Leave No Trace Level One Training

I had a great weekend with 10 other students for Level 1 Leave No Trace training hosted by the Adirondack Mountain Club. The class took place at the Heart Lake / Adirondack Loj

education area. I booked a lean-to at the campground for 3 nights and came up a night early to do some hiking.

The two-day course ends with a Level One Instructor Certification, meaning I can now teach Leave No Trace basics, from half hour to full day courses.

What is Leave No Trace you maybe be asking?

Leave No Trace is a series of 7 principles designed to limit our impact on the environment when recreating and enjoying time outdoors.

The 7 principles are:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

4. Leave What You Find

5. Minimize Campfire Impacts

6. Respect Wildlife

7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

The course was student led - each one of us - 11 in total - were pre-assigned a topic to lead a 15 minute workshop on, and then to engage in feedback. It was awesome to see the different teaching styles and activities that folks planned for.

One of my main takeaways from the workshop is that this is a spectrum and that we are all going to make mistakes, but we can all aspire to live by these principles. Some are more nonnegotiable than others. I am now certified to teach basic Leave No Trace workshops.

We also got to get this great shot of all the ladies with their Kula cloths!

Crescent Moon Tours will educate our clients and students on these principles throughout our trips and courses.