Cryptomania!

In the Red Rock Ranger District in Sedona, the Forest Service is doing some great outreach to spread the word on Leave No Trace related issues. At many of the trailheads in the Forest there, they have this great informative sign about cryptobiotic soil up. This wild soil, which is actually alive, does a lot of the heavy lifting in the desert ecosystems of the Colorado Plateau to provide nutrients to plants in the harsh environment. If you step on crypto it can take decades to regenerate in this fragile and harsh ecosystem. So, remember to Choose the Right Path, Stay on the Trail, and DON'T BUST THE CRUST!

Gone to tiptoe 'round the crypto,

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

Gettin' out the WHY in AZ!

Our week kicked off with back-to-back stellar sessions in Flagstaff and Sedona with the Northern Arizona University Trip Leaders and the Red Rock Ranger District in the Coconino National Forest. With both groups we got to really dig into the "why" of Leave No Trace -- talking about ecological and social impacts in their part of the country as well as how to message the information.  After an intense and snow-filled weekend of trip-leader training, we met with the students back at their awesome rec center. As a group, we got to play some fun games, including Plan Ahead and Prepare Charades and a great game focusing on different outdoor user groups. Two highlights of the afternoon were working with them to reflect on their experience in the field that weekend and discussing how to talk to individuals, both on their crews and people they encounter in the outdoors, about Leave No Trace skills and ethics. Students and leaders like these make it clear why NAU is such a great educational partner for the Center. They even lead Trainer Courses of their own throughout the year and are truly dedicated to practicing and educating the principles of Leave No Trace!

With Candice from the Forest Service in Red Rock Country!

In Red Rock Country, we met with a diverse group of Sedona-lovers including Forest Service personnel, volunteers from the Friends of the Forest, and outfitters. These groups are dedicated to protecting one of the most beautiful parts of the country. One clever technique they employ is having a marketing campaign to educate visitors about cryptobiotic soils -- both their fragility and their importance to the desert ecosystem. In addition to desert issues, we had a great discussion about the frontcountry program from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. The area receives over four million visitors a year, most of them headed to day-use only locations. By focusing on educating these visitors in a myriad of ways, these frontliners are getting out the WHY to both first-time users and backcountry aficionados. We felt fortunate to spend the day with such impassioned individuals! Thanks for all the hard work you do!

From Red Rocks to Cacti,

Quinn & Frank

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.

Campin’ In The Rain

A little rain, hail and sleet didn’t deter my son and his friends from having a rollicking time on our final weekend camping trip in Wyoming before school starts. The boys spent the lion's share of their time out biking and climbing despite being able to see their breath and occasionally pouring water from their shoes. We’re doing something right, we figure, and I noticed on the trip, that the United States Forest Service in Wyoming was doing something right, too.

Much to my joy, this Forest Service has done a tremendous job with Leave No Trace at our favorite hang out away from home. Leave No Trace education and signs were ubiquitous at the area, and were supplemented with clearly written local dog and fire recommendations. The multi-use area seems to have fewer Forest Service staff people on site this year, though the strong environmental ethics messages and signs are certainly doing good work to provide visitors with relevant information.

Way to go, USDA Forest Service!