Applicants Wanted!

POSITION: SUBARU/LEAVE NO TRACE TRAVELING TRAINERS

SALARY: Monthly salary plus all travel expenses, gear, and apparel for life on the road.
CLOSING DATE: January 8th, 2008
SEND RESUME & COVER LETTER TO:
Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers
Leave No Trace
P.O. Box 997
Boulder, CO 80306
-OR-
jobs@LNT.org (subject: Traveling Trainers)
***NO CALLS PLEASE***

SUBARU/LEAVE NO TRACE TRAVELING TRAINERS

Leave No Trace is seeking a dedicated, savvy, dynamic team of educators (only teams of two are accepted as applicants) for seasonal traveling positions. Leave No Trace is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of natural lands worldwide by all people. The Traveling Trainers travel throughout the U.S. teaching and promoting minimum impact techniques to outdoor enthusiasts of all experience levels. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers reach millions of individuals annually, promoting stewardship of the outdoors, and supporting active lifestyles. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers program is an established, well-respected education and outreach program that is in high demand across the country.

Couples and pre-paired teams only apply. We will not place individuals in a team.

The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers, sponsored by Subaru, represent the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics as goodwill ambassadors. The teams will present special programs for diverse groups such as youth serving organizations, land managers, students, hiking, bicycling, climbing and other user groups, outdoor retailers, and general public. Scheduled stops include trade and consumer shows, special events, trail projects, volunteer events, and other related events. Throughout the season, the team will keep a monthly on-line journal and communicate regularly with those interested in learning more about Leave No Trace. Teams must represent the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program, and Subaru of America in a positive and professional manner at all times.

Team members will be outfitted with apparel, equipment and supplies necessary for teaching and camping, as well as communicating electronically. Compensation package includes food and lodging expenses, and monthly salary. Part time employment (6.5 months) and travel will begin without exception, March 14th, 2008 and run through September 2008.

Education and Technical Requirements
* Bachelor Degree in a related field and at least two-years of teaching experience
* Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
* Recommended outdoor recreation skills set include: hiking, backpacking, canoeing/kayaking, mountain biking, rock climbing, winter sports, trail running, travel with pack stock, etc.
* Current Basic First Aid and CPR certification (Wilderness First Responder or WEMT preferred)
* Formal Leave No Trace Training (Master Educator preferred)
* Availability to travel without exception, continuously from early to mid March 2008 through September 2008
* Personal budgeting and expense tracking skills
* Macintosh computer and digital camera proficiency

Leadership and Interpersonal Requirements:
* Direct experience teaching, guiding and instructing (outdoor settings preferred)
* High level of motivation, energy, creativity and professionalism
* Charismatic and entertaining public speaking and verbal communication skills
* Ability to deal with an evolving and sometimes unpredictable itinerary
* Excellent time-management skills

For more information, visit www.LNT.org

To apply please submit the following by 1/8/08
1. A joint cover letter, 2 page maximum
2. Resumes for each team member, 2 page maximum per person
**other information and/or material are not necessary or accepted

Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Program
C/O Leave No Trace
PO Box 997
Boulder Co, 80306

No calls please
Leave No Trace is an equal opportunity employer.

The 10 Best Undiscovered...

How many times have you seen this headline on a magazine or on the internet, "The 10 Best Undiscovered National Parks, Trails, Campsites, Rivers, Caves, etc."? I just recently ran across another such headline and find it frustrating. It's frustrating because those undiscovered or secret spots that we each know of and have a connection with aren't so secret after all. All it takes is one article in the latest outdoor magazine and on your next visit you can't find a place to park, much less a place to put your tent.

While I am in favor of sharing information about special places and areas of interest, I prefer a little more restraint so that these locations aren't immediately overrun with people. I also realize that new champions for parks, forest and open spaces are cultivated by bringing folks there to experience the area firsthand. However, I feel that it needs to be done in a sustainable way.

What happened to word of mouth 'advertising' for these places? We're in such an age of technology that everything is literally at your fingertips, including information about those hidden, out-of-the-way or off-the-beaten-path places that I thought only I knew about. Reversing this trend is a not a realistic option but educating folks about how to enjoy new areas responsibly is an option. Once again, this is where Leave No Trace comes in. Get out and enjoy but leave the place in such a way that the folks who come after you at least feel like they have discovered something new...

Happy Thanksgiving!

The offices at Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics will be closed from Wednesday, November 21st at 5:00pm until Monday, November 26th at 9:00 am.

