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