The Natural State of Arkansas Tech and Beyond

Wildflowers abound in Arkansas

Russellville, AR.  Team East spent the past two days working with students and faculty at Arkansas Tech University.  An educational partner of Leave No Trace, Arkansas Tech strives to promote Leave No Trace within the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Hospitality Administration.  Nestled in the western part of Arkansas, Russellville is within close proximity to many beautiful lakes, forests, waterfalls, caverns, and mountains.  The "Natural State" truly offers outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy natures playground.  Students at Arkansas Tech can access the Ozark National Forest, Hot Springs National Park, numerous Army Corp of Engineer waterways such as Lake Dardanelle, the Buffalo National River Wilderness, along with numerous state parks including Mount Magazine- the highest point between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains.

Bulletin Board at Arkansas Tech

We had the opportunity to educate the Outdoor Education class on ways to teach youth about Leave No Trace, as the entire class will be working with 5th graders next week at their outdoor school.  The students had a lot of fun acting like 5th graders as we played "What Principle Am I?", which gave them a good introduction to the seven Leave No Trace principles.  We then provided them with strategies on developing lesson plans that activate different learning styles.  The workshop completed with a rousing game of Okay vs. No Way, a favorite amongst elementary school classes we work with (and is available as a FREE download on the Leave No Trace website).
We thank Dr. Glen Bishop for bringing the Traveling Trainer Program to Arkansas Tech!  His enthusiasm for protecting the "Natural State" is contagious and we are very excited to explore what this area has to offer.
We will be at Lake Dardanelle State Park all weekend providing training opportunities for the staff, outreach to the public, and evening campfire programs both Friday and Saturday nights!  Come on down!
Respect the Resource...Kate & Tracy

Need a FREE Leave No Trace Activity for Kids?

As Traveling Trainers, we understand the importance of consistently having kids actively engaged in our workshops. By having kids saying, hearing, seeing, and doing, the retention rate of the information will be much higher.

Since 2001, Leave No Trace has been in a partnership with REI to present our youth program called PEAK, Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids, which currently reaches 120,000 youth annually. The program is presented as a “pack” of six activities. Additional activities, a Teen program and materials in Spanish are also available on our on-line store. The PEAK program can be purchased from the Center or is available through the “Packing with PEAK” grant. You could also contact your local State Advocate or REI store to inquire about borrowing a PEAK Pack. Why not try out one of the sample activities available free of cost, which is available on our website. Click here for more information.

As the weather gets warmer, challenge your children or students to a round of Okay or No Way! This activity represents a win-win situation for parents and elementary school teachers. First, the game acts as a catalyst to introducing youth to the seven principles of Leave No Trace. Second, this activity will get your students running around outside to expel some of their end of the school year energy!

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Gladstone Elementary School Raising Environmental Awareness

Gladstone, OR. Today Team West visited the fourth grade classrooms of John Witter Elementary School in Gladstone, OR to educate them about Leave No Trace. The students have been learning about water conservation and protection during science and they even organized a recycling and composting station for the cafeteria, so our discussion during the activity "How Long Does It Last?" sparked lively conversations and thoughtful questions.

The students gained an appreciation for the principles of Leave No Trace in the activity "What Principle Am I?" They learned just how fun and easy it is to leave no trace and were proud of themselves in realizing that many of them were already practicing it without knowing it. In the photo above, Kate teaches the students about the rule of thumb- a way to gauge safe distances from wildlife. Their imaginations went wild in thinking about what type of animals they would like to see using the rule of thumb!

Wouldn't you know it, here we are in Bigfoot Country and sure enough, our friend Bigfoot came out to visit the fourth grade lunch. He was so excited to see their recycling/composting station and gave a high five to anyone that learned about Leave No Trace. A special thank you to Mr. Curtis B. Williams for inviting us to come today!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

Farming in Nevada City to PEAK in Reno

Nevada City, CA & Reno, NV. Today was an interesting day for Team West. We spent the morning helping out a fellow nonprofit organization called Living Lands Agrarian Network. Living Lands Agrarian Network is a non-profit organization that offers training and mentorship to the next generation of farmers. Their unique model of cooperative farming integrates ecological education, community involvement, resource sharing, and celebration around the food we grow right here in our neighborhoods. They practice and promote localized ecological farming for the profound benefit it has on ourselves, our neighbors and the planet. Our task was to build a fence around a newly developed farm site, maintained by Farmer Amanda Thibodeau. The site will be used as an outdoor educational classroom, inviting students to learn about the farm to table model.

Pictured above is the farm crew, that unites each Wednesday to complete projects at each of the farms in the Living Lands network. Similar to the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, Living Lands abides by the philosophy of education influencing behavior. We were honored to volunteer our time at the "Food Love Project".

After a quick jaunt to the "Biggest Little City in the World", it was time to talk PEAK. After spending the morning at the farm, where they strive to connect people and children to the natural world, we spent the evening teaching community members how beneficial it is to connect kids with nature. To learn more about Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids, click here. See you out there!

