Traveling Trainers

Flagstaff, AZ: Let's face it, getting attacked by a bear could ruin your whole trip. While attacks are rare, bears becoming conditioned to our food is an all too frequent occurrence. They get into improperly stored food or our trash, and then begin associating us a source of food. This leads to cars being broken into, close encounters in the backcountry, or a full on attack in the worst of cases. When this happens, land managers are forced to euthanize these wonderful symbols of wilderness. It's on us as outdoor recreationists to respect wildlife by properly storing our food, trash, and other...

San Marcos, TX: Flowing from artesian springs, the picturesque San Marcos River emerges out of the Edwards Aquifer, forming Spring Lake and flowing south to ultimately join the Blanco River and the Guadalupe River 75 miles downstream. The San Marcos River is considered one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the southwestern United States with numerous threatened and endangered species, including the Texas Blind Salamander, the Fountain Darter, and Texas Wild Rice. As a result, great care must be taken to ensure the river remains clean, clear, and continuously flowing with a stable...

Oklahoma City, OK: Do you know the yield triangle? In this video you can find out more about the seventh Leave No Trace Principle, Be Considerate of Others . We all enjoy the outdoors and even though we may do different activities to enjoy the outdoors we can still work together and share our outdoor spaces so that we can all have a great time. Please be considerate of others when you hit the trails. The yield triangle is an easy and effective technique to enjoy the trails with everyone. The first rule of the yield triangle is that all stock and horse users have the right of way at all times...

Brevard, NC: The winter winds are still afloat, even with a warm summer’s breeze meandering aloft in the Pisgah high country. The mountains are beautiful here; rivers with tumbling waterfalls, cascading over rock ledges. Pines and rhododendrons are filling in the underbrush. The granite dome of Looking Glass towers above the valley floor. As we camp along a ridgeline we ask ourselves, “should we even have a campfire here”? Campfires while on an overnight trip are so important, to so many people. When rules and regulations allow it and the fire danger is low, having a campfire is a great way...

Big Bend, TX: In the early days of national parks, bears were treated as amusement for visitors. In the case of Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Sequoia National Park, as well as others, piles of visitor food and trash were placed in an open space and circled by bleachers. Then as hungry bears fed on the smelly garbage, attendees would awe in amazement. We now know how detrimental this is to the bears' health but also to the future of bear-human interactions. Even as the bleachers were torn down and bear boxes were installed in campgrounds, much of the damage had been done. The bears had become...

Austin, TX: The fourth principle of Leave No Trace is to Leave What You Find . In this addition of the Leave No Trace Skills Series we talk about how to stop the spread of invasive species through the cleaning of outdoor gear. What is an invasive species you ask? An invasive species is non-native (or alien) to the ecosystem under consideration whose introduction causes or is likely to cause environmental harm. Invasive species can be plants, animals, and other organisms (e.g., microbes). Human actions are the primary means of invasive species introductions. On Invasivespeciesinfo.gov you can...

Albuquerque, NM: In 2016, Leave No Trace created a curriculum using several diverse and holistic approaches in order to maximize the program's impact on youth: experiential education, independent practice, skill mastery, interactive resources, K-8 core standard tools, and organizational accreditation. We developed this curriculum with camps and youth programs in mind because believe Leave No Trace is best taught in the context of the outdoors, where open spaces and natural areas serve as the setting to teach kids how to care for nature. Camps offer kids the best opportunity to spend extended...

Hueco, TX: Last week Leave No Trace participated in the 24th annual Hueco Rock Rodeo . This annual climbing competition features bouldering. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is done without the use of traditional climbing gear, that is ropes or harnesses. Climbers use climbing shoes to help secure footholds, chalk to keep their hands dry, and bouldering crash pads to prevent injuries from falls. Hueco Tanks State Park is in a high altitude desert near El Paso, Texas. Hueco is spanish for "hollows". The huecos refer to the many water-holding depressions in the boulders and rock faces...

Durham, NC: Whenever friends get together outside; you’re bound to have a great time. This last weekend we visited some great friends while going on an adventure to visit the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Check out this week’s video to see how we left no trace while canoe camping near a gorgeous wildlife refuge. The first step to any successful trip is to plan it out. Taking each of the seven principles into account, we were prepared for the entirety of our trip. Check out the outline below to see how Leave No Trace applies to canoe camping. Plan Ahead and Prepare: Check...

Sedona, AZ: Do you need caffeine to be a happy camper? Don't want to pack in the coffee maker? Not sure what to do with the messy grounds? Here are a few tech tips we use on the road and in the backcountry for our morning brew. Have Fun. Be Safe. Leave No Trace. Leave No Trace’s Alex Roberts and Emy Gelb are part of the 2017 Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Program that provides free, mobile education to communities across the country. Proud partners of this program include Subaru of America, REI, Fjallraven, ENO, Deuter, Thule, Taxa Outdoors and SmartWool.