Why are you passionate about Leave No Trace?

Today on our Facebook page we posed this phrase for our followers to complete: "I am passionate about Leave No Trace because ___________________." I'm inspired by the responses I've read so far and encouraged. I am a Leave No Trace member for exactly this reason - because I am part of a community of people who are passionate about protecting the places we play, and I want others to respect the outdoors too.

We've all seen what happens when people don't, right? Just last week I was hiking and found new foot trails, dog waste in a bag that someone left on the side of the trail, and the seemingly ever-present litter. What can I do in moments like that? It makes me proud to belong to Leave No Trace. I believe that the more people understand the Leave No Trace ethics, the longer our open spaces will be preserved.

Why are you passionate about Leave No Trace?

Newness

Newness is the word to describe the last two weeks as a brand-new staff member with the Center. I’m new to Boulder, Colorado - my family and I just moved from Southern California. I’m new to the depth of knowledge here at the Center - even though I practice the principles as a hiker, camper and trail runner, I still have so much to learn about the science behind the principles.

And I’m new to all of you.

I spent some time today studying the membership survey the Center conducted last year. Since my role as Development Director with the Center is to work with our members, donors and followers, I am eager to learn, who is a Leave No Trace Member? You may be surprised to know that most members live in California (which makes me proud). And the #1 reason that folks are members is the satisfaction that we are furthering our essential role in spreading Leave No Trace.

Aside from the great feeling of supporting the mission, there are great tangible benefits to being a member too. Did you know that the Center’s corporate partners extend their thanks to each member for supporting Leave No Trace? You can get member discounts on Coleman gear, Packit Gourmet (yum) and even a discount on a new Subaru!

Are you a member yet? Take a moment to join or renew your membership. As a member you join me and thousands of others across the world who commit to live Leave No Trace.

Membership Benefit: Leave No Trace partners with The Clymb

Get 70% off premium outdoor and sports gear, and earn $10 for Leave No Trace.

ALL Leave No Trace members have been invited to join The Clymb, a private member network where you can access insider pricing on the planets most sought-after outdoor brands.

Not only do you get discounts up to 70% off of outdoor and sports brands, but your first purchase earns $10 for Leave No Trace.

To kick things off, the Clymb has partnered with Patron Corporate Partner, Keen, to bring access to discounted footwear.

Take advantage of your participation in the Leave No Trace community, and check it out!

The 1st Online Auction benefiting Leave No Trace is Officially Open!

On behalf of Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, we are excited to launch the inaugural year of our 1st Annual Online Auction! This unique event will bring members of the Leave No Trace community from around the globe together for the first time, to share in their support and advocacy for the Center’s mission.

Take a Good Look. Bids are now being accepted on exciting items from many of our Corporate Partners, Board of Directors, members and other partners. Whether you're looking for something unique for yourself, searching for a gift for a special someone, or looking to add a little adventure to your life, you're sure to find something of interest in our auction catalog.

Make Your Bid. Even if you've never taken part in an online auction before, it's fast and easy to bid on one or more items in our auction catalog. Step by step instructions will walk you through the bidding process so you can participate with confidence. And remember, every bid helps support our cause!

Tell Your Friends. The success of this online event depends on getting the word out to as many people as possible. We need your help. Please share (see sharing options below to share this post, or feel free to send a direct link to the auction) all of the auction news with your friends and encourage them to participate so they don't miss a single moment of the fun and excitement.

These items are open for bidding, and we will continue to add new items throughout the next two weeks. You have until Tuesday, July 6^th at noon to place you maximum bid.

What are you waiting for? Bid now!

View Auction Catalog

Gifts for Dads or Grads!

June marks a busy time of year with many students graduating from high school and college, as well as Father's Day coming up right around the corner (June 20th, for those who may have forgot). Are you stuck for a gift idea? We have the solution for you. Why not give a one-year membership to Leave No Trace?

