There are four levels of instructor in the world of Leave No Trace education.
- Master Educator Instructors highly experienced outdoor professionals with a broad knowledge of and experience with Leave No Trace skills and ethics. They are authorized to facilitate Master Educator courses.
- Master Educators have completed an extensive 5-day Master Educator course in Leave No Trace principles and have demonstrated teaching abilities. They can train others in Leave No Trace skills and ethics by offering Leave No Trace Trainer courses and Leave No Trace Awareness workshops.
- Trainers complete a 2-day Trainer course in the field to hone their LNT understanding and demonstrate their ability to teach the topics. They are capable of presenting effective Leave No Trace Awareness workshops.
- Layperson is someone that knows and wants to share the Leave No Trace message. Anyone may present LNT topics to others at any opportunity. The more people distributing the message, the more people here it. These people have received no formal LNT instructor training.
Receiving formal Leave No Trace training is not necessary in order to understand and follow the LNT principles. By reading the pages of this web site, you can learn the principles, understand many examples, and even gather together materials to present the principles to others in your organization or group. Check out the end of each of the seven principles pages for training aids and suggestions.
But, there are some instances where formal training may be required. For example, in some wilderness areas, the backpacking group size is limited to a certain number but can be larger if there is proof of Leave No Trace training in the group. By attending a Leave No Trace workshop and receiving a certificate, that is proof of LNT training. In the coming years, it may become mandatory to have more extensive Leave No Trace experience in order to enjoy certain areas.
Leave No Trace Dude is a Master Educator. I attended a Master Educator course in northern Minnesota in 2006 and have been presenting Awareness Workshops and Trainer Courses since then. If you're in Minnesota or Wisconsin, contact Leave No Trace Dude for trainer courses or LNT workshops.
If you're looking for some ideas to present training on Leave No Trace, feel free to use the following activities in your sessions:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- One Pot Meal - proper meal planning
- Mystery Destination - research area before trip
- Gear Grab - plan appropriate gear
- Two Packs - proper food choices
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- What is Durable? - identify durable surfaces
- Disperse or Concentrate - using paths or spreading out
- Campsite Placement - evaluate new campsite locations
- Campsite Selection - evaluate existing campsites
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- The Little Things - recognize micro-litter
- Food Scraps - strain dish water
- Cat Holes - practice, practice, practice
- Pack Out Kits - packing out human waste
- How Long Will It Last? - lifespan of trash
- Leave What You Find
- Puzzling Discoveries - importance of artifacts
- Uncovering the Past - defacing pictographs
- Pilfered History - removing artifacts
- Alien Invaders - spread of invasive species
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Fire Race - compare stoves and fires
- Bare Ground - deplete fuel supplies
- Respect Wildlife
- Animal Thoughts - put yourself in their place
- Stop Bothering Me - how we harrass animals
- Considerate of Others
- Hiker, Biker, Horse - practice right of way
- Stealth Colors - blend in with the land
