The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.
~Chuck Palahniuk

More often than not, people mean well, they just haven’t had the opportunity to learn. I cannot count the amount of times I have said something like that, when I see or experience inappropriate and damaging behavior in the outdoors. 

Anyone that has followed my blog for long, knows that one of my primary goals is to encourage people to enjoy time outdoors. I also believe that spending time outdoors can motivate people to protect the planet. Part of this responsibility is educating folks to learn and apply the 7 Leave No Trace (LNT) Principles outlined by the Center for Outdoor Ethics.

Many of you may remember that I was an elementary teacher. For a number of years, I had the opportunity to teach outdoor education to young people. It was then I created the curriculum, tHInK outsidE. I even shared a few posts featuring the current year’s tHInK outsidE classes. Here is a post from 2016. During this hands on program, students learned all about gear, survival skills, nutrition, first aid, map reading, navigation, and outdoor ethics using the Leave No Trace Principles. 

During the LNT lessons, the majority of students connected with and had experienced the opposite of some of the principles while camping with their families. I always looked forward to the day when students put into practice all they had learned by performing skits. They were given a scenario featuring one of the principles to act out for the class. What to do and what not to do. I provided possible props to choose from to make it real, creative and fun. It was a great activity and very entertaining. I think the kids will be a good example for others and be able to educate and explain the principles to their families and friends.

I can’t think of a better way to present a quick Leave No Trace Course or excellent refresher, than from the pictorial examples of young people. Pretty cool we can learn from children to love and care for our world and be a positive impact on our planet. 

Leave No Trace  – Seven Principles

The Leave No Trace Seven Principles are the foundation of the Leave No Trace program. They provide guidance to enjoy our natural world in a sustainable way that avoids human-created impacts. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is constantly researching and reevaluating the principals to make sure they are up-to-date with the latest research from biologists and leaders in outdoor education. The principles have been adapted so they can be applied in your backyard or in the backcountry. 

Click any of the headers below for a detailed explanation on each principle.

#1 Plan Ahead and Prepare

1. Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit.
2. Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
3. Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
4. Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
5. Repackage food to minimize waste.
6. Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
7. Plan and prepare ahead to curtail emergency situations. This minimizes impact on the environment. 

In Action: 

• Take a skills course on map reading and first aid before hike. 
• Check area weather for heat, cold, and storms. 
• Check trail conditions and terrain type. 
• Calculate time needed to hike your planned trip.
• Check for available water sources.
• Pack appropriate gear (10 essentials) and layered clothing. 
• Pack enough food and water. 
• Check fire regulations. 
• Check pet regulations.
• Evaluate skill level of participants. Can all members handle the activities planned and the  terrain?

#2 Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

1. Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
2. Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
3. Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.

In Action: 

• Concentrate on using existing trails and campsites.
• Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
• Keep campsites small, leaving them how you found it.
• In pristine areas, disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails. Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.
• Avoid altering the campsite area. Avoid moving rocks and plants. 
• Follow the trail, especially in steep switchbacked sections, where short cuts cause serious erosion and destabilization problems for future hikers.
• Select a campsite located on a durable surface such as gravel, dirt, dry grasses, snow, or sand. The goal is to avoid damaging plants and fragile soils. Established campsites are best because they do not create additional disturbance to the area.
• Watch where you walk. Try not to crush vegetation. 
• Take trail breaks on durable surfaces.
• Limit group size or spread your group out. 

#3 Dispose of Waste Properly

1. Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.
2. Deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
3. Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
4. To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

In Action: 

• Bring garbage bag to gather waste found at campsite or trail.
• Don’t burn packaging as it pollutes the air.
• Bring a seal-able bag to pack up particularly smelly waste.
• Pack out food waste – even organic waste like apple cores, orange peels, banana peels, avocado seed, and pistachio & sunflower seed shells. These will attract animals and also detract from the natural beauty of the area.
• Scatter dirty dishwater far away from camp and disperse it over a large area, don’t just dump it in one spot.
• If using shampoo/soap, choose the most natural brand.
• Avoid swimming directly after use of sunscreen, lotion, and bug spray.
• When pooping dig a hole about 6 inches deep and at least 200 feet from water, make a deposit, wipe with smooth sticks or leaves. If you prefer to use toilet paper or baby wipe, make sure to pack it out with the rest of your trash. Here is a great way to stash toilet paper.
• In the morning after packing up gear, check the campsite to make sure it’s pristine, especially looking for small items like tent stakes and wrappers.
• Cook only what you will eat, wasting nothing. Clean up pot and utensils by using water and natural materials. Drink the rinse water. Do not wash dishes in a stream or lake because this adds unnatural soap and food to the water.

#4 Leave What You Find

1. Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
2. Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
3. Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
4. Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

In Action: 

• When you come across something cool such as a flower, animal skeleton, or colorful rocks, take only photos or draw a sketch, leaving the good stuff for others to enjoy. If everyone picked flowers or collected rocks, it would eventually deplete the area.
• Do not hammer, carve into trees or cut down living vegetation.
• Know the area regulations. Many areas prohibit removal of plant life, antlers, and cultural items (such as arrowheads or pot shards).

#5 Minimize Campfire Impacts

1. Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
2. Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
3. Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
4. Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.

In Action: 

• Check campfire rules and regulations specific to the area you’re visiting as well as the level of forest fire danger during the time of your visit.
• Only create a fire where there is an existing fire ring.
• Only create a fire when you are able to constantly keep an eye on it. Never leave a campfire unattended.
• Make sure you have the appropriate tools (and amount of water) to extinguish your fire when you’re finished with it. If it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave!

#6 Respect Wildlife

1. Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
2. Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
3. Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
4. Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
5. Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

In Action: 

• When encountering wildlife, respect it by not harassing it or trying to feed it. Simply watch with excitement.
• Don’t feed the animals and store food securely. 
• Allow 200 feet of space between yourself and any water source. This allows animals to have a drink in the evening without getting scared off.

#7 Be Considerate of Other Visitors

1. Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
2. Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
3. Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
4. Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
5. Let nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.

In Action: 

• Yield to other trail users. Hikers going downhill are the ones who step off-trail to let other hikers pass by. 
• Choose secluded campsites. As far away from others as possible.
• Keep noise to a minimum. Non-natural noises can be bothersome to other people.
• If you use a drone, make sure you check regulations (many parks and natural areas prohibit them).
• Set your camera and/or smartphone to silent. 
• If you have a pet, check regulations, don’t let your pet approach other people, pick up their poop, and keep your pet on a leash, if in a leash regulated area. 

Special Leave No Trace Recommendations to Consider During COVID