Leave No Trace Master Educator Course (Canoeing)

This five-day course is designed for individuals who are actively teaching others backcountry skills or providing recreation information to the public. The overall goal of the course is to train educators and others in ways to practice and teach Leave No Trace skills and ethics. This course will cover the seven Leave No Trace principles and discuss wildland ethics, as well as give the participants the tools and techniques for disseminating these low-impact skills to other users of backcountry lands. Participants could include a mixture of federal agency partners, educators, outdoor retailers, youth group and outing club leaders, and other individuals. Upon completion of the course, you will be qualified to teach Leave No Trace Trainer courses. The Leave No Trace Master Educator qualification is recognized and valued throughout the outdoor industry.

We will be canoe camping for four days and three nights. We’ll paddle only a couple of miles each day on flat and slow moving water to allow plenty of time to cover course material, which we will do both during the day and into the evenings. The Adirondack Park provides some of the most spectacular paddling in the eastern United States. The St. Regis Canoe Area is the only designated canoe area in the state. It is managed as a wilderness with a focus on non-motorized water recreation and the protection of water quality and fishery resources. Containing the headwaters of the West and Middle branches of the St. Regis and Saranac Rivers, the area is noted for its clear spring-fed ponds, short carries, tranquil beauty and wild character. Participants should be in good physical condition and be able to paddle for 6-8 miles per day and carry a canoe with a partner, and hike with a pack (about 40-55 pounds). We will camp at a designated, managed campsite, an impacted campsite, and explore the possibility of a pristine site, all within the St. Regis Canoe Area.

This course is being hosted by the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK). 

Cost: $699 (members receive 10% discount); includes course instruction, canoe instruction, course materials, meals and use of group gear.

Click here to complete the Master Educator Course Application.