Picture of the Week 12/23/11

Chopping wood for the winter

Happy Trails To You!

Professional Development Day 2011

As we bid farewell to the year 2011, we are reflecting on the many successes of the Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program.  For the past two seasons, we have had the pleasure of working with two fantastic colleagues.  As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  We wish only the best to our associates who are moving on to their next great adventure.  Thank you Jason and Agata Ketterick for all of your hard work.  We look forward to seeing where the trail takes you and never stop making teeny tiny shadow puppets in your tent!

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the Week 12/16/11

Hale Reservation in Westwood, MA

Bigfoot's Shopping Spree

Checking out the tubes for fun on the hill!

Freeport, ME.  While we were at LL Bean last week, we noticed some strange activity throughout the store.  

Bigfoot loves the warm Bean flannels!

 Every where we looked, crowds of people we watching as Bigfoot came to take care of some of his holiday shopping.  LL Bean is one of the top stores where Bigfoot can find all kinds of outdoor products.  And because they support Leave No Trace, Bigfoot gets even more excited!
Where else will Bigfoot shop this year?  Check out the list of companies and organizations that support Leave No Trace through partnership here.  Keep these companies in mind as you do your holiday shopping this year!

Why not just a little more fur?

Taking a rest after a long day of shopping

Explore Responsibly...Kate, Tracy, and Bigfoot

Backyard Session in Maine

Freeport, ME. Team East traveled to LL Bean's Flagship store to take part in a Leave No Trace Backyard Session. Hosted by the Maine Steering Committee, this session brought together 45 key volunteers from across the state of Maine. The energy in the room was exhilarating as the group discussed ways to increase training opportunities and awareness of Leave No Trace within their communities. In the photo to the left, Marcia and Gabe Williamson, former Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers and current Maine State Advocates, lead a brainstorming sessions on ways to strengthen and promote Leave No Trace in the state of Maine.

Attending the meeting were representatives from local schools and universities, such as Colby College and the University of Maine, Council leaders from the Boy Scouts of America and US Girl Scouts, staff and volunteers from Maine Island Trails Association and other local conservation groups, the Nature Conservancy and Saco River Recreation Council, local summer camps, and the Maine Bureau of Land Management, just to name a few. It was amazing to see such a diverse group of outdoor enthusiasts and educators come together and share ideas.

As a special thank you to everyone for volunteering their time to participate in the Backyard Session, partners of Leave No Trace donated some fun gear to raffle off at the end of the workshop. Included were materials from the Leave No Trace store, Outdoor Research T-shirts, RestStop Portable Toilets Systems, and one lucky winner walked away with a Keen Shoe gift card!

A special thank you to Charlie Jacobi, Marcia and Gabe Williamson, and the rest of the steering committee for hosting such a rewarding Backyard Session. Also, thank you to LL Bean, a long-time supporter of Leave No Trace, for providing a space for the session!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Picture of the Week 12/2/11

Heading to San Francisco, CA for our last event - The North Face Endurance Challenge!

Team West At The North Face Endurance Challenge

San Francisco, California -

This coming weekend brings the last event for Team West in the 2011 Traveling Trainer season at The North Face Endurance Challenge. The North Face has long been a strong advocate for promoting responsible outdoor recreation and has generously supported Leave No Trace over the years. Team West will be on site all weekend to provide information and educational materials to all the participants, friends, and family who have come out to support their favorite racers.

One of the many celebrities on the guest list this weekend will be our mascot (see photo above) Bigfoot, and the rumor is he will be out and about for the Karno Kids Race! Stop by and learn more about enjoying the outdoors with Leave No Trace in mind.

See you at the race,

Jason and Agata

Are You A "MAINE-iac" About Leave No Trace?

Freeport, ME.  This weekend marks the final Leave No Trace Backyard Session of the 2011 season.  Backyard Sessions provide a platform for Leave No Trace Master Educators, Trainers, volunteers, and supporters to find ways communities can incorporate Leave No Trace into all of the ways they live and play.  Throughout the 2011 season, more than a dozen sessions were held across the country.  We are excited to close out the season at L.L. Bean to work closely with the Maine State Advocates, Marcia and Gabe Williamson, Charlie Jacobi and others from the Maine Steering Committee, and many key volunteers that work hard to promote the Leave No Trace program in New England.

This weekend is also the Winter Sports Weekend at L.L. Bean.  This is a great opportunity to do some holiday shopping, test out some winter gear, take a clinic about winter camping or ice fishing, and learn about Leave No Trace! The Winter Sports Weekend begins Friday and will have free activities all weekend long.  Come check it out!

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the Week 11/25/11

Marbled Orb Weaver Spider - Araneus marmoreus

We spotted this spider during a hike in North Carolina.

Way Back Wednesday: Walking on the Wild Side

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we would like to give thanks to all of the former Traveling Trainer teams that paved the way, or hiked the trail so to speak, for their efforts in making the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program the success that it is today. Here is a blog written in 2008 by former Traveling Trainer Amy Allison. This blog reminds us about the importance of respecting wildlife and doing all we can to keep wildlife wild!

Click here to check out Amy's blog:  Walking on the Wild Side

Gobble, Gobble...Kate and Tracy

San Gabriel River Hot Spot Training

Glendora, CA -

Earlier this week, Team West facilitated Leave No Trace educational trainings for the staff and volunteers who patrol and educate the general public on the San Gabriel River and in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest of southern California.

The San Gabriel river is located one hour east of Los Angeles, California and is enjoyed by tens of thousands of visitors (see photo above) over the busiest weekends of the year. The primary partner awarded the Hot Spot grant is the West Fork San Gabriel River Conservancy who will be working closely with the Center for Outdoor Ethics to educate the public about enjoying this area responsibly so it can be preserved for future generations of outdoor recreation enthusiasts.

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Green Lakes State Park

 Fayetteville, NY.  On Friday, an extended training lent itself to a hike that explored a plethora of teachable moments.  Green Lakes State Park has a trail system, a disc golf course, an eighteen hole golf course, a playground, and an abundance of picnic tables.   All of these factors combined amounts to a front country area that is heavily impacted during times of high use.  Along our hike, we were able to talk about picking up microtrash, cleaning up after our pets, invasive species, and traveling on durable surfaces, particularly staying in the middle of a trail even when it's muddy.

Two of the most distinguishing features of the park,  are Green Lake and Round Lake.  Both Round and Green Lakes are meromictic lakes, which means that there is no fall and spring mixing of surface and bottom waters. Such lakes have a high potential for evidence of ancient plant and animal life.  Round Lake has been registered as a National Historic Landmark.  When you come upon these lakes, there is no question about how Green Lake received it's name!  If you are ever in the Central New York, be sure to make time to recreate in this gorgeous state park. 


Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the Week 11/18/11

An Oasis in the Desert

Borrego Palm Canyon in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Outdoor Adventures in San Diego

San Diego, CA - We spent this week in San Diego working with Outdoor Outreach and the Great Escapes program at Point Loma Nazarene University. Both programs take students on amazing outdoor adventures in the San Diego area and beyond.

Outdoor Outreach is a non-profit organization that serves at-risk and underprivileged youth through a variety of outdoor programs. Our first visit of the week was to KIPP Adelante Preparatory Academy, where we introduced sixteen 7th and 8th grade boys to the basics of Leave No Trace. We followed this up with workshops with each of the Adventure Clubs that Outdoor Outreach has formed and facilitated in three San Diego High Schools: Crawford, Lincoln, and El Cajon Valley. Students participating in Adventure Club meet weekly after school to plan their trips and to participate in enrichment activities such as first-aid training, yoga, and Leave No Trace. The students also take part in environmental stewardship projects, such as beach clean-ups, and participate in monthly outdoor trips, which include rock climbing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and overnight trips to Joshua Tree National Park. We introduced the Adventure Club members to the basics of Leave No Trace through a variety of interactive activities.

