Delaware Gap Trainer Course

We spent the weekend at the Shawnee Inn in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, PA.  The participants were eager to learn and consume all of the delicious Clif Bars that we had to offer!  Rainy weather could not put an end to a fun filled weekend of discussing Leave No Trace.  We were able to get out and hike a stretch of the Appalachian Trail and take advantage of the beautiful grounds at the Shawnee Inn.  The newly trained Leave No Trace Trainers left the course eager to put their knowledge into action.  Good luck to all the participants as they bring Leave No Trace to their personal and professional endeavors.  A special thank-you to Johnny Carawan for hosting the event and to Jenny Fuller and all the Staff at the Shawnee Inn for being so helpful in providing a wonderful venue for the course!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the week 8/28/09

                                     We couldn't have said it better ourselves!

Tim Horton Camp Kentahten Leave No Trace Musical Throwdown!

Opened in 2001, this is the first Tim Horton Children's Foundation camp in the United States. The camp occupies 50 acres of waterfront property on Green River Lake, in the heart of Kentucky.  Tim Horton Camp Kentahten hosts residential campers throughout the summer months and March Break.  Campers get to choose from a variety of activities including wake boarding, canoeing, kayaking, archery, high and low ropes courses, disc golf and fishing to name a few.  We had the pleasure of spending the morning with 95 campers from Canada.  As it was a musically themed week at camp, we split the campers into groups and had them create a tune based on one of the seven Leave No Trace principles.  The kids and staff were super creative and had a ton of fun performing their songs!

After our presentations, we were lucky enough to climb the tower on the high ropes course and ZOOM down the zip line.  What a blast!  A special thanks to "Crocs" and the entire staff at Camp Kentahten for making our experience so memorable.  We look forward to returning next summer to have more fun with this crew!

Safe Travels...Kate and Tracy

Ox Roast at 7 Ranges

The 32nd annual Ox Roast at Seven Ranges scout camp in Kensington, OH provided a great opportunity for the Buckeye Council scouts to gather for a big feast, earn and swap patches, and learn about Leave No Trace.  There were over 500 scouts and leaders swarming the grounds, excited to learn new skills.  We taught the boys about ways to minimize their impacts while camping with their troops and how to dispose of waste properly.  

We also encouraged folks to take the Bigfoot Challenge, as seen here in the photo.  A special thanks to Jack Smith for inviting team east to be a part of this boy scout tradition.  

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the Week 08/21/09

Who can name that site?

Folks Festival 2009

We had a great time at Folks Fest this year! In addition to hearing some great music, we were also able to host the Campsite Challenge. We would like to thank Planet Bluegrass for making this such a great event and donating tickets and camping to the winning campers. We would also like to thank our friends at Keen, Clif Bar, and New Belgium for donating great prizes for all the finalists!

Congratulations to the 2009 Campsite Challenge winners: The Bloss Campsite. The Bloss Family was one mean, green, and clean group of Festivarians (just kidding about the mean part).

They kept an exceptionally tidy camp. Anything that was susceptible to wind gusts was securely stored or anchored down. Additionally there was no food left out that might be appetizing to wildlife in the area. We were also impressed with their efforts to be sustainable. They were drinking from last year’s festival cups, had reusable containers for water and brought their food in reusable grocery bags. What waste was created at their campsite was separated into recyclables and compostables and taken to the waste station. While walking to the waste stations, they made a habit of picking up litter along their way. They minimized their water consumption by showering every other day and re-wearing clothes. Their small tent was a good fit for their group’s size and left a very small footprint. At camp they used the moonlight and flashlights that required no batteries (just shaking) to recharge. Finally, their creative use of fung shui put their camping environment in harmony with nature and the flow of energy.

Campfire Results

You've had some time to consider how the picture from Thursday's blog could have had less impact on the environment.  Here is a list of what we came up with:

1.  Wood collected for burning (in areas where the regulations allow) should have the characteristics of the 4 D's-dead, down, dinky (smaller than your wrist, shorter than your forearm), and distant.

2.  Established fire rings should always be used when available.

3.  Burn wood to white ash.  In front country areas, leave ash in the established fire ring.  In back country settings grind small coals to ash between gloved hands, thoroughly soak with water, and scatter remains over a large area away from camp.  (Note: In river corridors ashes may have to be packed out)

Here is a second look at the picture that we took this summer along the Diamond Fork River in Utah: 

Thanks to Bear Leader and Russell Fruits for taking a second to comment on the impacts they saw in the picture.  The school year is right around the corner, but fall weekends provide an amazing venue with crisp, cool nights that are perfect for gathering 'round the campfire.  Enjoy these times and remember to Minimize Campfire Impacts as you do so!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

Campfire Challenge!

There is still plenty of time in summer '09 to get outdoors and enjoy a camping trip with family or friends.  In considering the Leave No Trace principle Minimize Campfire Impacts, this photo represents a less than leave no trace campsite.  Can you identify what could have been done differently to minimize the campfire impacts on this site?

Post your ideas in our comments or email us at kateandtracy@lnt.org and check back on Monday for the results!

Happy Camping...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the week 8/14/09

Campers at Wetlands Week in State College, PA were excited to learn about Leave No Trace and to receive their Subaru/Leave No Trace tote bags!

Global Youth Leadership Institute

It's been an exciting start to our east coast tour!  We just had the pleasure of working with 21 campers and 9 staff members at the Global Youth Leadership Institute in Stonington, CT.  These campers congregated from all over the country to participate in fun interactive activities to explore ideas of environmental sustainability and collaborative leadership.  The students were inquisitive and eager to learn about Leave No Trace.  We thoroughly enjoyed our time with these future leaders!  Thanks for having us.

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy

National Order of the Arrow Conference-NOAC

The National Order of the Arrow Conference is a six day celebration where Arrowmen from around the world come together to share their ideas on lodge leadership, activities, and ceremonies as well as participate in a large variety of competitions.  The conference is held every couple of years.  This year it was at the University of Indiana. It always promises to be a week filled with fun and learning.  

Our booth was set up in the Experience tent.  We spoke with over 3,ooo Arrowmen about ways they can Leave No Trace on their outings.  We were also able to sign up nearly 1,500 scouts for the Bigfoot Challenge! 

During our visit, we were invited to be guest presenters at a trainer course that was taking place during the conference to speak about the Traveling Trainer program and also resources that are available on the Leave No Trace website.  Congratulations to the newest Trainers! 

The Boy Scouts of America have been hard at work revamping their handbook to include a section on Leave No Trace training.  Cheers to all their efforts and all of their hard work in putting together such an outstanding conference.  Here is a slideshow that captures only a few of the numerous activities that took place. Enjoy!

Safe Travels...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the week 7/31/09

Even kids can take the Bigfoot Challenge!  

Fun at Camp Perkins

We spent the last couple of days working in the gorgeous Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho.  We were very happy to meet up with Idaho State Advocate, Paul Holle at Camp Perkins near Stanley, Idaho.  Camp Perkins is a Lutheran Church Camp, which offers week-long summer programs to youth from ID, WY, UT, MT, and WA.  We had a great time meeting the campers and staff at Camp Perkins.  Thanks for having us, and hope to see you all again soon!     

Craters of the Moon

After the crazy crowds that accompany Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, we were pretty happy to head north to Idaho, where life was feeling slightly less hectic. On our way to Camp Perkins, near Stanley, Idaho, we took a short detour through Craters of the Moon National Monument. We spent the day exploring the 2000+ year-old lava flow. It’s an amazing place, here our a few photos from our trip!