Western Kentucky Trainer Course

Cadiz, KY.  Autumn has fallen upon us here in the Southeast.  The leaves are beginning to change, the temperatures are dropping, and the fall harvest is abundant.  Last week, we had the pleasure of instructing our second Leave No Trace Trainer Course with Kentucky State Parks.  We had five engaging individuals that were eager to learn about the Leave No Trace program and put their new found knowledge to the test as we spent one evening camping at Lake Barkley State Resort Park.  Four of the new Leave No Trace Trainers were Kentucky State Park employees and we even had one gentleman drive six hours from Missouri to take the course!  He is a volunteer with his son's boy scout troop and was excited to challenge the boys to some of the activities he learned during the course.

We would like to extend a special thanks to Lisa Deavers for working out logistics for the course.  In addition to being the Western Regional Recreation Coordinator for Kentucky State Parks, Lisa also finds time to be the Leave No Trace State Advocate for the entire state of Kentucky!  We look forward to our next adventure with the Kentucky State Park System.

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Kentucky Declares May Leave No Trace Month

Photo above: Scenes such as this at Kentucky's Red River Gorge inspired the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to declare the area its first Hot Spot.

To celebrate the outdoors, teach minimum impact skills and ethics, and highlight the Leave No Trace's naming of Kentucky's Red River Gorge a Hot Spot, the state park system has declared the May, 2010, Leave No Trace month. During the month of May, the Kentucky State Parks has provided 30-minute “Leave No Trace” outdoor ethics training sessions for all hikers, horseback riders, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.

These free workshops are among the objectives promoted by the Kentucky Recreational Trails Authority, Department of Parks and Office for Adventure Tourism to support responsible recreation in Kentucky. In their words, they say of the Leave No Trace program: "As part of the web of life that surrounds us, Leave No Trace teaches us how to responsibly interact with nature, how to handle encounters with wildlife, follow trail routes, the proper use of materials, supplies and containers to take along and why."

For more information, contact: Gil Lawson at 502-564-4270 ext 168 or visit www.getoutKY.com.

Kentucky State Parks takes a novel approach

During the month of May, the Kentucky State Parks will be providing 30-minute “Leave No Trace” (LNT) outdoor ethics training sessions for all hikers, horseback riders, cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts.

These free workshops are among the objectives promoted by the Kentucky Recreational Trails Authority, Department of Parks and Office for Adventure Tourism to support responsible recreation in Kentucky. All participants completing the course will receive a 10 percent discount sticker for Kentucky State Parks lodging and camping.

This sticker will be good as long as you possess it. To get another sticker, all you need do is take another free course offered at the state parks. Participants will also receive backpack tags with the LNT Seven Principles.

As part of the web of life that surrounds us, LNT teaches us how to responsibly interact with nature, how to handle encounters with wildlife, follow trail routes, the proper use of materials, supplies and containers to take along and why.

You will learn facts such as:

· Only 5 percent of Kentucky’s land mass is public recreational land. That includes state parks, national forests, national park land, fish and wildlife areas and state forest lands.

· What materials decompose at what rates in our forests? An orange peel takes six months to decompose while a plastic soda bottle takes 450 years.

Read more at Kentucky's website.

Kentucky State Parks Trainer Course

On Monday and Tuesday, we had the pleasure of working with Kentucky State Advocate, Lisa Deavers, on our second Trainer Course of 2010 at Barren River Lake State Resort Park. Lisa, along with eight other participants from Kentucky and Ohio, brought enthusiasm and passion to the course. We had many great discussions about the principles of Leave No Trace, including invasive species, disposal of human waste, and horse use on trails with multi-user groups. In addition, we spent a lot of time on teaching Leave No Trace to children with the PEAK program. It was fun to watch the entire group put on their 8 year old hats and act like a kid again, as we were reminded that we are all kids at heart! Thank you to all the participants for spending a chilly evening outdoors with us. Here is a photo of the newest Leave No Trace Trainers!

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy