Red, White, Blue, And GREEN! Campsite Challenge

Quincy, CA.  This past weekend marked the 21^st anniversary of the High Sierra Music Festival (HSMF) in Quincy, California.  More than 8,000 attendees flock to the fairgrounds early each July in eager anticipation of dancing their way through four mind bending days of action and non-stop music on three stages. 

Three years ago, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics joined the HSMF in an effort to raise sustainability awareness while at the festival by practicing Leave No Trace. The Red, White, Blue, and Green Campsite Challenge encourages festival goers to swing by the booth and tell us how they are being sustainable, clean, and creative with their campsites while at the festival.  Based on these merits, Leave No Trace staff, High Sierra festival staff, and a few select guest judges choose the winning campsite each day.  Thank-you to High Sierra for donating daily prizes including a HSMF goody pack.   On Sunday, the individual daily winners were reassessed by the judges and the grand prize winner, “Camp Committed To Excellence,” walked off with all the Coleman gear they will need to have a successful festival experience next year. 

Each year there are increasingly more and more participants in the challenge.  If you did not get a chance to participate this year, keep Leave No Trace in mind as you prepare for any music festival this summer, as well as, all your other outdoor adventures.  A special thank-you to past Traveling Trainer team Alexis Ollar and Topher Marlatt for bringing Leave No Trace into the line-up and encouraging all campers to green up the scene!

We had the opportunity to meet Joe Baughman the president and proprietor of Grub Hub Camp Kitchens.  Grub Hub is the most portable and organized all terrain camp kitchens and field stations.  As Grub Hub is a new partner with the Leave No Trace, we wanted to thank Joe for his support and welcome Grub Hub to the Leave No Trace community!

Explore Responsibly…Kate and Tracy   

On A Voyage Through Voyageurs National Park

International Falls, MN.  In our opinion, National Parks are indeed, one of America's best ideas.  Yesterday, we had the opportunity to work and play at Voyageurs National Park, just outside of International Falls, MN.  In the morning, we presented an introduction to the Leave No Trace program to 70 park staff.  In the afternoon, we hiked amid swarms of active dragon flies.  What an experience! 


Nestled abutting the Canadian border, Voyageurs NP is full of opportunities for exploration.  Nearly 200 years ago voyageurs paddled birch bark canoes full of animal pelts and trade goods through this area on their way to Lake Athabasca, Canada.  Today, people explore the park by houseboat, motorboat, canoe, and kayak.  Voyageurs is a water-based park where you must leave your car and take to the water to fully experience the lakes, islands, and shorelines of the park.  The serenity of the wilderness beckons you!


A special thank-you to Kathleen Przybylski for inviting the Traveling Trainers to work with the staff at Voyageurs National Park.


Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

A Few of Our Memories

Before we say our final good-byes, we wanted to share a few of our memories from the past three years with you...

National Parks Waive Fees for Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11

From the National Park Service ...

National Parks Waive Fees for Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11

Date: November 5, 2009
Contact: Mike Litterst, Public Affairs Officer, 757-898-2409

Yorktown, Va. – To honor America’s service men and women, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has declared that areas managed by the department will not charge entrance fees on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11. Included in the fee-free day are all National Park Service sites, including the Historic Jamestowne and Yorktown Battlefield units of Colonial National Historical Park.

“The Department of the Interior is honored to offer this fee free day to thank our nation’s service men and women,” said Salazar said “The sacrifices and achievements of the brave men and women of our armed forces can never be understated. We invite all of our visitors to enjoy this fee-free day and take time out on this national holiday to remember our service men and women who are currently serving overseas in harms way.”

As an agency of the Interior Department, the National Park Service preserves and protects 392 units representing some of the country’s most significant scenic and cultural places. The National Park Service website provides information on National Park Service battlefields, military parks, and historic sites that commemorate the service of American veterans.

Free entrance on Veterans Day applies also at other areas managed by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service.

More Info ( + )

4th of July on the Saco River

To celebrate the 4th of July we headed to Fryeberg, Maine to work with the Saco River Recreational Council. The Saco River is an incredibly popular recreational river-during the summer it's not uncommon to see over 3,000 people on the water durning a busy weekend. With so many users, it is not surprising that the Saco also sees it's fair share of impacts. Litter, illegal fires, and user conflicts are all major concerns on the Saco. To combat these impacts, the Saco River Recreational Council host several massive river clean-ups each year and is also working on educating users about Leave No Trace.

We had a great time despite thunderstorms and dangerous river levels. While the weather kept away many of the boaters that usually flock to this river over the summer, we did have a chance to meet with many individuals who are dedicated to preserving the Saco River for generations to come. We want to give a big thanks to Michelle and the rest of the staff at Swan Falls Campground for being such great hosts. Keep up the good work and we hope to see you again soon!

Seeking: Community Outreach Intern

POSITION: Community Outreach Intern
CLOSING DATE: May 15, 2009 or until position is filled
SEND INFO TO: Outreach Manager, Center for Outdoor Ethics
P.O. Box 997,
Boulder, CO 80306
Email: info@LNT.org
(NO CALLS PLEASE)

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is seeking a motivated and conservation- oriented individual for a full-time (20+ hours a week) summer internship (June through August) for a Community Marketing project in Boulder, Colorado. Leave No Trace is a critical conservation movement that promotes sustainable outdoor recreation for the benefit of people and the natural environment.

The Community Outreach Intern will work closely with both the Outreach Manager and the Community and Partnership Coordinator to oversee the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer10th Anniversary Challenge using YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools, as well as completing administrative tasks as necessary. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer program, launched in 1999, consists of two teams of highly skilled Leave No Trace educators that travel from state-to-state teaching and promoting Leave No Trace to outdoor retailers, youth serving organizations, land managers, hiking, biking and other user groups and individuals across the country.

In 2009, we’re celebrating their tremendous outreach efforts by encouraging outdoor enthusiasts to make a pledge to not only join a nationwide conservation movement, but to pledge to take Leaving No Trace ethics where it matters most - the places we play.

Qualified candidates should have some administrative and social media experience and have the ability to manage a variety of tasks. Knowledge of databases and Macintosh platform is helpful. Outdoor industry, conservation/education experience is a plus but not required. The Center for Outdoor Ethics is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from people of all races, ages, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Application information can be found here.

Learn more about the award-winning Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org

Teaching Teens About Leave No Trace

We recently spent some time in the D.C. area working with Daisy Scouts, Land Managers, Anglers, and High School Teachers. At the Northwoods High School in Silver Springs, MD we had the opportunity to talk with high school teachers about the Teen Pack. Emily (above) took the time to show everyone the activities in the Teen Pack and, of course, we found time to play some of the activities. After the workshop we made our way to North Carolina.

Happy New Year!!!

We’re ba-ack! After a six-week hiatus, we are excited to be back in the Subaru traveling around the United States for Leave No Trace. This year promises to be an exciting year for Leave No Trace as well as the Traveling Trainer Program.

We hit the ground running by taking part in our annual Master Educator Course Provider Meeting in Boulder, Colorado this morning. In addition to getting updates, we were excited to hear about all of the Master Educator Courses that will be provided in 2009. The Master Educator Course is a great way to gain in-depth information on Leave No Trace skills and ethics and to learn how to communicate Leave No Trace to others. Did we mention that there are scholarships available for theses courses?

Check back soon to hear about our new Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Team, our 10-Year Anniversary Celebration, and Outdoor Retailer Winter Market.

Hope your 2009 is off to a great start!