Background
‘Though the Leave No Trace concept is over a half-century old. Care, responsibility and stewardship for the outdoors is not a new idea. Many Native and Indigenous cultures around the world teach and embody stewardship values, and have done so for eons.
In 1987, a “no trace” program was formed for wilderness and backcountry travel. The U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management cooperatively distributed a pamphlet entitled “Leave No Trace Land Ethics.” In the early 1990s, the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) was enlisted to develop hands-on, science-based minimum impact education training for non-motorized recreational activities. Then, in 1993, an Outdoor Recreation Summit with land management agencies, NGOs and members of the outdoor industry convened in Washington DC to form an independent Leave No Trace organization. Leave No Trace, Inc., was incorporated in 1994.
The organization develops and expands Leave No Trace training and educational resources. Leave No Trace conducts important research that impacts public lands and the general public. It engages with a diverse range of partners from the federal land management agencies and outdoor industry corporations to nonprofit environmental and outdoor organizations and youth-serving groups.
Today, the Leave No Trace program reaches over 15 million Americans and dozens of countries each year with conservation initiatives, education, training, research and outreach. Corporate partners, individual members, foundation support, and the sales of Leave No Trace educational materials provide the primary support for the organization’.
Why do an e-course about Leave No Trace
The ‘Leave No Trace 101 e-course
The course is based around ‘7 Principles’. The 7 Principles of Leave No Trace provide an easily understood framework of minimum impact practices for anyone visiting the outdoors. The Principles can be applied anywhere — from remote wilderness areas, to local parks and even in your backyard. Each Principle covers a specific topic and provides detailed information to empower you to minimize your impacts.
A deeper dive in to each of the principles is available here
It takes about 45-60 minutes to do and includes articles, videos, questions and images.
Although principally aimed at hikers and campers there is really sensible content on how to live your daily lives (eg not just when you’re out in the countryside) in a LNT way. To me this is a REALLY important aspect because current ‘learning’ requires people to adopt a different ‘code’ of behaviours when they go to the countryside as opposed to when they are at home or on the walk to school or commute to work or walking the dog. This is nonsense. All of the actions and inactions impact the same planet and by normalising Leave No Trace behaviours in all aspects of out lives we maximise the benefits to the planet.
(There’s a bit more on the ‘daily life’ aspects of LNT here )
It is widely acknowledged that the missing piece in respecting, protecting and enjoying the countryside and uplands of the UK is education (and the financial resources to deliver an accessible and sustainable education programme). Perhaps David Attenborough simplified the problem best …..
… and this e-course provides a free and accessible way to learn why and how to care.
LNT here in the UK ….
There are very few LNT courses in the UK and the concept of LNT is often tripped off the tongue without any reference to what it means and why. Perhaps a part of the reason for that is that each organisation and charity involved in access here seems intent on having their own take on messaging rather than having one coherent message like LNT.
If you take the time to find and read many of these statements / documents / codes like the Scottish Outdoor Access Code or the Countryside Code of England and Wales it is apparent that putting the advice of these Codes in to practice requires a level of understanding about our natural environment (without necessarily providing it !!!). Generally speaking the Codes for England, Scotland and Wales centre around four key principles:
- Respect others
- Respect the environment
- Take responsibility for your actions
- Leave no trace
….. and as if by magic this FREE e-learning Leave No Trace course provides the understanding and (simple) science behind number 4 (and lots of 3 and a lot of 2 and quite a bit of 1 too …. )
Spreading the Word
If you‘re teaching any level of outdoor skills or instructor course you could send a link to this e-course as pre-learning activity and use it as a lunch-stop discussion group.
It is part of the curriculum for lots of youth organisations in the USA and ergo millions of young people get to understand how the impact of their activities in the outdoors can be minimised. 25 million people per year engage with Leave No Trace learning and training in the USA.
Imagine if this e-course became a building block of Scouts, Cadets, Girl Guides etc over here. Imagine if every hiking, running, cycling, paddling, horse riding, wild camping, dog walking, bird spotting and wild swimming club in the UK all promoted it to their members and each member sat down and did it with their kids or young relatives ….. imagine that !!!
The e-course is FREE (*it requires you to enrol via email – but you do get a printable PDF certificate) consists of 47 short lessons and there is a link to it HERE