Members of Leave No Trace receive many great benefits including:

• One year subscription to Learn.Network.Together., Leave No Trace's electronic newsletters that keep you updated on programs;
• Personalized Leave No Trace membership card;
• The Membership Resource Guide to help you get involved and stay connected;
• Invitations to attend events and presentations in your area by others in the Leave No Trace community;
• 10% discounts on Leave No Trace educational materials and merchandise;
• Receive 10% off your gourmet backcountry purchase at PackIt Gourmet [email us for your password].
• The Leave No Trace bumper sticker and reference card;
• Memberships of $35 or more will receive either a limited edition Member t-shirt or a Leave No Trace waterbottle;
• Eligibility for the Subaru VIP Partners Program after six months of being a member, helping you save as much as $3,300 when you purchase or lease a new Subaru;
• Unique discount opportunities from other Leave No Trace partners for cool schwag and gear;
• Access to the on-line Coleman Pro Store (email us for your password), to take advantage of exclusive prices on quality outdoor gear and accessories;
• Satisfaction that you are furthering your essential role in spreading Leave No Trace.

What grad or dad wouldn't enjoy those benefits? Signing up couldn't be easier, just click here for more information! Join the expanding community of Leave No Trace members today!

Happy Adventuring... Kate and Tracy

Win Telluride Bluegrass Festival Tickets!

Leave No Trace is honored to partner with Planet Bluegrass - the organization who puts on three of Colorado's (and the nation's!) best music festivals each summer. Among these is the quickly-approaching Telluride Bluegrass Festival - and you could win a chance to go this year!

How? Planet Bluegrass has generously donated tickets to Leave No Trace, and we're giving members a chance to win them if they donate, join or renew their membership between now and Friday, June 4th.

Simply visit https://store.lnt.org/support to make your donation or (re)activate your membership, and you'll be automatically entered. (Hint: want to get entered multiple times? You can make more than one donation!)

This is a year not to miss at Telluride! Check out the festival lineup here.

We'll contact the winners by email on June 4th by 1:00pm MST. Please, no emails, phone calls or inquiries.

Good luck!

New For Master Educators: Exclusive benefits for Master Educator members!

As of January 2010, we are proud to say there are over 3,500 Leave No Trace Master Educators worldwide representing nine countries and 50 U.S. states. This valuable training is recognized throughout the world by the outdoor industry.

To show our appreciation and thank our Master Educators for their volunteerism and advocacy, Leave No Trace is partnering up with ProMotive.com to offer exclusive discounts on outdoor gear & apparel. ProMotive.com is an online marketplace for professionals and affiliates who have significant influence within personal and professional communities.

This partnership will allow Master Educators who are active members to receive discounts on the gear necessary for training others in Leave No Trace skills and ethics. Brands offering discounts with this program are Corporate Partner of Leave No Trace - such as Marmot, Leki and National Geographic Maps - as well as other notable companies in the outdoor industry.

Sounds cool? It's probably better than you think. Email Dean@LNT.org to get your initial passcode for Promotive.com and start checking out the deals.

Need to renew your membership? You can do so easily online at https://store.lnt.org/support.

Not a Master Educator Yet? Your support truly does make a difference!
Regardless of the outdoor activity, Leave No Trace skills are important to learn. Leave No Trace courses function like a pyramid. Master Educators are at the top of the pyramid and train people to become comprehensive educators. To learn more about becoming a Master Educator please visit the “Training” section of LNT.org.

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.

We all have a little magic wand.

You know you’re in a uniquely lucky situation as a development professional when your donors begin to send trend reports and financial forecasts to your email account. Like fairy godmothers of Grimm, they mix caution with foretelling, but never without a level of optimism and incitement for the work that you do. It’s a beautiful rapport and one that I’m continually amazed by in the midst of our country’s economic struggle.

Yesterday, a long-time supporter of the organization emailed me an article with the good-humored note: “Something for you to digest… slowly.” The author who wrote this article in Wednesday’s Wall Street Journal has a double shift job as a diviner of doom. Titled “Next Benefit to Face the Ax: Matching Gifts”, I could hear my comrades in development across the nation shriveling like the Wicked Witch of the West in water.

