Learn.Network.Together.
Leave No Trace e-News                          December 2008
logo
BECOME A MEMBER
JOIN
Leave No Trace Today!
Already A Member?
It's Easy & Quick to
RENEW
Quick Links
DONATE
to Support
or Join the Bigfoot Challenge!

CONNECT
with Community

PARTNER
with Leave No Trace

SHOP
the Online Store

EXPLORE
the Programs

BENEFIT
from the Subaru VIP Partners Program
The past twelve months have flown by, but not without a lot of activity in the Leave No Trace community. In the spirit of the holiday season, here is a review of the last "Twelve Months of Leave No Trace." Have a safe and happy end of the year. We look forward to working with you in 2009!

"Twelve Months of Leave No Trace"

1: International Master Educator Course
in Montenegro through the United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
2: New PEAK activities
to educate youth about Leave No Trace
and sustainable outdoor recreation
3: International branches
that continue to provide Leave No Trace education
and outreach to the global community
4: Teams of educators
providing Leave No Trace outreach across
the country to over a million people
5: Master Educator Course Providers
training over 300 new Master Educators each year
6: New State Advocates
serving as regional coordinators for
Leave No Trace events and outreach
7: Guest bloggers
participated in the first year of
the Leave No Trace Community Blog
8: Course participants
completing a custom Master Educator Course
from San Juan College/Red Eagle Challenge,
a Connect Grant recipient
9: Office staff in Boulder
managing national Leave No Trace efforts
10: Master Educator Course
Scholarships awarded

11: Months on the road
for Traveling Trainer Team JD Tanner and Emily Ressler
12+: New corporate partners
providing funding and support
for Leave No Trace programs

Sarah Folzenlogen
Education Programs Coordinator
 
eNews You Can Use
SkiingWinter is a wonderful time to experience the outdoors.

Many find that winter offers solitude, scenic beauty, and a chance to hone outdoor skills. But, with winter use on the rise, users and land managers are beginning to witness more winter recreation-related impacts such as user conflicts, inappropriate human waste disposal, vegetation damage and significant impacts on wildlife. As a growing number of skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and others venture out in winter for day or overnight trips, the need to practice Leave No Trace winter techniques is now greater than ever.

Fortunately for outdoor users, many of the usual concerns about the impacts of three-season backcountry use are of little concern in winter. Although growing, the visitor numbers are lower than those of other seasons, and soil and vegetation are often covered under a thick layer of snow which greatly helps to minimize impacts. By following the Leave No Trace winter use principles, outdoor enthusiasts can help to ensure protection of resources and the quality of winter experiences.

Plan Ahead and Prepare
  • Familiarize yourself with the area you plan to visit. Always check avalanche and weather reports prior to departure.
  • Check with local land managers about high danger areas, safety information and special regulations for the area you plan to visit.
  • Prepare for extreme weather, hazards and emergencies. Monitor snow conditions frequently, and carry and use an avalanche beacon, probe and shovel. If necessary, take a winter backcountry travel course.
  • Always be sure to leave your itinerary with family or a trusted friend.
  • Lastly, use a map and compass or a GPS to find your way, which eliminates the need for tree markings, rock cairns or flagging.

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
  • While on the trail, stay on deep snow cover whenever possible. If you're out in the shoulder seasons and conditions are muddy, stay on snow or walk in the middle of the trail to avoid creating new trails and damaging trailside plants.
  • In winter, you should travel and camp well away from avalanche paths, steep slopes, cornices and unstable snow. When choosing a campsite, look for a durable surface such as rock or snow - not tundra or other fragile vegetation. Campsites should be in a safe location, which is out of view from heavily traveled routes and trails. Camps should also be located at least 200 feet from any recognizable water source - consult your map.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
  • Winter recreationists should be considerate of other users by sharing the trails, yielding to downhill and faster traffic, and being courteous.
  • When taking rest breaks, move off the trail to allow other to easily pass by.
  • Whenever possible, separate ski and snowshoe tracks. Also, avoid hiking on ski or snowshoe tracks.
  • If you decide to take your pet with you, educate yourself about local regulations regarding pets. Be considerate of others by keeping your pet under control at all times. Always remember to pack out or bury all pet waste.
Read more on Winter Skills and Ethics, in a recent Leave No Trace blog by Ben Lawhon, Education Director.
Leave No Trace Giving Guide

