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Learn.Network.Together.
Leave No Trace e-News March 2009
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BECOME A MEMBER
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JOIN
Leave No Trace Today!
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It's Easy & Quick to RENEW
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Quick Links
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DONATEto Support or Join the Bigfoot Challenge!
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Membership Benefit Highlights
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VIP Partners Program through Subaru
Did you know that members (for a minimum of six months) of Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics can save up to $3,300 on the purchase or lease of a new Subaru with the VIP Partners Program?
Not only is this a great deal for you, it also provides valuable support for Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. For every Leave No Trace member who purchases a Subaru vehicle, Subaru will donate $100 to support the Center's work promoting responsible outdoor recreation!
Please contact the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics office for program details, (800) 332-4100, BEFORE visiting your local Subaru dealer.
Take Advantage of your Membership! For more on this benefit and others, please visit our Membership Page.
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 Leaves are budding on the tree outside my office window, which means, at least in this area of the country, Spring is on its way. As much as I enjoyed the foray in to skiing this past winter, I will be happy to emerge from seasonal hibernation and enjoy later sunsets, warmer temperatures and a flurry of renewed energy.
Spring is also my favorite time at Leave No Trace, as the whole community activates in new and exciting ways. Trainer and Master Educator Courses pop up on calendars, our traveling teams hit full swing of providing outreach and education across the country, scholarship and grant deadlines are just around the corner, and our key volunteers and educators quickly populate our Community pages with trainings and events.
Take in the Spring feeling: brush off your outdoor gear, reorganize the clutter from your life, and head outside with friends for a dose of fresh air and sunshine. Thanks to your support, this experience is one we will be able to enjoy for many years to come.
Sara Close
Membership & Development Manager
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eNews You Can Use
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Dear Education Department:
 My community is sponsoring a Natural Resources Festival and I have been asked to organize a booth. In the past the festival has attracted several thousand people, many of them children and families.
I'm thinking that this is a great opportunity to introduce and present the Leave No Trace principles, but I'm kind of at a loss as to how I should do it.
The challenge is that there is no set schedule, but instead, people will be coming and going at different intervals. The booth could be inside or outside, and weather could be a surprise factor. Also, I want to make sure that kids stick around the booth long enough to learn something new.
I've been looking through the PEAK kit and trying to figure out how I can adapt some of the lessons to this event. Do you have any recommendations? If you have time to send me suggestions or encouragement, I would appreciate it.
Sincerely,
Festival Presenter
*****
Dear Festival Presenter:
Thanks for the email! Booth set-ups are tricky, but it sounds like you already have some great ideas. Here are some additional thoughts:
- Think visual and hands-on, not conducting a formal activity. "How Long Does It Last" as a guessing game is a great example.
- Keep it simple. Don't try to give them too much information or go over all the principles. Think about how you could explain the idea of Leave No Trace in three sentences or less.
- Our Traveling Trainer teams are experts at these types of presentations. Take a minute to read their blog posts and leave a comment or question.
Other games that have been successful:
- Leave No Trace trivia questions in a bear canister (or other interesting piece of outdoor gear) for a small giveaway.
- Guessing the ten essentials for an outdoor trip.
- Display of a well prepared hiker and one that is not so well prepared.
- A mock campsite with the seven principles represented by different items (example: "Respect Wildlife" by a pair of binoculars).
Hope these suggestions help. Please let us know how it goes and if you come up with a successful idea yourself!
Sincerely,
Education Department
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Scholarship & Grants Deadline - April 15
 The first application deadline for both Master Educator Course scholarships and Connect Grants for Culturally-Diverse Communities is upon us - April 15!
The Center has been in contact with last year's recipients to see how the materials and training have been used in each of the recipient's respective communities. Needless to say, these individuals have found a variety of ways to incorporate Leave No Trace into both their personal and professional lives, including:
- School programs
- Staff Trainings
- Community Workshops
- Research projects
- Foreign Exchange Programs
- Local Festivals
- Friends and Family Camping Trips
Included is a picture from Connect Grant recipient Phyllis Martinez. Phyllis is a Forest Service employee and community volunteer in Jemez Springs, NM. She has been active in reaching out to local science teachers and incorporating Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics into the classes.