Okay, not really. For the record, I think anyone who devotes his or her life to working for a cause is not that easily deterred. However, this is understatedly unfortunate. I could embrace the woes and moans of how this will hurt the overall financial picture of every nonprofit in the nation that benefits from the near $1 billion dolled out in matching-gifts from corporations each year, but the author has already gone there. It's an interesting topic, and I suggest you read the article.

Instead, what I’d like to stress – as a donor to many organizations myself – are two things. First, what a privilege it is to have a matching gift program in the first place. Without a doubt, this is one of the easiest ways to increase the power of your donation, regardless if your company matches 50 cents or $1 to every dollar donated. Take advantage of it if you can! You can always ask your Human Resources Department for the details of your company's program.

Second, and more importantly, do not ever undervalue your contribution or yourself as a donor. Times are decidedly difficult for the vast majority of Americans and other global citizens, but if we convince ourselves that not giving at all is more honorable than giving something – be it a lesser donation – then we have another thing coming to humanity. People and Community are the solution to so many of the world’s issues. We are in such a primed position to take the reins of this world and guide it where we want to go, and as unfortunate as it is that this period had to coincide with one of the hardest economic downturns in history, we all have much to be thankful for, the very least of which is our capacity to empower and change.

A dollar is a dollar, but it’s better than none. An hour volunteered is just an hour, but it sure yields a result you can see. No matter how much or in what capacity you give, you are someone’s fairy godmother, too. Even when times are tough, you can make dreams a reality.

A very special thank you to all of our incredible donors and volunteers, who made 2008 such an exciting and successful year. We look forward to sharing the upcoming year with you!

Support the Bigfoot Challenge this Holiday Season!

Bigfoot’s been doing it for years, and so can we.

Show your support for Leave No Trace – the unique education organization that focuses on people as the solution to conservation – and join The Bigfoot Challenge.

This is a creative opportunity to renew your membership, to get the perfect stocking stuffer or to turn some heads with this humorous t-shirt – and support Leave No Trace’s mission to protect our wild places for future generations to enjoy.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 by December 25th for The Bigfoot Challenge - and we're already well on our way with $1,540! 

You can help us reach our goal by donating $25 or more. You will get a limited-edition Bigfoot t-shirt (made from the softest organic cotton we’ve ever felt) AND a 1-year membership to Leave No Trace!

What do you do when nature comes knocking at your door? If you’re Mr. Foot, you keep it clean, treat it well and make sure to Leave No Trace.

**Check back often to see how we're doing!  We'll be updating the thermometer below every day with our progress.**

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Only ONE day left to join The Bigfoot Challenge!

Bigfoot’s been doing it for years, and so can we.

Show your support for Leave No Trace – the unique education organization that focuses on people as the solution to conservation – and join The Bigfoot Challenge.

This is a creative opportunity to renew your membership, to get the perfect stocking stuffer or to turn some heads with this humorous t-shirt – and support Leave No Trace’s mission to protect our wild places for future generations to enjoy.

For only one more day, by pledging $25 or more on the Leave No Trace Cause page through Facebook, you will get a limited-edition Bigfoot t-shirt (made from the softest organic cotton we’ve ever felt) AND a 1-year membership to Leave No Trace!

What do you do when nature comes knocking at your door? If you’re Mr. Foot, you keep it clean, treat it well and make sure to Leave No Trace.

The Bigfoot Challenge!

:: The T-Shirt Design ::

Bigfoot's been Leaving No Trace for years ... and so can we!

Support Leave No Trace today by joining The Bigfoot Challenge. Our goal is to raise $5,000 in two weeks (in the name of Bigfoot!).

YOU can help today by making a donation to The Bigfoot Challenge. Any amount will help us reach our goal, but for donations of $25 or more, you get a limited-edition Bigfoot Leave No Trace t-shirt (made from organically grown cotton) AND a Leave No Trace membership - a $10 discount!

JOIN TODAY by donating to The Bigfoot Challenge through Facebook!