Green cause, GOLDEN opportunity for giving. Here are a few of our favorite ways to share the spirit of giving and the spirit of the outdoors this holiday season!

*****

Leave a Bigfoot in their stocking - not on the environment!

The Bigfoot ChallengeShow your support for Leave No Trace by joining The Bigfoot Challenge.

This is a creative opportunity to renew your membership, to get the perfect stocking stuffer or to turn some heads with this humorous t-shirt - and support Leave No Trace's mission to protect our wild places for future generations to enjoy.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 by December 25th for The Bigfoot Challenge - and we're already well on our way with $1,200!

You can help us reach our goal by donating $25 or more. You will get a limited-edition Bigfoot t-shirt (made from the softest organic cotton we've ever felt) AND a 1-year membership to Leave No Trace!

*****

keen logoShop KEEN Footwear

Happy feet, happy Leave No Trace!  Between December 8th and December 24th, KEEN will donate $5 for every purchase made on KEEN Hybrid.Shop using code KEENLNT to Leave No Trace. Plus, the KEEN partner who has the most donations will receive an additional $5,000 from KEEN.



*****

Enrich your mind and entice your spirit of Adventure!

Wend logoRead a story about Leave No Trace, penned by the Center's own Sara Close, in the latest issue of Wend magazine - a magazine that takes you in to the world of adventure travel and sustainable design, and shares the same values as Leave No Trace.

Wend and Leave No Trace would like to offer you a free digital edition of the magazine, and if you read what you like, subscribe!  Wend will donate 25% of your subscription fee back to Leave No Trace.  Check out the free issue by following the URL below, and check out Wend online at Wendmag.com.  Support independent media and independent activism at the same time!

URL: http://wendmagazine.v1.myvirtualpaper.com/304
Username: platform@wendmag.com
Password: 689401Give the gift of Leave No Trace through the Clif Bar Family Foundation's On Your Behalf program. On Your Behalf is a unique gift card program that encourages charitable gift exchange and allows gift card recipients to make contributions to Leave No Trace as well as other organizations.

****

On Your Behalf this Holiday Season

Youth Winter Program Tahoe ValleyHow it works: Similar to other gift card programs, gift givers can purchase the On Your Behalf Gift Card on the Clif Bar Family Foundation website in any denomination. Once received, the gift card recipient can then donate the card's balance to one or more of the On Your Behalf partner organizations.



Looking for more ways to give?  Visit "More Ways to Support Leave No Trace" on the website, or call the Center at any time - 303.442.8222 x.105.
Road Wisdom
Contributed by JD Tanner & Emily Ressler
Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers


Traveling TrainerGas prices are dropping across the United States making it more affordable for us to get out and play at some of our favorite outdoor recreation places.  Here are some tips that the Traveling Trainers use to try and make a tank of gas last a little longer when we are headed to our next event or to our next outdoor recreation endeavor:

  • Keep Track of Gas Mileage. A drop in your car's fuel economy can be a sign of engine trouble. If you keep track of your gas mileage, you'll know when something is wrong and can have it fixed.
  • Get Regular Oil Changes. In addition to making your car last longer, replacing the oil and oil filter regularly will also help fuel economy.
  • Follow the Speed Limit. Driving 65 mph instead of 75 mph will increase your fuel economy by about 10%.
  • Inflate Your Tires. Check your tire pressure at least once a month and maintain it at manufacturer specifications. Keeping your tires properly inflated helps reduce the amount of drag your engine must overcome, saving you fuel. If your tires are under-inflated by just 3 pounds, fuel economy goes down by about 1 percent and it will cost you a half-mile-per-gallon.
These are just a few of the tips that we use when we're on the road as Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers to help stretch a gallon of gas.  You can find more tips at the Better World Club.

