I hope that everyone has heard of Leave No Trace by now but when I see things like this I have doubts. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (the Center) was formed in 1994 with cooperation from numerous public and private organizations with the purpose of promoting environmental responsibility from everyone.
The Center's mission statement is "The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is an educational, nonprofit organization dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors by all people, worldwide."
To help promote environmental responsibility the Center developed the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
The 7 principles remain the same for all environments but the means we take to follow these principles may differ. For example, desert environments have different considerations than the Boundary Waters. The Center has developed reference cards for all of the different environments. These cards are very inexpensive and are a great thing to take into the back country with you. For a more in-depth explanation of the principles you can purchase a skills book from the Center's online store or take their free online course.
While you can learn the basics from the materials available from the Center's online store and their website there is no replacement for taking an Awareness Workshop from a certified instructor. These courses range from several hours to a full day or more and can be incorporated into almost any trip or held on their own. They are a great way to draw from the knowledge of someone who is truly passionate and these principles and environmental responsibility.
If we all take a few extra minutes to familiarize ourselves with the 7 LNT Principles and practice them religiously we can have a dramatic effect on our impact of the places that we love.
As always feel free to ask us if you have any questions!
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