This photograph was taken at the third annual Fishing Day, which attracts hundreds of local children and families. The Leave No Trace booth, organized by one of her seasonal employees, Ryan, was one of the most popular stops at the festival. Leave No Trace materials in both English and Spanish allowed Phyllis and her co-worker to communicate the information to both children and parents in a fun and interactive way.
For more information about Grants and Scholarships available through the Center, please visit the Grants section of the website.
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Community Highlight
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 Spring Cleaning that is Twice as Refreshing!
Before you toss, think about putting those used sporting goods, collectables, gear and other items to good use: to support Leave No Trace!
Leave No Trace has joined forces with eBay Giving Works during their "Spotlight on the Environment" campaign. From now until the end of April, you can support nonprofits - like Leave No Trace - that work to save the environment when you buy and sell on eBay.
This means that all of your new or used items can be reused, and your waste reduced! You can simply designate Leave No Trace to receive 10-100% of your proceeds the next time you list something great.
It doesn't have to be a car or a fancy Rolex. In the past, we have had members post snowshoes, backpacks, patches,
artwork, framed photos, books and more to our site. The sky is the
limit - just no dirty socks or used trash bags, please!
Get started by visiting our Spotlight the Environment page.
(Better yet, did you know that charity listings often get more bids and higher prices than regular eBay listings? You can boost your own sales and support Leave No Trace at the same time, plus eBay gives you a fee credit for every eBay Giving Works donation.)
Leave No Trace is proud to be a part of eBay Giving Works, the charity auction program provided by eBay and MissionFish, their nonprofit partner.
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My Backyard
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Tis the Season for Trainer Courses!
 As the weather turns warmer and the days become longer Leave No Trace training opportunities increase significantly. We're seeing more and more Trainer Courses posted on the Community pages, and Master Educator Courses are beginning to fill for the 2009 season.
In our own backyard, two Leave No Trace staff members are hosting a Trainer Course Saturday, May 30th and Sunday, May 31st in the Comanche Wilderness Area, northwest of Boulder (for more information, visit my recent blog post). We're excited to host an open-enrollment course in our area and hope our Colorado readers will join us!
Are you hosting a Trainer Course in your community? Contact Catherine to post your Trainer Course on the Leave No Trace Community blog, or email Sarah to post on your State's Community page on the Leave No Trace website. Plus, as a member of Leave No Trace, you are eligible for a 10% discount on all educational materials available in our online store, including course materials for your Leave No Trace training and outreach efforts.
Happy Spring!
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Road Wisdom |
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Contributed by Emily Ressler and JD Tanner
Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers
 More Spring Cleaning
The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, and our weekend plans are starting to include our favorite warm weather activities. With spring just around the corner, many of us are anxiously awaiting the day when we can break out the spring/summer gear and pack away the cold winter gear.
While you are getting into the tradition of spring-cleaning, think of the Leave No Trace principle, Plan Ahead and Prepare. Spring is a great time of year to give your recreational equipment a once over and make sure it is in good condition and working properly before heading out for a trip. Broken tent poles, leaky tents, and faulty camp stoves have foiled many a spring outing. Repairing or replacing equipment now will ensure that your first trip on the season is a great one.
Happy Trails,
JD & Emily
Follow JD & Emily during their third season as
Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers!
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Save 30%
 Leave No Trace Skills and Ethics Booklets 30% off!Ever wanted to round out your Leave No Trace knowledge? Now you easily can with one or all of the 16 Skills and Ethics booklets in the series. Each is approx. 24 - 28 pages focusing on Leave No Trace principles and techniques for specific geographic areas or activities. Regularly $2.95, now $2.05 each through March 31st. Also for the educator or enthusiast looking to fully round out their knowledge, or have available a comprehensive Leave No Trace resource, buy the "Library" (one of each booklet) and get all 16 for the price of 10.
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ATTENTION MEMBERS & PARTNERS!
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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.
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