Introduction to the LNT Master Educator Handbook
Of master educators it is well said they are ceaselessly students of education. The learning process never ends as long as the brain continues to function, and the most wise--and perhaps also the most happy--are aware of this. To perform at the highest level possible as a Leave No Trace Master Educator, you must be not only committed to the preservation of wildland but also to the process of education.

The Purpose of the LNT Master Educator Handbook
The purpose of this handbook is to serve as a resource that will 1) enable instructors to teach the Leave No Trace message in general and the Master Educator and Trainer Courses specifically with greater consistency, 2) to enable instructors to improve their ability to teach, and 3) to enable instructors to improve their ability to teach teachers. It is not the intention of this handbook to create inflexible policy, but this handbook does represent common practices and proven methods. This handbook, in other words, is not all about what you have to do but about what you can do.

You will find here educational goals, outlines, basic content suggestions, resources, and lesson plans. You will not find here your experiences, the past experiences of your students, and the experiences you help create for your students. The best Leave No Trace courses are filled with rich experiences and not just academic information. The best Leave No Trace educators use their life experiences and the life experiences of their students to support the information. This handbook is intended to ease the burden of preparing the information so you, the educator, can better focus on developing opportunities for life-changing experiences.

And ethics, remember, are created by experiences, not by information. This handbook should be used to help create courses where students meet on the common ground of respect for wilderness, and where they focus on the ethics of Leave No Trace. Then they may learn not only local adaptations of the principles but also the universal framework in which the principles need to be applied.

How to Use the LNT Master Educator Handbook
Although you could conceivably teach a Leave No Trace course with this handbook alone as a resource, the best use of this material is as a springboard. Education is, among other things, a blend of what you know, what you have experienced, and what you learn as you go. By consciously evaluating yourself and your students in relation to the goals of your teaching, you will become an increasingly more effective educator.

Please keep in mind that a Leave No Trace Master Educator or Trainer Course must be defined by activities. The participants, if the goals of the course are met, leave not only able to practice the principles of Leave No Trace and able to teach others to do the same, but also to teach others to teach others to practice the principles. And no matter how much you may think you know how to do something, you have no assurance until you try.

Pay attention, and keep on keeping on. The best educators are also the best students.

MASTER EDUCATOR HANDBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 Introduction to the Master Educator Course
Chapter 2 Principles of Education
Chapter 3 Principle One: Plan Ahead and Prepare
Chapter 4 Principle Two: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
Chapter 5 Principle Three: Dispose of Waste Properly
Chapter 6 Principle Four: Leave What You Find
Chapter 7 Principle Five: Minimize Campfire Impacts
Chapter 8 Principle Six: Respect Wildlife
Chapter 9 Principle Seven: Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Chapter 10 Wildland Ethics
Chapter 11 How to Run a Leave No Trace Trainer Course
Appendices