I'm off this week for some skill development and resume boosting adventure! Through the National Outdoor Leadership School, I will spend the next week camping, hiking, meeting new friends and earning my Leave No Trace Master Educator Certificate.
According to their website, which is much more articulate than I, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide. Leave No Trace partners with travel companies, businesses, schools etc to spread the word about the best ways we can reduce our impact in the outdoors. They do a tremendous amount of education and outreach so if any of you are interested in learning more (or teaching it to others), visit the website for endless resources.
As part of this specific course, each participant will be required to give a 10-20 minute lesson to the group on one of the core principles of LNT. Always freakishly committed to teaching more men about women in the outdoors, I requested to go off book to teach about LNT principles specific to women. And wouldn't you know it...there's only one other woman taking the course. Look out guys, we're going to have all kinds of awesome conversations about pee funnels and tampons in my lesson plan! :)
Tomorrow afternoon, I'll drive about 3 1/2 hours to reach our meet point, in the Flat Tops Wilderness area. We will learn as we hike on moderate terrain at elevations between 9,00 and 11,00 feet. There will be alpine lakes, groves of aspen, spruce and fir, vast meadows and mountain ranges all around. I. Am. Stoked!
There's nothing like quite like learning about the outdoors in the outdoors.
