TREAD LIGHTLY! WORKS WITH CALIFORNIA STATE PARKS TO PROVIDE TRAINING COURSES

| January 5, 2010 | 0 Comments

OGDEN, Utah (January 5, 2010) — Tread Lightly!, through a grant provided by the California State Parks, Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation (OHMVR) Division, has announced six, no cost training courses to be held in 2010 throughout the state. Since 2003, Tread Lightly!’s train-the-trainer program, Tread Trainer, has provided individuals from Puerto Rico to Alaska with instruction in innovative, practical methods of spreading outdoor ethics to the public with a curriculum specifically focused on motorized and mechanized recreation.

“This type of schedule is a first in the six years of the Tread Trainer program’s existence,” reports Tread Lightly!’s executive director, Lori McCullough. “Because the need for outdoor ethics training around the country has intensified, we’ve begun to focus our efforts on individual states.”

With the opportunity to train so many outdoor recreationists, land managers and instructors in California, Tread Lightly! hopes to more fully incorporate its message of responsible outdoor recreation in OHV education programs, employee and volunteer training, and throughout the state’s many recreation areas.

“The Tread Lightly! ethic is a critical component to enjoying and protecting our beautiful state,” said Daphne Greene, California State Parks OHV division deputy director. “By offering this educational opportunity to willing volunteers, we are investing in a better future for our children by teaching people to value and protect our trails, parks and recreation areas.”

“The Tread Trainer program is of utmost importance as it embodies the true meaning of what our organization is all about: people educating themselves and doing their part to behave responsibly while recreating outdoors,” said McCullough.

Individuals that complete the one-day Tread Trainer course become representatives of Tread Lightly!. Tread Trainers present the Tread Lightly! message of responsible recreation practices to other educators, clubs, government employees, outdoor enthusiasts or community members. Presentations often focus on guidelines for minimizing recreational impacts as well as motivating individuals to be ambassadors of their chosen activity.

Since the program’s launch, Tread Lightly! has increased its outreach ten fold and has made nearly a quarter of a million face-to-face impressions.

As a long time partner of Tread Lightly!, California State Parks is the first state to work with the organization to provide the Tread Trainer course on such a large scale. The California State Parks OHMVR Division’s recent underwriting of the 2010 Tread Trainer courses came through a grant from their 2008/2009 Grants and Cooperative Agreements Program.

In addition to the Tread Trainer courses, two Master Trainer courses will also be offered in the California schedule. The Master Trainer course is an intensive two-day workshop designed to create volunteers equipped to train trainers on behalf of Tread Lightly!.

Tread Trainer course schedule:

– January 23, 2010 – Paso Robles, CA

– February 27, 2010 – Ontario, CA

– March 20, 2010 – San Jose, CA

– April 10, 2010 – Borrego Springs, CA

Master Trainer course schedule:

– May 14 & 15, 2010 – Rancho Cordova, CA

– June 11 &12, 2010 – Ontario, CA

Individuals interested in the Tread Trainer program can go to www.treadlightly.org for more information or to register for a course. Each course is free, but a credit card is required to register.

About Tread Lightly!

Tread Lightly!, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible recreation through ethics education and stewardship. Recognized as the nation’s signature outdoor ethic, Tread Lightly!’s educational message, along with its training and restoration initiatives are strategically designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. The program is long-term in scope with a goal to balance the needs of people who enjoy outdoor recreation with our need to maintain a healthy environment. With a niche focusing on motorized recreation, Tread Lightly! offers unique programs and services to help remedy current recreation issues.

www.treadlightly.org