We completed our time in San Diego with a workshop for the leaders of the Great Escapes outdoor program at Point Loma Nazarene University. Nine leaders joined us to learn more about effectively communicating Leave No Trace. We introduced these motivated college students to the Authority of the Resource Technique and gave the students an opportunity to practice the technique through a series of skits.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Authority of the Resource Technique In Action

Pickens County, SC.  While hiking at Table Rock State Park in South Carolina, we came across this signage at the trailhead.  This sign does a great job of not only citing the expectations the rangers have for pet owners in the park, but it also explains the "whys" behind the regulations.  By educating visitors about why certain rules and regulations are in place allows the visitors to make more sound and responsible decisions while enjoying the parks resources.  This is an effective use of the Authority of the Resource Technique, a concept developed by a man named Dr. George N Wallace.  To learn more about this technique you can take a Leave No Trace Trainer Course or read the article by clicking here.
Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington

Medford, OR - On Saturday, 35 Girl Scouts, leaders, and parents chose to spend part of their day learning more about Leave No Trace. We explored the 7 principles of Leave No Trace through several activities including What Principle Am I? & Minimum Impact Match. Both of these activities can be found in the Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids (PEAK) pack, which is a great resource for scout leaders wanting to educate their troops about Leave No Trace in a fun and interactive way.




The scouts also put their artistic skills to use and made awesome posters illustrating the seven principles of Leave No Trace.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Montreat College Embraces Leave No Trace

Outdoor Living Skills Class

Montreat, NC.  Traveling Trainers have had the pleasure of providing awareness workshops at Montreat College for a few consecutive years.  This year was no exception as we spent four days on their mountainous campus which is complete with its own challenging trail system. We had the opportunity to work with students from both the Outdoor Living Skills and Survey of Outdoor Education classes. Each class was filled with enthusiastic participants that were eager to learn about and discuss not only the 7 Leave No Trace principles, but also the ethics that accompany the program.  A special thank you to Andrew Bobilya and Ken Kalisch for providing future outdoor educators with a strong foundation of outdoor ethics.

Additionally, we also got to facilitate our 27th trainer course during the visit!  Five students from the outdoor education program dedicated their weekend to a backpacking Leave No Trace adventure.  We hiked along the Lookout Trail towards Buck Gap Shelter, where we would spend the night under the stars discussing ways to incorporate the Leave No Trace skills and ethics into all of their future outings.

Below, enjoy a slideshow from the course:

Thank you Bubbling Brook, Rapids, Mountain, Tree, and Changing Seasons for a memorable course!

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the Week 11/11/11

Pinnacle Trail, Table Rock State Park, SC

Team West Goes Back To School

Cave Junction, Oregon -

This week Team west has been traveling through southern Oregon and visiting with students to talk more about enjoying the outdoors responsibly. One of the many topics discussed has been the elusive nature of Bigfoot and how kids can learn more about the seven program principles while they participate in the Bigfoot Challenge online.

Above we see a few first graders excitedly offering their own ideas about taking care of nature and remembering to play safely and respectfully while enjoying their favorite outdoor activities!

All the best,

Jason and Agata

If It's FREE, It's for ME!

Kate and Tracy visit their 40th National Park

 USA.  The time has come on this upcoming Veterans Day weekend for the Free Entrance Days in the National Parks.  That's right-FREE!  November 10-12 marks the last set of FEE-FREE days at National Parks in 2011.

Kate's family visits the Grand Canyon

 Grab your family,  grab your friends, and find a National Park in your neck of the woods.  Hike, paddle, camp, or bike your way through this Veterans Day weekend! 

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

BAM! at AEE

Kate points out the Leave No Trace logo at the International AEE Conference

Jacksonville, FL.  The 39th Annual International Association for Experiential Education Conference took place this past weekend in Jacksonville, FL.  This conference brings together over 600 outdoor professionals to collaborate, network, learn, and teach about empowering individuals through experiential learning opportunities.  The theme of the conference was crossing, building, and being bridges.  Ultimately experiential education is a bridge between the content of learning (math, science, social science, humanities, history, etc) and activities to make the learning real, relevant, and part of the student's experience.  Taken further, it is a bridge between these activities and a learner's opportunity to learn about themselves-their power and connection to a larger community.  And beyond, it is about taking these activities and helping the individual see their role in making the world a more just and compassionate place.

