End of the Road

We have had a pretty great season and we owe it all to Leave No Trace and Coleman. We conducted outreach in 14 different states at 51 events, and trained around 9,000 youth and adults this summer. Along the way we were able to have some very memorable recreational trips like paddling in Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area, climbing at Tahquitz in Idyllwild California, Paddling the Current River in Missouri, mountain biking the Slick Rock Trail in Moab, and of course biking, hiking, and climbing when passing through Lake Tahoe. We want to thank all of our program contacts, for having us and hopefully continuing Leave No Trace education and getting outdoors. Today is our last day in Boulder as we hit the road tomorrow for California to start a new journey in Arcata on the North Coast of California attending graduate school and working. Once again Thank You to Leave No Trace, our coordinator Dave, and all the office staff for making the e-tour of 2009 amazing and fulfilling.

Happy Trails from the e-tour,

Alexis & Topher

Coleman Country

Our last program this season was located at the Coleman Factory Outlet and Museum in Wichita, KS. This is one of the most unique Coleman stores, featuring some of the first made coolers, lanterns, and even coffee makers by Coleman. While at the store we had two awareness workshops, teaching local scouts, parents, and scout leaders about Leave No Trace and how to minimize the impacts while on outings. Some of the participants were avid fisherman, so we discussed making good decisions while fishing and how to properly dispose of fish entrails. We also talked about Trash your Trash, and the affects our trash has on the environment and on wildlife. After we wrapped up our workshops, we headed out of Kansas to Colorado to end the season.
Thank You Coleman for having us, we appreciate all your great staff at the store and your support for Leave No Trace.

Happy Trails from the e-tour,

Alexis & Topher

Coleman Headquarters

This morning we had the pleasure of presenting to 35 Coleman Brand Specialist at Coleman Headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. Coleman has been a partner of Leave No Trace for a long time, and the sponsor for the e-tour for the past three years. As we wind our season to an end, we informed Coleman on all of our youth outreach programs, and some of our highlighted events from the 2009 summer tour. We shared some stories from the road, successes on programs and how many people were reached with the leave no trace message, and how thankful we are for their support and dedication to Leave No Trace. After our presentation we toured the factory, and saw all the behind the scenes of how Coleman makes such amazing coolers, lanterns, and two burner stoves...pretty awesome! We want to give a big Thank You to Coleman and Jim, Nicole, and Joan for having us this morning and supporting the outreach and education of responsible recreation and stewardship of our public lands.

Happy Trails from the e-tour,

Alexis Ollar & Topher Marlatt

Mall Madness

Friday night we joined 1600 girl scouts in Wichita Kansas at Town East Mall for a lock-in and a night of shopping, games, movies, dancing, pizza, and of course E-Tour fun!!! We set up a scavenger hunt in the mall, which educated the girls and their leaders on the 7 principles of leave no trace. Outdoor gear was hidden in natural settings within the mall (trees and plants), and the gear corresponded with scavenger hunt questions. We had 100 scouts successfully finish the scavenger hunt, and were rewarded with recycled bags, glow sticks, and leave no trace educational materials. At 2 am we raffled off a Coleman sleeping bag and pillow to one lucky girl scout who participated in the scavenger hunt. It was a late night/ morning and full of action in the mall. Thank you to the Girl Scout Heartland of Kansas Council, and Angela for having us.

Happy Trails from the E-Tour

Alexis & Topher

North Coast of California

We just spent a few days on the North Coast of California after our stretch of programs in Southern California. The North Coast has a unique coast line, six amazing rivers, beach climbing and bouldering, mountain biking, sea kayaking, and surfing in chilly water. While in the area we climbed at Moonstone Beach, went swimming in the Trinity River, and got ready for Graduate school at Humboldt State University. This area is also known as Big Foot Country, and we saw a few signs of his presence around town.

We just landed back in Colorado for a day at the office, and tomorrow we are off to Wichita Kansas for the last string of programs.

Happy Trails,

Alexis & Topher

Huntington Beach Play Day

Over 700 kids decended on Huntington Beach for the 12th annual Play Day put on by California State Parks. Participants rotated between various stations throughout the day. We focused on the importance of practicing Leave No Trace in frontcountry settings, as well as being good stewards of the land. Participants pitched in and helped clean up a portion of the beach, and were excited to practice Leave No Trace in their future outings.


Happy Trails,

Topher & Alexis

Camp Trask

As our tour of southern California continued we ventured to Monrovia California to Camp Trask. Nestled at the base of the San Bernardino Mountains Camp Trask is the temporary home to over one hundred cub scouts from the immediate area. We conducted outreach to the entire camp on the importance of disposing of waste properly at camp and when out recreation. The scouts were shocked to find out just how long some forms of trash last and hope to minimize their impacts as well as give back to the land by being good stewards of the land.

