Leave No Trace Trainer Course hosted by Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center
Introductory Meeting: 5:30-7:30 p.m., Sunday, May 16
Weekend trip: 9:00 a.m. Saturday, May 29, to 3:00 p.m. Sunday, May 30, 2010
All meetings at Shaver’s Creek
INSTRUCTOR: Leave No Trace Master Educator Rob Andrejewski
COURSE COSTS: $50 Per Person, includes Leave No Trace trainer packet (includes LNT DVD, ethics cards, stickers, and educational materials), backpacking instruction, and on-course meals.
GROUP SIZE: Minimum of 5 participants and a maximum of 12.
DESCRIPTION: A Leave No Trace Trainer courses emphasize skills and techniques essential to Leave No Trace minimum impact outdoor ethics and education. This two-day course is designed for individuals who will be teaching Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops. This course will focus on the specifics of offering Awareness Workshops. Through classroom discussions, lectures and a two-day outing trip this course will cover the seven Leave No Trace principles and discuss outdoor ethics, as well as give the participants tools and techniques for disseminating low-impact s! kills to recreationists. We will travel only a few miles each day over moderate terrain to allow plenty of time to cover course material, which we will do both during the day and into the evenings. Participants should be in good physical condition and be able to hike with a full pack (about 35-50 pounds) for 5 miles per day.
CURRICULUM: A Leave No Trace Trainer Course emphasizes skills and techniques essential to Leave No Trace minimum impact outdoor ethics and education. A Leave No Trace Trainer Course includes a minimum of two-days and one night in the field.
Core Components for Trainer Course Curriculum
• A minimum of 16 total hours of experiential instruction, 10 hours of which must be conducted in the field. One night camping is strongly recommended.
• The role and function of a Leave No Trace Trainer.
• The principles and ethics of Leave No Trace.
• Teaching skills and techniques and student learning styles.
• At least one student led teaching exercise by each participant.
• Overview of the national Leave No Trace program.
• The role and function of the Center.
TEACHING SESSION: The Leave No Trace Trainer Course is a critical component of the Leave No Trace education model. Graduates of the Trainer Course are expected to teach others, including agency personnel and the public, the principles of Leave No Trace through Awareness Workshops of any length. In order to better equip Trainers to meet this expectation, each participant will teach at least one class in the field during their Leave No Trace Trainer Course. These classes provide hands-on learning experiences and the chance to practice Leave No Trace teaching str! ategies in a supportive, educational environment.
We will be assigning teaching topics at the introductory meeting two weeks before the course trip. You will be assigned to teach one of the 7 Leave No Trace principles to the rest of the group. Your teaching sessions should be at least 5-10 minutes long. We encourage you to use a creative and interactive teaching style (skit, role-play, game, question & answer, etc.) and to avoid a lecture format.
The Leave No Trace website, www.LNT.org, is a great resource for background information and teaching ideas. Check out the page on Teaching Resources under “Training” We will do our best to provide you with additional Leave No Trace teaching references prior to the course. Start planning your teaching session as best you can before the course, and we will give you more information and help when the course starts. Remember that your class will take place in the field, so you will not have access to audiovisual equipment. However, visual aids can be drawn on packable items such as a white plastic bag slipped over a sleeping pad. A good visual aid leaves a strong image and reinforces the topic of discussion.
Each participant will receive constructive feedback from the instructor and other participants at the end of their teaching session. This process is not intended to be intense or stressful, but rather an opportunity to practice teaching Leave No Trace to others in a comfortable environment where you can learn and grow as an educator.
COURSE COMPLETION: Upon successful completion of a Leave No Trace Trainer course, each participant will become a Leave No Trace Trainer and receive a completion certificate from the Center. Successful completion of the course requires participation in all course activities and teaching exercises. Those who complete the Trainer course are equipped to:
• Facilitate Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops
• Understand, demonstrate and teach state of the art minimum impact techniques for friends, family or community groups;
• Lead a discussion on outdoor ethics and help others explore their own personal outdoor ethic.
SAFETY: As participant safety is a high priority for all courses, procedures and policies have been developed to attempt to limit participant risk. Participants are expected to work with staff to reduce risks and make the experience successful for all. In case of an emergency, course instructors are trained in wilderness first aid, carry first-aid kits, and follow a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan. Despite such steps, participants should be aware that there are risks associated with outdoor adventure activities, including but not limited to cooking and cam! p chores, adverse weather and environmental conditions, remote locations of our trips, and transportation in vehicles, on foot, by boat, or on a bike. Please carefully read and sign the Participant Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks and Release and Indemnity Agreement and call if you have any questions. Participants’ understanding of these risks and adherence to our policies and procedures can contribute to making this experience rewarding.
MORE INFORMATION: For more information, contact Rob Andrejewski at rga116@psu.edu.