Earth Week in Colorado!

Starting on Earth Day on Sunday in Nederland, the e-tour has been spreading the word about Leave No Trace all over Colorado for Earth Week! It's been a truly beautiful location to talk about environmental stewardship to audiences ranging from interested citizens in Boulder County to high schoolers set on making a difference to elementary school students getting outside for the first time!

Bigfoot at Wild Bear!

To kick off the week, we headed up to the Wild Bear Mountain Ecology Center where we joined with other conservation-minded organizations for an Earth Day Celebration! It was awesome to get to talk to youth and adults alike about the outdoors with the Rocky Mountains towering over us. From outdoor enthusiasts excited to learn about new reference cards for Winter Use and Rock Climbing to kids learning the PEAK principles, everyone took home some new information to help make good decisions in the outdoors. Not only that, but our Colorado State Advocate Kristin and famous mascot Bigfoot also were able to make the event!

Quinn and Bigfoot at Earth Day in Nederland, CO!

The next morning, we scrambled over to the Shining Mountain School in Boulder where we got to talk with some high school students before they scattered about town to help out with keeping this beautiful area clean. With this dialed group, we got to focus on the reasons why Leave No Trace is an ethic -- not a set of rules, but a series of personal values and selected responsibilities about how to be a good citizen not of the state or country but of the planet. In addition to cleaning up around their school and community, these students are challenging themselves to take responsibility for the trash that they generate on a daily basis by packing out what they pack in to school just like you would in the backcountry. In this fashion, they become aware of what they are using each and every day and can strive as individuals to minimize their overall impact. We were inspired to get to speak with such dedicated students!
 

Traveling Trainer Frank with his college friend and now elementary school teacher Mr. Gamble at Wildflower Elementary!

Finally, with a little help from our good friend Bigfoot we got to visit elementary school students both in Boulder and Colorado Springs! The kindergarteners in Boulder got to share some of their favorite activities in the outdoors by drawing pictures for each other. By getting out and connecting with nature, these students are forming the foundations for a life of conservation. The fifth graders in Colorado Springs drilled into a lot of the science behind what happens to trash. They asked the tough questions about the difference between natural products and plastic, recycling and composting, and the effect you can have on animals by carelessly discarding food waste. We're confident that they will take this enthusiasm and inquisitive mindset with them as they head out into the world and start making their own decisions about the actions they take and the impacts they make. Great work Wildflower Wildcats!

Everyday is Earth Day,

Quinn & Frank

Back to Winter for the Spring Solstice

Quinn on skis! At a yurt!

Arriving in Tahoe after their best snow of the season, the e-tour made its way to Hope Valley Outdoors for an event with some local elementary school children. Hope Valley Outdoors is a backcountry ski yurt that provides rentals, guiding, and school outreach. Along with Joyce, who runs the yurt, we introduced kindergartners and fifth graders to the Leave No Trace principles. We talked about Trashing Your Trash and how to protect our favorite wild places and wildlife in the winter wonderland of Tahoe. We romped around in the snow playing a frigid version of Okay/No Way where the students ran to through a foot of powder to answer questions about appropriate outdoor behavior. After we were done teaching them, these students taught us a few things about how to cross-country ski! Thanks for the trade!

As the season winds down, it's important for everyone to keep in mind Leave No Trace when adventuring in winter environments. One great resource is the new winter recreation plastic reference card from Leave No Trace. As winter transitions into spring, it's a very sensitive time for ecosystems. While a deep layer of snow creates a durable surface that protects vegetation below it, while it melts it creates muddy conditions where trails and plants are vulnerable to damage. So make sure that you are extra careful to not trample budding flowers when you head outdoors and be sure to Plan Ahead and Prepare so you know the conditions of trails before heading out!

Happy Spring,

Quinn & Frank

Out West with Team West

Saguaro!

What's the only thing better than one Traveling Trainer team? Two Traveling Trainer teams! This past week we met up with Mark & Tara from Team West for a few days and an event together in Tucson. With our powers combined, we capitalized on our time in the desert amid the beautiful cacti of the Southwest. One highlight of our collaborative adventures was a PEAK session at the Tucson REI where we met various community members including our Leave No Trace Arizona State Advocate Cindy! State Advocates serve a vital role in the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethic's volunteer corps and Cindy does a great job of outreach in Arizona. Whether it's getting out the word about training opportunities or connecting people with valuable Leave No Trace resources, State Advocates like Cindy make the Leave No Trace mission truly possible. Thanks Cindy!

