The mission of the Leave No Trace (LNT) program is to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research, and partnerships.
Welcome to the Connecticut Leave No Trace State Advocate's page.
The LNT State Advocates job basically is to to assist interested Leave No Trace Master Educators and Trainers in their local efforts to promote the Leave No Trace ethic, to help coordinate Leave No Trace efforts in their area, to provide guidance and support for other Masters and Trainers, and to report on their efforts annually.
I'm into Scouting, so a great deal of my work here will more than likely be Scouting related.
There are a handful of Masters and Trainers living in the state who are willing to conduct training courses. If you're looking for training, contact me.
Current & Upcoming Training Events
I'm developing a couple of idea's right now for outreaches, stay tuned for details.
The 2001 Leave No Trace conference will be held 30 October - 1 November at the US Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center in Shepardstown, WV.
I started an email list for continuing discussion of LNT issues & training at egroups.com. You can subscribe to this list by sending an email to: LNT-OutdoorEthics-subscribe@egroups.com
(Past Training Events)
Wood Badge This fall, I helped to organize a LNT round robin training session as part of Connecticut Yankee Council's 21st Century Woodbadge Course.
Wepawaug Valley District Leave No Trace Spring Camporee The Wepawaug Valley District of Connecticut Yankee Council held an LNT testing camporee on May 11-13 2001, at Camp Sequassen, in Winsted, CT. 6 Troops participated in a camporee which tested LNT skills during an overnight Patrol campout. Each of the Troops was accompanied by an evaluator who had a score sheet to evaluate the Troops collective skill in applying the Principals of Leave No Trace.
Wepawaug Valley District Leave No Trace Fall Camporee In October of 2000, I chaired my District's Fall Camporee. I had a staff of about 16, 7 of those were youth members, 5 of those from my Crew. This Camporee also kind of served as my Crew's "unveiling".
I had the program set up in 8 stations, each manned by two instructors. The stations ran from 9:30 am until about 4 PM, with 1 hour, 10 minutes for lunch.
Lunch was a one-pot meal, from the pair of recipes that can be found in the "Plan Ahead & Prepare" material I pointed to. I had the "Couscous You Say", prepared by my Crew Secretary. It was good.
For the Saturday evening campfire we built a mound fire right in the middle of the camp, on the edge of the field we use for opening and closing ceremonies. We cleaned up and put away the mound before the closing on Sunday morning- and as I had promised, you couldn't tell that we were there.
In addition to the usual patches & flag ribbons, everyone got a LNT plastic reference card, and the LNT Skill book for our geographical area.
If anyone else is interested in attempting this, the material I used to plan the program is on the LNT website at http://www.lnt.org/TeachingLNT/TeachingLNTHome.html
The quizzes are at http://www.lnt.org/TeachingLNT/LNT.quiz.html
The cards, books, and Softpaths video (among other things) can be found at http://www.lnt.org/LNTmailorder/LNTmailorder.html
Also, if you have chance, take an LNT Master or Trainer course. 5 of us took the Trainer course at the end of September, and it really helped us in planning the final details and executing the program.
Boy Scouts and Leave No Trace
The Boy Scouts of America have committed to supporting the goals of Leave No Trace. Camping and Hiking Merit Badges, required for Eagle, have been revised to incorporate the Principals of Leave No Trace, and learning, applying, and teaching the Principals of Leave No Trace is one of eight Core Requirements for Venturing's Ranger Award.
LNT is also a part of the new Outdoor Skills course, the 21st century Wood Badge course, and the Powder Horn.
The BSA has an additional growth program called the Leave No Trace Awareness Award, available to all Scouts & Scouters, Venturers and Advisors.
LNT Trainers & Masters
We were blessed with a beautiful weekend, and we were able to share the LNT challenge with 100 - 120 or so other Scouts & Scouters.
Each station lasted 35 minutes, and there was 5 minutes between each. Obviously they weren't very far apart.
One station was in our Mess hall, we used a VCR there to show the Soft Paths video, reviewed the Principals of LNT, and went through a pair of LNT quizzes.
The next station was "Plan Ahead & Prepare", and "Dispose of Waste Properly" at the volley ball court (which has a sandy surface, good for practicing digging catholes).
Out in the woods, we had a station each for "Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces", "Leave What You Find", "Minimize Campfire Impacts", "Respect Wildlife", and "Be Considerate of Other Visitors".
The Requirements for the Leave No Trace Awareness Award are as follows:
Scout and Venturer Requirements
Scouter and Venturing Leader Requirements
The Principals of Leave No Trace
Plan ahead and prepare
Travel and camp on durable surfaces
In popular areas:
In pristine areas:
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Resources
Click here to go to the "Teaching Leave No Trace" document on the BSA National web site.
Click here to download a PDF copy of the LNT Awareness Award application.
Click here to to the LNT area on the USScouts.org web site.
Other LNT State Advocates pages
Recite and explain the principles of Leave No Trace.
On three separate camping/backpacking trips demonstrate and practice the principles of Leave No Trace.
Earn the Camping and Environmental Science merit badges, or do No. 3 under the Scouter requirements.
Participate in a Leave No Trace related service project.
Give a 10-minute presentation on a Leave No Trace topic approved by your Scoutmaster.
Draw a poster or build a model to demonstrate the differences in how we camp or travel in high-use and pristine areas.
Recite and explain the principles of Leave No Trace.
On three separate camping/backpacking trips demonstrate and practice the principles of Leave No Trace.
Share with another Scouter or Venturing leader your understanding and knowledge of the Camping and Environmental Science merit badge pamphlets.
Actively assist (training, advice, and general supervision) a Scout in planning, organizing, and leading a service project related to Leave No Trace.
Assist a minimum of three Scouts in earning the Leave No Trace Awareness Award.
Plan and conduct a Leave No Trace awareness for Scouts, Venturers, Scouters, or an interested group outside Scouting.
Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
Visit in small groups. Split larger parties into groups of 4-6.
Repackage food to minimize waste.
Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.
Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails.
Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.
Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.
Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.
Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.
Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.