Education?

[randii]

TIE1ON asked a good question in another thread:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showt...24#post1681324

So, you say you want to educate people. I agree. How do we go about doing it? There are 2 Ranger stations on Ice House Road as of now, there for the education of people using Desolation Wilderness. We're still having problems with people abusing the area. If we were to "pave" the Gatekeeper, allowing easier access to the trail, how do you suggest we educate people? Should we set up a booth at the Loon Lake trailhead? How are we going to pay the people working there?

Lotsa good thoughts here... I can think of a few ongoing efforts:
* Informational Handouts at the Spillway or Gatekeeper
* Existing bulletin board/kiosk at the Tahoe-side staging area
* Planned informational kiosk near Loon Lake
* Planned USFS pamphlets
* Existing USFS signs and planned improvements with new signs
* Del's regular articles through BRC and Cal4 publications

What do we need more of? What isn't working? What ELSE can we do?

Randii

[TIE1ON]

I hate to say it because I don't want to be policed any more than the next guy when I'm relaxing and having fun but I think the offenders need to be made an example of. People will learn that if they're doing things they shouldn't be up there then they're going to pay a price. Maybe its a hefty fine that gets funded back to maintaining the trail?! We need some sort of consequences. Its just sucks that the good people have to suffer for the idiots, once again

[Tom Boyd]

I know this question can't be answered definitivly, but can someone provide an educated guess as to which entrances get what percentage of the traffic. Maybe this can be a benchmark as to where the funds could be used for education.

My guess would be the Loon Lake entrance gets quite a bit more traffic than all others combined. I have a feeling that if we could erect a large durable sign (enviornmentally safe like you see when you begin a regional trail for example) which tells visitors of the periless situation the rubicon is facing, the agencies that which govern and patrol it, proper behavior to curb envionmental impact, reporting procedures and consequences. I know it sounds like pretty basic stuff, but it would be inexpensive, low maintaince and would reach a good percentage of the visitors.

It could be a good way of passing out leaflets ect. Maybe have a cool map or something...

I don't know , I'm so resistant to any change (love it the way it is ) but if we want to continue to enjoy it, we had better think of somethong to reach people.

Thoughts?

[Jeepndel]

Several things:
1. We are going to erect a sign of some sort about the perils of the RUbicon;

2. We are doing a trail study (starting soon or no later than next summer) to update our trail use figures. The ones we have now are from 2001 (35,000 folks in 4 month period). Mostly Loon entrance.

3. We have two cases of outlaws being brought to justice. One from last year and one from this year. MORE bad guys are going to get busted -- we have law enforcement on the trail on a regular basis and we have the volunteer trail patrol idea still working.

4. We have $120k in grant money to spend on our trail. FOTR and the ROC (with input right here) will help determine where that money goes.

5. We are making the Rubicon the People's Trail.
We are going to guide our government officials in the direction WE want for OUR trail. And the good news is, they are behind us all the way. FOTR is setting world precedent history.

Del

[Danger Ranger]

I’m going to speak from experience… being a derelict that is. The brutal fact is, when anyone is at this stage in life with their head in the sand they do not realize they are in the wrong, period. They will be extremely hard to get through too, it’s almost like a game to see what you can get away with and it’s always “someone else’s” fault they got caught.

I kinda knew my “rights and wrongs” but I still screwed up… as I’m sure almost everyone has at some point. My big screw up was extremely stupid (I won’t go into the gory details) but a very hefty fine convinced me to open my eyes and look at the big picture. About the same time I found pbb, reading about issues the con and other trails faced interested me enough to want to learn more about what I was or did wrong and how it affected everyone else. But this isn’t going to happen to everyone unfortunately. Most of those who need to be educated won’t make the effort to do so themselves.

We’ve seen in all aspects of life that even heavy consequences don’t turn everyone around. We will have to strike the very root of the problem, which is the way an individual thinks. I don’t see any other way but to get up close and personal with every single individual.

Work days, wheelers talking to wheelers, peer pressure are what I see working. The work day at the bottom of walker several people came up and asked me why we were there… ah yes an old me to try and edjumakate

I ain’t claiming I’m perfect… but I’m trying.

[randii]

I’m going to speak from experience… being a derelict that is.
Props for you for turning it around. BTDT with stupidity on the street when I was much younger.... I earned an extended vacation away from my drivers' license for that one.

