BSA Leave No Trace Basics Course Resources

Note - The BSA Leave No Trace 101 course has been renamed BSA Leave No Trace Basics to avoid confusion with the new online Leave No Trace 101 Course. Our course content has not changed.

The list of resources below are the key training course definition documents of Leave No Trace and the BSA's Outdoor Ethics & Conservation Subcommittee, and the compiled list of resource items referenced by those documents.

BSA Leave No Trace Basics Course Guide (updated February 8, 2024)

BSA Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor Course Manual (updated January 30, 2024)

BSA Leave No Trace Instructor Supplement (updated December 27, 2023)

Key Resources for All Leave No Trace Courses

Teaching Leave No Trace - Activity Guide
- BSA website
- BSA version - PDF (updated 9/23/2020)
- Leave No Trace Version - Printed Manual
Leave No Trace Video - National Park Service
- Online Video (Low Res): Download from NPS | YouTube
Leave No Trace In The Outdoors - Dr. Jeff Marion
Leave No Trace
- Tools and Activities for Educators
Guide To Safe Scouting

Course Standards

Minimum Elements for BSA Leave No Trace Training Continuum (updated 10/12/2023)
National Leave No Trace Program Training Guidelines NEW - LNT.org 7/2023

Training Promotion Guidelines

Let's get it right! Make sure your training materials are up-to-date.

Qualifying for Leave No Trace Awareness Card (Without Taking BSA Leave No Trace Basics Course)

Basics Course Forms and Paperwork

Training Cards - Use general Training Recognition cards or the following:
- MS Word .doc
- Mail Merge*: Template Data Back
- Fillable PDF
- Blank (print and hand fill)
Training Attendance Report**
This is the standard BSA form. Check with your Council on council-specific forms or procedures.
Submit the Training Attendance Report to your Council Training registrar and to your Council Outdoor Ethics Advocate.
Training Code: Leave No Trace Basics: D74

Recognition Pin or Patch (Leave No Trace)
Workshop Certificates - the BSA Leave No Trace Basics Course is also considered a Leave No Trace Workshop. After the Workshop roster is submitted to Leave No Trace, it is checked to verify that the course instructor is in good standing (current member and current certification). Once everything is verified, the certificates are emailed to the course instructor for distribution to the participants. (Note - do not submit contact information for youth.)

Notes:
* MS Word Mail Merge forms:

Use Edit > Replace All in the template file to update location and date before doing the merge.
You can use various data sources -- .xls file, csv file, word document w/ table, database, ... Template uses First and Last data columns. Simple Sample Data File
Front and back of the cards are separate documents, since most people will be doing manual 2-sided printing of card stock.

** NOTE for Fillable PDFs: Do not try to enter data in fillable pdf's in your browser window - they will not Save. If you try to save them, you will get the original empty form and your entries will be lost.
INSTEAD - save the file to your computer, then Open it in Acrobat Reader. You can then enter data, save the file, print, etc.