e-Tour: Smarter Than a 5th Grader…?

Sometimes being correct and precise is important, and it seemed especially so in our Wisconsin sojourn. For instance, in our recent programs in schools near New Berlin, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee), we were instructed on several occasions that the correct pronunciation of the town name stresses the “Ber” and not the “lin” in New Berlin.  As a result, we were really on our toes and determined to be as correct as possible with the six 5^th grade classes we saw in the area last week. We had a good game plan, and felt well-practiced and prepared as we took on the challenge to be “smarter than a 5^th grader” during our Leave No Trace presentations in their classrooms. It was a close contest, and regardless of the final outcome of this particular match with this particular cadre of 11-year old 5^th graders, who clearly had a home field advantage (and we’re demanding a recount), we still feel confident in contending that we are definitely smarter than our sweet 11-year old Black Labrador Retriever... mostly.

From New_Berlin

Honestly, we were blown away by the enthusiasm and critical thinking skills that the kids demonstrated.  The classes were brimming with energy and intelligence, and the students caught on quickly to the principles of Leave No Trace and how they related to their daily activities. We talked a lot about “Trash Your Trash,” and found that the students are studying topics involving decomposition, composting and recycling. They seemed to have a good grasp of the basic tenets of “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle,” and understood that even though a plastic bottle would take 200-400 years to break down if left along the side of a trail, the appropriate (and correct) place for the bottle is in the recycle bin where it might be turned into a useful product like our plastic Leave No Trace hangtags. Even better, many of the kids demonstrated a great strategy for reducing unnecessary resource consumption by keeping reusable water bottles at their desks instead of the single-use, disposable plastic bottles. The kids were astounded to hear that Americans discard about 2.5 million plastic water bottles every hour.... Larry Lueck, Associate Principal of Poplar Creek Elementary School in New Berlin, told us that his school aspires to become known for its environmental focus, both in terms of academics and in terms of school practices like recycling. Our impression is that they are well on their way to achieving these goals.

At near-by Merton Intermediate, we were particularly impressed with the efforts of 5^th grade teacher, Jolie Kreuser, who takes her classes on a “survival” camping trip every spring.  Naturally, as part of the fall semester curriculum that prepares students for this experiential learning adventure, she emphasizes the principles of Leave No Trace, especially “Plan Ahead and Prepare.” She also has each student develop a detailed plan for a backcountry trip to a National Park of their choosing, including a complete agenda and packing list. She then challenges them to actually make that trip some day. It’s a great way to plant a seed in each of her 5^th grade student’s heads to get outside and enjoy our beautiful and incredibly diverse public lands and the recreational opportunities they offer. And of course, by integrating the seven principles of Leave No Trace into the learning experience, they will be prepared and ready to enjoy the outdoors in the “right kind of way.”

From New_Berlin

Great teachers, enthusiastic kids, and evidence of a whole lot of Leave No Trace learning going on… these are signs of healthy and hopeful prospects for our public lands. 

Hope to see you in an outdoor and experiential classroom down the road,

Peggy and Barrett

2010 e-Tour

e-Word: "experiential education"

Leave No Trace - Education and Advocacy...

Mark Gleason, PhD, Chief Marine Scientist and Director of Education at the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum in Muskegon, is a longtime supporter of outdoor ethics education and advocacy, and serves as the Leave No Trace State Advocate in Michigan.



State Advocates are Leave No Trace Master Educators who have volunteered to be points of contact for information about our Outdoor Ethics resources and programs in your locale. The "LNT.org" website also has a directory of additional Master Educators who are available for Leave No Trace presentations and workshops. These folks are the heart and soul of our educational outreach efforts, and collectively, they represent a powerful international network for disseminating information about Leave No Trace programs and practices. Importantly, they also serve a critical role as they actively demonstrate and model effective outdoor ethics techniques.

Incidentally, there are more than 3500 Leave No Trace Master Educators worldwide representing dozens of countries and nearly all of the United States. This valuable training is recognized throughout the world by the outdoor industry, land management agencies and the outdoor recreation community. Successful graduates of the Master Educator course have the ability to train others in Leave No Trace skills as well as facilitate Leave No Trace Trainer courses and Awareness Workshops.

