Leave No Trace

Back in May, 4 horse loving trail riders from Georgia flew to Missoula, MT to take a LNT Master Educator (Stock) Course sponsored by the Back Country Horsemen of America.  We spent 5 days with some of the most interesting people I have ever had the privilege to meet.  The 8 other students in the class were from all over this country, as far away as Alaska.  In a few short days we got to know each other and we all learned just how important LNT really is.  The LNT Center for Outdoor Ethics is lucky to have the Master Educators who taught us Bob Hoverson, Smoke Elser, Colleen Sloan & Bob Wagner.  It was a life changing experience, just as Bob Wagner told me.  I know it has forever changed my ideas and my outdoor ethics.   Susan Shedd

The 7 Principles of LNT
1.  Plan Ahead & 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

BCHNG Would Like to Congratulate the Trainers who Completed Our
1st LNT Trainers Course November 14 & 15, 2009!

Master Educator Bob Wagner, the LNT Director for BCHA, made the trip down from Metropolis, IL to help Master Educators Melinda Towe & Susan Shedd from BCH of North Georgia and Jack White & Ron Cook from BCH of Middle & South Georgia kick off their 1st "Train the Trainers" Course held here in the
North Georgia mountains.

 Our class began with David Kuykendall, USFS Outdoor Recreation Manager from the Blue Ridge Ranger District, also an LNT Master Educator, welcoming us and emphasizing the importance of LNT. 
Bob Wagner gave us the history of LNT and explained how it began. 
Georgia's Newest LNT Trainers Lakota Towe, Tina Maddox, Kathy White, Carolyn Touryniere, Derrell Jones, Misty Callihan and Martha Fillingham successfully completed the 2 day "Train the Trainers" course held in the Chattahoochee National Forest near Winding Stair Gap.  The students and Master Educators spent the night in a primitive camp in their tents.  The course consisted of hands on demonstrations, activities and presentations of the 7 principles of Leave No Trace.  The students learned how to teach the importance of minimizing impact on our forests and wildlands and how to raise other users awareness of how their actions and behavior can affect our environment and the recreational experience of others.  We all enjoy many different forms of recreation.  It is not likely we will have a forest or a trail all to ourselves.  The number of people is steadily increasing who use our state and national parks, forests and all wildlands in this country.  It is important that we learn and teach others how to share the land and minimize their impact so our forests will remain beautiful and inviting for future generations to enjoy. 
Each of the students gave short interactive presentations on one of the 7 principles which illustrated their subject and helped us visualize and understand their importance. 

                                                                               

Bob Wagner gave a demonstration on how to hang panyards & packs when camping in bear country to prevent your food from becoming a bears next snack and the proper use of bear spray. 
Bob also explained ways to prevent the spread of noxious weeds and how you may, without realizing it, introduce unwanted and invasive species that can spread across the country and be costly and virtually impossible to eliminate on public and private lands.  Jack White and Bob Wagner gave a demonstration on the correct way to put up a "high line" for horses and ways to minimize your impact when traveling and camping with horses.
Delicious, low-impact dutch oven meals were prepared for us by Bob Wagner who had a full kitchen tent set up with everything, including the kitchen sink!
When the class was over on Sunday afternoon, students dismantled their tents and rehabbed the area where they camped.  The objective was to leave the area so that the next visitors would never know we had been there.  We had a great, educational and informative weekend preparing these students to become trainers. 
                            



These new Trainers will hold Awareness Workshops to help the public become familiar with the LNT principles and their importance in minimizing impact and making recreational experiences more positive for all outdoor enthusiasts.  
Melinda Towe and Susan Shedd plan to have future "Train the Trainers" classes and continue to prepare trainers across North Georgia to help get the word out and promote Leave No Trace.  Please contact us to sign up for future classes in North Georgia!
Many thanks to Bob Wagner for his help and dedication to Leave No Trace.  His knowledge of low impact camping and horse packing is an inspiration to us all. 
He is a valuable asset to LNT and BCH of America!
 

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