Home Sweet Coleman Home

Many folks whom we've encountered in our travels have asked about our life on the road, so we thought we'd provide a glimpse into the routine of our daily migration.



Hoping you can join us down the road for some Saturday night dancing.

Peggy and Barrett
2010 Leave No Trace e-Tour

e-Word: "e-Migrants"

Watchable Wildlife Watching

The annual conference of Watchable Wildlife Inc. brought together folks from all over the Mid-West as well as from more distant locales such as Alaska, Arizona, Minnesota and Canada to discuss the wide range of values associated with wildlife observation and concomitant management issues. Attending the three days of sessions and field trips were park and preserve managers, conservationists, research scientists and educators.

When we walked through the doors of the upscale Holiday Inn Conference Center in Kearney, Nebraska we felt a bit out of our element. After all, we’ve been on the road in the camping mode for more than three months, and here we were attending an international conference that was being held in one of the most renowned bird watching locations in the world. Although we felt prepared for our imminent conference session, we felt the need for additional orientation to the mindset of this parliament of wildlife watchers. So, we grabbed a banana and cup of coffee (our reliable morning comfort foods) from a well-laden table to bolster our mettle and wandered into the Watchable Wildlife exhibit area to reconnoiter. We were immediately confronted by a gargantuan model of a piping plover that hungrily and purposefully looked us squarely in the eye. We imagined the sensation that a snail or grasshopper must feel just before becoming an energy snack for a migrating bird. A bit unnerved, we hopped quickly across the hall to investigate an eerie and alluring sound… It turned out to be a recording of tens of thousands of sandhill cranes at their pre-dawn awakening along the nearby Platte River. We were mesmerized; it was an ancient, timeless chorus that we found soothing and reassuring, and at once we were back in our comfort zone and ready for bear, or rather, bird... watchers, that is.

From Watchable Wildlife

Just prior to our session, we attended a session entitled Digital Bridge to Nature. This program aims to redress the “Nature Deficit Disorder” of today’s youth by getting kids interested in nature through the use of photography. During the session we were given tips and case studies on how to use digital photography to excite a curiosity about nature. This is what Digital Bridge to Nature is all about: giving youth an opportunity to approach the natural environment in a different way, one that gives them the chance to express their own personal creativity while developing a sense of connection to nature.

Our subsequent Leave No Trace session was attended by what at the outset seemed a rather reserved bunch. They were good “watchers” who listened quietly and attentively to the first part of our presentation, but suddenly came alive when we gave them a chance to compete for their teams, “Sasquatches” and “Yetis,” in the Step on It Challenge. From that point, it just kept getting “wilder,” and the audience was positively ebullient by the time we had covered the basics of the ever popular “How to Dispose of Waste Properly.” The session concluded on a great note as we all debated how best to apply Leave No Trace specifically to Watchable Wildlife challenges.



Overall the conference served as a terrific opportunity to connect with folks who are directly involved with stewardship of our great outdoor places such as the Audubon Society’s Rowe Sanctuary and properties managed by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. We appreciated the invitation to participate, and extend special thanks to our charming and eloquent session coordinator, Alicia Hardin of Nebraska Game and Parks.

Hoping to see you down the migratory flyway,

Peggy and Barrett
2010 e-Tour Team

e-Word: “ebullient”

More Gearfest SST (Sights, Sounds, and Testimonials)

Will offers a perspective from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), a longtime Leave No Trace partner and education provider:



 The Miami Valley Geocachers promote geocaching in the right kind of way:

The Boulder of the Midwest

Wow! Dayton’s Five Rivers MetroParks system is truly awesome. Seriously, the Dayton community has established itself as the Boulder of the Midwest. We attended the 4th annual Gearfest this past weekend, and were really blown away by the rich variety of facilities, activities, and outdoor experiences that are managed and facilitated by Metroparks. Gearfest was sponsored by Subaru, one of our Leave No Trace sponsors, and we setup our booth with our Tribeca billboard in Subaru Village next to Yakima, American Canoe Association, EarthJoy Tree Climbers and the festival’s main performance stage.