We had the opportunity to present a 90 minute workshop on ways to incorporate Leave No Trace into educational programs.  The workshop provided a platform for discussing the importance of using hands-on, interactive lessons when teaching Leave No Trace and how critical it is to explain the how's and why's behind the skills and practices of Leave No Trace.  By utilizing these strategies, students can develop their own outdoor ethic and make sound decisions in the out of doors that will preserve and protect the quality of the resource.

Next stop...Montreat College!

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the Week 11/4/11

South Sisters Wilderness, Oregon -

Team West enjoying the last few weeks of life on the road.

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Educating Youth at Crooked River State Park

What gear should you bring on a day hike at Crooked River State Park to help you Leave No Trace?

Crooked River State Park, GA.  After spending a few glorious days backpacking along Cumberland Island National Seashore, Team East moved inland a few miles to Crooked River State Park for an evening of car camping, a nice hot shower (which was needed after hiking and playing in the sand for days), and a little time to regroup before our evening awareness workshop.

With so many bugs also enjoying the park that night, we decided to host the workshop inside the group shelter and spare everyone a few itchy bites.   More than 40 excited boy and girl scouts, along with their parents, came to the park to learn more about ways they can leave no trace when they are out with their scout troops.  The group learned a lot as we explored the seven principles of Leave No Trace through various activities including What Principle Am I? and How Long Does It Last?  from the PEAK Pack.  The PEAK Program, Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids, is an ideal resource for scout leaders to use while educating their troops about Leave No Trace.  It allows the children to explore the ideas of leave no trace in a fun and interactive way.  Another great resource is the book 101 Ways to Teach Leave No Trace.  Check them out in the store!  

5th Graders in Central Oregon Get Creative on Halloween Day

Leave What You Find by Megan

Redmond, OR - On Halloween Day, thinking about things other than candy and costumes is quite the task, especially if you're ten, but the 5th graders of Tom McCall Elementary School were excited to learn about Leave No Trace.

Be Careful With Fire by Aaliah

We decided to draw on the students' creative sides and have them illustrate what they learned about the 7 Leave No Trace Principles. Each student chose a principle to focus on and we've shared three of the drawings here.

Respect Wildlife by Garrett

We also visited three classes of high school students at Redmond Proficiency Academy, a unique charter school that serves ninth through twelfth grade students who desire a more interest-based or self-designed course of study, or who seek an accelerated course of study, or desire a non-seat time based schedule to meet their personal needs.

Trick or Treat,

Agata and Jason

Picture of the Week 10/28/11: Caption Contest!

Caption Contest: How would you title this photo?

Leave No Trace in the San Juan Islands

Lopez Island - San Juan Islands, WA

Sometimes it's not how many students are in a classroom that matters, but instead what they do with the information they have learned that counts most. Last weekend Team West was fortunate enough to share outdoor ethics educational programs with members of the Lopez Island community who directly work with the general public across a variety of environments.

In attendance were representatives from the Bureau of Land Management (Spokane District), San Juan County Land Bank, Lopez Island Conservation Corp, Washington State Parks (Spencer Spit State Park), and Whispers of Nature.

The photo above catches up with our crew on the beach talking through a few of the teachable moments that Leave No Trace speaks to with respect, science, and a little common sense.

Many thanks to our friends Nick and Susie Teague for hosting Leave No Trace and introducing us to so many fellow educators and outdoor enthusiasts!

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Stick 'Em Up!

Bigfoot Warns: Take My Challenge!

