.

“We have tried for years to encourage park visitors to treat our parks as they would their own homes”, Winthrop says, “I guess most of the public just live in a pigsty”.

Environmental groups are quick to respond to the U.S. Parks Service plan. Dana Watts, Executive Director of Leave No Trace Center For Outdoor Ethics, states, “Leave No Trace has been a partner with U.S. Parks Service precisely to avoid drastic measures such as paving trails”. To prevent future paving projects Leave No Trace aims to educate park visitors on the importance of responsible recreation.

More information about how paving parks can be avoided visit www.LNT.org.

*****

April fools from Leave No Trace! The Center is pleased that plans like this are not a reality, thanks to the thousands of members and partners who practice and advocate Leave No Trace.

Picture of the Week 4/1/11

Fun with Photoshop. Have a colorful weekend!