Hope to see you in one of our workshops down the road,

Peggy and Barrett
e-Tour 2010

e-Word: "education"

Pearls for Girls: Camp Alice Chester

Dateline: East Troy, Wisconsin
Girl Scouts of Wisconsin - Southeast Council Kick-Off Workshop

What a fascinating person Alice Chester must have been… tennis champion, ambulance and truck driver in France during WWI, suffragette and League of Women Voters organizer, founder and first commissioner of the Wisconsin Girl Scout movement, and more. The woman was so dedicated to the health and well-rounded development of young girls that she sold her personal keepsakes in order to buy land for a camp where they could experience the traditional outdoor activities that she felt so fortunate to enjoy in her own youth. That’s what we were told Alice Chester did in 1924… she sold her pearls so that the Milwaukee Area Girl Scouts could establish a summer camp expressly for girls. In gratitude, they named the camp in her honor.

Mary Jo and Peggy inspecting the e-Tourmobile

From Camp Alice WisconsinGS

The legacy of such dedicated Girl Scout leadership continues, and it was abundantly evident when we visited Camp Alice Chester on Saturday to present a Leave No Trace program to more than 60 highly motivated Girl Scout troop leaders and staff. It was a feisty bunch for sure… 

We emphasized the not-so-black-and-white dimensions of Leave No Trace, and had lots of questions that helped us all explore the gray areas of Outdoor Ethics. Our presentation was actively interactive, and workshop participants debated how choices are conditioned by context, and how the circumstances of climate, topography, vegetation, wet/dry, time of year, group size, and such can help determine the appropriateness of decisions about outdoor behaviors and consequential impacts. It was spirited, and at times, it was hard for us to get a word in edgewise.

From Camp Alice WisconsinGS

We first got the crowd fired up with a round of “Step On It,” followed by a little trash talk, during which we exhaustively discussed the finer points regarding disposal of human waste, and then followed-up with a spirited “How Long Does It Last” exercise. After learning how to show a little respect for wildlife by employing the “Rule of Thumb,” Peggy led the group through the “Camp Oh-No!” final exam.

Final Exam

From Camp Alice WisconsinGS

The Girl Scout leader group was absolutely game and the interactions were challenging, constructive and lots of fun. It was a group that demonstrated a well-developed capacity for reflective thinking… and good humor… and a sincere interest in modeling and teaching how to experience and enjoy the outdoors in the “right kind of way…” We were left with the distinct impression that the Wisconsin Girl Scouts are in good hands, and Leave No Trace is sure to become an integral component in their instructional agenda. We have a feeling that Alice would be pleased and proud about how things have worked out for her girls.

As we departed, we gave copies of the “Leave No Trace” DVDs (US National Park Service) to the Council staff. In turn, they presented us with a Girl Scout tote bag filled with a representative assortment of nuts from their fundraising sale... nice road-fare. Thanks go to Mary Jo Zachow for demonstrating her favorite Leave No Trace teaching activity during the workshop, arranging our participation in the event, and for welcoming us so warmly. All in all, it was a terrific Saturday night soiree at Camp Alice.

From Camp Alice WisconsinGS

Hope to see you down the road,

Peggy and Barrett
e-Tour 2010

e-Word: "everybody"

From Camp Alice WisconsinGS

Ascending Chicago's Highest PEAK

From REI_Chicago

We held a training workshop for the PEAK Program at the Lincoln Park REI store in Chicago on Thursday. The audience consisted of folks from community-based youth programs such as Big City Mountaineering, Lake View Nature Center, Chicago Park District, Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, and Mindful Metropolis Magazine, as well as the Outreach Coordinators and others involved in PEAK activities for the Chicago area’s four REI stores. Peggy’s sister and two of her cousins, whose curiosity about what we’ve been doing on this e-Tour for the past ten weeks compelled them to attend the session for a firsthand encounter with our teaching of Leave No Trace principles, rounded out the audience. We engaged this group in PEAK Pack activities such as Minimum Impact Match, a great icebreaker and an up-close-and-personal way to get everyone thinking about creatively teaching the seven principles of outdoor ethics.

