The national nonprofit Tread Lightly! is celebrating the successful completion of the third year of an interpretive education program aimed at protecting and enhancing recreational opportunities for a wide variety of outdoor activities ranging from recreational shooting to off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation.
By bringing high quality, research-based educational messages to trailhead kiosks, visitor centers, public shooting areas, campgrounds and other hubs of outdoor recreation, Tread Lightly! is fostering a stronger sense of individual stewardship throughout the nation’s recreation community. The poster program, part of Tread Lightly!’s Respected Access is Open Access campaign, was made possible through grants from the Right Rider Access Fund, Dallas Safari Club, Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.
As of today, Tread Lightly! has produced and delivered nearly 5,000 Outdoor Education Posters across 44 states at no cost to the recipient. Public agencies, enthusiast clubs and Boy Scout troops that submitted requests for these posters were able to customize each print using issue-specific messages and recreation tips. A QR code could even be added directing scanners to designated route maps.
Statistics gathered from each recipient suggest that posters distributed in 2014 will be viewed by more than 10 million people per year.
Messages were pulled from Tread Lightly!’s celebrated Respected Access is Open Access campaign and target multiple outdoor enthusiast groups including hunters, recreational shooters, and equestrians. They also utilized the campaign’s RIDE ON Designated Routes messages to resonate both with OHV enthusiasts and with the 4 out of 5 sportsmen who use OHVs to reach a destination to enjoy activities like hunting and fishing.
Although free posters are not currently available, posters can still be customized and purchased from Tread Lightly!’s website at treadlightly.org/educational-posters-program. An interactive map showing the placement of each poster in the country can also be found at this site.
