Master Tread Trainer Courses are finally available and right here in NC. Don't miss out!

Master Tread Trainer Courses

  SFWDA prides our fellow Master Tread Trainers and would like to encourage more of our memvbes to take advantage of this great training package Trea Lightly! is offering. Learn the right way and be a leader among your club or group. Education is the foundation to our core mission. Learn more about how you can get involved. Everyone is welcome. 

July 15 or 16th
Uhwarrie, NC
Only $100 per 1 Day Class

Space it very limited as these are intimate training courses so please don't wait.
Register today! 

   Tread Lightly!®’s Master Tread Trainer™ (MTT) course is an intensive 1-day workshop designed to provide an in-depth look at outdoor ethics focusing on motorized and mechanized recreation on both land and water. Participation in the course qualifies individuals to present the Tread Lightly! message consistently to others in their state or region. Participants will work with Tread Lightly! staff on understanding the role outdoor ethics play in the recreation community, learn the Tread Lightly! principles of responsible recreation, develop an action plan for outreach in their community, and be provided with the tools to conduct a variety of learning opportunities including training Tread Trainers through an 8 hour course.

2 -One day classes. 12 students max. per class!
Classes will be held at the Eldorado Community Center -Address: 4415 NC Highway 109 North, Uwharrie, NC 27371

$100 per student and one must pre-register to enroll!

More Info

https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/Wcr9xGyDn41kxjywtuXNcA

Join SFWDA & Trick N Traction, and JeepUp on Feb. 25th for our Second Annual "Tread Lightly! ® Workshop"

 Last year the T-N-T club out of Clemson, SC launched a new workshop which is funded by SFWDA grant funds and provides a totally free opportunity to learn the Tread Lightly! ® principles and how they play such an important role in our sport. With the success from last year we are continuing this initiative through 2017.

 Education is at the core of our mission. Our goal is to educate enthusiasts and local citizens about what Tread Lightly! is all about, and why Environmental Stewardship is so important. When on the trail these steps are critical to preserve OHV access to public land for future generations. It's also a huge benefit knowing established best practices when off road that all fellow enthusiasts should aspire towards. 

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Interested? 

 Then join us for a three-hour workshop and our second annual Tread Lightly! training event that's entirely free to the public! 

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Last years workshop being led by Official Tread Lightly! trainers; Scott Fields, and Mike Morrison 

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Here is what you can expect......

This Awareness Workshop is a 3-hour course that will provide attendees with an introduction to Tread Lightly! principles as decision making guidelines while enjoying the great outdoors in a safe and responsible manner. The workshop will provide you with situational awareness, the know-how on minimizing your impact while recreating, and the outdoor ethic that will help sustain our trails for generations to come.

Many Great Door Prizes will be given away!

“The focus of this workshop will be on the Tread Lightly! principals. Uwharrie Off-Road Training Centers’; Scott Fields is a Tread Lightly! Master Training. He will be leading the workshop based on Tread Lightly’s! three hour workshop outline. Note that we will only be able to accommodate the first 100 people to register for this exciting event.” - Al Sweeney; SFWDA Vice President”

Event Details

COST =
There is NO COST for the event. This workshop is funded by grant proceeds from within SFWDA.

WHERE =
Youth Center at NewSprings Church
2940 Concord Rd
Anderson, SC 29621

HOW =
Register here and now online. It's free! We just want to know who all to expect. 
You can also register in person at the event if space is still available but this event is limited to 100 attendees. 

WHEN = Feb 25, 2017 ( 9 AM- 12 PM )

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Our Final Season 2 Off Road Driving Techniques video is now Live! "Techniques to Get "Unstuck""

   This continuing series of videos discuss some of the most common and useful best practices of traveling off road and managing a variety of obstacles that you may be confronted with. Stay tuned for all 5 new titles in Season 2 featuring topics like " What to carry on a 1 day trail ride", safe operation of a High Lift jack and a Winch as well as How to avoid getting stuck and in an emergency "How to get unstuck". We will be releasing these videos monthly throughout the year until all videos new videos are published. 
Learn More.... http://www.sfwda.org/education

We will cover some basic tips and techniques to get your vehicle stuck when you go off road. Snow, Mud, and Sand can create challenging traction scenarios and we suggest a few ways to increase your traction. Also, ground clearance can hinder you unless you know how to approach the obstacle and choose the right line. Many of these techniques are universal in concept and can improve your driving ability on every level of difficulty. 

PRESENTING OUR FEATURED VIDEO OF THE MONTH "Techniques to Avoid Getting Stuck"

SFWDA Educational Video Series

Season Two

PRESENTING OUR FEATURED VIDEO OF THE MONTH

"Techniques to Avoid
Getting Stuck"

We will cover some basic tips and techniques to avoid getting your vehicle stuck when you go off road. Snow, Mud, and Sand can create challenging traction scenarios and we suggest a few ways to increase your traction. Also, ground clearance can hinder you unless you know how to approach the obstacle and choose the right line. Many of these techniques are universal in concept and can improve your driving ability on every level of difficulty.

Learn More: http://www.sfwda.org/education

This video is part of our second season's collection of OHV Educational Videos produced from funding and volunteers provided by your Association.

Sign up today; Unlimited Off Road Expo Volunteer Land Use Awareness Booth Volunteer

Sign up today for the Unlimited Off Road Expo Volunteer Land Use Awareness Booth Volunteer spots. 

Are you interested in the Unlimited Off Road Expo?

Would you like to help be a part of our mission to fight for our trails?

Can you help direct others how to become part of this team?

We want you to become a part of our Conservation, and Education Mission!

