 Boulder, CO - September 16, 2008 - The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics recently awarded its second round of 2008 Connect Grants. Grants ranging from multi-day field training for a Native American group in the Southwestern United States to Leave No Trace programs for an
Illinois public school round out the second roster of grant recipients. The grants provide direct support and Leave No Trace training for organizations and people that serve culturally diverse communities.
Grants recipients for this second round of 2008 grants include: West Orange Elementary School, CA; Tahoe Rim Trail Association, CA; Continental Divide Trail Alliance, CO; Diakon Wilderness Center, PA; Rockford East Public High School, IL; cityWILD, CO; Coconino National Forest, AZ; Adams State Adventure Programs, CO; Bureau of Land Management, Lake Havazu, AZ; Colorado Mountain Club, CO; University of Wisconsin-Stout, Educational Talent Search, WI; Greenbrier State Park, MD; Durham Public Schools, NC; Boy Scouts of America, Puerto Rico; Missouri State University, MO; Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council, CA.
"We have been able to award a total of 26 Connect Grants this year, engaging diverse new communities and thousands more young people in the Leave No Trace movement. This program has been an incredible success to date." Dana Watts, Leave No Trace's Executive Director says about the program.
 The primary Connect Grant goals are to increase the cadre of culturally diverse Leave No Trace educators, provide education for organizations serving Latino, African American, Native American, Asian as well as other communities, and provide broader Leave No Trace opportunities for youths not served before by these programs.
The award-winning Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is the international leader in sustainable recreation practices. The nonprofit organization teaches children and adults vital skills to minimize their impacts when they are outdoors. The Center's goal is to connect people to the natural world by providing tools and training to help them enjoy the natural world in an environmentally sustainable way. Leave No Trace is the most widely accepted outdoor ethics message used today on public lands across the nation by all types of outdoor recreationists.
In-depth profiles for several of the programs are provided below.
Photos: San Diego County youth participate in a hike with Outdoor Outreach (top). College students from San Juan College/Red Eagle Challenge participate in a Leave No Trace Master Course (bottom).
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cityWILD, CO
For nearly nine years, cityWILD has provided tuition-free, comprehensive experiential education programs to youth from low income, culturally diverse communities in northeast Denver.
cityWILD reaches 100 core students a year through its after-school program and another 1500+ through its Ventures rafting company, which employs cityWILD students as guides and educators. cityWILD's Connect Grant provides the organizations with bilingual Leave No Trace materials for their outdoor programs.
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Durham Public Schools, NC
Northern High School is an urban school in Durham, NC. Over the last several years, the school has adopted an Outdoor Education course to provide outdoor experiences for these diverse urban youth. This year, the course will incorporate a week long unit on Leave No Trace outdoor ethics.
The Connect Grant award goes towards Leave No Trace educational materials for the course.
To find out more, visit: Durham Public Schools
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Coconino National Forest, AZ
The Coconino and Kaibab National Forests of northern Arizona recently adopted a Civil Rights Tactical Plan to outreach to culturally diverse communities.
Connect Grant funds go towards purchasing Leave No Trace educational materials for the Puente de Hozho School. Puente de Hozho is a trilingual school, offering instruction in English, Spanish and Navajo. After learning about Leave No Trace, students will work with local Master Educators to create and post Leave No Trace signs in the National Forest in all three languages To find out more visit: Coconino National Forest
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Greenbrier State Park, MD
Greenbrier State Park in Maryland is popular summer recreational site, comprised of a 43-acre freshwater lake with beach and swimming access, over 200 designated picnic sites and over 100 developed campsites.
The park serves over 300,000 visitors each year, many of whom are Spanish-speaking. Park staff have been active in creating bilingual signs, bilingual public service announcements and in hiring an interpretor. Educational materials in Spanish from the Center will help the park provide bilingual Leave No Trace outreach.
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Leave No Trace
Sarah Folzenlogen
Education Programs Coordinator
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