The REI venue was an excellent urban setting for the workshop, and it’s clear that REI is fully vested not only in encouraging the practice of Leave No Trace Principles, but also in providing teaching resources and support that will help others, especially youth audiences, understand the importance of the principles as a framework for fun, responsible outdoor recreational activity. Just getting kids interested in outdoor recreation is, of course, the first essential step and a complementary objective of REI and Leave No Trace. We share the concern of Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods,” that the disconnect between kids and the outdoors, whether backyard or backcountry, is a fundamental challenge to the healthy development of human character and values. Critically, this disconnect also threatens the continuum of advocacy and stewardship for the wild lands, creatures, and historic places of the public realm. If our society, or at least the part of our society that professes to love the outdoors and what it means and serves, doesn’t make a deliberate effort to connect today’s youth with this natural and cultural legacy, we fail to meet our own stewardship responsibilities.

We’ve witnessed the degree of the problem first-hand in our travels. Even in campgrounds, we’ve seen how easy access to electronic games, the Internet, and high definition television or video so effectively infatuates and distracts the human mind (whether child or adult), and precludes other, more physical, traditional outdoor recreational activities that have timelessly helped kids connect with, understand, and appreciate the natural and cultural roots of their environment. Sometimes we need to intentionally model the behaviors that can show others how to enjoy the outdoors in the right kind of way. Moreover, we need to find compelling ways of appealing to young minds, piquing their naturally curious inclinations, reacquainting young spirits with the gratification found in simple, traditional pastimes, and whetting young appetites with the enticement of authentic experiences in the outdoors.

From REI_Chicago

The folks who participated in our program clearly recognize the danger of “the disconnect,” and REI's partnership with Leave No Trace and sponsorship of the PEAK Training Program is only one of the ways that REI is responding to the challenge. Maybe you would be willing and able to join the effort, too. Check out the efforts of REI and other sponsors for community action opportunities that actively promote sustainable outdoor ethics, and see if there is a local program or initiative that appeals to your interest. And when you do get involved, maybe you can entice a kid to go along with you.

Hoping to work alongside you on such challenges when we meet down the road,

Peggy and Barrett

e-Tour 2010

e-Word: “enticing”

ps: Many thanks to Claire Hurwitz, Outreach Specialist for the Greater Chicago Area REI stores, for arranging the PEAK workshop and recruiting such great participants...

e-Touring the Dunescape

From Hoffmaster State Park

Last Sunday, sandwiched into our programs and outreach at GLNMM, we bicycled southward 12 miles to Hoffmaster State Park where we met with park staff, distributed Leave No Trace hangtags and brochures, and interacted with park visitors. It was a beautiful day for a ride, and we were in good spirits when we arrived at Hoffmaster. We were very impressed with the Hoffman Visitor Center. The interpretive exhibits and educational programs effectively present the story of the various components of the coastal ecosystem and its geomorphology. Exhibits also tell the stories of the determined individuals who advocated for creation of such public parks and natural areas, whose efforts ensured that these extraordinary places would be preserved for all of us to experience.



We hiked the park’s boardwalk and climbed the 170 wooden steps that reach the uppermost heights of Hoffmaster’s impressive dunescape. The boardwalk protects the fragile dune ecosystem from the erosive wear and tear of visitor foot traffic. As recompense for our exertions, we were rewarded with spectacular views of blue, windswept Lake Michigan stretching out before us to the west. Clusters of Monarch butterflies caught the shore breezes on their migration south. We spent a full afternoon exploring the park and talking with other visitors, and the sun was settling down into the great watery expanse of Lake Michigan as we pedaled back to our base camp at the USS Silversides in Muskegon.

