Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers Katelyn Stutterheim and Blake Jackson explain seven principles for outdoor preservation Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016 in Redding, Calif. The duo taught students through a mix of activities and talking points. By Christina Van Otterloo/The Slate.
Leave No Trace Stops at Simpson
REDDING, Calif. — Contrary to its name, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics left its environmentally-friendly mark on students at Simpson University on Feb. 10, 2016.
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Leave No Trace is a nonprofit organization which teaches people how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. Formed in the 90s, Leave No Trace is the result of narrowing numerous programs down into one organization holding the common goal of protecting the outdoors.
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Part of its teaching efforts rests with the Subaru/Leave No Trace traveling trainers. There are four groups with two trainers each who go nationwide educating students, groups and companies about outdoor preservation. Though only about five percent of requests to visit are fulfilled, Simpson was chosen as a stop, partly due to having the only Outdoor Leadership major on the West Coast.
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“It was neat to learn their goal for how we can all influence and be a part of Leave No Trace,” Keleigh Jusczak, a freshman outdoor leadership major, said.
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Jusczak heard from trainers Blake Jackson and Katelyn Stutterheim during her Outdoor Living Skills class, where they taught through activities.
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“I really appreciated how they were very hands-on and open to learning like that,” Jusczak said.
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In both the class and public presentation afterward, the trainers explained Leave No Trace’s seven principles for outdoor preservation.
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“We don’t want people to see Leave No Trace as rules,” Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Katelyn Stutterheim said while explaining a concept to the audience.
During the presentation, Stutterheim and Jackson taught the principles through group activities which illustrated a statistic or preservation step.
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“I think they touched on more topics that you didn’t have to be an outdoor lover to understand,” Jusczak said.
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One of Leave No Trace’s goals is for every person who journeys outside to implement leave no trace practices so that nature will stay beautiful and healthy for future generations to enjoy.
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Stutterheim not only encouraged others to join Leave No Trace, but also to care about the environment.
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“Find your connection with the outdoors and realize it’s a finite resource,” Stutterheim said.
Jusczak holds a similar ideology.
“You can still enjoy the outdoors while being careful and mindful of what you’re doing,” Jusczak said.
Jusczak also anticipates hearing from the program again.
“It would be really awesome for them to come back and maybe expand it more,” Jusczak said.
To learn more about Leave No Trace, check out www.LNT.org or their Youtube channel LeaveNoTraceCenter.
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