[April 2016 Submission]          Leave No Trace

I have been visiting many state parks and wildlife areas in Louisiana, and occasionally I’ve profiled a few of the more attractive hiking and camping places in this journal.  Our state is fortunate to have these beautiful recreational sites for residents and out-of-state visitors.  Given state budgetary challenges for the future, we have to be concerned, though, about the maintenance or upkeep of these key resources.

Some state parks and recreational areas show a natural “wear and tear” of continuing public usage in little or more significant ways.  Other places stand out due to more recent construction or refurbishment.  For example, Palmetto Island State Park, about ten miles south of Abbeville, appears particularly well maintained and is a joy to visit.

      

The quality of our outdoor experiences in public parks and wildlife areas depends upon much more than the size of state funds dedicated to their maintenance or even the efficiency of their management.   All of us who visit and use these resources bear a stewardship responsibility. 

I can remember even as a boy the differences that I observed in the hunting, fishing, and other recreational practices of friends.  Some seemed appreciative and respectful of our forests, lakes, and wildlife areas, while others took much less care and even “trashed” sites in certain ways.  I believe, in general, and over decades, that people are becoming more respectful toward wildlife resources.  Still, there are increasing human demands on our national and state public lands, and some folks just don’t care that much or don’t know better.  Practices such as leaving food containers, picking certain wildflowers, or letting a dog run free in a sensitive wildlife habitat can have unforeseen and unintended consequences.  Education concerning the natural environment in our schools certainly helps, as well as peer pressure and reactions from those observing improper outdoor behavior. 

Fulfilling outdoor training and educational goals is the purpose of the Center for Outdoor Ethics and its “Leave No Trace” programs.  This national non-profit organization, started in the 1960s and based in Boulder, Colorado, sends teams to various locations as trainers and consultants.  On a first-ever “hot spot” trip for the organization to the state of Louisiana in November, Leave No Trace trainers, Katelyn  Stutterheim and Blake Jackson, spent a number of days meeting in the Lafayette area with students, the public, and wildlife professionals.   Bayou Teche and Bayou Vermilion resource development and preservation officials helped spark this “hot spot” visit.  It was the last hot spot of the year chosen by  Leave No Trace trainers to visit, with 16 different spots in the USA picked for its educational programs in 2106.

These LNT trainers always emphasize the organization’s seven principles of outdoor ethics.  The first is the importance of planning and preparation for outdoor and wildlife trips.  Mistakes, accidents, and littering often occur when humans are not prepared for the conditions that they actually encounter.  The second principle of Leave No Trace is to travel and camp on more durable surfaces where possible to reduce soil erosion and damage to sensitive areas.  The third principle is to dispose of waste in a proper manner.  If you pack stuff in, be sure to pack it out.  Better means to dispose of human excretory waste is a topic that some outdoor enthusiasts have not really considered.  A fourth principle is leaving what you find in parks and wildlife areas to allow others the beauty and discoveries that you experienced.

Smoky the Bear may have long trumpeted their fifth principle of minimizing campfire impacts, but more detailed examples, options, and precautions are part of what training experts can teach even experienced campers.   The sixth principle is as important as any.  Respecting wildlife means a knowledge and sensitivity of human impact, and minimizing these impacts when possible.  Consideration toward other visitors to parks and wildlife areas is a last principle, and this includes courteous sharing of trails and other resources, as well as limiting loud sounds or noises.  For example, on multi-use trails, both bikers and hikers should yield to horseback riders, while bikers should yield to hikers.

None of these seven principles might seem to go beyond what should pass as common sense, but actual practices in specific situations that more fully support these principles seem the real value of Leave No Trace training.  Previous focus by park and wildlife officials was usually on warning signs or slogans,  enforcement efforts, and penalties.  More recent priorities have been placed on explaining to the public the “whys” or reasoning associated with rules or regulations.  When the public understands better the potentially negative consequences and costs associated with infractions, their environmental IQ rises beyond just better rule acceptance. 

I have to admit that in several cases I had not really recognized possible consequences associated with certain of my own common outdoor practices.  Effective trainers can offer research studies and cases showing how certain habits can be less than beneficial, yet can be modified to reduce their potential adverse consequences.  These trainers also have skill in gaining the active involvement of training audiences, often children and adolescents, by asking them first to handle actual situations and make own choices. 

Much more information on wildlife ethics, conservation, and training opportunities can be found on the Center for Outdoor Ethics and Leave No Trace web site (www.LNT.org).  Membership in the organization and contributions for its educational mission are certainly welcomed.