The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide.
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.
Guest Blogger, Chelsea Congdon, of First Light Films.
America's commitment to wilderness preservation is something all of us can be proud of. In 1964, the Wilderness Act was signed into law, and America became the first country to create a law to keep the wildest lands wild and save part of the world from the dominion of man. Above all, the Act gave ordinary Americans a tool for protecting the mountains, forests, deserts, prairies, and rivers they loved most from the steady march of industrial development. In the 45 years since the passage of the Wilderness Act, over 100 million acres of America’s most lovely lands have been designated as Wilderness.
A new film, Forever Wild: Celebrating America's Wilderness captures the glory of undeveloped, wild places through stunning images and the moving tales of America’s modern wilderness heroes – volunteers who have spent countless hours and immeasurable energy working to ensure that the places they love remain forever wild. In Colorado, California, and New Hampshire, these are tales of vision and dedication by Americans who work to preserve a legacy of wilderness for all to enjoy. Narrated by Robert Redford, and featuring the prose of Terry Tempest Williams, the stories of modern wilderness heroes guide the viewer through an examination of America’s commitment to wilderness preservation.
Wilderness in America won a respite in 1964. Today, nine out of ten Americans support the protection of public lands as wilderness. However, many people are unaware of current threats to wilderness quality lands that remain unprotected. Nor are they aware of the unique opportunity afforded to citizens by the Wilderness Act to play a direct role in protecting the places they love most. As America grows more urban and multi-cultural, and as people spend more time indoors and on-line, long-term support for wilderness preservation will depend on finding ways to communicate the wonder and importance of wilderness to people who may never experience wild places themselves.
We hope that this film plays a valuable part in re-connecting people with wilderness and how they can help preserve these last bits of wild land. The film was broadcast on PBS this fall, and will air again on many stations, and will be re-broadcast in April 2010. To learn more about the film, visit www.foreverwildfilm.com.
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