If you're available for as little as 4 hours; June 3-5 and can travel to Louisville, KY then join our SFWDA join Land Use Awareness Booth on the show floor and receive a free all access vendor pass to the event along a custom event polo shirt just for our volunteers. Sign up right now as a SFWDA booth Volunteer Representative at the UOR Expo (http://vols.pt/o89guy) on VolunteerSpot.

This 4 hour block on a 4 person team will handle the operations of the Joint Land Use Awareness booth. . Responsibilities will include talking to and interacting with attendants to support Land Advocacy. Distribute literature to folks as they pass by. Engage them by inviting a moment to watch, and learn from our featured educational videos.

We're using VolunteerSpot (the leading online Sign-up and reminder tool) to organize this event sign up.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

1) Click this link to see our Sign-up on VolunteerSpot: http://vols.pt/GTYWRa
2) Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like.
3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on VolunteerSpot.

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact me and I can sign you up manually.

Book your Winching Techniques & Best Practices Hands-On Demo for Trailfest 2016!

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Introduction to, and Advanced Winching Techniques courses available on Saturday at Trailfest. 

Winching Techniques and Best Practices - This should a great learning experience for attendees on Saturday at Trailfest. Registration will open this evening and there will be a limit on each class so be sure book early, and if you haven't registered better get on it.

Join us for one of two free courses sponsored by SFWDA and the Uwharrie Off Road Training Center. 
These two courses will be taught by Michael Morrison who is a I4WDTA Certified Instructor, and a Tread Lightly Master Tread Trainer full of a wealth of knowledge and experience to share.

Our 9-11 AM Introduction to Winching Techniques & Best Practices will provide everybody with a hands on common best practices demonstration of gear, and safety equipment use. How to properly use accessory hardware like snatch blocks, tree saver, ropes, etc. This is for everyone who wants to learn the right way to use their winch safely and effectively.

This 1-3 PM Advanced Technical Winching Techniques & Best Practices is also a Hands On Course which will really push the limits and explore complex multi-point recovery scenarios as a group to tackle vechicle extractions using a single front bumper winch.

If this sounds interesting; Registration will open this evening and there will be a limit on each class so be sure book early, and if you haven't registered for Trailfest yet, better get on it. ‪#‎trailfest2016‬

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SFWDA & TNT's Inagural Tread Lightly! Awareness Workshop was a Success!

I wanted to catch everyone up on some of the details from this recent great event. Lot's of photos and short stories have been posted onto Facebook and Social Media but I wanted to summarize the day and post some photos here as well to enjoy, remember and enlighten. Hopefully you will be able to join us at our next Tread Lightly Awareness Workshop. 

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This Awareness Workshop was a 3-hour course that provided around 40 attendees with an totally free introduction to Tread Lightly! and it's principles. The workshop provides attendees with the history of the Tread Lightly organization and how to make individuals more situational aware, the know-how on minimizing your impact while recreating, and the outdoor ethic that will help sustain our trails for generations to come. 

 Club members from the South Carolina based Trick N Traction orchestrated the event from the beginning and SFWDA Sponsored it with a Grant which was awarded to TNT. Scott Fields, and Michael Morrison from the Uwharrie Off Road Training Center led the course. They both are nationally recognized I4WDTA Certified Instructors, and Tread Lightly Master Tread Trainers.  The course was very fun, concise and provide attendees with a breath of information to take back to their own individual clubs and trails to further spread the message. With slides shows and videos on the big screen the crowd was very engaged which led to some great candid responses and discussion amidst the focused curriculum. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy the event which was concluded on schedule with some raffle prizes from Warn, SFWDA, and Clemson 4WD Center, and more for all those who attended.  

Remember folks, these are our trails. Treat them accordingly or we will loose them. This goes for both public and private trails. No park owner wants trash and hazardous materials strewn through their property no more than the National Forest Service, BLM, or any other agency for that matter. This is why it's so important to practice, share, and never forget the Tread Lightly principles. These simple words mean so much more when you practice them routinely.  

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As always stay tuned to our message board and Facebook posts for the lasted events and news. We plan to do this event again in the future and next time it may be closer to you so stay tuned!

Till then; I'll See you on the Trail....

Walter Shafer
Southern Four Wheel Drive Association
System Administrator
Trailfest 2016 Coordinator

Season 2 of our Educational Video Series is Starting Now!

 Season 2 of our Educational Video Series
is Starting Now....

  Off Road Education is at the core of our association's directive. A strong emphasis of our core mission is placed on education. All OHV enthusiasts are encouraged to practice safe and courteous driving and proper vehicle use off road.

We work closely with certified instructors, and professional trainers within the region who teach the principles of Tread Lightly! and best practices for safe and effective off road driving.

This continuing series of videos discuss some of the most common and useful best practices of traveling off road and managing a variety of obstacles that you may be confronted with. Stay tuned for a 5 new titles in Season 2 featuring topics like " What to carry on a 1 day trail ride", safe operation of a High Lift jack and a Winch as well as How to avoid getting stuck and in an emergency "How to get unstuck". We will be releasing these videos monthly throughout the year beginning with our first title feature already out within this months newsletter. 

 These videos are created with idea that through proper Education we will all enjoy continued safe use and access of our trail systems. Produced through our Non-Profit Associations Grant Program which supports our core mission of Education, Conservation, and Recreation. Check out our website SFWDA.org to learn more get involved.

Wilderness First Aid Education Demonstration unveils at TrailFest 2016

Another exciting development is our new Education Initiative. This year you can learn about the basics of Wilderness First Aid hands-on with a demo of a real life scenario of how to handle a compound fracture leg while out trail riding miles from services. Led by a 30 year veteran EMT and member of Warner Robbins Jeep Club. Learn the basics of what do first, and what not to do ever, so that you can be better prepared in the event of a real emergency.
(Spots will be very limited and registration will be announced soon.)