The Leave No Trace Organization is excited to announce our 2024 Leave No Trace Award Winners. The Leave No Trace Awards honor individuals, agencies, businesses, and organizations who are dedicated to furthering the Leave No Trace mission. Through these awards, we celebrate the members of our community who go above and beyond for the Leave No Trace movement and inspire others to do the same. Below are this year’s award winners. Thank you to all our winners for all that you do to support Leave No Trace and take care of our treasured outdoor areas!
Corporate Partner of the Year Award
Mountain Hardwear is being celebrated as the 2024 Leave No Trace Corporate Partner of the Year for its exceptional leadership in advancing environmental stewardship. In our second year of partnership, Mountain Hardwear has continued to leverage its platform to promote Leave No Trace practices, co-lead a major volunteer project in the Bay Area with over 100 hours of service, played a pivotal role in onboarding athletes Scott Lehmann and Shayna Unger as Leave No Trace Ambassadors, and copresented at outdoor festivals, providing free education to over 1,000 participants. As a featured sponsor of the Leave No Trace Global Summit, Mountain Hardwear helped celebrate 30 years of Leave No Trace while paving the way for the next 30. Stay tuned for an exciting Leave No Trace x Mountain Hardwear product collaboration launching this spring. Read more about our partnership here.
Leave No Trace State Advocate of the Year
Sean Underhill is the Arizona State Advocate and has been very active in spreading Leave No Trace in Prescott and beyond. He joined as a State Advocate in 2023 and has been involved in many events and service projects in the Prescott area. Sean is passionate about educating his community and he created a Leave No Trace focused Junior Ranger program along with helping conduct Prescott’s monthly Nature Niños community outreach events. Earlier this year, he spearheaded a new trail building project with the Boys and Girls Club of Central Arizona and trained the trail crew on the 7 Principles. Sean has shared Leave No Trace with thousands at over 20 events this year.
Leave No Trace Service and Recognition Award
Sarah Newman’s dedication to supporting Leave No Trace through her work at Colorado State University has been truly remarkable. Her efforts in integrating Citizen Science into Leave No Trace initiatives have not only expanded our understanding of human impacts on the environment but also empowered individuals to take an active role in stewardship. By engaging students and community members in hands-on research, Sarah has fostered a deeper connection to the principles of Leave No Trace, ensuring their application in both academic and real-world settings. Her contributions have been invaluable in advancing our mission and inspiring future generations of environmental advocates.
Leave No Trace Youth Program Award
Congratulations to Ute Pass Elementary and their Mountain Academy of Arts and Sciences program (MAAS) on being named the 2024 Leave No Trace Community Youth Program of the Year! This well-deserved recognition celebrates MAAS’s dedication to environmental education, stewardship, and leadership. Since becoming the only public school-based program to earn LNT Gold Standard Youth Program recognition in 2022, MAAS has integrated Leave No Trace principles throughout its curriculum, emphasizing experiential learning and community involvement. Through hands-on service projects, MAAS students have made a lasting impact on local parks and open spaces, including planting native species at Red Rocks Canyon, removing invasive plants at Blodgett Peak, and restoring trails at Ute Valley Park. The school’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond the classroom, with over 600 students and 200 community members over the past three years participating in LNT-focused initiatives. MAAS also plays a key role in local environmental efforts, organizing cleanups at Fountain Creek and working with the town of Green Mountain Falls to pursue Leave No Trace Gold Standard Site Designation for local trails. MAAS is shaping the next generation of environmental leaders through these efforts and inspiring a community-wide commitment to protecting the outdoors.
Leave No Trace Outdoor Stewardship Inclusivity Award
Since its inception, the Outdoorist Oath has championed a powerful call to action, inspiring outdoor enthusiasts to embrace stewardship through a commitment to our planet, inclusivity, and adventure. By weaving Leave No Trace principles into its workshops and events, the Oath creates meaningful opportunities for participants to learn and grow as responsible outdoor stewards. The Oath empowers individuals with a personalized plan of action, fostering a community dedicated to protecting the planet, celebrating diversity, and pursuing adventure with care and purpose.
Leave No Trace Protected Area of the Year Award
The Angeles National Forest sits within the midst of Los Angeles and serves as one of its remaining open spaces. With over 18 million people and over 244 languages spoken, the Los Angeles metro area is one of the largest and most diverse in the United States, and the Angeles National Forest provides this community with an opportunity to connect with the natural world. After being selected as a Hot Spot in 2024, the Angeles, along with local partners such as Nature for All, have designated significant time and energy toward Leave No Trace and visitor outreach and education. They are working toward innovative solutions to better serve their diverse population.
Leave No Trace Community Partner of the Year Award
Grand County, Utah is the 2024 Leave No Trace Community Partner of the Year. This recognition celebrates the outstanding efforts of the Grand County’s “Moab Trail Ambassador Program,” which became the first Leave No Trace Gold Standard designated program in November 2023. Since its inception in 2021, the program has facilitated over 130,000 educational interactions with visitors on responsible recreation, thanks to a dedicated team of trained Trail Ambassadors. In partnership with the Bureau of Land Management Moab Field Office, these skilled educators, who hold Leave No Trace Level 1 certifications and expertise in local ecology, work tirelessly to promote best practices that protect the Moab area’s beloved trails and landscapes. Their efforts emphasize three key themes: minimizing environmental impact, respecting other users, and promoting safety. The program’s significant contribution to safeguarding Moab’s high-use trails, alongside its leadership and collaboration, underscores its pivotal role in preserving the region’s natural beauty for future generations.
Leave No Trace Course Provider Award
The Adirondack Mountain Club has been a Leave No Trace Level 2 Instructor Course Provider since 2010. The Adirondack Mountain Club strives for excellence in all of the outdoor education that it provides to its 30,000-plus members and beyond in the state of New York, especially Leave No Trace. The staff works hard to provide a high level of Leave No Trace training and outreach in different formats and spaces to make Leave No Trace training available to people of all abilities and backgrounds.
Leave No Trace Tourism Partner of the Year Award
Congratulations to Martin County, Florida for being named this year’s Leave No Trace Tourism Partner of the Year! This well-deserved recognition highlights their amazing work to promote sustainable tourism and protect their beautiful natural areas. By weaving Leave No Trace principles into their community initiatives, Martin County has created a strong foundation for expanding their ecotourism program well into the future and engraining the Leave No Trace ethic upon visitors. Their efforts this year showcase how thoughtful stewardship can go hand in hand with building a thriving and sustainable destination. All while keeping nature healthier for generations to come.