How are San Juan Islands kept so stunning?

By people leaving only footprints. National Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers will show islanders how September 8-10. Subaru/LNT trainers will be visiting Orcas, San Juan and Lopez Islands for three days of Leave No Trace training for hiking, camping, kayaking and star gazing as they raise awareness about minimizing the human impact on wild places.

All are invited to participate in the free Leave No Trace workshops—

Orcas Island on Sept. 8: Bigfoot’s been sighted in Moran State Park! Hike with the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers and learn about Leave No Trace and tips for low impact hiking in Moran State Park. Meet at Cascade Lake Picnic Shelter at 10 a.m.

San Juan Island on Sept. 8: Join the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers for an evening workshop focused on Leave No Trace in sea kayaking and camping. Meet at 6:30 p.m. in the San Juan County Park day use area.

San Juan Island on Sept. 9: Take a Hike with the Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers. Learn about Leave No Trace and tips for low impact hiking at Lime Kiln Point State Park starting at 10 a.m.

The Subaru/LNT trainers will meet students from Spring Street International School at the San Juan County Fairgrounds from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a private Awareness Workshop. Later, they will join the National Park Service Star Gazing Extravaganza in celebration of the San Juan Island National Historical Park’s 50th Anniversary at 7 p.m. for a presentation in English Camp.

Lopez Island on Sept. 10: The Subaru/LNT trainers will have a booth set up at the farmers market in Lopez Village from 10:15 a.m. – 3 p.m. At 4 p.m., they’ll meet the Lummi Youth at Agate Beach County Park for a hike to Iceberg Point – not open to the public.

The Subaru/LNT trainers will also be available for short demonstrations on the Washington State Ferries as they travel between Anacortes and the Islands.

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/LNT 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, Colo. 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/LNT trainers can help take Leave No Trace in the Islands to the next level.