Happy Trails,

Topher & Alexis

Cub Scout Day Camp

The scouts have to start somewhere, right? Today we visited the Golden Eagle Cub Scout Day Camp in Covina California within the LA area. We worked with 97 cub scouts in the four scout levels Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelos. The camp prepares cub scouts by teaching a variety of skill sets and does lots of outdoor activities during week long day camps. Our awareness workshops were 40 minutes long, exploring a couple of principles while playing a few PEAK activities and an activity we call "Crypto-Crossing". Our contact Dennis Matthews is a Master Educator, and teaches and coordinates lots of Leave No Trace programs within the Covina and BSA community. Thank you so much for having us and keep up the good work!

Happy Trails from the E-Tour,
Alexis & Topher

Autry Center-Granite Frontiers

Today we presented at the Autry Center Museum in Los Angeles. They currently have an exhibit called "Granite Frontiers a century of Yosemite Climbing". We held an Awareness Workshop on Leave No Trace and Responsible Rock Climbing. We touched on the many impacts you can have while climbing and how to minimize them with gear and types of climbing. We had some general public attendees and some climbing site managers within the Boy Scouts of America. We played a couple of games, and talked about how to minimize your impacts while trad or sport climbing. We were able to check out the exhibit inside, and saw some amazing displays. Some of them were pictures of John Muir in his climbing days, Royal Robbins & Warren Harding establishing some of the first ascents in Yosemite, and Lynn Hill free climbing the Nose. The exhibit is truly amazing, and something to check out if you are in the LA area. Thank You Lisa Woon for having us, it was a pleasure to meet you and be guests at the museum.

Happy Trails from the E-Tour,

Alexis & Topher

Rancho Cucamonga Bass Pro

Yesterday we provided outreach programs at Bass Pro in Rancho Cucamonga, California. We held a workshop teaching scouts and scout leaders about Leave No Trace in the morning, and gave out information to store goers in the afternoon. We also had some guest presenters with us at the stor,e Sarah Burdett a Girls Scout is earning her silver badge, and made a Leave No Trace Quiz box on the 7 principles. Participants were able to test their knowledge, and join the Leave No Trace Bigfoot Challenge. Thank you to Amanda from Bass Pro for having us, and Joann Schiffer-Burdett for all her outreach and planning.

Happy Trails from the E-Tour,

Alexis & Topher

Open Book

Tahquitz Rock located in the San Jacinto Mountain Range in Southern California was first climbed in 1930. 12 routes were set back in 1935, and in 1950 the Yosemite rating system for climbing was created at Tahquitz. The granite rock sits above the mountain town of Idyllwild, and has some of the worlds “Classic” multi pitch climbs. We have had our eye set on climbing “Open Book”, since this past winter and just now had the chance to climb it yesterday. The approach up to Tahquitz is steep and has 800ft elevation gain in less than half a mile, and is a couple of miles up. “Open Book” is a 4 pitch 5.9 climb on the 1000ft rock face. The climb was amazing, and is definitely a highlight for recreation this month. We are looking forward to future trips to Idyllwild to climb more of these killer routes!
Happy Trails from the E-Tour,
Alexis & Topher

Azalea Trails

Today we worked with 55 Girl Scout campers and staff at Azalea Trails Camp. Today was the last day at camp, and scouts talked about some of their favorite outdoor activities at camp, which was a perfect lead-in for Leave No Trace. We did a couple of sessions for the girls today, and went over all the principles and how to practice Leave No Trace. We played a few games from the PEAK pack, and gave all the girls educational materials and glow sticks from Coleman. We had a great time at the camp, and love the Idyllwild area! Thank you Monique or “Turtle” for having us have a great summer and season at camp.

Happy Trails,
Topher & Alexis

Boseker Scout Reservation

Boseker Scout Reservation has operated for the past 90 years in Idyllwild, California. The camp is nestled at 6,000 feet of elevation and surrounded by pines, granite boulders, and not too far away from Tahquitz a famous mountain and rock climbing area. We had the pleasure of working with the Environmental Science group at camp, and a Trainer Course. Our first session with the scouts we focused on how to be stewards of the land, and how to apply Leave No Trace on outings and daily recreation. We played a couple of games from the PEAK pack, “Minimum Impact Match & How Prepared Are You?”.  Paula Boothe a Master Educator, was providing a Trainer Course for Boy Scout Leaders at camp, and we sat in and did a couple of 101 activities for the group and answered specific Leave NO Trace questions.  Thank You so much to all the camp staff Sue & Paula, and everyone else for making us feel right at home, We love Idyllwild! Have a great rest of summer & camp!

Happy Trails from the E-Tour, 

Alexis & Topher  

Southern Sierras

Today we joined 55 campers and staff at Camp Whitsett in the Sequoia National Forest in Kernville, CA. The Boy Scout Camp has been in operation for the past 60 years, and is in a beautiful part of the Southern Sierras. We offered four awareness workshops at camp. The first workshop was for the new scout leaders for the troops that were present at camp. We covered demos, and how to teach and role model Leave No Trace skills & ethics to their Scouts.  The next few workshops were geared to camp staff and the teen scouts. The programs all went really well, and we a grateful to have worked with the campers and staff, and discover a new beautiful region of the Sierras.

Happy Trails from the E-Tour,

Alexis & Topher

 

Fresno Outreach

Yesterday we worked with 10 REI & local non-profit staff at the Fresno, CA store. We conducted a PEAK training before the store opened, teaching participants about the seven principles and how to teach the skills and ethics of Leave No Trace within their community. During the training we ran 6 PEAK activities/modules, discussing how to design a good awareness workshop and facilitate outreach programs. 

Later that day, we worked with the Lemoore Parks & Recreation Summer Camp in Lemoore, CA.  We worked with 46 campers that afternoon, reviewing the principles and discussing their “Green” theme at camp this summer. A couple of the PEAK games we played during the sessions were “Leave No Trace Draw” & “How Long Does it Last?”. The camp this year is acting as the local Recycling center, and campers sort recyclables and make all art projects out of trash items. Pretty cool! Thanks for having us in Fresno and Lemoore, next up Kernville, CA.

Happy trails from the E-Tour,

Alexis & Topher 

Earths Largest Tree

After our BSA Camp Chawanakee program we headed down to Sequoia National park to see the earths largest tree. The General Sherman Tree ( a Giant Sequoia) is estimated to be around 2,200 years old, 275 feet tall, the trunk is 1,385 tons and 103 feet in circumference.  A very large and beautiful tree. This is just one of the many highlights in the Sequoia, the second oldest National Park in the U.S. While in the park we checkout some bouldering, and hiked to the top of Moro Rock. Atop Moro Rock you can see a few of the High Sierra Peaks like Eisen, Alta, and in the distance the Whitney Portal Area home to California's largest peak Mt. Whitney (14,494ft). The Sierras make us feel right at home, and we hope to spend some more time in the Sequoia & Kings Canyon area in the near future. 

Happy Trails from the E-Tour, 

Alexis & Topher 

Camp Chawanakee

Camp Chawanakee is a Boy Scout Camp in the Sequoia Council located in Shaver Lake California, or commonly known as part of the Sierras. Today we worked with 55 of their summer staff, right before they began camp session #5 for the summer. Since the staff mostly works with the campers as guides and mentors we concentrated on talking about the impacts at camp, and the skills and ethics needed to in order to minimize them. We ran a few demos, and talked about how to educate and role model good behavior to the scouts. We want to say Thanks to Pete Maskovich and all the BSA staff for having us,as well as Frank Riegeleman for inviting us. Hope the rest of the summer camp sessions are a success!

Central California Outreach

Yesterday we had a Double Whammy, a couple of programs in California at an REI & a Bass Pro. We started our morning off early at a new REI store in Brentwood, CA. REI had requested a PEAK training for some of their new employees. We worked with five staff and taught them how to run PEAK activities and to work in their community and share the Leave No Trace skills and ethics. After the PEAK training we headed toward Manteca, CA to table and do some outreach at the Bass Pro Outdoor World Store. We talked with a variety of locals about Leave No Trace, and our traveling education programs.  Thanks for having us Brian from REI and Janelle from Bass Pro. Today we are headed to a Boy Scout camp at Shaver Lake, and will be talking to 50 staff about Leave No Trace. 

Happy Trails, 

Alexis & Topher 

Monkey-In Around in Berkeley

Yesterday we worked with 60 campers and counselors at Camp Monkey Business in Tilden Park atop the forests of Berkeley, California. The campers were wrapping up a weeklong camp, and we joined them for their last day at camp.  We split the campers into two groups and played a variety of PEAK activities exploring the seven principles of Leave No Trace. All the campers were engaged and ready to share their knowledge about the environment and how they can be stewards of the land.  They definetly have a lot of fun at camp monkey business, and the week long theme was pirates, so we got lots of “YARS” at the end of our session, and rewarded them with some Leave No Trace “Booty” aka plastic reference cards and stickers! Thanks for having us,  and hope the rest of your summer is lots of FUN!

Happy Trails from the E-Tour,

Alexis & Topher 

YMCA PRESIDIO

Today we worked with some young Environmental Stewards from the YMCA Presidio located in San Francisco. We had 6 adorable 5 year olds, and their rock-in counselors Sam & Mike. The San Fran locals were all ears about Leave No Trace, and why taking care of their city and the environment is so important. We played a variety of PEAK games and talked about how stewardship applies to summer camp, the environment, and life! A couple of the Peak activities we played were "Watch Your Step", "What Principle Am I", "How Long Does It Last", and "Stealing the WOW". All the campers were awesome at the activities, and promised to share the Seven principles of Leave No Trace with the other campers, friends, and family. We had such a blast hanging at the Presidio YMCA today, and hope to do more education and outreach with them in the future! 