There was an opening program on Friday night, and we were busy at the Leave No Trace booth from the outset. Excellent bluegrass music on Saturday kept us dancing as we chatted up the steady stream of Gearfest visitors. We had terrific interactions with the representative from National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), one of our educational partners, Subaru reps, Miami Valley Geocachers, Yakima racks, and many others. It was great to hear the locals excitedly tell us about the outdoor activities that are readily accessible in the Dayton area, and the outstanding leadership of MetroParks in facilitating outdoor stewardship, education and programming.

One of the things that really impressed us was the number of youth-oriented activities that MetroParks promoted at Gearfest. Even more impressive was the number of youth that actually turned out to show-off their skills or try their hands at slacklining, skateboarding, snowboarding, frisbee golf, kayaking, tree climbing, and much more. It was fantastic to see so many kids totally immersed in outdoor activities. They were having off-the-chain fun and their enthusiasm was infectious. We're now thinking that maybe Boulder is the Dayton of the Rockies!

Thanks to the exemplary Five Rivers MetroParks crew for their assistance, especially Tom, Alex, Dan, and Greg. It's clear that the MetroParks folks are dialed into the Leave No Trace ethic.

Hoping to see you with happy feet at the next fest,

Peggy and Barrett
e-Tour 2010

e-word: "exemplary"

Going to Kansas City

It was an eclectic weekend in the Kansas City area. With programming assistance from Greg Plumb, a longtime Leave No Trace Master Educator, Boy Scout volunteer, and Park University professor, we had a schedule of events and audiences as varied as any we’ve encountered on the e-Tour.

On Friday morning, we went to the campus of Park University, a serene setting on the banks of the Missouri River in Parkville, MO, just upstream from Kansas City. We met with several of the school’s student organizations for a lunchtime presentation and discussion. With active student participation and at the pace of “three-minute Shakespeare,” we covered everything from durable surfaces to respecting wildlife and from trail trash to recycling. This precipitated a discussion about the Leave No Trace approach, which focuses on gradually building consensus, understanding, and the practice of a healthy outdoor ethic, versus aggressive Monkey Wrench Gang guerrilla tactics. The students were both passionate and articulate, and they seemed to be like-minded in recognizing the need for a coherent, sustainable environmental ethic. The debate about methods of achieving such an ethic demonstrated the group’s capacity for critical analysis and reflective thought, and we encouraged each student to transform their personal convictions into tangible actions towards making a difference.

On Friday evening, we prepared for engagement of a different sort as we set up camp with a view of the full moon rising over teepees and legions of tent encampments at the Heart of America Boy Scout Council’s Centennial Campout Celebration at Camp Naish, Kansas. Greg Plumb and fellow Master Educator Kenny Long joined us at the Camporee to help respond to the Leave No Trace interests of over 11,500 attendees. It started out a fine a day in the expansive Kansas meadow, but later in the morning the skies clouded over and rain was imminent. Nonetheless, the Scouts were, of course, prepared.  Waste management and recycling efforts were well organized and paths for vehicles and pedestrians were clearly delineated to minimize the impacts of the massive gathering. Our campsite served as a demonstration area where Kenny and Greg talked with the scouts about gear selection, efficient planning and packing, traveling fast and light, and the camping practices that can best minimize impacts.  The high profile graphics on our Subaru proved an alluring marquee that piqued the interest of passersby in the Leave No Trace show. We parked it, and they did come… afternoon rains and wind did not dampen spirits or traffic, and we were busily engaged in dialogue with our visitors until the midway activities finally closed late in the day. On Saturday evening we departed, expecting that in a few days there would be very little physical trace of the leviathan scout camp in the Heart of America.