Explore Responsibly...Kate and Tracy

Bay Area Wilderness Training at the Presidio, CA

San Francisco, CA

On Monday and Tuesday, Team West provided two four hour trainings for Bay Area Wilderness Training (BAWT). BAWT, a program of the Earth Island Institute, began with the idea that California's bountiful wilderness areas are a vast, yet untapped, resource for local youth-serving organizations. BAWT promotes the wise use of these national, state, and regional parks through professional wilderness leadership training. As the program continues to develop, the staff have embraced Leave No Trace within their programs, especially the Camping at the Presidio Program.

We had a variety of participants join us for the training including BAWT staff and interns, CAP interns, staff from the Presidio Trust and Conservancy, as well as locals who wanted to learn about teaching Leave No Trace to youth. This dynamic group allowed for thoughtful discussion on ethics during the Ethics Game, and had a passion towards educating the youth in their area. Over the four hour training, we dove into the PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) Program and shared a few of our favorite activities we use during youth programs we run and how to effectively communicate the Leave No Trace skills and ethics. We enjoyed the two days and nights we spent in the Presidio and look forward to working with BAWT in the future. Thanks to Grace Malango-Blake for organizing the events!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy

NAI National Conference-Las Vegas

Las Vegas, the city of lights, loud music, and lots of people, is one area of the country you would not expect Leave No Trace to be. Yet this week, over 1000 outdoor enthusiasts from around the country are swarming "Sin City" for the National Association of Interpretation Conference. We are happy to be here to take part in this national conference to educate interpreters and outdoor educators about the Leave No Trace program. We have already spoken to hundreds of participants about our Traveling Trainer program and how to get FREE training at their sites, our youth program PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids), as well as ways to incorporate Leave No Trace into their existing programs, and it is only the second day of the conference! We are looking forward to the rest of the week here, especially our adventure to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, located just outside of the city!

Happy Adventuring...Kate & Tracy

Outreach in New Mexico

Last week we traveled to Farmington, NM to spend time with students at San Juan College and to visit past traveling trainers JD & Emily. San Juan College has a fantastic outdoor program, which takes full advantage of the plethora of recreational opportunities in the area. We provided a two hour training for students of the Wilderness Pursuits class, as well as staff of the Outdoor Recreation Rental Center and others from the local community. Thanks to JD for setting up this event!

On Saturday, we worked with girl scouts in Aztec, NM. Over 30 girl scouts and their parents came to learn about ways to incorporate Leave No Trace into their outings. The girls had a blast playing a few of our PEAK activities, like What Principle Am I?, How Long Does It Last?, and Leave No Trace Draw. After the program, we went outside to get a group photo, and to our surprise Bigfoot came around the corner! All of the girls were so excited to see Bigfoot and get their picture taken with him. Thanks to Emily for helping to set up this visit!

We had a great time catching up with JD and Emily and look forward to seeing them again soon!

Happy Adventuring...Kate & Tracy

Outreach in Arizona

Usually in our blogs we highlight events of the week and recap the trainings and outreach we have provided. Today, we would like to highlight events we have coming up this week in the Phoenix area. This evening, we will be providing two PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) training at REI. The first will be at 4:00 pm at REI Tempe. We will then travel to Paradise Valley for another PEAK training at 7:00 pm. If you live in the Phoenix area and work with youth, come check out the training and learn about PEAK!

Tomorrow, we will be visiting the Phoenix Rock Gym in Tempe, AZ. We will be there from 7-9 pm to provide outreach to the many climbers visiting the gym. There will be competitive climbing going on- it should be rocking! Thanks to Climb PHX for inviting us to the gym!

Happy Adventuring...Kate & Tracy

Presenting PEAK

After waking up and stepping outside of our tent last Thursday in Bozeman, MT, we were greeted by 32 degree weather and our very first bout with frost this season. The cool, crisp air was a reminder that fall is certainly upon all that live in the Northwest.
We spent the morning exploring Hyalite Canyon where there is an endless supply of hiking and biking trails.

After a pleasant hike, it was back to town to get prepared for our PEAK (Promoying Environmental Awareness in Kids) presentation at the Bozeman REI, a store that had just opened a few months prior to our arrival. Theresa Larson, the Outreach Specialist, extended the invitation to folks in the community, so as a result, we drew a pretty diverse crowd. There were Scout Leaders, a middle school teacher, a retired teacher, a family that home schools their children, and REI staff.

As your Fall activities get into full swing, keep in mind that Leave No Trace practices extend far beyond the scope of hiking and camping. The beauty of Leave No Trace is that it cam be seemlessly incorporated into any human powered recreation. We would like to present you with a challenge: In this "PEAK" foliage time of year, take a child into the great outdoors and introduce them to a new activity. Are you up for the challenge? Remember, enjoying the outdoors responsibly-happens all year round!

