Snot Rags vs. Snot Rockets

Lakeland, FL.  This weekend we traveled to Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve to facilitate a two day Leave No Trace Trainer Course.  With the help of Michelle Thompson, Wellness Programs Manager of Florida Southern College, we hiked to a beautiful campsite with 5 other eager participants that were excited to bring Leave No Trace education back to groups they work with. Throughout the course, we learned, laughed, and listened as we explored the 7 Leave No Trace principles through games, activities, and discussions.

The Winners of Step On It- Snot Rags!

Michelle practices digging a cathole with a Sea to Summit Trowel

Leave What You Find to understand the entire puzzle

The Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve is home to many interesting creatures including alligators, wild hogs, armadillos (one that wanted to sleep in a tent with Kathy and Dillon), many birds, tree frogs, and deer.  We also enjoyed learning about the native flora and vegetation from Kathy, who works for the North Port Parks and Recreation Department.

We saw lots of interesting wildlife including this fuzzy little guy

Whether you enjoy the backcountry, frontcountry, or your backyard, practicing Leave No Trace will help preserve and protect the natural world.  We challenge you to teach others about Leave No Trace and give people knowledge that will empower them to make good decisions in the out of doors and think about those who will come after us.  Thank you to Michelle, Kathy, Dillon, Dean, and Britty for an awesome course!

Congratulations Leave No Trace Trainers!

Respect the Resource... Kate and Tracy

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

Mount Rainier Trainer Course

Mount Rainier National Park, WA.

Mount Rainier was designated as the 5th National Park on March 2nd, 1899. The mountain's majestic allure beckons nearly 12,000 people yearly to attempt summiting the 14,410 foot peak. Of all who venture up the rugged glacial terrain, only half experience the exhilaration of success.

This weekend, Team West trained eight of Mount Rainier National Park's Climbing Rangers and two Park Rangers that patrol the most visited area of the park, Paradise. The course highlighted the Authority of the Resource Technique, created by George Wallace, which is a non-confrontational way of approaching visitors that are exhibiting "less than Leave No Trace" behaviors. Through role play and real-life scenarios, the rangers learned the importance of explaining the consequences of these undesirable behaviors to the visitors they encounter, in order to elicit positive behavior change.

The rangers at Mount Rainier work in a fragile alpine ecosystem that requires respect and knowledge of the environment in order to minimize potential impacts on the land. Hats off to our new ranger friends! We wish you a safe and healthy season.

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Whidbey Island Trainer Course

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we traveled to Whidbey Island in WA to provide a Leave No Trace Trainer Course. This is the second year in a row for us at Whidbey Island. We had participants from the US Forest Service, North Cascades Institute, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, as well as staff from the US Naval Recreation Program. With all of this diversity, the course was beaming with insightful and thoughtful discussions of the skills and ethics of Leave No Trace. We had perfect weather for the course and spent an afternoon hiking at Deception Pass State Park. We are excited at the prospect of having this be an annual course held at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station! A big thanks to Dave Meyers for hosting an amazing course and congratulations to our 8 new Leave No Trace Trainers! Please enjoy this slideshow of photos taken during the course.

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Idaho Falls Trainer Course

North Menan Butte, Idaho.

This past weekend my colleague Sara Close and I had the opportunity to travel to Idaho Falls, Idaho, to teach a Leave No Trace Trainer Course. Hosted by the Upper Snake Field Office, we had 11 participants from a variety of backgrounds: a BLM geologist who also volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America, several Girl Scout leaders, three BLM summer outdoor ethics employees from BYU-Idaho, two BLM Snake River Boat Launch Site hosts and a raft guide on the Salmon River.

Mound fire demo.

Thank you to all the participants for an engaging, fun and dynamic course. Sara and I certainly felt like it was a very successful course – great weather, fantastic course location, and an easy group dynamic. We were very grateful the weather cooperated. Congratulations to the newest Leave No Trace Trainers!

Group shot on North Menan Butte

If you are interested in learning more about the Leave No Trace Program or would like to implement a similar education program in your area, please contact Ben Lawhon in the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics office via email at ben@LNT.org or by phone: 800.332.4100 x104.

Authority of the Resource Skits

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

Trainer Course Season Is Upon Us!

One of the many pleasures of our job as Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers is to facilitate trainer courses all over the lower 48 states. Last year we trained over 100 people during our ten months on the road. The above picture displays the zest that participants bring to the courses. This year we hope to train even more people. We are kicking the 2010 season off in full force as we are preparing for three trainer courses over the next two weeks!

If you are curious if there is a trainer course coming up in your area, check out the Community Page. Click on your state and nearby surrounding states to locate any trainer courses and awareness workshops that will be happening near you.

Do you know of 5-12 people that would be interested in a trainer course? You can request a visit from the Traveling Trainers to come to your area. Currently, we are taking requests for June-November 2010. We would appreciate the opportunity to work with you!

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

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