Happy Trails from the E-Tour, 

Alexis & Topher 

High Sierra Music Festival

Happy (belated) fourth of July!  The e-tour just spent the past four days in Quincy, CA at the High Sierra Music Festival(HSMF) promoting Leave No Trace to roughly eight thousand festival-goers.  Over the four days we had quite a bit going on at the event.  Teaming up with HSMF for our first year we were excited to infuse the event with the skills and ethics of Leave No Trace.  This year represented our first ever "RED, WHITE, BLUE, and GREEN Campsite Challenge, which challenged campers to practice Leave No Trace and push to create a conscious sustainable temporary community while on site.  The winners of the competition took home a camping package from Coleman for there dedicated efforts, thank Wallace & Ali.  

During the festival we were apart of the "Social Action in our Live Music Community" workshop, which showcased four non-profits ( Rock The Earth, Green Mountain Energy, Head Count, and Leave No Trace) and discussed environmental issues and social change becoming more popular in live music cultures and how non-profits can benefit from being apart of the Live Music Community. We had an amazing time talking with the other four panelist during the workshop and answering questions from the festival-goer audience. We want to give a Big Thank You to all the High Sierra Staff, Debbie Crockett, and lots of our friends and family from the northern California area for making High Sierra so wonderful. We hope this starts a tradition with High Sierra and Leave No Trace, and a future partnership! 

Happy Trails from the E-Tour

Alexis & Topher 

Scouting in the High Sierras

While in the Sierras we stopped at two Girl Scout Camps for day long workshops. We trekked up to Arnold, CA to present Leave No Trace to campers at Camp Menzies and Sugar Pine Camp.  Scouts ranging from 8 to 18 years old participated in a variety of interactive games, which enlightened them to the importanceof practicing Leave No Trace, and the impact humans can have on our lands.  The girls were extremely receptive to the information provided and can’t wait to use the skills and ethics while at camp and beyond. 

At the two camps we worked with 180 scouts and counselors in training. We dedicated half of the day at Sugar Pine Camp to work with their 20 CIT's, teaching them how they can teach the younger campers Leave No Trace. Later on in the day the CIT's were able to join us on  couple of workshops for the younger campers and help us run activities, Thanks! While at camp we were also able to see the largest Sugar Pine Tree alive, approximately 400 ft tall and 500 years old. The camp has pictures of the tree from 1900, with the one of the forefathers  of conservation sitting at the base of the tree, John Muir, pretty cool!  

We hope you all have an awesome summer, Big Thanks to all the satff at Menzies and Sugar Pine! 

Happy Trails the E-Tour

 Topher and Alexis  

Great American Backyard Campout

Camping in Oakland?  You bettcha!  The third Annual Great American Backyard Campout took place in the City of Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park.  Family campers gathered on Saturday afternoon to experience the joys of camping and the discovery of nature.  The Leave No Trace e-tour was on hand to educate campers on the seven principles of Leave No Trace and how to responsibly enjoy the park, its resources, and other areas folks may travel to in future outings.  We welcome the Great American Backyard Campout as partners and are excited to provide education and outreach at many of their events in the future.

 

Happy Trails,

 Topher and Alexis 

Skylark Ranch

Yesterday we ran 6 awareness workshops to 124 Girl Scouts at the SkyLark Ranch. The ranch is 300 acres and nestled right between Half Moon Bay and Santa Cruz on the Coast of California, surrounded by red wood trees in a temperate rainforest. We worked with girls that were 10- 16 years old, and even some counselors in training. The scouts attend week long sessions, with certain activities as their focus like horse back riding,  climbing, sea kayaking,  archery, and primitive camping. We focused on a variety of principles with the girls, and played games from the PEAK and TEEN pack. Two of our last programs at the camp were working with the Gillys or the primitive camping scouts which are some what removed from the rest of camp, and they make and sleep and in tree beds, and truly ruff it! We really enjoyed all the scouts and their amazing counselors at camp! Thank you to Tori aka Batgirl, our program host for everything and having us at one of the most amazing camps we have seen!

Happy Trails from the E-Tour, 

Alexis & Topher 

Nevada Outdoor School

Winnemucca Nevada is home to the Nevada Outdoor School. They are a non-profit organization that fosters knowledge and respect for all living and non-living things, increases scientific literacy, and promotes ecological stewardship in rural Nevada and beyond. We worked with one of their summer groups today 10 students and 4 NOS staff. The group is setting out on a hiking and overnight trip tomorrow in Water Canyon of Northern Nevada. Their trip offered the perfect setting to teach Leave No Trace, and how to recreate responsibly. During the three  hour awareness workshop we  covered all the Principles, and how they are related to the specific trip they are going on. We focused heavily on Know Before You Go, by playing “How Prepared Are You?” in the Teen Peak Pack. This activity allowed the participants to work together and discuss all the gear needed for an overnight hiking trip, and what questions to ask their trip leaders.  After covering the importance of trip planning we covered the other principles and played a variety of games; Step on It, How Long Does It Last, Stealing the Wow, and demonstrations on Leave No Trace Fires.  We hope the trip is a success in Water Canyon, and sparks many  more outdoor adventures for the group.