From Hoffmaster State Park

Hope to see you down the road,

Peggy and Barrett
e-Tour 2010

e-Word: “expansive”

e-Touring Beneath the Waves (Part 2)

From GLNMM_Muskegon 2

As it turned out, neither of us saw the ghost, but it was what we heard that was memorable. We slept peacefully beneath Lake Michigan in the womb of the sub, lullabied by the rhythmic lapping of waters against the still solid hull of 70-year old Silversides. We realized that sound, not sight, was truly the sensory currency of the submariners, for while sight was certainly critical to navigation and attack, it was sound that was the primary sensory stimulation for the crew in the close, dimly lit confines of the sub. There were the sounds of sonar, torpedoes, propellers of enemy destroyers, depth charges … all measured by duration, proximity, and magnitude…  sounds and silences by which these men lived and died. Running silent and deep gave the sub a stealthy advantage and made the sub less likely to be detected by the enemy, while sound betrayed their position and increased the already high risks of successful enemy counter-measures.  A careless, indiscrete sound could literally sink the sub. The experience gave us pause, as we reflected on the indiscrete behaviors that unwittingly impose on the sensory sensibilities of others… something to think about in anticipation of the next time we bike a path, hike a trail, paddle a slough, or consider the “be considerate of others” principle of Leave No Trace.

Our accommodations on Sunday night were aboard a 1927 US Coast Guard Cutter, USCGC McLane, that was commissioned by President Calvin Coolidge with the intention of interdicting the rum and whiskey-running bootleggers of the Prohibition Period. Evidently, the McLane was somewhat less successful in its mission than Silversides, undoubtedly due to the fact that the relatively slow cutter could not match the pace of the souped-up speedboats employed by the bootleggers. That night, our dreams of  “The Untouchables” were accompanied by the siren-like whale songs of ships fenders rubbing against the McLane’s steel hull as the vessel gently rocked at her berth.

From GLNMM_Muskegon 2

Both sub and cutter are open daily for tours, and groups may also make arrangements for overnight visits similar to our own. In fact, on Saturday we presented a program to a troop of Boy Scouts who had traveled up from the Dayton, Ohio vicinity just to visit the GLNMM and spend a memorable night on the WWII sub. Both Mark Gleason and Gary Reynolds envision an experiential learning initiative that will accommodate thousands of scouts at the GLNMM for similar kinds of programs, and it presents a great opportunity to introduce a cohort of young folks to Leave No Trace.  As Scouting Liaison for the Museum, Gary was especially intent on giving the scouts an upfront introduction to the principles of “Outdoor Ethics for Heritage Sites” before the boys set foot on the beautifully and carefully maintained Silversides, whose rare and significant heritage values are acknowledged by her designation as a National Historic Landmark.

Labor Day Monday at GLNMM was once again stormy and wet, and a steady stream of visitors seeking indoor diversions visited our Outdoor Ethics resource table, talked with us about their favorite camping experiences, and watched the NPS Leave No Trace DVD.  We all watched the treetops dance wildly in the powerful squalls that swept in from Lake Michigan, and were glad for our safe harbor.

All in all, the Labor Day weekend experience reminded us of the extraordinary variety of audiences, settings, and outreach opportunities that we have encountered in our e-Tour odyssey. The raison d’être of this epic journey is growing on us… or maybe within us… as each day we feel a deepening sense of appreciation for the hospitality, goodwill, and genuine interest that has greeted us at every event, campground, and port-of-call along the way. We respect and admire the many folks, who like the GLNMM staff (Mark, Gary, Bob, Jack and others), are committed to creating experiential learning opportunities that connect youth with the outdoors and the legacy of our natural and cultural heritage in substantive, engaging, and fun ways. With such a dedicated staff and historic, hands-on resources like the Silversides and McLane, the GLNMM serves the role of a lighthouse beacon, illuminating a meaningful passage towards understanding outdoor ethics and appreciating the critical importance of collective stewardship.

From GLNMM_Muskegon 2

Hope to find safe anchorage alongside your vessel in our next port,

Peggy and Barrett

e-Tour 2010

e-Word: “experiential-learning” 

e-Touring Above the Waves (Part 1)

We journeyed to the storied shoreline of western Michigan this past week for rounds of campground outreach at Charles Mears State Park in Pentwater, talking with other campers about their outdoor activities, favorite places, and gear preferences.  Our pop-up was deployed directly on the leeward side of a 30 foot-high dune that protected us a little from the violent storm that swept across Lake Michigan on Thursday night. Early gusts of wind and the rolling thunder of distant lightning strikes roused campers to batten down the hatches. There was a frantic flurry of securing camp chairs, tables, grills, ice chests, and bicycles under sheltering tents and awnings. It was exciting to ride out the storm in our little E1, with rain drumming on our roof, strobes of lightning flashing, and thunder booming overhead. We stayed safe and dry while the campground was washed and refreshed.