Emails and phone messages will be responded to upon our return.

Best Holiday Wishes from all of us here!

FREE Materials and Training!

Yes, I said Free!  The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all.  We believe that education is the key to achieving this goal.  To that end, we want all communities to have access to as many Leave No Trace materials and trainings for free as we can provide.  We have a special section on our website  www.LNT.org dedicated to free teaching materials check it out!

Additionally, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling trainers have free training opportunities available around the country.  Contact Dave to request a Traveling Trainer visit for your school, youth program, or community event today!

Paradise Lost and Louder

Did Aristotle get it right when he said, “Change in all things is sweet”?

Over the summer, my family’s weekend camping getaway was, after years of a near solitude, suddenly teaming with gaggles of people, cars, RVs, and 4-wheelers. It’s a ubiquitous theme: your own private Garden of Eden is suddenly “discovered” and overrun by the masses.

“Change is the only constant,” I repeated to myself as I heard a blow dryer emerge from an RV near our campsite early one morning. In the evening while huddled among dueling generators, I cheerfully espoused everything good about the newly popular (and newly noisy) wilderness experience: “more people and more kids in the outdoors can only mean better personal health, robust family relationships, an enhanced connections to nature, and thus eventually, stewardship and care of the natural world. I worked hard to convince myself that my paradise lost was actually better for the common good. Though Leave No Trace was not at the forefront of this explosion of people and vehicles, I told myself that all paths would eventually lead to the program and its ethics.

By mid-August my carefully tuned belief system that balances conservation and personal determination began to crumble. Consequently, here at work we were being challenged with the issue of Leave No Trace’s role in the national drive to increase participation in the outdoors. Making a case for Leave No Trace never seemed more relevant as public health organizations, land management agencies, foundations and others scrambled to get people outside.

We certainly are focused on ensuring that basic Leave No Trace skills and ethics are infused into the participation push. I can only hope that the leaders involved in this national conversation bring Leave No Trace along for this journey and any resulting policy.

Susy Alkaitis

Thank You North and Ella!

Recently North Moench and Ella Goodbrod finished up their second year as Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers. We would like to bid North and Ella a very fond farewell as they have decided to move on to pursue new adventures. North and Ella have served as Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers since January of 2006 and have played an essential role in the programs growth. On Behalf of everyone at the Center, we would like to thank North and Ella for their dedicated work and we wish them the best of luck!

Above is a photo from a recent staff hike that we did with North and Ella before they parked their Subaru for the final time.

National Mall in D.C. in Trouble

I just read a disheartening article about the poor condition of the National Mall in Washington D.C.



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-13-nationalmall_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip(link

The article detailed a number of issues the Mall is facing but also focused on the bigger picture of the current status of the National Park Service (NPS). The NPS is charged with managing a system that contains nearly 400 units (National Parks, National Battlefields, National Historic Parks, National Rivers, National Monuments, National Seashores, etc.) that comprise 84 million acres of land. Due to significant budget deficits and lack of both personnel and resources, our parks are suffering. Some of the damage is the result of management issues but other damage is the result of overuse, and in some cases, outright abuse. Leave No Trace is an obvious solution to some of the damage. However, there are other issues that can likely only be dealt with by Congress. I urge you to support our National Parks to the extent you can so that this wonderful resource can endure for future generations. I know that someday I want my son to be able to enjoy and explore our wonderful system of parks, battlefields, seashores, monuments and rivers as I have done...

Environmental Awareness and Kids

Hello all-

I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight the individuals and organizations who received grants for our PEAK program (Promoting Environmental Awareness with Kids).

Through grant proposals, pictures, and testimonials, these individuals/organizations have demonstrated great efforts in connecting kids with the outdoors. I encourage you to check out some of these organizations. We thank them for their support of Leave No Trace and hope to continue working with them in the future.

• Volunteers for Outdoor Washington
  
• Outward Bound Discovery: Key Largo
  
• Andrew Wright, Central Michigan University: "Nab All Stray Trash (NASTY)" Program
  
• Akwesnasne Boys & Girls Club, NY
  
• Columbus Parks and Recreation
  
• Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center
  
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources: Outdoor Discovery Camp
  
• The Girl Scouts 
  
• Jackson County Conservation, IA
  
• Native Village of Kwinhagak, AK
  
• Pittsburgh Urban Christian School TRASH-A-THON
  
• Boy Scouts of America
  
• North Carolina Arboretum
  
• Y Explore, Yosemite
  
• Mecklenberg County Parks and Recreation, NC
  
• Camp May Flather, VA
  

The "Packing with PEAK" grants are awarded on a rolling basis. We hope to hear from you in 2008!