Wanted to Thank the Nevada Outdoor School and their staff (Rachel, Jessica, Bonnie, and Amanda) for having us, and hope y’all have an amazing summer!

 

Happy Trails,

Alexis & Topher 

Home for a Day

After our program in Utah we were able to a squeeze in some  time In Lake Tahoe, the place  we call Home! Making the most of our time on the North Shore and with friends we hit up the Tahoe Rim Trail and Mountain Biked one of the most popular sections at Tahoe Meadows Trailhead to Tunnel Creek, 12 miles of technical rock features and scenic vistas of Lake Tahoe. After riding we hit up Old County, a sweet Bouldering spot in Tahoe City. The next day we went and climbed bunch of sport routes at Big Chief in the Truckee River Valley, one of our favorite spots to climb overhanging juggy basalt rock! There isn’t enough time in the day to get in all of our favorite recreational spots in Tahoe, but we sure did squeeze in as much as possible in two days, while also catching up with friends. Now we are off to Winnemucca, Nevada to work with the Nevada Outdoor School!

Happy Trails from the E-tour,

 

Alexis & Topher  

Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Today we joined our Utah State Advocte Kathy Stopher at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge in Brigham City, Utah.  They had a Movie Premier at the Refuge, "Wings of Thunder", and we were there as well to do outreach and education. We talked to Children and Families on the importance of practicing Leave No Trace, and respecting wildlife. We had a small interpretive trail set up outside, but unfortunately the weather was not so great and rained out our Leave No Trace Trail, so we tabled inside instead.  Other activities that were going on were face painting, Making Bird masks, and the interpretive center activities inside the refuge visitor center. This is our second time doing outreach in the area, last fall we conducted a Trainer Course for the Refuge Centers volunteers and staff, and this year worked right beside them at the visitor center. Thanks again to Kathy for bringing us back, and having us at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. 

Happy Trails from the E-Tour, 

Alexis & Topher 

SOS PEAK Training

Friday afternoon we met with SOS Outdoor Guides in Minturn, Colorado. SOS & Meet the Wilderness have merged, and have been doing Outdoor Education programs since 1993.  They focus on winter sports, rock climbing, backpacking, and challenge course programs for teens. We worked with 8 Field staff who are getting ready for the summer program season, and had their first day of staff training on Friday. SOS is a recipient of the Leave No Trace Connect Grant, and we were their to teach the staff how to facilitate the Teen Peak Pack. We covered three of the activities; How Prepared are You?, Principle Presentation, and the Ethics Game. The SOS staff were already very knowledgeable of Leave NO Trace, which made teaching the PEAK pack very easy and fun. 

We wanted to Thank Dan for having us, and hope the summer season is a success!  

Coleman Outreach

While in Colorado we have been able to do outreach at two of the Coleman Factory Outlet Stores Castle Rock & Loveland. Coleman is a Partner of Leave No Trace, and is the official sponsor for the Leave No Trace E- Tour for the past three years. Without their support and dedication to the Outdoors we would not be able to do the amount of outreach and education while on the road.  While at both Coleman locations we talked with shoppers about the skills and ethics of Leave No Trace, and ways to get involved and support the organization. We also ran two awareness workshops to local scouts.  Since the scouts are getting ready for summer outings and trips, we talked about the impact we see and how to be more responsible. 

We wanted to Thank all the employees at Coleman and our Contact hosts Sally and Doug for having us at your store! 

Happy Trails from the E-tour, 

Alexis & Topher 

National Get Outdoors Day

This past saturday Leave No Trace teamed up with the organization called Stay the Trail at National Get Outdoors Day at City Park in Downtown Denver. The event had around 7,000 attendees, and we talked to around 500 participants. We had an interpretive trail set up at the event, that mirrored the 7 principles of Leave No Trace and how to be a responsible while out recreating. Families, children, and students hiked the trail, and stop at interpretive signs and stations along the trail. Some of the stops along the trail were a downed tree obstacle, a plan ahead a prepare station, a cultural artifact/ wildflower station, a campsite station, a wildlife viewing station, switchbacks, and multiple trail user stop along the trail. Once participants finished the trail they received a stamp for their Jr. Ranger passport, a mini first aid kit, and a mini Coleman lantern. The trail taught participants how to make good decisions while hiking, and how to minimize your impact while camping. 