With bubble gun in hand, Bigfoot "threatens" all outdoor enthusiasts to spend two minutes taking The Bigfoot Challenge.  The end of October is right around the corner, so time is running out to win quality product from KEEN  Here are this month's challenges:

1. On Halloween pick up 1 stray candy wrapper for every year of your age, challenge your friends to do the same.
2. Download a free PEAK activity from the Leave No Trace website and volunteer to teach a 15-25 minute segment to kids at a local school or youth group. Downloadable PEAK activities can be found at the bottom left of the webpage:
3. Take back 15 minutes of your day and just go outside! Grab a friend and take the 15 minute Keen Recess Pledge! After recess, try to leave your “playground” in better condition than you found it.
4. Score a $150 gift card toward Keen gear by becoming a Leave No Trace member at the Wanderer level ($171.60

If one of these simple tasks is jumping out at you as easily achievable, then take the challenge and become a steward of the land.  Yes, it is that easy! 

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Le Petite Roche

Little Rock, AR.  It was a whirlwind tour through Central Arkansas.  We had many successful events in both Little Rock and North Little Rock, working with the Parks and Recreation Departments, local boy scout troops, and volunteers of the Arkansas River Trail.  We were fortunate to meet the mayor of North Little Rock, Patrick Henry Hays, who attended our Backyard Session, held at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center, and our awareness workshop at Burns Park in North Little Rock.
We woke before dawn to speak on Daybreak, the early morning news in Little Rock.  Click here to see our video clip of that interview.
To end the weekend, we traveled to Damascus, AR to be guest presenters at the Quapaw Area Council Leave No Trace Trainer Course held at the state of the art Donald W. Reynolds Training Center on the Blass Scout Reservation.  We want to thank all of the Leave No Trace Master Educators of the Quapaw Council for their hard work in training and educating the scouts and leaders of Central Arkansas in Leave No Trace.  You guys rock!
With so many events in the area, it was no surprise that Bigfoot joined in on the fun.  Check out some of the photos above.
One final thank you to Rob Stephens for being a stellar event host!  We look forward to returning to Central Arkansas for future events.
Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Picture(s) of the Week 10/21/11

Seattle, Washington -
EarthCorps Trainer Course in Warren G. Magnuson Park on the shores of Lake Washington.

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Calling All Arkansas Leave No Tracers!

Rollin and Strollin on the Arkansas River Trail

Little Rock Arkansas.  The Traveling Trainers will be providing four chock-full days of outreach in Central Arkansas.  Prominent Boy Scouts of America Council Advocate and Leave No Trace Master Educator, Rob Stephens, has worked diligently on the logistics for each of the upcoming events.  We will be providing awareness workshops, facilitating a Leave No Trace Backyard Session, setting up a booth for trailhead outreach (at both Pinnacle Mountain State Park and The Big Dam Bridge) , running in A Race For the Cure 5K, and even making an appearance on the local news on Friday morning!  For more information on times and dates, click here for the specifics of Team East's schedule.  If you live in the area, we'd love to see you at one of our events!
Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

The North Face Speaker Series Features Ingrid Backstrom

Seattle, Washington - Last week Team West was in the Pacific Northwest with local legend Ingrid Backstrom and Leave No Trace partner The North Face. Ingrid spoke in Olympia and Seattle on consecutive evenings about her inspirations and adventures as one of the top all mountain skiers in the world.

In the photo above a few members of the team from The North Face, Alpine Experience, and Leave No Trace get together before the speaker series kicks off in Olympia, Washington!

What makes events like The North Face Speaker Series unique is the opportunity for outdoor recreation enthusiasts of all ages to access and enjoy the "stoke" alongside the athletes who are members of The North Face team! Ingrid's accomplishments and accolades are only eclipsed by her humility and indefatigably positive attitude throughout all her adventures.

Stay tuned to the upcoming calendar with The North Face Speaker Series in your area to connect with an event that will make your year and get you stoked to get into the mountains!

All the best,

Jason and Agata

The North Face Cares

Pine Mountain, GA. This weekend over 1200 runners challenged their strength and endurance at The North Face Endurance Challenge outside of Atlanta, GA. The FD Roosevelt State Park trail system provided a technical course for the athletes that competed in either the 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, Marathon, 50k, or the 50 mile race. Once again, these athletes showed an unbelievable amount of determination and physical toughness as each person crossed the finish line.

