300th Unique Event!

Last week we spent time in Ridgway, CO for a series of youth workshops within the public school system. Each of our events were filled with lively, energetic students that were motivated to learn about Leave No Trace. We worked with two 3rd grade classes at the elementary school. After school, we worked with students from the Voyager Youth Program. To top the day off, we hit the gym and presented to the Ridgway/Ouray climbing team. A special thanks to Amber Bray for setting up the events!

The above picture shows the 3rd grade class practicing the "leap frog" move before a game of Leave No Trace Draw. Pictured below is the two classes posing with Bigfoot and their Leave No Trace ethics reference card for kids.
In recent days, it has come to our attention that we have hit a milestone, so to speak. As we reflected on our time spent on the road, as we often do on lengthy drives, we never cease to be amazed at the shear amount of people we have met at our presentations over the last two years. That got us thinking, how many times have we had the privilege of presenting Leave No Trace to the masses? To our delight and surprise, it turned out that our time spent in Ridgway yielded our 300th unique event...and we aren't done yet!

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Trainer Course in Little Big Econ State Forest

"Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I will remember. Let me do, and I will understand."

-Confucius


This past weekend we were in Seminole County, Florida for a two day Trainer Course with Boy Scouts from around the Sunshine State. The 16 hour course focused on instructing the fundamentals required to teach others the skills and ethics of Leave No Trace. Throughout the course we revisited the words of Confucius as the Scouts enjoyed experiential learning opportunities and personally connected with the idea "Let me do, and I will understand." The participants were introduced to various methods to minimize our impacts on the outdoors, and each led a lesson covering a different principle or topic for the whole group.


The course was unique in that the participants were representative of both adult and teen members of their Boy Scout troops from around Florida. Each participant developed an action plan to teach Leave No Trace to other members of their troops or councils.

In the first photo, Agata leads a lesson on disposing of waste properly by demonstrating how to dig a cathole. The second photo shows the crew preparing for departure into the Geneva Wilderness Area with a sense of humor and excitement for the trip ahead.

All the best,

Jason and Agata

Picture of the Week 11/5/10

Lady Bug Hatch in the HD Mountains (Piedra Wildlife Corridor)

Outside Bayfield, CO

3 Days + 3 Cities in North Carolina = 88 People Trained in PEAK

We started the week off by meeting with 41 before and after school specialists from Durham Public Schools and training them in the PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) program. PEAK is the result of a unique partnership between REI and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics to educate children about the outdoors and responsible use of public lands. The Durham Public School system was the first school system in the area to host this type of training and the staff at REI, who made this training possible, are excited to get more school systems involved. The first photo, shows the teachers wrapping up the Minimum Impact Match activity from the PEAK pack.


On Tuesday, we visited the Raleigh REI store to teach their staff and members from the community about the PEAK program. We once again demonstrated how to run Minimum Impact Match and the second photo shows that even seasoned REI staff can have difficulty figuring out what piece of gear they are.


On Wednesday, we presented the PEAK program at the REI in Charlotte. The third photo shows the participants trying out the Rule of Thumb, which is a tool we use to determine the safe distance to observe wildlife.

Thanks to Paul Harwood, Dale Tiska, and Vanessa Gorr for putting these events together.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Rock the X in Durango, CO

X Rock is a popular climbing area in Durango, CO. With over 70 routes to climb in an easily accessible area, the impacts on the land are evident. Josh Kling, owner of Kling Mountain Guides, organized the first annual Rock the X cleanup on Saturday October 30th. The cleanup crews were split into three groups. One group took to the rock and placed new anchors to encourage climbers to try new routes. Another group, led by Trails 2000, created a new trail to access some of the more remote climbs in the area. They also restructured an existing trail leading up to the X, making it a more user friendly trail with better drainage. The remaining crew spent hours cleaning up trash in the parking lots and in the climbing area. With more than 30 volunteers at the X, everyone did their part to leave the area better than we found it! Thanks to Josh Kling for inviting the Traveling Trainers to take part in this community event. Keep an eye out for the next Rock the X clean up!

Happy Adventuring...Kate & Tracy

Iron Eagle Challenge at Georgia Southern University

On Friday, we traveled to Statesboro, Georgia to be a part of the 6th annual Iron Eagle Challenge. This adventure race is held on the campus of Georgia Southern University and requires teams of two to off-road/urban cycle, run/walk, canoe, and conquer many mystery challenges along the way. We were in charge of creating and running Mystery Event #2, so naturally we came up with a version of the Cathole Olympics. We asked the participants to work together to transport a mini Cliff Bar about 50 feet without using their hands. They then had a choice of three cups that represented different depths of catholes, 2-3", 4-6", and 6-8". They had to choose the appropriate depth of cathole and deposit their Cliff Bar into the cup. Check out the slideshow for a few moments from the day!

A special thanks to Jenn Velie for organizing a great event and incorporating Leave No Trace into the race. Thanks also to Doyle and America (a.k.a. Snookie) for helping run an awesome mystery challenge.

All the best,

Agata and Jason

Traveling Trainers Join Osprey Packs and Freedom to Roam

On Friday we had the opportunity to join Osprey Packs on a staff outing in the HD Mountains of Southwestern Colorado led by Freedom to Roam. Freedom to Roam is a Denver based non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and commitment about the need for wildlife corridor conservation while setting a new and innovative industry standards for wildlife friendly practices on the ground and in the water. We spent the gorgeous fall day exploring the Piedra Wildlife Corridor, looking for animal tracks and scat. Below is a picture of a black bear track found on our hike.

Julia Kintsch, the Conservation Science Manager for Freedom to Roam, came down from Denver to educate the group about current efforts in wildlife corridor conservation. She was joined by Ryan Demmy Bidwell, Executive Director from Colorado Wild, a non-profit organization that works to protect, preserve, and restore the native plants and animals of the Southern Rocky Mountains, with particular attention given to habitat protection of Colorado's forested, roadless, public lands and other ecologically important areas. The picture below shows Julia and Ryan pointing out the impact of mining in the Piedra Wildlife Corridor. Humans impact wildlife in numerous ways. Oil mining and highways pose significant threats to the migration patterns of wildlife in Colorado. Freedom to Roam and Colorado Wild raise awareness of the issues in an effort to respect wildlife. A special thank you to Sam Mix and Gareth Martins of Osprey Packs for inviting us to partake in this fun and educational day. We look forward to working with Freedom to Roam in the future!

Happy Adventuring...Kate & Tracy