It was a great event, and we want to give Justin and Adam from Stay the Trail and Sarah our Education Program Coordinator a BIG THANK YOU! 

Happy Trails the E-tour, 

Alexis & Topher  

The Peoples Fair

This past Saturday & Sunday in Downtown Denver was the 38th Annual Peoples Fair at the Civic Park.  There were 250,000 people at the event, 350 vendors, and we probably talked to 2,000 people during the two day event. We were with other "Green" vendors like the Bike Depot in Denver and the Eco Car Share non-profit in Boulder. There were a large number of other non-profit exhibitors and lots of local artists and musicians.  Festival goers were able to grab any of our educational materials, and play a little trivia for a cool coleman prize, Thanks Coleman!! Our next event is in Colorado at the Coleman Factory Outlet of Loveland!

Happy Trails, 

Alexis & Topher 

Boundary Waters

Closing out our tour through the mid-west we found time to slip up to the Boundary Waters for three days of paddling and camping on the Kawishiwi River.  National Geographic was right when they selected this area for the top 50 must-do trips of a lifetime.  Our days were filled with paddling and portaging deep into the wilderness where we discovered just why this area draws so many people each year.  Even though we saw several other boats on the water, this area is so vast that the majority of the time we had that wondrous feeling of solitude.  Each day we would paddle to our next camp and each night we were rewarded with great campsites where we were the only ones around.  

The Boundary Waters is host to a diverse array of wildlife including, bears, wolves, moose and deer, as well as a variety of water fowl, fish, and turtles.  Due to the volume of visitors, the National Forest Service requires that all visitors must run through a checklist related to Leave No Trace Skills and Ethics.  We will say that this has managed to keep the area relatively pristine, but still there are some folks who do not heed the permit regulations, and desecrate the land by leaving trash and food, and having fires in undesignated locations and burning their trash.  All these abuses damage the land, threaten wildlife, and impact other visitors experience.  With all this said, the fact still remains that this is an amazingly beautiful, and spiritual area.  

Happy Trails, 

Topher & Alexis  

Crag Cleanup

Our latest endeavor found the e-tour on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin in the Interstate Parks area of the St. Croix River Valley.   Teaming up with the Minnesota Climbers Association, and our dedicated State Advocate Dave Rasmussen, we tackled cleaning up the Taylors Falls climbing area.  The day started off with small teams of climbers policing up the various crags for litter.   Participants helped clean up everything from cigarette butts and diapers to fishing line, hooks, and various beverage containers.

After the cleanup we met with area climbers and conducted an awareness workshop related to climbing.   The presentation stressed the importance of leaving nothing behind and stewardship of our lands.  It also touched on relevant issues pertaining to the impacts of climbing on the environment.  After it was all said and done we even had the opportunity to partake in some of the finest climbing in the region.  We would like to thank our Advocate Dave and the good folks at the Minnesota Climbers Association for welcoming us and and promoting stewardship in the climbing community.         

Happy Trails, 

Topher & Alexis

Camp Lakamaga

Nothing feels like summer more than "Summer Camp". We visited Camp Lakamaga Girl Scout camp in Scandia, Minnesota for some awareness workshops. We worked with 84 girl scouts from kindergarten thru 5th grade. The girls were introduced to all 7 principles of Leave No Trace, while playing fun and interactive PEAK  games.  Some of the principles we discussed were Trash your Trash, Choose the Right Path, and Leave What you Find.  The scouts were eager to learn, and plan on using the skills and ethics this summer and for future camp settings! Thanks to Carrie our Wisconsin State Advocate for having us at her camp, and promoting Leave No Trace! 

Happy Trails, 

Alexis & Topher 

Crosby Outreach

While in Minnesota we conducted outreach outside a local outfitter shop "Cycle, Path, & Paddle" in the town of Crosby, Minnesota. Crosby is mostly known for its mining days, but what people may not know is that it has endless recreational adventures and scenic vistas amongst the many lakes and of course the Mississippi. We worked with Rita Hussman & the Cyuna SALT youth group, doing outreach and giving educational information materials to locals of Crosby before music in the park.  The SALT group provides environmental stewardship to the community, and role models Leave No Trace skills and ethics throughout the community. 

A big thank you goes out to Rita for her hospitality and having us in Crosby, and Jenny for having us out in front of her store! Have a wonderful summer, and keep up the good work! 

Happy Trails, 

Alexis & Topher 

The Mighty Mississippi

Did you know there was a National Park, right in Downtown St. Paul, Minnesota? Well there is... The Mississippi River National Park Visitor Center is located right along the river in the Science Museum.  The Mississippi River is a 2,552 miles long. The head waters of the Mississippi start at Itasca State Park and go all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico.  A couple of days ago we worked with the wonderful Rangers at the NPS Mississippi River Visitor Center doing interactive Leave No Trace games with museum goers. Just today we were in Itasca, MN at the Head Waters and crossed the Mighty Mississippi!  The Mississippi is a pretty amazing river, and if you are ever in Minnesota you should check out the NPS visitor center, or head up to the head waters to see where it all starts, who knows you might even see Paul Bunyon and Babe his Blue Ox in a nearby town. 