From GLNMM_Muskegon

On Friday, we drove further south down the Lake Michigan coast to the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum (GLNMM) in Muskegon for a Labor Day weekend event. The GLNMM mission is "to honor the people who have served and are serving the naval and maritime traditions of our nation, through education and historic preservation.” We were impressed with how well they are fulfilling their mission with the help of people like Dr. Mark Gleason, director of education for the museum. Mark is also the Leave No Trace State Advocate for Michigan, and we had an extended conversation with him about Leave No Trace–related initiatives at the museum.

The showpiece of the GLNMM is the USS Silversides (SS-236), a World War II era Gato Class submarine that was one of the three most accomplished subs of WWII. The Silversides history is truly remarkable, and GLNMM does a great job of interpreting the story of its wartime service in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Gary Reynolds, the museum’s Scouting Liaison and Silversides expert, gave us a great tour of the submarine on the evening of our arrival. We then had the privilege of spending the night in the officers’ quarters of the submarine, and of course, as part of our orientation, we were told about the ghost sightings of a lone uniformed submariner disappearing behind the periscope housing…

(…to be continued)

Peggy and Barrett

e-Tour 2010

e-Word: “ethereal”

e-Tour Explores The North Face of Michigan

We spent an afternoon chatting up customers of The North Face store in the shopping mecca of Birch Run, Michigan. Shoppers took pause from their quest for outdoor gear and clothing to talk with us about Leave No Trace. And when there was a break in the steady flow of customer traffic, the store staff came by our table and shared interesting stories and information about their outdoor experiences. We are indebted to store manager, Frank Coleman, for welcoming us warmly and for directing us toward contacts with outdoor clubs in the area, such as SOLAR and North Country Trail Association for Lower Michigan.

From Frankenmuth TNF

Leave No Trace and The North Face have a healthy partnership that is based on a mutual belief in "the important and crucial element that education plays as a means to protect the outdoor places we explore." The North Face is also an active participant in the Leave No Trace Connect Grants Initiative, which provides direct support and training grants for organizations and people that serve culturally diverse communities .

From Frankenmuth TNF

Hope to see you down the road,

Barrett and Peggy

e-word: "equal" (outdoor opportunities)

e-Touring By Lantern Light

During the e-Tour team's visit to the Coleman Store in Birch Run, MI, we had the feeling of coming home to Momma! Coleman is our primary e-Tour sponsor, and the name Coleman has a long association with outdoor recreational activities and values. For us and many others, Coleman evokes nostalgic memories of family outings and camping experiences...

From Frankenmuth Coleman

...and so it was on Saturday that we recollected those memories during a full afternoon of outreach at the Coleman Outlet Store. Stephanie, the store manager, carved out a prime piece of real estate for us that was adjacent to the main service counter in the heart of the store.  In this strategic location, we were able to interact with virtually everyone that visited the store through our display of Leave No Trace resources, Camp Oh-No!, and the Bag’N Bigfoot game of skill. As we might have expected, most of the Coleman shoppers were keenly interested in various kinds of camping and outdoor recreational activities, from dedicated RVers to backcountry hikers bound for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula wilderness areas.

The Birch Run store offers everything from “instant tents” to complete outdoor kitchens. Shoppers took their time, carefully examining many of the products, knowing that this was their opportunity to make camp life that much easier and more comfortable. They worked their way from camp chairs to coolers, sleeping bags to backpacks, and of course to the historic Coleman stoves and lanterns. As a side note, and at risk of showing our age, we use our (more than) 40-year old Coleman gas lantern and 2-burner stove not only for frontcountry camping, but also as our super-reliable, emergency back-up lighting and cooking system every hurricane season in south Louisiana. Our interactions with folks were very positive, both in regard to Leave No Trace and Coleman, and the opinions that we heard in our many conversations were testament to Coleman's long-standing reputation for serving a wide array of camping needs, camper preferences, and outdoor stewardship concerns.