From Kansas City Misc

On Sunday, we shifted gears again, and took our traveling show down to the Kansas City’s Plaza Art Fair. This event, rated as one of the nation’s top five art fests, that has been held annually since 1932 in the historic Country Club Plaza. We were hosted by The North Face Store, and were able to set up our outreach booth on the sidewalk at the store’s entrance. It proved to be a location of strategic significance, as it located us along one of the main arteries leading pedestrians into the Art Fest. The day was pleasantly sunny and warm, soothing the already genial tempers of Kansas Citians as they strolled past our Leave No Trace display. Perhaps the mood was further enhanced by the irrepressibly sweet young girls in their plaid school smocks who established themselves nearby and were earnestly soliciting contributions for a school fundraising event. In fact, Peggy is seriously giving some thought to donning a plaid pinafore and sporting French braids herself at the e-Tour’s next urban outreach event, really...

All in all, it was a productive trip to Kansas City and great to meet and work with Greg and Kenny.  We continue to be impressed by the exceptional network of Leave No Trace Trainers and Master Educators that we meet in our travels. By the same token, we are deeply humbled by the energies and countless hours that so many folks volunteer out of a conviction that the Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethic is right-minded and essential to the health of our land and our society.

Hoping to meet you down the road, whether in a classroom, at a Jamboree, or a cultural festival,

Peggy and Barrett

e-Tour 2010

e-Word: “eclectic”

Wandering and Wondering Down the Wisconsin River

We offer a momentary break from blogs about our e-Tour events as we reflect on other encounters we’ve had while traveling from The North Face Endurance Challenge near Madison to the Boy Scout Camporee in Kansas City. At our stops along the way, whether at a park, environmental center, or historic site, we've enjoyed talking with staff and visitors about Leave No Trace. As expected, the topic has particularly good resonance with the folks who are responsible for advancing the philosophical mission and overcoming the daily management challenges of these remarkable places… So hop, skip and jump across the Wisconsin landscape with us as we take a few minutes for some personal reflection on the broad implications of Leave No Trace:

From Wisconsin_Sojourn

Finding ourselves in central Wisconsin, we were compelled to make a pilgrimage to a famous hovel… “The Shack,” as it was affectionately known to Aldo Leopold and his family, was the humble building on a worn out "sand farm" that, through determined and persistent labors, was transformed into a cherished family retreat and a model for restoration ecology. The Shack is located along the Wisconsin River near Baraboo not too far from Madison and is a short bicycle ride down the road from the Leopold Center. The Center serves as a hub for education, outreach, and land stewardship programs. The Center building itself was the first to be awarded the highly prestigious “carbon-neutral” status by the LEED certification program.

An informational video we show at many of our Leave No Trace presentations ends with a quote from Aldo Leopold, author of A Sand County Almanac (published in 1949 and considered a classic in the fields of wildlife conservation and ecology). Leopold, a onetime forester with the U.S. National Forest Service and a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Natural Resources, promoted a “land ethic” that encouraged a fundamental and essential appreciation for the land in an effort to understand the dynamic relationship between Man and Nature. In A Sand County Almanac, Leopold wrote, “We see repeated the same basic paradoxes: man the conqueror versus man the biotic citizen; science the sharpener of his sword versus science the search-light on his universe; land the slave and servant versus land the collective organism.”

Consider the meaning of a "land ethic" at these other historic waypoints along the Wisconsin River: 

Devil’s Lake... a beautiful and topographically anomalous landform near Baraboo, WI. Devil's Lake was once a deep gorge that was carved by the Wisconsin River. With the advance and retreat of a glacial lobe around the Baraboo Hills during the last Ice Age, the flow of the river was blocked and Devil’s Lake was formed. Eventually the Wisconsin River found a new course into the Mississippi River Valley. We spent a late afternoon circumnavigating the lake over bluffs, boulders, and old moraines in the area now preserved as a state park.

From Taliesin

Taliesin... where acclaimed architect Frank Lloyd Wright developed and tested an “organic architecture” that seemed to grow naturally from the land. The Taliesin architecture blends elegantly into the hillsides overlooking the broad green Wisconsin River Valley, and reflects Wright's dramatic departure from the formal, Classical architecture of the time. His celebration of the natural forms and patterns that he had observed while growing up in rural Wisconsin placed him in the vanguard of an architectural design movement that sought to achieve balance and harmony with nature.