A big thanks to Dan, Amy, and Rebecca for having us at the Mississippi River Visitor Center, keep up the good work! 

Happy Trails......Alexis & Topher 

Lake Bemidji State Park

Today we worked with 13 high school students at Lake Bemidji State Park, in Minnesota. We ran an awareness workshop covering all seven principles of Leave No Trace, while introducing the students to minimum impact recreation skills and techniques. Most of the students are avid paddlers and fishing gurus, who have had lots of experience in the lakes of Minnesota. Although the weather was rainy and a little chilly, it was a productive and fun day inside the visitor center of Lake Bemidji.  Our program host John Flypaa the Interpretive Naturalist at the State Park, had done a Trainer Course last fall, and has been excited to get a Leave No Trace Traveling Team to Minnesota to conduct some outreach. The students we worked with are involved in Outdoor groups, and will be using the Leave No Trace skills and Ethics on future school programs and this summer. We want to say thanks to all the park staff and John for having us in Bemidji! We are excited to explore some trails tomorrow and see the Head Waters of the Mississippi River! 

Happy Trails, 

Alexis & Topher

Bay Lakes Wisconsin Awareness

This Memorial weekend I partnered with local Boy Scouts of America Master Educators Norm Peterson and Greg Fox for four awareness workshops with local cub scouts at the Cabelas in Richfield, WI. We did outreach to 75 scouts and introduced them to the concepts and ideas of Leave No Trace. These Cub Scout groups are apart of the Bay Lakes Council, and after school gets out they will be gearing up for summer camp at the scout reservation. The cub scouts were introduced to two principles "Choose the Right Path", and "Trash your Trash". We played a couple of PEAK activities, Step on It & How Long Does it Last? Norm & Greg from the BSA also ran a trail simulation activity, getting the scouts to think about the impacts we have on and off the trail. In the camping department we had a booth set up, with lots of educational materials, for store goers, and had our Wisconsin State Advocate Carrie Wilson volunteer at the booth. She  talked with Cabelas  customers about the organization and gave out educational materials. 

Thanks to all the volunteers and Stephanie Crangle at  Cabelas in Richfield, WI for having the Leave No Trace E-Tour, and helping me do outreach this weekend. Happy Trails..... Alexis  

Devils Lake State Park, WI

After a string of programs in the Chicago Area, we headed north for a couple of days off in Wisconsin. We camped and climbed at Devils Lake State Park in Baraboo, WI. This State Park is pretty amazing. There are lots of Sandstone cliffs, a beautiful lake, miles of hike-able trail, and of course lots of great camp spots. Many Rangers said, we hit the park at the right time, because once the weekend comes people from Illinois and Wisconsin flood the park for all sorts of recreation. Since there are so many visitors to the Park Leave No Trace is very important, we had a local Raccoon visit us several times at the crag, who was not shy and used to getting food from visitors. We were probably the exception of climbers he had met in the park, since he didn't get any snacks from us! Sorry buddy! 

After two days of exploring the East Bluff, the West Bluff, Balanced Rock, and Cleopatras Needle, its hard to say which spot was our favorite especially since there is so much more to explore. Last year we had the great fortune of Working with the Ice Age Trails Association (a partner of Leave No Trace), and hiked some of it last year, and some of it this year since the trail goes through the park. If you are passing through the area you should check out the park, because there is something for everyone. We hope to be back in the area, and hope our Friend Benny from Chicago had a good time getting out of the city and hitting the Rocks to climb! 

Happy Trails, Alexis & Topher 

Rockin' PEAK in Rockford, Illinois

On Tuesday we worked with Five Environmental Science and Biology Classes at Rockford East High School, in Rockford, Illinois. Mr. Dustin Long the teacher of theses five classes, was awarded the Leave No Trace Connect Grant last year. He has been applying Leave No Trace educational materials and the PEAK pack to his Key club at the school. The key club is a group of students who participate in service learning projects, and provide enviornmental stewardship to the campus community. 

While we were on campus we enlightened around 100 students to the mission of Leave No Trace, the importance of Stewardship, and how to start giving back to their community and practicing Leave No Trace. We introduced the students to the Seven principles of Leave No Trace, and ran a couple of games. The activities we ran illustrated How long our trash lasts in our environment,  and how individuals can be the solution to trash around campus. We also discussed what ethics means, and played the Wildland Ethics game. 

Thanks East Rockford High and Mr. Long! We had a great time while in the area, keep up the good work, and LEAVE NO TRACE. 

