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Leave No Trace Explained

LNT or leave no trace, is the golden rule for any outdoor lover who prides themselves on the protection and upkeep of our outdoor spaces. However, according to lnt.org, 9 out of ten people are misinformed about the outdoors, which probably leaves many saying, what exactly is LNT, and what exactly does leave no trace mean for us?

Leave no trace is the rule, or guideline that encourages outdoor hobbyist, or basically anyone who spends time in nature to, well, leave absolutely no trace that they were ever there. 

This may mean not littering on their hike, for backpackers it might mean packing out their feces, for campers it might mean packing out every last bit of garbage, but the true principle of the rule goes far beyond just making sure us humans aren’t leaving behind material clues to our existence. LNT ensures the survival and optimal success of our beloved lands and spaces of natural ecosystems. 

What Does LNT Look Like

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics explain the 7 principles of leaving no trace. They include: Planning ahead with proper preparation, traveling and camping on only durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly, leaving what you find along your journey untouched and where you found it, minimizing campfire impact, respecting wildlife, and showing consideration for visitors.  (2020, leavenotrace.org/why/7-principles) 

image credit via leavenotracecenter/instagram

To put some of the principles into action, here is a breakdown of what practicing these principles might look like while out enjoying a day in the outdoors. 

Preparedness is Invaluable

A sound plan means doing all of the research first. Not on the way, not once you’re there, but first. It’s important to know the rules of where you will be, camp rules, fire rules, the location of garbage disposal sites and their proximity to where you might be, where to find water, what the geological and ecological makeup of the land is, the ancestral history and the acknowledgment of whose land you are really on, along with local emergency services, weather conditions, and the state of regulations and now in the Covid-19 era, the phase, restrictions, and overall well-being of the community you will be a guest in.  

Resources for research include;

The research is finished, the checklist completed, and by now you are well on your way to your destination. You arrive, hiking in, or walking up to your campsite for the night, or perhaps you’re just wanting to hike a trail for an hour, but are you sure it’s safe to be hiking on this surface?

The Ground is Important Too

Should I camp here? If the research was done correctly, ideally you would know the answer to that, and if it was not safe, you’d find a new spot. So, what exactly does it mean when a surface is not durable or appropriate for human foot traffic? 

Reasons surfaces may not be able to sustain foot traffic include the sedimentary makeup of the rock or surface ground, and the vegetation, and ecological makeup of the ecosystem. 

For example, even sediments, or dirt’s, and sands, have tiny microscopic ecosystems within their makeup, its especially common for ground surfaces and rock formations in many parks to be millions of years old, making them extremely delicate. Soil contains pores, and microbes that operate efficiently when left alone. Trampling off trail can not only break or kill vegetation, but it can even lead to a change in species diversity, and vegetations reproductive abilities (Hill and Pickering, 2009). 

Stepping off on ground not made for human traffic can not only physically hurt the system, but it also brings pollutants; foreign materials and chemicals into an ecosystem that is not equipped to deal with those things. Staying on trail can save areas of forests with foliage and the plethora of ecosystems living beyond what our eyes can see. Whether it’s a trail, a rock, an empty desert, a lake, or a pond, if there’s not a place for human traffic that consists of proper signage and adequate precautions, you aren’t made to be there. Period.  That goes for pets too! The animals that makeup the natural system are made to be there, your household pet is not, and also carries pollutants and can do just as much damage. Never assume just because you’ve spotted footprints, means that its okay. The standard goes beyond just respecting rules, its respecting nature itself. A responsible outdoors lover is always respectful, because respect leads to sustainability.   

Don’t Be Trashy

The same logic applies to not touching things you find along the way. The smallest disruption can have a large impact when in the delicate balance of nature. Leaving behind zero traces of waste should be a no brainer, unfortunately it’s not uncommon to find cans, plastics, even remnants of tents at frequented campsites. This is especially common at sites that take more effort to get to. Disposing of waste properly means packing out every single thing that was brought in. Trash goes in trash bins, sometimes trash bins in parks are full or overflowing, take it home, don’t add to the mess! This poses risk for wildlife, invites in sickness and disease, and gives your favorite park a bad rap. Be responsible. Finding other garbage along the way? Always be prepared to pick it up. 

Beyond Just Packing Out Garbage

When backcountry camping or hiking, leave no trace applies to human waste as well. The well-known rule, burying feces 200ft from a water source, camp area, or trail, used to be sustainable.

However, with more humans frequenting the outdoors more than ever before, it won’t be long before our favorite sites are filled with human shit, literally. So, if you have the guts to go primal, find the guts to pack your waste out with you. There are a ton of new items hitting the market now a days to help combat the very natural facet of being one with the outdoors.  Pack it in, pack it out, pat yourself on the back. Enviornmental Advocate Katie Blu always has wonderful resources on her page, check out her highlight titled “wilda-poos” for some more info on packing out human waste.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CCWGf63HeRf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Fire is Our Repsonisbility

Always check your campfire rules wherever you are staying. Many areas the rules can fluctuate depending on season. Always plan accordingly, bringing alternate options for food if a fire is a no go. Nearly 84% of all wildfires are a result of humans (2000-2017 data based on Wildland Fire Management Information (WFMI) and U.S. Forest Service Research Data Archive, https://www.nps.gov/articles/wildfire-causes-and-evaluation.htm). Currently in 2020 human caused wildfires are on a steep incline. 

Beyond following fire rules to prevent wildfires and ecosystem destruction, it’s important to minimize impact. Always use the designated fire areas, consider those around you, and consider those using the campsite next. All it takes is a little consideration. 

Don’t Just Be Kind

Which leads us seamlessly into respecting wildlife, and other visitors and nature lovers. Nature was not created for us, nature just is, and we are just nature, and the more we remember this, the more we as the most evolutionally advanced beings on this planet must accept our responsibility to protect the very thing that makes up our planet and gives us our ability to sustain life. This means considering the hikers walking by on the trail, the campers two sites over, the out of towners, out of country tourists, the rangers, the maintenance crews, the animals, the insects, the water ways, the fields, the prairies, the forests, the desert. How can you contribute to their enjoyment? How can you contribute to natures sustainability? 

All is connected. All deserves to be there, and all deserves respect. If that’s not a part of your nature loving rule book. Then please stay home. 

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