From Frankenmuth Coleman

We had frequent opportunities to talk with visitors about Leave No Trace and how the seven principles of LNT Outdoor Ethics applied to their various outdoor activities. From them, we learned about their favorite camping spots in Michigan, and were tantalized by images of nearby Mio (host to a festival for the rare Kirtland’s Warbler), as well as the more distant Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Lake Gogebic State Park in the Upper Peninsula.  After an afternoon of such encounters and with a touch of autumn in the air, we were eager to hit the road again, bound for any one of the myriad state parks and campgrounds that Michigan has to offer.  

Hope to see you down the road in one of those campgrounds. We may be arriving late, so we’d be obliged if you’d keep the lantern burning…

Barrett and Peggy

e-Tour 2010

e-word: "enlightened"

E-Tour Goes a Little Bavarian

From Frankenmuth Jellystone

The e-Tour visited the Jellystone Park in Frankenmuth, Michigan for “Family Reunion Weekend” this past Saturday and Sunday. Once again, it was a full and busy Jellystone that greeted us on Friday night as we arrived at our campsite in the farmlands of Eastern Michigan near Saginaw Bay. Frankenmuth, known as Little Bavaria, is an interesting community with a strong German heritage that was settled first as a Lutheran mission in the early 19^th Century. The celebration of its Bavarian roots is the signature feature of the community today. Local school children still study German from kindergarten to high school, and the architectural styling, music, food, and beer all recall the traditions of German alpine culture.

The campground was carefully groomed, with a network of paved roads that the kids (and adults) used to good advantage for their virtually nonstop cruising on bicycles and pedal-cars. We could hear squeals of laughter as spontaneous games of wheeled chase erupted on the child-friendly autobahn, and the “pursued” pedaled furiously to outpace their equally determined “pursuers.” It reminded us of similar summer pastimes we enjoyed while growing up in New Orleans, a time when neighborhood streets offered a relatively safe haven as a playground on balmy summer evenings. Sitting implacably on porches and shooting the breeze under ceiling fans that laboriously paddled the steamy airs, adults watched the ongoing goings-on with the laissez-faire attitude of distracted shepherds who tend their flock with an assurance that all will turn out well enough. We’ve come to appreciate the appeal of Jellystone as a similarly safe and comfortable haven for young and old who seek to enjoy a sense of community with like-minded neighbors. It’s a place where all can take pause from the frenetic pace of urbanized and internetized lifestyles, and enjoy the outdoor leisure activities that kids and adults have timelessly appreciated when afforded the opportunity.

On Saturday morning, we had a sizeable and eager crew of young Jellystoners for our Leave No Trace craft activity. First, we introduced the seven principles of Leave No Trace with the “Camp Oh-No!” tableau. Even the youngest could recognize the many (all-too-familiar) problems with Camp Oh-No! Then, while some of the kids decorated personalized “nature name tags” that featured their favorite animal, plant or place, others tested their casting skill with the Bag’N Bigfoot game and earned Clif bar prizes. Later, we had the opportunity to talk briefly about the courtesies, considerations, and common sense of outdoor ethics and show the short NPS “Leave No Trace” DVD before the evening’s feature film.

From Frankenmuth Jellystone

With timely recruiting assistance from Jena, one of the Jellystone staff, we had another large crowd for Sunday morning’s LNT session. Initially, the younger campers were engaged in crafting “Bigfoot ticklers,” while the older participants chose to make LNT bead bracelets. However, by the time we closed up shop, most all of the participants had done both craft activities, including the parents and grandparents who attended.

From Frankenmuth Jellystone

During our visit, we had the opportunity to talk with Cindy Keinath, an owner and general manager of Jellystone Frankenmuth, and also with her dad, Erv, about the complementary objectives of Jellystone and Leave No Trace. In an approach that is similar to Jellystone Maryland’s mentoring relationship with Girls Inc, Cindy is excited about the prospect of Jellystone Frankenmuth becoming host to local scout troops and school teachers for Leave No Trace training and education programs.

We’ve become accustomed to hospitable and friendly hosts at Jellystone Park, and the Frankenmuth group exceeded even those high expectations. Danke shoen for making us feel a welcome part of the community.

Hope to see you cruising pedal-style down and around the roads,

Peggy and Barrett

e-Tour 2010

e-word: edelweiss