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Teaching in Treehouse Paradise

Last week we held a five hour workshop at one of the more unique and magical venues we have had the opportunity to train at. Vertical Horizons Treehouse Paradise is a bed and breakfast located in southern Oregon near the Redwoods, Oregon Caves National Monument, and the beautiful coastline. This oasis is a retreat worth checking out. Each guest stays in a private treehouse (we stayed in the one pictured below) and is treated to a gourmet breakfast each morning! Guests can come and relax by the campfire, climb trees, play disc golf, play with Cosmo and Sadie (the friendly "guard" dogs), go fishing, and enjoy the beautiful scenery, all without leaving the property. We highly recommend getting "High Up In The Trees" at Vertical Horizons! A SUPER HUGE thank you to Jodie Cowan and her family for their hospitality during our stay.

Community is very important to Vertical Horizons Treehouse Paradise and the surrounding area. Staff from the Siskiyou Field Institute and the Oregon Caves National Monument joined us at the treehouses for a day of Leave No Trace training. The morning session was devoted to our PEAK Program, while the afternoon session focused on educating adults about Leave No Trace skills and ethics. Tracy leads a lesson on Minimizing Campfire Impacts, pictured below.
We look forward to future training in the Klamath Siskiyou Mountain area! See you all soon!

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

PEAK training in Westminster, CO

On Saturday, we traveled to REI in Westminster, CO to work with locals interested in learning about our PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) program. We were joined by Team West, Jason and Agata, as well as 11 individuals that wanted to gain information about teaching Leave No Trace to kids. During the two hour presentation, we were able to introduce the PEAK Pack and the Teen Pack, and educate the participants on effective teaching strategies and techniques. We had a great time sharing a few activities and learning about the Leave No Trace information. If you are interested in a PEAK training, you can contact your local REI or request a visit from the Traveling Trainers.

Happy adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Bigfoot on the Iron Goat Trail?

Last night, Team West spent a lovely evening with folks that were part of a volunteer vacation for the American Hiking Society.  This year marked the thirteenth consecutive year of this event taking place on the Iron Goat Trail, approximately 80 miles outside of Seattle.  During the awareness workshop, one of our favorite PEAK games-How Long Does It Last?, was the avenue for a lively discussion on the importance of disposing of waste properly and recycling.  We applaud the trail crew that is taking time out of their busy schedules to volunteer to help keep the Iron Goat Trail of the Cascades as beautiful as ever!

On the ride up to our workshop, we were shocked to run into a friend.  We were awestruck as we cruised down Stevens Pass Highway and out of nowhere, there he was.  It was Bigfoot himself!  He was just finishing up a day on the slopes and let us know that he was getting excited for the upcoming Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City.  He hadn't begun packing yet, but he assured us that he would be there.  He even offered to help us give gear away at the Leave No Trace booth.  The big guy is so thoughtful.  He is looking forward to the event, but if you are not planning on attending OR, he wanted us to remind everyone to take his challenge.  It takes less than 2 minutes and you could win some sweet gear from our partners. Sound good? CLICK HERE to participate.

Safe Travels...Kate and Tracy

Oregon gets Youth Outdoors

With four visits to local Oregon schools, we were able to teach over 450 students about Leave No Trace!  We first visited Crook County High School and Middle School in Prineville, OR.  Crook County is enthusiastically engaging their students in outdoor learning through the use of their local watershed and the outdoor school.  The sixth graders spend two weeks at outdoor school where they learn about the local ecology and plant-life of central Oregon.  The high school students are involved in service projects that help restore and revive the watershed. Community support is essential in building student's connection to nature.  We applaud the work of the Crook County community.  

Our next stop was to the Northwest Youth Corp Outdoor High School in Eugene.  Here students are provided the opportunity to receive an education both in a classroom and in the outdoors.  They are involved in field work, trail crew, and youth corp service projects.  What a fun school!

Our final stop was at the Forest Grove Community School.  In it's second year, the community school has grown leaps and bounds.  The students impressed us with their knowledge of recycling, the environment, and Leave No Trace skills.  

We enjoyed reaching out to youth in Oregon and introducing them to the PEAK program!  Our time highlighted the importance of getting children excited about the outdoors and away from the TV and computer!  

Off to Durango, CO...

Safe travels- Kate and Tracy

"The Vision is Green"

Sarah Jo Lambert, a 15 year old girl from Lubbock, Texas, is working towards her Gold Medal Award in Girl Scouts through her project "The Vision is Green".  Her vision is to build green environmental center at the Rio Blanco Girl Scout camp in Crosbyton, Texas.  The center will be a place that students from the Texas South Plains can come to learn about environmental issues and ways that they can be more environmentally friendly.  Sarah has been working on this project since last fall and she hopes to have the building complete by this May.  Through her project, Sarah has brought her community together and has inspired girls all over the country to realize that one seedling of an idea, when given proper care and attention, can blossom into a garden for future generations to enjoy!

To help Sarah kick off the building of the environmental center, we traveled to Lubbock to provide a workshop on Leave No Trace and the PEAK program.  Sarah was awarded the "Packing With PEAK" grant and will be using the PEAK pack as a basis for the educational curriculum as well as an interpretive trail guide at the environmental center. Sarah hopes to encourage young children to start thinking about ways that they can help take care of our planet and make a difference for the future.  To learn more about Sarah's project, visit her website at www.visionisgreen.org! 

A special thanks goes out to the Lambert family for their warmth and hospitality!!!

Safe travels...Kate and Tracy