What YOU can do in YOUR community

Every day we hear from people wanting to volunteer for Leave No Trace and last month, we challenged you to help make this happen by putting on your gloves, picking up your shovels and teaching people about Leave No Trace at community service projects in your area.

Several people have taken the initiative. Libby Dunn of Florida attended the Great Suwanee River Clean-Up and educated 39 individuals who each volunteered 4 hours of trash and invasive species removal. Then there’s Mike McHugh of Colorado who introduced Leave No Trace to 76 youth, each contributing 6 hours of volunteerism at the Eldorado Canyon State Park Adopt-a-Crag event.

Because of dedicated and hardworking folks like Libby and Mike, the center is proud to report that, since our Call to Action last month, Leave No Trace volunteers have attended over 20 community service events. These efforts have provided Leave No Trace education to 725 individuals contributing almost 5000 man-hours of trail reclamation, invasive species removal and river clean-ups in their communities.

We still have more work ahead of us and your valuable assistance is needed in 2 key ways:

1. Identify and attend outdoor and environmental events in your community and offer a 5-30 minute introduction to Leave No Trace concepts. Whether this is with a small crew at a trailhead on a trail-related service project, with volunteers at a river clean up, a youth event or with a group of multi-day backpackers, we’d like you to locate opportunities in your area (preferably in a natural setting) to help spread Leave No Trace skills and ethics. Tell us about it!

2. Mobilize your network of Leave No Trace supporters, youth groups, schools or others to organize your own outing at a trailhead. Provide a 20-minute introduction to Leave No Trace and then hit the trail with trash bags and gloves for an easy clean up. Look for “teachable moments” along the way. Tell us about it!

For more information, ideas and/or support from the Center, please call us at 303.442.8222 or email jason@LNT.org