Happy Trails, 

Alexis & Topher 

Outreach at LL Bean in Skokie, IL

It is always great to work with our partners LL Bean.  Bean is dedicated to outfitting and educating folks on responsible recreation.  We found ourselves conducting outreach to patrons of the Skokie, IL store, and reminded them of Bean's commitment to Leave No Trace by providing all of their outdoor discovery school participants with a Leave No Trace hang tag related to the activity their are participating in.  

Special thanks goes out to the staff of LL Bean for their continued commitment to Leave No Trace's mission.

Happy Trails, 

Topher and Alexis

Camping Day at Cabela's

Our first stop in the greater Chicago Area was at the Cabela's in Hoffman Estates.  It was camping day at the store and shoppers were greeted with a variety of booths related to camping and the local community.  The event helped educate campers and recreationist on how to get out and camp, as well as how to do it responsibly.

We helped educate many of the customers on how Leave No Trace applies to hunting and fishing.  Practicing Leave No Trace while doing these events will help ensure these resource are preserved for all to enjoy.

Happy Trails, 

Topher and Alexis

  

Paddling the Current

What visit to Missouri would be complete without a river trip.  Last year we were fortunate enough to paddle down the Jacks Fork river in the Ozark Scenic Waterway. Drawn by its beauty we made it a point to return to the area to canoe the Current river. 

As we arrived in the area we were taken back by the storm damage from a tornado just a week earlier. The tornado left trees broken and uprooted, knocked over telephone and power lines, and reeked havoc with homes.  Despite all the damage, once we put in on the river the beauty of the Ozark Scenic Waterway engulfed us.  

One of the first things that becomes apparent is the vast array of wildlife present in and around the river.  The river is teeming with crawfish, fish, and bugs, while turtles, snakes, and water fowl call the banks of the river home sweet home.  This certainly wasn't our first time to the area, but we hope it won't be our last.  

If your ever in southern Missouri, make the Ozark Scenic Waterway part of your plans.  Its a beautiful location and Leave No Trace will help us keep it this way.

Happy Trails, 

Topher and Alexis

Olathe Kansas Outreach

We spent Mothers Day in Olathe, Kansas at the Bass Pro Shop, talking with local hikers, hunters, fishermen, and a variety of family campers. Although it was a rainy day in Olathe, there were lots of shoppers and lots of children and parents who stopped by the E-tour booth. We handed out educational materials and played some games with the children and adults who stopped by our booth, and of course gave out some cool COLEMAN prizes to all those who participated.

We wanted to Say Happy Mothers Day to all the moms out there, and ours of course! Thank you to the Bass Pro Shop in Olathe for having us too!

Happy Trails,

Alexis & Topher

Preparing for BSA High Adventure Programs

We met up with a local Boy Scout Troop in Independence, Missouri at the Bass Pro Shop for an Awareness Workshop. The troop is gearing up for some High Adventure programs in the Keys of Florida, and our awareness workshop touched on the skills and ethics of Leave No Trace that pertain to Sea Kayaking and Costal environments. Some of the scouts will be scuba diving, sea kayaking, and island camping. We went over the impacts that affect island communities, and the impacts one can have on the land and in the water. Thanks Gary for setting up the workshop, and best of luck to all the scouts and their High Adventure programs!

Happy Trails,

Alexis & Topher

Kansas School Days.....

After only two days in the office in boulder gearing up for our season on the road, we landed in Kansas to do some education and outreach at a couple of schools. We provided educational programs to Jefferson West Elementary & Intermediate school working with 420 K-5th grade students. Our Kansas State Advocate Karen Heady is a 3rd grade teacher at Jefferson West, and our outreach to the studenst would not have been possible with out her. We introduced the students to the 7 principles of Leave No Trace, Played some interactive games, and handed out educational materials.


We also had the pleasure of joining all the students at Field Day too! Students had classs competitions, group tug of war, and also had the chance to stop by the Leave No Trace Station and Play a few games with us, Durable Surface Toss & Minimum Impact Match.

Thank you so much to Karen Heady and the whole school for making the first programs of our season such a hit, and making us feel right at home in beautiful Meriden, Kansas.



Happy Trails,
Alexis & Topher

We're Back

As we prepare to hit the road for our second season with Leave No Trace, we are reminded of how important it is to conserve and protect our valuable natural resources.  We are proud to represent Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, as we whole-heartedly believe in the Skills and Ethics that make up the Principles of Leave No Trace.  

Embarking on the e-tour we look forward to helping educate many first time recreation users, as well as helping many veteran recreation users retool and hone their Leave No Trace Skills and Ethics.  If your interested in learning more about all we do to educate, and promote the active stewardship of our lands, feel free to view our calender to see if we will be in your area this summer providing outreach.

Happy Trails, 

Topher and Alexis

Leave No Trace e-tour