We've all made mistakes... I think that makes it easier to approach someone who is making a mistake, and it offers some context for discussion. Even if the person doesn't get what you are saying in the moment, it is still worth saying. Maybe it will sink in over time, or cumulatively with repetition from others.... the worst thing that we can do is elect NOT to educate. In this case, something is almost always better than nothing.


...reading about issues the con and other trails faced interested me enough to want to learn more about what I was or did wrong and how it affected everyone else.
OUTSTANDING! Couldn't have said that better -- like it or not, WE AFFECT EACH OTHER, especially on public trails.

Great post!

Randii

[cruzila]

I agree with DR that right now this year, peer pressure will be the best method. I the end it really is the end all be all.

But we do need to do all the signing and educating of the few that are willing to learn. They will be the ones that help us and use the peer pressure to help the rest along.



Del, we need a sign that can be put put out at the work site that says something like.

"FOTR grant funds at work"

Scott

[JW]

What about a "neighbor hood watch" type of program? Make a club called "save the rubicon" with stickers that people could put onto their rigs to identify who is educated. Everyone would see the sticker and want to jump on the bandwagon as usual. The sign at the trail head and define what the "save the rubicon" sticker mean and what will happen to an offender if cought voilating the rules.

Just a thought.

JW

[Rubicrawler]

Originally posted by JW
What about a "neighbor hood watch" type of program? Make a club called "save the rubicon" with stickers that people could put onto their rigs to identify who is educated. Everyone would see the sticker and want to jump on the bandwagon as usual. The sign at the trail head and define what the "save the rubicon" sticker mean and what will happen to an offender if cought voilating the rules.

Just a thought.

JW

This group already exists! "Friends of the Rubicon"

Many of us have FOTR stickers (thanks Randii) on our rigs and act as trail ambassadors when the need arrises

[JW]

Originally posted by Rubicrawler


This group already exists! "Friends of the Rubicon"

Many of us have FOTR stickers (thanks Randii) on our rigs and act as trail ambassadors when the need arrises

Unfortunately the acronym "FOTR" could mean many things to people that are not aware of the club. I have not seen the stickers so maybe you do have what I am suggesting, but I was thinking something a bit more bold and easily comprehendible by the layman. Sorry if it is not a good idea, just a thought.

JW

edit: the first time I read the name FOTR I had no idea if they were for or against WHEELING the con. Of course I quickly found out once I kept reading, but not everyone is going to be here on the net like us. Not trying to be critical of the name FOTR or anything negative, just trying to help throw out ideas.

[Jeepndel]

As to the FOTR name and getting the un-informed under control, this is all in the mill. FOTR will be highly recognized by signs and brochures as we go along this summer with our trail repairs and signing projects (kiosks).

We already have a trail patrol thru FOTR in the works (and working -- two un-informed busted pretty hard so far).

Most of this is discussed in other threads.

We are also going to get MORE law enforcement on the trail. Tolerance for destructive behavior that will lead to shutting down our trail will NOT be tolerated any more.

I just returned from the United FWDA land use conference in AZ. Someone asked how we could turn in our own to law enforcement. In other words, how could we be a snitch?

My answer was simple. Self police (turn em in) or take a chance on loosing our trail.

Del

[TIE1ON]

I think if we all hear about the offenders, what they did and their punishment, its going to set an example.

[randii]

We're ramping up on stickers -- expect to see more of them on the trail and more info on how to get yours soon.

We're not just here on the 'net -- we've been publicized on Pirate4x4.com, 4x4Wire.com, ShareTrails.org, and soooooo many other places online (including the USFS website!) but also in print in the Cal4, BRC, and United newsletters, as well as the print magazines, themselves. We've been featured prominently on TV in Sacramento, and in newspapers throughout CA.

That said, we need to keep spreading the word about http://www.FriendsOfTheRubicon.com to others.... our hobby consists of driving OVER rocks but many folks seem to hide UNDER rocks.

We'll see you on the trail!

Randii

[cruzila]

Originally posted by Jeepndel
I just returned from the United FWDA land use conference in AZ. Someone asked how we could turn in our own to law enforcement. In other words, how could we be a snitch?

My answer was simple. Self police (turn em in) or take a chance on loosing our trail.

Del

Simple yes, if they are doing something that the Sheriff has to come in on. They are NOT one of MY own, I'll tell ya.

Scott