GSUSA Trainer Course in Mississippi

This past weekend marked the final trainer course in the 2009 season for Team East. Held at Camp Wahi in Brandon, MS, the participants on the course were a dynamic group of girl scout leaders and volunteers from across the state. We spent our time exploring the skills and ethics of Leave No Trace, while experiencing no shortage of fun and laughter! All of the women on the course were enthusiastic about taking their new knowledge back to their councils to share with their fellow staff and scouts. A special thanks to Vera for coordinating this event and to Colleen for hosting us at the beautiful Camp Wahi!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

Peaks to Piedmont

On Saturday, we joined over 2, 200 girl scouts, troop leaders, and staff as 4 councils from North Carolina merged into the Peaks to Piedmont Council. The celebration was held at the Hickory Metro Center and was filled with activities, games, learning, and exploration! We spoke with over 1,000 people and educated them on Leave No Trace and ways they can incorporate the skills and ethics into their curriculum. Best of luck to all the merging councils as they collaborate and share in the joys of scouting!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

Team East visits Edith Macy Conference Center

Last week we were invited to the Edith Macy Conference Center in New York to be a part of the Outdoor Skills Certification/Conference for the Girl Scouts of USA. Leaders from all over the country gathered to learn skills that will be essential tools to teach the girls in their councils. Our first mission was to be a support team on the Leave No Trace Trainer Course, held early in the week. 15 dynamic and passionate participants became Leave No Trace trainers. Every woman on the course provided thoughtful presentations and discussions to the training. They are all excited to learn ways to integrate Leave No Trace into their curriculum. A special thanks to Marj Eby, chair of the GSUSA/Leave No Trace Task Force, JoAnn Schiffer-Burdett, Bureau of Land Management/California State Ethics Coordinator, and Tina Smith, Girl Scout IOT, for running a great trainer course and making our stay so comfortable and welcoming.

In addition to the trainer course, we also joined Karen O'Brien, Leave No Trace State Advocate for Massachusetts, at a "meet and greet". This provided an opportunity for Karen to talk about the State Advocate position and ways people can get involved in the Leave No Trace community. Thanks Karen!

Finally, we joined Marj and Tina again for a 3 hr workshop with an additional 15 people at the conference. The workshop provided a great venue to share some of our PEAK Pack activities, talk about the Bigfoot Challenge, and share insight into how these leaders can get Leave No Trace more involved in their councils.

We had such a fun week working with these women. Their passion and commitment to building strong girls of the future is commendable. Keep up the good work ladies!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy