Around the World

Many people know about Leave No Trace from seeing signage or information at a park/natural area in their region. We come in contact with a number of people that are surprised to find out we are a nonprofit organization with not just a national reach, but an international one.

Check out these beautiful photos from Kakani Scout Camp in Nepal:

This Leave No Trace training was organized with the help of Initiative Outdoor. As, owner Chandra Ale describes:

Initiative Outdoor (I.O.) is an outdoor leadership school based in Kathmandu, Nepal. I.O. runs a variety of courses, including adventure camps for kids, wilderness first aid, whitewater rescue technician training, and leadership programs at local schools. The range of the course offerings results in a diverse clientele: I.O. students are river guides, kayakers, mountain guides, Nepali school children, international students, and employees of both local businesses and INGOs.

I.O. was able to incorporate Leave No Trace education into all of their training this year, including this camp near Shivapuri National Park. The Center is grateful for the work of all of our volunteers, partners, members and supporters in helping communicate the importance and universality of these principles in every corner of the world.

Leave No Trace Volunteerism

We are coming upon national volunteer month in another few weeks, so thought I'd take this opportunity to recognize our awesome State Advocate volunteers. These individuals serve as volunteer coordinators in their state, assisting Leave No Trace educators and volunteers with local efforts to promote and teach minimum impact outdoor ethics.

The State Advocate Program is sponsored by Keen Footwear’s Hybrid.Care, which helps fund community events and programs. This year, State Advocates will be instrumental in helping organize or promote the Leave No Trace "Backyard Sessions."

The "Backyard Sessions" are community social events to generate local support and volunteerism for the the Leave No Trace program. With successful Backyard Sessions having occurred already in San Diego and Houston, stay tuned for one near you in the coming months.

If you haven't already, check in with your State Advocate to find out what's going on in your area: http://lnt.org/01_community/index.php

If you notice a vacancy in your state, contact sarah@LNT.org to find out how to apply for this volunteer position!

Photo above: Our ID Advocate Paul Holle at a Sierra Trading Post event.

Dear Education Department: Activate, Volunteer, Advocate

Dear Education Department,

I recently visited your organization’s website and remember hearing about the Leave No Trace principles years ago at summer camp. Anyway, I am very interested in what you do and would like to get involved. I was wondering if there are any volunteer opportunities? I do not live in Colorado so I was looking for something that I could get involved with more locally.

Thanks for your help,

Enthusiastic Volunteer

**************

Dear Enthusiastic Volunteer,

Thank you for your email! We love hearing about people getting involved in their local communities. The Leave No Trace program relies heavily on volunteers—conducting workshops, attending outdoor events, doing school presentations and setting up informational booths. Here are some tips for ways that you can get involved with Leave No Trace as a volunteer:

1) Contact your State Advocate. Their information is available on the state Community Pages. Often Advocates receive multiple event requests at a time and could use the help of extra volunteers.

2) Get involved with the Leave No Trace Hot Spot program. The program is aimed at improving the condition of a designated “Hot Spot” or recreational area that is experiencing multiple visitor created impacts. The current site the Center is working on is the Red River Gorge in eastern Kentucky. More sites will be determined in the coming year and a list of all other Hot Spot applicants will be listed on the Hot Spot page with contact information on how to get involved.

3) Get involved in national initiatives/events. An example is National Get Outdoors Day on June 12, 2010, an event aimed at getting kids and families outdoors by introducing them to local resources and providing a host of hands on activities to teach them about outdoor recreation how to care for our natural resources. Many metropolitan areas around the country will be celebrating this event and all are looking for volunteers.

4) Take part in our Bigfoot Challenge. One of our most recent Challenges is a PEAK and Teen Activity Submission Contest. If you are an educator that has a great idea for teaching kids about Leave No Trace submit your activity. See the side bar for details.

5) Finally, stay tuned for our upcoming volunteer registry. We will now have a way for folks to express their interest in volunteers and get them connected with each other and with local events.

Thanks for all your support!

Sincerely,

Education Department

Photo: Volunteering at the National Get Outdoors Day event in Denver last year.

Member Highlight: California Teen Teaches Leave No Trace

California Teen Teaches Leave No Trace

Teenager, Amy Chapman, is an avid backpacker and Leave No Trace Trainer. She was introduced to Leave No Trace by her father, and her environmental sensibilities led her into a teaching role. She now teaches Leave No Trace to youth and adults through the Boy Scouts’ Woodbadge program. Questions for Amy.

LNT: What activities do you do outdoors?
AC: One of my favorite outdoor activities is backpacking. I love being with my friends and family in the backcountry, living off whatever I've brought and hiking in all sorts of beautiful places. Besides that I'm a huge fan of ultimate frisbee, which I learned to play at Philmont. The best thing about it though, is all the fun and interesting people I've gotten to meet.
LNT: Where did you learn about Leave No Trace and what about it made you interested in teaching it?
AC: I first learned Leave No Trace from my father who got it from his Woodbadge training. We were asked to teach it to our sister Troop, and so we did a lot of our own research into the topic. I really liked its focus on keeping the wilderness as it is because I've always hated litter. I see it all the time in my city and it's really gross. So when I go to a nice place in the mountains or the desert I like seeing it clean and natural.

LNT: Can you tell me about the Leave No Trace training that you did? Who were the people that you trained?
AC: After that I started working as a youth staff member on Woodbadge to train the participants, both spring and fall of 2007 and every fall course since. We teach them all about Leave No Trace on their fourth day, which in our area is their first day on the second weekend. Sometimes it's a Round Robin and other times it's a classroom set-up. Now that the Leave No Trace principles are a Boy Scouts of America requirement (which is great news!) my crew and I will be doing presentations for our current sister troop. I train both youth and adults but, I like training the adults more, most of them understand what a challenge it is to keep nature like it is and how important it is that it stay that way.

LNT: Why do you think it is important to teach people about Leave No Trace? Do you have any more plans to be a Leave No Trace trainer?
AC: I think it's important because it's taken for granted most of the time, if we don't take care of it, nature will disappear. It's the first set of guidelines we've ever had to create just to keep us from destroying something beautiful, and the principles are extremely easy to remember and do. I hope to continue teaching and practicing the seven principles. It's a lot of fun and definitely worth it.

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.

Colorado Fourteeners Initiative Peak Steward Training: March 7 in Boulder, CO

The Colorado Fourteeners Initiative is a non-profit organization partnered with the USFS, Leave No Trace, and others whose mission is to preserve and protect the fourteen thousand foot peaks in Colorado through active stewardship and public education. CFI’s Peak Stewards are a group of enthusiastic volunteers who are trained to monitor high-use Fourteeners. Peak Stewards document human and wildlife encounters, user behaviors, compliance with Forest Service regulations, and trail and resource conditions.

Peak Stewards also initiate contact with other climbers when appropriate, and provide educational information about Fourteener-specific Leave No Trace principles for Colorado’s alpine environment. Once trained, Peak Stewards will commit to volunteering a minimum of four days throughout the summer.

Peak Steward Training #2 will be at the Boulder REI from 9:30-3:30, Sunday March 7th. We have the Community Room (big glass room in the center of the store) reserved and plenty of space. Please contact Brian at 303-278-7650 or email to brian@14ers.org for more information or to sign up for the training.

Are you interested in volunteering for Leave No Trace in 2010?

If you are interested in staffing a Leave No Trace booth, conducting an Awareness Workshop or a Trainer Course in your community, please contact Outreach Manager Dave Winter to discuss outreach possibilities in more detail.

Are you already hosting a Leave No Trace training, workshop or other event in your community? Submit this form to Sarah Folzenlogen to have your event posted on our Community Pages. Please email Sarah Folzenlogen with any questions about posting your events on our website.

National Public Lands Day

On Saturday, we joined 225 volunteers at Buffumville Lake in Charlton, MA to take part in the 18th annual National Public Lands Day. Although National Public Lands Day is only 15 years old, this park has been going for 18 years strong. Every year folks come and volunteer their time to clean up the trails, paint fences, and assist in a variety of other projects in the park. National Public Lands Day provides an opportunity for people to give back to the areas they enjoy recreating at throughout the year. We had a wonderful time chatting with the volunteers about ways they can incorporate Leave No Trace in their everyday lives. Did you get out and participate at your local park for National Public Lands Day? We would love to hear about it!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

Volunteers Needed!

This season is our busiest yet and we need your help! Volunteering just a few hours of your time makes a big difference. Here's how to get started: 

To volunteer at our headquarters here in Boulder, CO email volunteer@lnt.org and we can set you up with a project or community event. We have projects suitable for both kids and adults. For 2 hours of work, we will reward you with an awesome Leave No Trace t-shirt or aluminum water bottle - essentials for every Leave No Trace enthusiast. These products sell for $15 + in our online store, so it's a great deal!

To volunteer in other parts of the country, click on your state on our community map and contact your state advocate or a Master Educator near you to find out how you can help.

If you are looking for other volunteer work related to Leave No Trace, many nature preserves and parks are always looking for people to help pick up trash, maintain trails, staff events and complete administrative tasks. Contact the agency managing your favorite outdoor spaces and ask how you can help.

