All My Good Friends Call Me Wilderness

The Galiuro Wilderness

This past week the e-tour tromped, trekked, and tracked through the Galiuro Wilderness on our Leave No Trace Master Educator Course with NOLS (the National Outdoor Leadership School). This ecosystem, a "sky island" in Southern Arizona, moves from desert to alpine vegetation as it increase in elevation up to and above 7,000 feet. The Wilderness Area was designated in 1964, right after the passage of the Wilderness Act -- and it truly is wild. The trails are intense and off-trail travel is even wilder. The Master Educator Course is a truly incredible experience to learn both about the finer points of Leave No Trace as well as how to message them to others. After going through one, Master Educators form a cadre of Leave No Trace experts who can run Trainer Courses as well as practice and share techniques whenever in the outdoors.

While there, we spent a lot of time really breaking down the finer points of Leave No Trace. The awesome group we were with provided exceptional teaching including a highlight student-led presentation on Leave What You Find, where all the participants played a version of the game "Clue" where only half of us had enough clues to actually solve the mystery. It drove home the importance of preserving heritage sites so that archeologists can study and unlock the secrets of our past. We think everyone learned a ton on this course, led by some superknowledgable instructors! We're stoked to see the outreach and training from all the Leave No Trace all-stars in our crew.

Dancing through the manzanita,

Quinn & Frank

Going Back to School

Recharging at the Grand Canyon

After a wild week jam-packed with events across the state of Arizona, we're base camped outside of Tucson in a beautiful state park. We're letting our batteries recharge as we soak in the desert sun before heading back to school tomorrow when we start our Leave No Trace Master Educator course with NOLS. The Master Educator Course is an intense five-day educational experience focused on Leave No Trace techniques and teaching. We're excited to be joining land managers, trail crew leaders, and other interested individuals on this course. Naturally, we'll let you know how it went when we get back. As an added bonus, Katie from the Center will be joining us on this course! We're excited to see her and learn as much as possible while trekking through a "sky island" in Arizona. See you next week, interwebs!

Plannin' Ahead Like a Boss,

Quinn & Frank

Master Educator Scholarship Available for Yellowstone Course

There is funding available through the David E. Perkins Memorial Scholarship for the June Master Educator Course in Yellowstone. The course is being run through the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and is a five day course that provides participants with a comprehensive overview of Leave No Trace skills and ethics through practical application in a field-based setting. Graduates of a Master Educator Course are able to conduct two-day Trainer Courses in their communities and respective organizations. Every participant on a Master Educator course will receive a one-year membership to Leave No Trace. This membership gives new Master Educators better access to teaching resources, as well as closer contact with the Center for education, training and outreach questions.

For more information on registration and how to apply for this scholarship, please contact:

Haven Holsapple
LNT Program Coordinator
NOLS Professional Training
haven_holsapple@nols.edu
406-370-8640