Death Valley

After a short vacation in Southeast Missouri, where we got to spend some time with our dogs, we hit the road again and made our way across the United States. Our destination was San Francisco where we spent the day visiting with our friends at Clif Bar. Clif Bar was hosting the Wild and Scenic Film Festival. We sat up a table next to a few other non-profit organizations and chatted with folks about Leave No Trace. Afterwards we sat down and enjoyed a few short films with the rest of the crowd.

On our way to San Francisco we made a few pit stops, including Death Valley. It was a cool autumn day in the valley, only about 101 degrees. We were even lucky enough to see some of the wildlife. The tarantula pictured above is just one of the amazing creatures that Death Valley is home to.

College Tour

During the last two months we have been on a nice little college tour through the northeast and midwest. Our stops included; Middlebury College, Castleton State College, Hampton University, Winston-Salem State University, Lynchburg College, Indiana University, and Southeast Missouri State University. Visiting these colleges and talking with outdoor leaders and enthusiasts has been a great experience. Hopefully they will spread what they learned about Leave No Trace to others at their campuses.

If you are interested in having the Traveling Trainers visit your university in 2009 visit the Traveling Trainer web page and Request an Event. It's easy to do, so check it out.

JD and Emily

Saying Good-Bye

We wanted to say "good-bye" to our good friends and fellow Traveling Trainers that have come off the road for the 2008 season. To Tanya, Cody, Alexis, and Topher: It was a great season working with you guys. We didn't spend a lot of personal time together but living on the road as Traveling Trainers together somehow builds an even deeper bond. We hope that you all find pleasure in whatever it is you do after life on the road and hopefully we will bump into you somewhere out there.

We will miss you guys.

The End of the Road......

Well it has been one amazing journey this past year, and we would like to thank all of the wonderful staff at Leave No Trace in Boulder, our program host who were amazing, and all the friends and families who have taken us in and made us feel right at home. We did programs and travels this past year in about 32 different states, and outreach to over 5,000 people. Teaching all over the country has been the best experience and one that has made us grow immensely. Having the ability to travel, teach, and do our favorite recreational activities all over the country has been a once in a life time opportunity. 

Today is our last day here in Boulder, as we clean and un- pack the Subaru, and realize how much stuff you can really pack in to a subi! Thank you again to all the staff , our partners, and sponsors for the traveling trainer program, we would not be able to do all the outreach and education without you guys! 

Happy Trails, 

Alexis & Topher 

International Urban Parks Convention

Pittsburgh, PA is a beautiful city and it's getting greener by the minute. The city stands as an example of modern urban renewal with a keen focus on it's urban parks. Therefore, it was no coincidence that Pittsburgh was this year's site for the International Urban Parks Convention. We at Leave No Trace have devoted much of our efforts recently to developing a Frontcountry Program that addresses the unique opportunities and impacts that exist in our urban parks and day use areas around the country, so we were very eager to meet and work with park officials and city planners from around the region. A highlight for us was hearing Richard Louv, author of "Last Child in the Woods," speak about the importance that these green places have on children and how urban parks are the first and perhaps only opportunities that many kids will have to be in nature. As our current national situation continues, more Americans will be looking much closer to home for outdoor recreation and the kind of rejuvination and curious inspiration that our natural world can provide us. "Near is the new far," according to Outside magazine, so here's to bike rides in the park, fishing at the local fishing hole, day trips to our state parks, imagination and exploration in our own back yards, getting our hands dirty in the garden, and volunteering to clean up and green up our neighborhood parks. And please, bring the kids along!

Did you know that the city of Pittsburgh has the most bridges in the world with 446 in the city limits. That's three more than Venice, Italy. There are a staggering 944 bridges in the greater Pittsburgh area of Allegheny county!