Happy, safe, and economic travels.

JD and Emily
Subaru / Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers
 
Follow JD & Emily as they finish up a successful
2008 Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Season!

Partnership Highlight
Enertia Trail Foods Coleman Brand

Enertia Trail Foods logoMotto:           Fuel Your Adventure!
Hometown:   Marietta, OH
Learn More:
  www.trailfoods.com


What's new:  Enertia Trail FoodsŪ has recently partnered with The Coleman Company Inc., America's leading outdoor brand, to offer a new line of outdoor food.  Coleman Enertia Trail Foods will hit the shelves in 2009 with outdoor adventure meals, camping meals, trail mixes, and more.  You can still find Enertia's heritage line in more than 400 retail stores nationwide.

Why we love them: These meals are designed for wilderness adventurers who need great tasting, lightweight, durable, waterproof, high-energy food at a nice price.


What they do for the environment: Enertia Trail Foods and The Coleman Company, Inc. are proud corporate partners of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. Their reusable product packaging contains the Leave No Trace logo as a reminder for everyone to practice good outdoor ethics.


What they do for the community: Enertia Trail Foods is owned by Made in Marietta, LLC, a company focused on economic and social development in the Appalachian regions of Ohio and West Virginia.  ETF base camp is situated along the edge of Broughton's Nature Preserve in Marietta, Ohio. Surrounded by the great outdoors and paths to explore, this location provides the perfect atmosphere for producing the best tasting adventure meals.  When team Enertia isn't making meals, you can find them hiking in the nearby Wayne National Forest, gaining inspiration for new recipes and better ways to fuel your adventure!

If you are interested in learning more about the Leave No Trace partnership program, please visit our Partners Page, or email Sara Close


My Backyard
Looking for Guest Bloggers

Are you looking for new ways to contribute to Leave No Trace? Now is your chance.  In order to increase participation on our community blog we would like to give you an opportunity to share your voice. We are looking for blogs relating to Leave No Trace information. Your blog could focus on a program that you have been involved with, a specific ethic, your community, a Leave No Trace concept, a workshop or a training that you plan to offer in the upcoming year.

The goals of the Leave No Trace Community Blog are to further Leave No Trace's mission and to build community by encouraging dialogue about the program, outdoor ethics, educational techniques, volunteer opportunities, Leave No Trace events and more.  

By talking openly about outdoor ethics, we can increase understanding about making good environmental choices when we're outside. By spreading the word about specific Leave No Trace events and training, we can increase awareness and build support for the Leave No Trace program at the local level. By sharing stories, we can inspire one another to bring Leave No Trace along with every experience in the natural world.  

Please include and consider the following with your submission:
1. Your name and a one-to-two sentence short bio so we can credit your post.
2. If a photo (s) is attached, caption and name for photo credit (please include photographer's permission and email address if different from the post author).
3. Links to related websites.
4. Our blogging terms and conditions.

All submissions or inquiries should be sent to Catherine Smith at the Center.

Holiday Sale
Save 30%


All Leave No Trace Logo items are now on sale for the Holidays. Receive 30% off on your favorite T's, bottles, caps, pins, patches and more.

Get yours today at the Leave No Trace online store!


Offer Expires: December 1st, 2008.

ATTENTION MEMBERS & PARTNERS!
Moved? Moving?
Changing things up?


Please keep your email and mailing addresses current!


Learn.Network.Together.
is another step the Center is making toward a more consistent online communication for our community, in an effort to conserve resources and our planet!  Please help us by e-mailing info@LNT.org to update your records.