The e-tour also had the opportunity to work with Cindy talking to Venture Scouts from the Catalina Council of the Boy Scouts while in town. These dedicated outdoorspeople pursue a variety of outdoor adventures ranging from backpacking to climbing to rafting, and it was great to have an evening program with them where we got in depth about Leave No Trace. At one point we even passed around a Go Anywhere Bag to challenge both the youth and adults to really think about Dispose of Waste Properly and whether or not to pack out human waste! It was awesome working with a group that cared so much about the desert ecosystem around them and the scarce water resources that they strove to protect!

Heading to the Ocean,

Quinn & Frank

In the Zone in 'Zona

From Flagstaff to Phoenix, we spent the better part of this week working with youth from school groups to the Girl Scouts! In a state with such a wealth in public lands, it was awesome to see young people so excited about the outdoors and knowledgeable about how to protect them using Leave No Trace!

Quinn and Bigfoot drop some Leave No Trace knowledge!

Our first stop was with the Alpine Leadership Academy in Flagstaff. This innovate magnet middle school focuses on outdoor learning. All of their students know about Leave No Trace from working with the local Forest Service and even Northern Arizona University Outdoors. Every student there goes on at least one four-night trip with the school. They excelled at one of our favorite PEAK games, Step On It! The students battled over which surfaces were more durable for travel in three aggressive match-ups. After we left they even were planning on taking Leave No Trace and using it in a writing assignment the next day. Nice work team!

In Phoenix, we stopped by Orangewood School to talk to some high-achieving eighth graders. In their class they have talked extensively about trash decomposition and were old-pros when it came to figuring out how long items lasted in the outdoors. After school, some of these students are involved in a legendary environmental club. One of their activities is collecting trash on the school's outdoor basketball court every two weeks, categorizing it, weighing it, and graphing the results. Sounds like the kind of research that would be useful for the Leave No Trace Center in Boulder. What an epic crew of young researchers!

Girl Scouts learn how to keep a safe distance while viewing wildlife with the Rule of Thumb!

Finally, on Saturday we kicked it with the Girl Scouts from the Cactus-Pine Council for Thinking Day! This year, on the 100th Anniversary of the GSA, the theme for Thinking Day was Friendship Around the World. These girls and their adult leaders were psyched to learn about Leave No Trace for their many campouts. As an added bonus, there was a Bigfoot sighting at the event! Before he snuck off to find some shade in the Arizona sun, he posed for pictures with Troops, dished out highfives, and showed off some epic dance moves. Way to go, Girls!

Stompin' on Durable Surfaces Like a Boss,

Quinn & Frank

Wows and Pows - Week of Feb. 13th

Wows!

It was our first week on the road and we got to see tons of epic places, awesome landscapes, and work with some cool Leave No Trace learners! One highlight was working with the S.A.F.E. Afterschool Program in Rio Rancho, NM. In what must have been one of the most epic days in elementary school history, the students went on a field trip to a Natural History Museum to learn about dinosaurs and fossils before playing some sweet Leave No Trace games! One big hit was Okay/No Way! This rockin' game mixes questions about all seven principles, PEAK-style, with freeze tag. Kids as young as kindergarten were answering about observing wildlife from a distance with the Rule of Thumb technique and staying on the trail when on a hike. Thanks again, Rio Rancho!

Quinn poses in Petrified Forest, but stays on the trail!

Pows!

In between Albuquerque and Sedona, we were lucky enough to stop in and spend an afternoon at Petrified Forest National Park. This epic park is home to petrified wood over 250 million years old! Everyone we met who worked there was super-friendly, informative, and really dialed in to the Leave No Trace principles and mindset. Unfortunately, a lot of the sites at this park are heavily impacted. The park has to go to extraordinary measures to prevent individuals from removing pieces of the petrified wood from the park, including vehicle inspections when exiting. We also had a long talk with a Leave No Trace all-star ranger who was endeavoring to keep people on the path at petroglyph sites in order to preserve the history of peoples who once lived in the area hundreds of years ago. Remember when you're outdoors to Leave What You Find and Choose the Right Path, staying on the paved trail and avoiding visitor-created paths. We want to give a shoutout to all the rangers putting in such great work to preserve one of the coolest places we've ever been to! Y'all rock!

From the Sunny Southwest,

Quinn & Frank

Hello from the 2012 e-tour Team!

At Great Sand Dunes National Park on our drive out of Colorado!