Kids of all ages took part in the Karno Kids Race

There were many children in attendance that took part in the Karno Kids Race, including one of Leave No Trace's biggest kid at heart- Bigfoot!  A local middle school brought 53 students to the 5k portion of the Endurance Challenge as part of the Fit Club at their school. We even watched as an eight year old boy completed his first 5k race on Sunday. Way to go!

The North Face takes many steps to minimize the impact placed on the event locations.  In addition to encouraging all of the athletes to practice Leave No Trace during the race by packing out all trash, including goo packets, and staying on the established trail, they give each athlete a reusable water bottle and have staff scouring the grounds for microtrash.  They even used clothes pins to hang up the trail markers along the route, instead of nailing them into the trees!  We appreciate all of the proactive efforts The North Face takes to protect and enjoy the outdoors.

Trail Marker along the 50 mile race route

Be on the look out for Team West, Jason and Agata, at the final stop of the 2011 Endurance Challenge Series in San Francisco on December 3-4.

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the Week 10/14/11

Sometimes one picture of the week just isn't enough...

Leaf Peeping In West Virginia

Up Close and Personal With the Beautiful Fall Colors

Happy Fall Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Ingrid Backstrom Speaks Tonight in Seattle

Seattle, WA - Ingrid Backstrom, extreme skier and The North Face athlete, will be speaking tonight at the REI Flagship store at 7 PM as part of The North Face Speaker Series, which showcases the world's top outdoor athletes.

Ingrid has starred in ski films like the acclaimed 2007 film Steep, and was the sole female on Powder Magazine's list of Future Big Mountain Heroes. Her quest to ski has taken her around the globe, and she's tried adventure sports from climbing to BASE jumping. Tonight she will present "Whimsical Dreams: The Skiing Life."

General admission is free, so come out tonight to see Ingrid's presentation and to visit with Team West.

Where: REI Seattle Flagship, 222 Yale Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109

When: October 13, 2011, 7 PM

More information: here

All the best,

Agata and Jason

World Famous Mountains Conference

Portland, OR - This week in Portland, resource and recreation managers of mountains from all over the world are getting together to share ideas at the third annual World Famous Mountains Conference.

The World Famous Mountains Association is a non profit organization made up of policy makers, government officials and representatives of organizations that manage the world's most famous mountains. The Association was formed in China in 2009 and now represents 25 mountains from Australia, Austria, Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, the Philippines, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Tanzania, and the United States of America.

This year's conference is being held in the United States for the first time thanks to the generous support of the US Forest Service. The conference, which was held in China the first two years, is focused on natural resource protection, sustainable tourism, environmental education, and the conservation of our world's cultural legacies.



Team West was thrilled to have the opportunity to give a short presentation on Leave No Trace to the international audience present at the conference. It was also a pleasure to listen to Monday's keynote speaker, Stacy Allison, the first American woman to summit Mt. Everest. Stacy's dynamic presentation focused on the importance of partnerships when managing the world's most famous mountains.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Rock Climber on the Endless Wall

Lansing, WV. Team East spent last weekend in the New River Gorge in West Virginia to provide outreach at the Canyon Rim Visitors Center. The New River Gorge is a fantastic area to rock climb, white water raft, hike, camp, and sightsee at the many historical mining towns. Although the weather was unforgiving, this did not stop people from floating the river all weekend. We had the chance to speak to many visitors as they stopped in the Canyon Rim Visitor's Center to get local information and to gaze at the New River Bridge, which is the longest arch bridge in the western hemisphere. We were fortunate enough to enjoy a personal tour with Park Ranger Jodi French-Burr, who is also the Northeast Region Outdoor Ethics Coordinator, through the Nuttallburg Area. This is a newly restored mining town that will soon be open to the public. A special thank you to Jodi for taking the time to share the magic of this beautiful gorge!
Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Nutallburg Mining Complex