Preface - My Trip to Moab

This Thanksgiving, 10 reunited friends will travel from around the country to reunite in Moab. Looking forward, I can tell you a few things I'm looking forward to.

1) Not having to clean out a turkey, and wait ALL day for it to roast in the oven.

2) Getting to spend this holiday with my partner and friends - and possibly begin a new tradition.

3) Finding substitutes for our Thanksgiving Dinner favorites, of which stuffing, cranberry sauce & pumpkin pie are on the top of my list.

And finally...

4) Teaching all of my friends how to use a Restop, a personal portable sanitation system.  Free camping did not necessarily equal on-site waste containment.  So, in an effort to not have our campsite turn in to a minefield of either poo or cat-holes, and so we are NOT those people who leave their waste at the base of a crag, we will be packing it out.

Re: There will be a post/photos of this adventure in two weeks, and counting.  Get ready.

Giant Sequoias

I just learned that Giant Sequoias are more amazing than I had ever realized. These magnificent species grow up to 300 ft. tall. They move one full ton of water up their trunk every day. The oldest specimens are approximately 3000 years old. They are some of the largest organisms on the planet. These trees have both significant ecological and spiritual value, and are truly one of the most unique species on earth. However, as the story so commonly goes, they're in peril. Threatened by global warming and eventual water deficits that are predicted to come with rising temperatures. If the Giant Sequoias don't have enough water, like most living things, they'll die. It truly saddens me to think that of what we've done to so many species on our planet in such a short time. 

Though it's sometimes hard to find the silver lining when things seem out of control and beyond the crisis point, you have to look for it. There is a silver lining to the story of the Giant Sequoias. Scientists are working on the problem from a variety of angles. They're studying Giant Sequoias more now than ever. Their research methods have changed. The data is better, and we now know how to better protect these giants. There are also more positive large-scale changes occurring to combat the bigger issue of human-caused climate change: hybrid cars, reduced emissions, greater awareness of environmental issues, more focus by government, industry and the general public.



As stewards of the land, I think we need to do all we can to protect our environment. Be it from recreational impacts or impacts that are more global in scale. If we can collectively work to minimize our footprint on the environment - at the micro and macro levels - we're all going to be better off in the long run. Especially those Giant Sequoias.

A Thought on 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.

Critters

Thanks to Stick and Move.

Susy

Bear Necessities

                            
Being able to see a bear with your own eyes can be one of the most memorable experiences of a wilderness adventure—whether you are John Candy in the "The Great Outdoors" whose character, Chet is hounded and antagonized by the grizzly bear and raccoons that raided his garbage, or you are Chris McCandless (Into the Wild, 1996) out in the Alaskan Wilderness, whose only interaction with living beings was wild animals (Through his writings, we know he encountered a bear), or even better...your best friend is a bear whose name is Baloo, just like Mowgli's is in the movie "The Jungle Book".  Bears seem almost human sometimes because of their level of high intelligence and consciousness. We also share similar diets with these species, because they feed off of plants, seeds, berries, and roots. They will also eat insects, fish, and small mammals. Because these animals are so complex and fascinating they only deserve our utmost respect as recreators in the great outdoors. Which allows me to lead into two questions:


Of three learned responses that wildlife may show to recreationists, which is the least desired response?
A. Habituation B. Attraction C. Avoidance D. None of these

When hanging food to keep out of reach of wildlife, you should hang the bag?
A. 10’ high and 4’ from the tree B. 12’ high and 6’ from the tree C. 14’ high and 8’ from the tree

The first 3 people to respond correctly to these two questions can receive a free Leave No Trace prize in the mail. Arrangements can be made for mailing after reviewing the answers. Have a great day!

Into the Wild

Hey all. About to finish re-reading "Into the Wild" before I plan to see the movie. Many of my co-workers and friends have read it and I'd imagine most outdoor enthusiasts have at some point.

Thought this might be an interesting blog discussion as there seems to be varying opinions about this young man's journey and whether was he did was brave and admirable or stupid and foolish.

 

The crux of the latter argument seems to revolve around the issue of his ill-prepardness and that his inability to secure the necessary gear and information before he set out how to "walk in the wild" actually represented a disrespect for nature and the land in general.

Below are a couple of links to opinion articles.

Thoughts?