Hello Leave No Trace fans! Welcome to the first post from your 2012 e-tour Traveling Trainers, still with that new car smell in the Subaru! We wanted to go ahead and introduce ourselves before we all go on the ride together around the country, talking to youth about safely and responsibly enjoying the outdoors. Our names are Quinn and Frank, and we are joining Leave No Trace from the Nation's Capitol, Washington, DC, and are now excited to be on the road talking to young people around the country about getting outdoors and practicing Leave No Trace!

One awesome event that we've already been a part of was going to the Community Prep School in Colorado Springs with Kate and Tracy from Team East to meet with a couple of classes. We played How Long Does it Last?, a super-informative and interactive PEAK game, with the students to illustrate what happens when different types of trash are not disposed of properly. Leaving trash outdoors can lead to serious impacts, so the game drives home that you should always be sure to Trash Your Trash! The high school students really got into it, and everyone both learned a lot and had a ton of fun!

After two weeks of training at the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics in Boulder, we're now out on our own! We hope to see you out on the road and talking to everyone on these here interwebs!


For those who put the map in the packsack and go,

Quinn & Frank

Gladstone Elementary School Raising Environmental Awareness

Gladstone, OR. Today Team West visited the fourth grade classrooms of John Witter Elementary School in Gladstone, OR to educate them about Leave No Trace. The students have been learning about water conservation and protection during science and they even organized a recycling and composting station for the cafeteria, so our discussion during the activity "How Long Does It Last?" sparked lively conversations and thoughtful questions.

The students gained an appreciation for the principles of Leave No Trace in the activity "What Principle Am I?" They learned just how fun and easy it is to leave no trace and were proud of themselves in realizing that many of them were already practicing it without knowing it. In the photo above, Kate teaches the students about the rule of thumb- a way to gauge safe distances from wildlife. Their imaginations went wild in thinking about what type of animals they would like to see using the rule of thumb!

Wouldn't you know it, here we are in Bigfoot Country and sure enough, our friend Bigfoot came out to visit the fourth grade lunch. He was so excited to see their recycling/composting station and gave a high five to anyone that learned about Leave No Trace. A special thank you to Mr. Curtis B. Williams for inviting us to come today!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Bay Area Wilderness Training at the Presidio, CA

San Francisco, CA

On Monday and Tuesday, Team West provided two four hour trainings for Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT). BAWT, a program of the Earth Island Institute, began with the idea that California's bountiful wilderness areas are a vast, yet untapped, resource for local youth-serving organizations. BAWT promotes the wise use of these national, state, and regional parks through professional wilderness leadership training. As the program continues to develop, the staff have embraced Leave No Trace within their programs, especially the Camping at the Presidio Program.

We had a variety of participants join us for the training including BAWT staff and interns, CAP interns, staff from the Presidio Trust and Conservancy, as well as locals who wanted to learn about teaching Leave No Trace to youth. This dynamic group allowed for thoughtful discussion on ethics during the Ethics Game, and had a passion towards educating the youth in their area. Over the four hour training, we dove into the PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) Program and shared a few of our favorite activities we use during youth programs we run and how to effectively communicate the Leave No Trace skills and ethics. We enjoyed the two days and nights we spent in the Presidio and look forward to working with BAWT in the future. Thanks to Grace Malango-Blake for organizing the events!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

NAI National Conference-Las Vegas

Las Vegas, the city of lights, loud music, and lots of people, is one area of the country you would not expect Leave No Trace to be. Yet this week, over 1000 outdoor enthusiasts from around the country are swarming "Sin City" for the National Association of Interpretation Conference. We are happy to be here to take part in this national conference to educate interpreters and outdoor educators about the Leave No Trace program. We have already spoken to hundreds of participants about our Traveling Trainer program and how to get FREE training at their sites, our youth program PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids), as well as ways to incorporate Leave No Trace into their existing programs, and it is only the second day of the conference! We are looking forward to the rest of the week here, especially our adventure to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, located just outside of the city!

Happy Adventuring...Kate & Tracy

Outreach in New Mexico

Last week we traveled to Farmington, NM to spend time with students at San Juan College and to visit past traveling trainers JD & Emily. San Juan College has a fantastic outdoor program, which takes full advantage of the plethora of recreational opportunities in the area. We provided a two hour training for students of the Wilderness Pursuits class, as well as staff of the Outdoor Recreation Rental Center and others from the local community. Thanks to JD for setting up this event!