From Taliesin

Effigy Mounds National Historic Monument... where Native Americans expended untold energy to construct monumental earthworks depicting bears and eagles on the high bluffs overlooking the Mississippi and Wisconsin River confluence. While hiking past the still prominent effigy mounds today, one can only speculate about the human compulsions that created these works. Certainly they must be evidence of long ago cultural practices and preferences that defined a land ethic, but were they expressions of a connection to the earth as “biotic man” or conqueror, and did their relationship to nature characterize the “land as the collective organism” or as "servant to man..."?

From Wyalusing

No one has found the Effigy Mounds "Rosetta Stone," the key that unlocks the meaning of these gigantic cryptograms. Even the extent to which mounds were distributed dot-like across the landscape is still unknown. However, emerging remote-sensing and GIS technologies are helping us to rapidly and efficiently locate and map lost mound sites, and we encountered an NPS survey crew that was using these advanced technologies to do just that at the national monument. Many more sites than previously imagined are now being identified, and their reach is expanding. Did the mounds define a continent-wide network of connectivity with distant places and peoples? There aren't yet any easy answers, and the search for understanding goes on. Maybe someday, we'll finally be able to connect the dots...

Fascinating and sometimes enigmatic stories to consider in these remarkably diverse cultural and natural places…

Peggy and Barrett

e-Tour 2010

e-Word: “enigma”

Endurance Challenge on the Ice Age Trail

The North Face Endurance Challenge at Kettle Moraine State Forest in Wisconsin was, indeed, a challenge for all… starting at approximately 4:00am on Saturday morning, a lively public address system and a steady diet of pump-up music stoked over 2,000 race competitors, onlookers, and anyone else who happened to be staying at the Ottawa Lake campground. The first pod of runners consisting of the hardy 50 milers was sent off in the darkness to run the maze of forest trails at 5:00am in a cold, relentless downpour.

The weather improved somewhat as the morning progressed, and but for a few showers and an episode of pellet-sized hail, it was a great day for trail running on the Ice Age Trail. Group after group of determined runners, including 50K, marathoners, marathon relay, and a massive 10K, gamely took their turn at the starting line to the stimulating exhortations of support crews, friends, and family. A brief sermon on trail-running ethics and an earnest appeal to the runners to “Leave No Trace” preceded each race. Then, with a few encouraging words from "ultramarathonman" Dean Karnazes serving as the final benediction, the racers set forth from their starting-line congregation to run the muddy but durable trail, each seeking the pace and personal motivation that would sustain them through the course. 

In fact, Leave No Trace partner The North Face (TNF) places sustainability and conservation at the core of their commitment to advance the well-being of the planet. For example, as part of the ongoing effort to reduce the carbon footprint of the Endurance Challenge Series, The North Face has eliminated single serve plastic bottles of water and is limiting the distribution of disposable cups in 2010. As a consequence, at the Madison Endurance Challenge we discovered that our friends from Gore-Tex were providing participants with a durable, reusable, stainless steel water bottle. What difference does it make? Well, according to TNF:

• 1.5 million tons of waste per year is attributed to bottled water

• Bottled water production requires 47 million gallons of oil per year

• 80% of plastic bottles are simply thrown away

• That which does not go to landfills can end up in the ocean and other bodies of water, which in turn negatively affect delicate ecosystems and the marine life and birds that inhabit them

Reflective thinking, simple choices, personal convictions, accepting responsibility, deliberate actions… it’s easy to begin making a difference for the better, whether an individual or a corporation. After all, whatever our pace and personal motivations, we are all irrevocably entered in this planetary endurance challenge. It’s up to us to decide how we choose to run the course…

From TNF Endurance Challenge

Hats off to The North Face for hosting the Endurance Challenge series and for the timely promotion of fundamental Leave No Trace ethics.

Hoping we run together down the Leave No Trace trail,

Peggy and Barrett

e-Tour 2010

e-Word: “endurance”