Leave No Trace to Host Dolly Sods Hot Spot Events October 1 & 2, 2022

Leave No Trace has selected Dolly Sods Wilderness in Monongahela National Forest as a 2022 Leave No Trace Hot Spot. From Sept. 29 to Oct. 3, a Subaru/Leave No Trace Team will work with local land managers, community members, partners, volunteers and area visitors with information, service work and education to help reduce impacts and reverse damage from overuse in the Dolly Sods area.

“Hot Spot locations are heavily damaged but can recover with the help of a motivated community and an encompassing infusion of Leave No Trace programming. Centered around training, these efforts include a series of targeted workshops and community outreach events conducted by expert Leave No Trace educators,” said Dana Watts, Executive Director of the Leave No Trace organization. “Our goal is to put these Hot Spot areas on the road to recovery, while also creating aspirational guidance and recommendations for public lands across the globe.”

The following Dolly Sods Hot Spot events are free and open to the public. People of all ages are encouraged to attend.

• Saturday, Oct. 1: Stop by the Leave No Trace booth near the Family Activity Area from noon to 6 p.m. during ArtOber FEST 2022 at Timberline Resort in Canaan Valley. Meet Subaru/Leave No Trace Team Members and U.S. Forest Service staff to learn how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly and for fun, family-friendly educational activities.
• Sunday, Oct. 2: Give back to the Sods by volunteering to clean up campsites and pack out trash along several trails on the western side of the Wilderness. Must be able to hike several miles on uneven terrain. Sign up by emailing Brooke Andrew at brooke.andrew@usda.gov or by stopping by the Leave No Trace table at ArtOber FEST. Volunteers must dress for the weather and wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by their parent or guardian. Meet at Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center at 10 a.m. We will return to the Visitor Center by 4 p.m.

Through a nationwide nominations process, Leave No Trace selects Hot Spot locations each year. Hot Spots are popular outdoor areas across the country that have experienced heavy recreational use and human-created impacts, including excessive trash, damage to vegetation, trail erosion, disturbance to wildlife and more. Hot Spots empower people to be the solution to these impacts in their communities, an essential objective of the Leave No Trace organization. Learn more at http://www.LNT.org.

For more information about the Dolly Sods Leave No Trace Hot Spot events and how to get involved, contact Monongahela National Forest at 304-257-4488. For more information about Monongahela National Forest visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/mnf or https://www.facebook.com/MonongahelaNF.