Photo of the Week: 5/8/09

Leave No Trace volunteers (and previous Maine State Advocates and Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers) Marcia and Gabe Williamson provided a Leave No Trace information booth at the L.L.Bean Spring Sports Expo - April 17-20, 2009 Freeport, ME.

Thanks Marcia and Gabe for volunteering your time on behalf of Leave No Trace!

Seeking State Advocates: ND, CO & MS

The Leave No Trace State Advocate Program, sponsored by Keen Footwear, assists interested Leave No Trace educators and volunteers with their local effort to promote and teach minimum impact outdoor ethics. These active volunteers are a foundation of the Leave No Trace program as they coordinate outreach, education and training in their respective states.

The State Advocates support volunteers with Leave No Trace training, work with park managers to integrate their education and management plans, increase on-the-ground awareness and attend events to further the Leave No Trace program and mission. This year, the State Advocates have been instrumental in building communities of volunteers and educators, state-by-state.

We are currently seeking applications for the State Advocate position in the following states:

• North Dakota
• Colorado
• Mississippi

If you would like to be considered for the State Advocate position in your state, please contact Catherine or Dave.

Volunteerism on the Trail

From this month's National Geographic (October 2008) ...

Ozark Highlands Trail: Path Minders

By Peter Gwin

National Geographic Staff

Photograph by Rebecca Hale

National Geographic Staff

Without volunteers, many of America’s trails would have disappeared long ago or never been built. In 2007 alone, trail lovers donated an estimated 676,960 hours of labor, worth about $13 million, to create and maintain national scenic and historic trails. Countless others have given time and money to build and sustain the thousand-odd national recreation trails. You don’t have to go far to dig in. Wherever you live in the U.S., chances are a trail winds its way not far from your door. The 40-year-old National Trails System comprises over 66,000 miles, eclipsing the Interstate Highway System’s 46,837 miles.

There's plenty of heavy lifting to do, and the American Hiking Society's Volunteer Vacations links people of all abilities with projects nationwide. You can help clear fallen trees in the Ozarks, build a rock turnpike over a bog in Idaho's White Cloud Mountains, or cut new paths in California's fire-damaged Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. But trail advocates encourage new volunteers to start locally. Even picking up litter along a stretch of a favorite trail nearby helps keep the trail movement strong.

Volunteer
• Check with hiking clubs or environmental groups about opportunities to work on trails.

Write Congress
• Funding is tight for the growing system of trails. Remind elected officials that trails promote health and in many places offer "green" alternative commuter routes.

Donate
• Trail advocates advise giving to nonprofit "friends of the trail" groups that have adopted a trail.

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Volunteer trail work is an amazing way to give back to the beautiful places that we enjoy and love.  While there is no shortage of work to be done to maintain the trails that we tread, remember Leave No Trace ethics and hopefully we can all spend less time repairing trails and more time exploring them!

All We Need Is You

Three years go, the powers that be from Keen Footwear, a growing West coast shoe company, had an epiphany after listening to a story about the tsunami’s devastation. In its wake, Keen funneled its entire 2005 print advertising budget into a foundation and gave that money, to a handful of nonprofit organizations, Leave No Trace being one of them. Since, Keen has distributed over a million dollars to environmental and social organizations and Leave No Trace has been on the receiving end of tangible funds to help our volunteers on the ground and build local support for the Leave No Trace program.

In three years, we’ve been able to give thousands of dollars and resources to Leave No Trace state advocates, build a new training grants program, distribute about 150,000 Leave No Trace educational pieces in communities like yours, and develop tools, such as the Community section on the Leave No Trace website, to support local advocacy.

Now, all we need it you. Get involved in three ways:

Get Involved: #1
Our latest is the new Community page at www.LNT.org. Click into your state and find events, training, education, volunteers, partners and learn more about your state advocate. Contact us to be added to the list if you are a Master Educator or Trainer who feel that you can make a difference. If you are conducting any sort of Leave No Trace training or workshop, let us, and everyone in your state, know about it by listing it on the Community page.

Get Involved: #2
Email the office if you would like to be put onto your state’s Volunteer Registry. We are collecting the names of people who can help at events or training sessions. Even if you only have a couple of hours, this is a great way to get involved.

Get Involved: #3
Another tool on this page is the Leave No Trace Community Blog. When you read something that interests you, add a quick comment to the blog or, better yet, contact us if you would like to contribute as a guest blogger. Make a New Years Resolution to add your voice and perspectives to the Leave No Trace community.