We're Curious...

As we travel around the country, we are constantly running into people who are huge fans of Leave No Trace. They love to share their stories with us and let us know what Leave No Trace means to them. So now, we are curious... What does Leave No Trace mean to you?

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Association of Partners for Public Lands annual convention and trade show

We are in San Diego, California, gearing up for the Association of Partners for Public Land's annual convention and trade show that we will attend February 9-10. This annual convention brings together federal and state land management agencies and nonprofit organizations to learn, conduct business, and build a national public lands community.

We are expecting over 400 attendees and over 150 exhibitors. We will be handing out free education materials, demonstrating resources that are available to you and promoting ways for you to create a larger Leave No Trace presence in your area. We will also have our laptops available, so anyone who stops by our booth can participate in the Bigfoot Challenge right then and there.

All the best...

Agata and Jason

Leave No Trace Partners With The Army Corp Of Engineers

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is partnered with over 450 organizations. Through a recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as, the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Center for Outdoor Ethics, the Army Corps will begin efforts to incorporate Leave No Trace in areas that they manage. This is an exciting opportunity for the Center, as the Army Corps manages 12 million acres of land and water that is used for recreation. Here are some additional statistics from the Army Corps of Engineers website:

• Corps rank among federal providers of outdoor recreation: #1

• Visitors per year: 353 million

• Percentage of U.S population that visits a Corps project at least

once a year: 10%

• Number of recreation sites: 4,263 at 423 Corps Projects

• Percentage of U.S. population that lives within 50 miles of

of a Corps Lake: 70%

• Land and water used for recreation: 12 million acres

• Miles of Shoreline: 55,024

• Number of camp sites: 91,320

• Miles of trails: 4,606

Team East is heading to Savannah, Georgia for the 2010 South Atlantic Division Conference. Here we will have the opportunity to work with rangers from the southeast and teach them ways to utilize Leave No Trace information at the areas they manage. Stay tuned for updates from the conference!

Happy Adventuring...Kate and Tracy

Picture of the Week 2/5/2010

Team West and Team East enjoy a day of team building at Solitude Resort in Utah.

Awareness Workshop at William Smith High School, Aurora, CO

We spent most of the day Wednesday at William Smith High School. Between ourselves and Team East we taught eight separate awareness workshops, reaching most of the 250 students at this small, diverse high school in Aurora, CO. We had a great time leading a few different activities and sharing Leave No Trace information. The students asked great questions and participated in discussions. We also had the chance to use a smartboard (though it made us feel like we went to high school during the stone age) and show the students how to take part in the Bigfoot Challenge.

All the best...

Jason & Agata

Getting Prepared for the Road!

These past couple weeks have been a training extravaganza! As the Traveling Trainers are departing to their respective east and west sides of the country, it has been an intense two weeks of preparation for life on the road. Most recently, we spent two days in the field in Lyons, CO working with Ben Lawhon, Education Director, and Dave Winter, Outreach Manager. This was a great opportunity for the teams to dive into the educational curriculum and collaborate with each other about the ins and outs of the Leave No Trace Trainer Course. This two-day course is a train-the-trainer model for individuals interested in teaching Leave No Trace to others. Here are a few pictures from our training- enjoy!

Dave Winter leads a lesson on Disposing of Waste Properly

Ben Lawhon explains the proper use of a Go Anywhere Bag

The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers are ready to hit the road!

See you out there and 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