Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics Discussion

OVERVIEW

[NOTE: This is a public event and also is being advertised by Ivy Creek Foundation. Depending on response, I may need to make it be 3pm-5pm instead, in whcih case I’ll let attendees know. Also, I don’t have a car and so can’t offer to drive; on Saturday I’ll email all attendees each others’ email addresses so you can get together and carpool if you want.

“Leave No Trace (LNT) is a program that strives to educate visitors to public lands about the nature of their recreational impacts as well as techniques to prevent and minimize such impacts. LNT is best understood as an educational and ethical program, not as a set of rules and regulations. It’s a way of governing ourselves so that the government doesn’t have to.”

In other words, LNT provides an ethical foundation for how to be respectful of everything in the natural environment, while enhancing our own safety outdoors.

LNT applies to all kinds of outdoor activities. LNT looks and sounds simple, but in fact it’s pretty complex once you delve deeply into issues and realize how your actions impact the natural world in ways in which you had not realized. In this interactive discussion, we’ll focus on ways in which we can leave no trace while hiking through the wilderness. I took an 18-hour course to become a certified LNT trainer, and I’m eager to share some highlights of what I learned while hearing your thoughts and ideas. I especially encourage current and potential hiking and backpacking trip leaders to attend, so that when we take others out into the wilderness, we can take measures to preserve its beauty.

For more information on Leave No Trace, please see http://www.lnt.org

If it’s nice out, we’ll sit outside on a grass field, so dress accordingly and bring something on which to sit. If it’s not nice out, we’ll be inside. When you arrive at Ivy Creek Natural Area, please head to the Education Building to find out where we’ll be. You might want to bring a pen & paper, too.