Wednesday, June 6, 7 – 8 p..m. & 8 – 9 p.m., Moran State Park

— from Amy M. Nesler for San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau —

How do we keep the San Juan Islands stunning? By leaving only footprints. National Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will show us how June 5-7, 2018. Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will be visiting Orcas, San Juan, and Lopez Islands for three days of Leave No Trace training for hiking, camping, and kayaking. Join us as we raise awareness about minimizing our impact on wild places.

Individuals, business owners and their staffs with a professional or personal connection to the islands’ waters and public lands, are invited to participate in these free Leave No Trace workshops:

June 5th, San Juan Island:
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Awareness Training at San Juan County Fairgrounds. Find out tips and tricks to step up your Leave No Trace game!

June 6th, Orcas Island:
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 – 9:00 p.m. Campfire Chat at Moran State Park. Meet at the Cascade Lake picnic shelter. Learn insider tips on fire safety and other minimal-impact camping habits.

June 7th, Lopez Island:
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Fireside Chat at Odlin Park. Meet at the picnic shelter. Join the conversation and get insider tips on fire safety and other minimal-impact camping habits.

Click HERE to sign up today.

These events are key components of the ‘Leave No Trace in Every Park’ initiative, raising community awareness and bringing solutions to the threat of harm to trails, parks and open space in areas facing heavy recreational use. The Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers are experts who provide a fun and interactive way to effectively educate all ages on how to ‘Leave No Trace.’

In 2014, The San Juan County Council adopted a resolution establishing San Juan County as a Voluntary Leave No Trace area and in 2016 adopted the San Juan Islands Seven – an adaptation of the Leave No Trace principles to fit the unique environment here in the San Juans. This was a result of the local Terrestrial Managers Working Group, a coalition of conservation-oriented governmental and non-governmental land managers, reaching out to the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics in Boulder, CO for help with trainings to instill Leave No Trace principles in locals and visitors. The San Juan Islands National Monument site on Lopez Island was also chosen as a Leave No Trace Demonstration site – one of 10 in the country that exemplify the guiding principles through management, programming, outreach, and integrated messaging into signage and other materials. Now, with a standard in place, the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers can help take Leave No Trace in the Islands to the next level.