Leave No Trace Ethics: A Refresher
By Terese Pierskalla
How often does this happen to you? You arrive at your campsite only to find whoever was there before left all their trash behind. Who likes to camp in the midst of someone else’s trash? Or see litter strewn along a favorite hiking trail?
During this past year, more people took to the outdoors, hiking and camping, as a way to get out and get away. Unfortunately, too many of these new outdoor enthusiasts do not seem to know how to respect and care for the natural areas they have been drawn to. It’s time to remind everyone about Leave No Trace! Leave No Trace provides guidelines to minimize your impact on the environment, whether you are in the backcountry, a campground, a city park or even your backyard.
The first and easiest thing to remember is: IF YOU PACKED IT IN, PACK IT OUT. Really, how hard is it to pack out your garbage? After all, you managed to pack all this stuff in before it became garbage.
What are some other Leave No Trace Guidelines?
Trails: Stay on the trails as much as possible and don’t cut corners on the switchbacks. Wandering off the trail can create multiple, confusing routes and cutting the corners of switchbacks leads to erosion. Staying on the trail also reduces the chances of impacting sensitive vegetation.
Campsites: Be sure to check the rules and regulations for the area you are camping. Generally you want to stay at least 200 ft from water sources and trails. Select a site that is not easily visible to others and try to avoid brightly colored tents that can be seen for a long distance (we all like to think we’re the only ones out there). If you’re camping in a high-use area, camp on surfaces that have already been impacted to avoid enlarging the size of the area already disturbed. When leaving camp, make sure that it is clean and appealing for other campers who follow.
Human Waste: Check the rules and regulations of the area you are visiting about proper disposal of human waste. Proper disposal is important to avoid pollution of water sources, avoid the negative implications of someone else finding it, minimize the possibility of spreading disease and maximize the rate of decomposition. In many locations, burying human feces by digging a “cathole” is the most effective method, but again check the area you are visiting. Some areas require you to carry out all human waste. Toilet paper should also be buried, or better yet, pack out your toilet paper. Finding toilet paper flowers along the trail or at a campsite is not a pleasant experience.
Garbage: Plan meals ahead and repackage the ingredients to minimize garbage. If you end up with leftover food, pack it out. Garbage that is half burned or buried will still attract wildlife (or your dog) and leave your site unattractive to the next camper.
Washing Up: Whether you are washing dishes or yourself, do so at least 200 feet away from any water source (yes, you may have to carry water away from the source to do your washing). Scatter strained dishwater and pack out what you strained out.
Even biodegradable soap can affect the quality of the water source and what’s living in that water. So NO soap in any water sources. Also lotion, sunscreen, insect repellent and body oils can contaminate important water sources. So if fresh water is scarce, think twice before rinsing off or swimming in that creek (or other water source).
Leave What You Find: Remember the saying “take only pictures, leave only footprints.” Please leave the flowers, rocks, artifacts, etc. for others to enjoy on their visit.
Respect Wildlife: Animals can be stressed by loud noises and unexpected movements. Observe wildlife from a distance and do not pursue animals for a picture, do not feed them and do not force them to flee. Remember to store your food and garbage securely to keep wildlife from getting into it. Remember, you are the visitor and this is their home.
Be Considerate of Others: There are many reasons why people head to the great outdoors. Loud noises, loud parties, radios, uncontrolled pets and trashed surroundings take away from the outdoors experience. Please be considerate of others who are out there.
We need to be protecting as well as enjoying our wild places. Please do your part!
For more information about Leave No Trace, visit lnt.org.
Terese lives in Lexington and has been a member of the Bluegrass Group since 1990. She has been hiking, camping and backpacking for about 30 years and serves on The Cumberland Editorial Committee.
Click HERE to read the rest of the May edition of the Cumberland!