On Saturday, we worked with girl scouts in Aztec, NM. Over 30 girl scouts and their parents came to learn about ways to incorporate Leave No Trace into their outings. The girls had a blast playing a few of our PEAK activities, like What Principle Am I?, How Long Does It Last?, and Leave No Trace Draw. After the program, we went outside to get a group photo, and to our surprise Bigfoot came around the corner! All of the girls were so excited to see Bigfoot and get their picture taken with him. Thanks to Emily for helping to set up this visit!

We had a great time catching up with JD and Emily and look forward to seeing them again soon!

Happy Adventuring...Kate & Tracy

Outreach in Arizona

Usually in our blogs we highlight events of the week and recap the trainings and outreach we have provided. Today, we would like to highlight events we have coming up this week in the Phoenix area. This evening, we will be providing two PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) training at REI. The first will be at 4:00 pm at REI Tempe. We will then travel to Paradise Valley for another PEAK training at 7:00 pm. If you live in the Phoenix area and work with youth, come check out the training and learn about PEAK!

Tomorrow, we will be visiting the Phoenix Rock Gym in Tempe, AZ. We will be there from 7-9 pm to provide outreach to the many climbers visiting the gym. There will be competitive climbing going on- it should be rocking! Thanks to Climb PHX for inviting us to the gym!

Happy Adventuring...Kate & Tracy

Teaching in Treehouse Paradise

Last week we held a five hour workshop at one of the more unique and magical venues we have had the opportunity to train at. Vertical Horizons Treehouse Paradise is a bed and breakfast located in southern Oregon near the Redwoods, Oregon Caves National Monument, and the beautiful coastline. This oasis is a retreat worth checking out. Each guest stays in a private treehouse (we stayed in the one pictured below) and is treated to a gourmet breakfast each morning! Guests can come and relax by the campfire, climb trees, play disc golf, play with Cosmo and Sadie (the friendly "guard" dogs), go fishing, and enjoy the beautiful scenery, all without leaving the property. We highly recommend getting "High Up In The Trees" at Vertical Horizons! A SUPER HUGE thank you to Jodie Cowan and her family for their hospitality during our stay.

Community is very important to Vertical Horizons Treehouse Paradise and the surrounding area. Staff from the Siskiyou Field Institute and the Oregon Caves National Monument joined us at the treehouses for a day of Leave No Trace training. The morning session was devoted to our PEAK Program, while the afternoon session focused on educating adults about Leave No Trace skills and ethics. Tracy leads a lesson on Minimizing Campfire Impacts, pictured below.

New for Bigfoot Challengers: PEAK and Teen Activity Contest this month puts educator creativity to the test.

This month, Bigfoot is putting Leave No Trace educators and community members to the test, to submit their ideas for new teaching activities to each of these programs. To take part in the PEAK and Teen activity contest, please complete this form: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/286168/peak-and-teen-activity-submission-contest

The PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) and Teen programs are aimed at teaching responsible recreation and environmental stewardship to youth through hands-on activities. Both the PEAK and Teen “packs” provide materials and resources for educators teaching youth about Leave No Trace.

One PEAK and one Teen activity will be chosen as the contest winners. Winners will be announced to the community and will be awarded outdoor gear from a Leave No Trace partner. The winning submissions will be hosted on the Leave No Trace website as free downloadable activities for educators and youth leaders.

On behalf of the Center and Bigfoot, thank you for your participation!

Service and Leave No Trace Outreach in Northeast Georgia

One of favorite parts of working at Leave No Trace is receiving follow-up stories and photos from our grant recipients. They all have a unique story to tell and the photographs are a visual reminder of how many different ways to Leave No Trace program is used across the country.

Here are some photos from a recent Tools for Teaching grant recipient in northeast Georgia conducting a trail rehabilitation project on over 13 miles of the Chattachoochee National Forest. They also hosted a Leave No Trace awareness program.

This project was a great example of various youth and adult community groups working together. Close to 700 people participated, representing: Boy Scouts of America - Northeast Georgia Council, Chattahoochee Trail Horse Association, Southern Off Road Biking Association and Georgia Appalachian Trail Association.

We love to see photos of your community programs in action! Grant recipients, Master Educators, Trainers, PEAK presentations--many of the Bigfoot Challenges incorporate photo or video elements. Thanks for taking the time to tell us your story. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

National Get Outdoors Day - Get Involved!

With the beginning of Spring, many cities around the country have begun planning for the third annual National Get Outdoors Day event on June 12, 2010.

Denver has been a leader in hosting this event and drew thousands of children and families last year for a day full of fishing, hands-on activities, adventure sports and recreation in City Park.

