Participants taking the two-day Level 1 Instructor Course learn Leave No Trace skills, ethics, and techniques for educating others about these low-impact practices. In-person Level 1 Instructor Courses typically occur over two consecutive days and involve spending more than half of the course outdoors.
Virtual options are also available for Level 1 Instructor Courses. Level 1 Instructor Course graduates are prepared to offer Leave No Trace Skills Courses and Workshops to their community.
The five-day Level 2 Instructor Course is our most comprehensive education course. Participants are provided with in-depth training on Leave No Trace skills and ethics through practical application during a field-based course. Participants learn Leave No Trace techniques through various methods—including discussions, scenarios, demonstrations, and hands-on activities—throughout all five days of the field-based course.
The Level 2 Instructor Course is also designed to prepare participants to be the best possible teachers of Leave No Trace regardless of setting. Level 2 Instructor Course graduates are certified to instruct Level 1 Instructor Courses and are prepared to teach Leave No Trace Skills Courses and Workshops.
Leave No Trace Level 1 and Level 2 Instructors must complete recertification to maintain active status. This course helps ensure you’re up to date on the latest best practices, research, and teaching techniques—so you can continue delivering accurate, high-quality Leave No Trace education in your community.
As outdoor ethics and sustainability practices evolve, recertifying reinforces your leadership in environmental stewardship and your commitment to protecting the natural world.
“Leave No Trace offers a way for the general public to become the conscientious public and in doing so influences the character of both the land and people.”
Being a Leave No Trace Instructor requires planning and preparation. Here are some resources to help guide you through the process.
The Leave No Trace training structure, and some guidelines, are changing in order to meet organizational strategic goals. These changes work to make training more appealing and accessible to a wider range of audiences.
On July 18, 2023, all Trainers and Master Educators were reclassified as Level 1 or Level 2 Instructors, respectively, and were automatically certified under the new training structure. While all Instructors will eventually need to take a recertification course to maintain their certification, Instructors will not be required to retake a full Level 1 or Level 2 course.
Recertification will be required every two years to maintain your certification status as a Level 1 or Level 2 Instructor. If you were trained before July 18th, 2023, your recertification date is July 18th, 2025. If you took a Level 1 or Level 2 Instructor Course after July 18th, 2023, your recertification date is two years from your course end date.
On July 18th, 2025, Level 1 and Level 2 Recertification Courses will go live on our online learning platform, Learn.LNT.org.
There is no deadline or time limit to recertify after your certification expires. Unlike some other outdoor industry professional certifications, there is no point at which you lose the ability to take a recertification course and need to retake a full Instructor Course. If your certification expires, you will not be able to provide certificates, and you must complete the recertification course before teaching your next course or workshop.
No, teaching a course does not count towards recertification. To complete your recertification, you must take an online recertification course.
The old Level 2/Master Educator Refresher Course is no longer available. The Level 2 Instructor Recertification Course is taking its place and will be available in July 2025. In the meantime, if you are looking to brush up on your Leave No Trace knowledge, try the 101 Course or email [email protected].
No, the old Master Educator Refresher Course does not recertify you under the new training structure. The new Level 1 and Level 2 Recertification Courses are more comprehensive and feature the most up-to-date, research-backed information.
Yes, an administrative fee will be charged to access the online course to complete your recertification. Level 1 Recertification will cost $25, and the Level 2 Recertification will cost $50.
Yes, at least one instructor is required to maintain individual membership or affiliation with an organizational community partnership to receive certificates for participants. If you facilitate Leave No Trace training on behalf of or in collaboration with an educational entity, please contact Leave No Trace’s Partnership Team.
There are several differences between these three course offerings. Level 1 Instructor Courses are more involved than the other courses, and participants will leave the course as certified Level 1 Instructors capable of leading Skills Courses and Workshops, as well as co-instructing a Level 1 Instructor Course with a Level 2 Instructor.
Leave No Trace Skills Courses are two-day courses designed for those who want to learn the intricacies of Leave No Trace for their own personal life and recreational endeavors. These courses dive deep into the skills and science of Leave No Trace rather than how to teach it in a formal setting.
Leave No Trace Workshops are the most open-ended and introductory course offerings. Workshops include any formal Leave No Trace presentation that is one day or less in length. For a full description of the differences in course offerings, please consult the National Training Guidelines.
No additional training is required to run a Leave No Trace Skills Course. The training received during a Leave No Trace Level 1 or Level 2 course will prepare instructors to teach this course. Note: Instructors must be current in their certification and membership with the organization to provide participants with a Certificate of Completion.
Yes, both are required to teach a Leave No Trace Skills Course. Requirements for coverage can be found in the Leave No Trace Training Agreement.
Yes, formal training is not required to teach a Leave No Trace Workshop. Note: Only certified Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 Instructors can provide a Certificate of Completion to workshop participants.
No, Leave No Trace Skills Courses and Workshops are not certification courses. However, participants receive a Certificate of Completion once completing a course.
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