It was piloted in over 100 cities in 2008, many of which have continued to participate and expand upon their local event. Most Get Outdoors Day events are actively seeking volunteers to help plan logistics, direct people on event day, set-up and and break down the event, staff booths and so on. To volunteer, check out the locations page on the National Get Outdoors Day website to find out the location nearest you.

The event has many local sponsors, but is nationally supported by the USDA Forest Service and the American Recreation Coalition.

This year the Center will be participating in the the local Denver event and partnering with a previous Connect Grant recipient, Big City Mountaineers as well as working with the Colorado State Advocate for Leave No Trace.

The Traveling Trainer teams will also be participating in a National Get Outdoors Day event in Washington state.

Check out the interpretive trail activity that the e-tour did last summer. It's available for download on the PEAK page.

Outdoor Ethics at the LA Fairgrounds

On Thursday of last week, we met with a Wildlife Conservation and Management class offered through the Regional Occupation Program (ROP) at the LA Fairplex in Pomona, CA. The ROP offers classroom experience and community-based internships to prepare students for industry-specific employment requirements. During the workshop, we introduced the 17 students to the Leave No Trace program by facilitating several activities including How Long Does it Last and Minimum Impact Match. Since these students will be going on an overnight trip in a couple of weeks and camping without any facilities, we discussed the significance of 200ft. in terms of disposing of human waste and camping away from water sources and trails. We also had the students break up into groups and perform a short skit on each of the seven principles of Leave No Trace.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Culturally Responsive Environmental Education

Denver was lucky enough to be the site for the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) conference this year.

Even with the very wintery weather, hundreds of educators, teachers and school administrators made the the trek to the annual conference, the theme this year being "Name the Change You Wish to See."

Multicultural Education (MCE) or Culturally Responsive Education is just as applicable to non formal classroom settings or environments as it is to formal school districts. The backgrounds of students participating in outdoor or environmental programs are just as diverse as those in a city classroom.

Campers at a Central Park Summer Camp participate in a nature-based activity. Photo by Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers - Team East.

If you run a literature search for Multicultural Environmental Education (MEE), the findings are a bit limited, though there are are several case studies and assessment tools that look at the framework, intentions and outcomes of urban based environmental programs.

Here is a link to a cultural competency study conducted by the Barr Foundation in MA, looking at three urban-based environmental programs in the city of Boston: Understanding Cultural Competency.

A very comprehensive study, it reminds us that while environmental education is important and relevant to everyone, the environmental issues and values that people bring to the table are diverse and often culturally defined.

Anyway, enjoy the articles and, as always, leave your comments for us!

Have a great day,

Sarah

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

Bigfoot on the Iron Goat Trail?

Last night, Team West spent a lovely evening with folks that were part of a volunteer vacation for the American Hiking Society. This year marked the thirteenth consecutive year of this event taking place on the Iron Goat Trail, approximately 80 miles outside of Seattle. During the awareness workshop, one of our favorite PEAK games-How Long Does It Last?, was the avenue for a lively discussion on the importance of disposing of waste properly and recycling. We applaud the trail crew that is taking time out of their busy schedules to volunteer to help keep the Iron Goat Trail of the Cascades as beautiful as ever!

On the ride up to our workshop, we were shocked to run into a friend. We were awestruck as we cruised down Stevens Pass Highway and out of nowhere, there he was. It was Bigfoot himself! He was just finishing up a day on the slopes and let us know that he was getting excited for the upcoming Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City. He hadn't begun packing yet, but he assured us that he would be there. He even offered to help us give gear away at the Leave No Trace booth. The big guy is so thoughtful. He is looking forward to the event, but if you are not planning on attending OR, he wanted us to remind everyone to take his challenge. It takes less than 2 minutes and you could win some sweet gear from our partners. Sound good? CLICK HERE to participate.

Safe Travels...Kate and Tracy

Manice Education Center and one Red Eft

Yesterday we headed to the Berkshire Mountains to work with a great group of outdoor educators at the Manice Education Center in Florida, MA. Manice Education Center offers urban teens a variety of courses in environmental education and wilderness leadership. Students spend up to 11-days on wilderness courses, where they can study local ecology, discuss current environmental issues and learn backcountry camping and traveling skills. We were excited to share some of our favorite Leave No Trace activities (straight from our Teen and PEAK Packs) with the instructors and hope that they will have success sharing these activities with their students this summer.


After our presentation, we headed outside and saw a Red Eft swimming in the lake at Manice Education Center. Then this morning we went for a short hike and spied this little guy sitting on the trail.