| Leave No Trace | | | | If you organize rocks into a fire ring, that is not going |
| There are many organizations that use camping as a | | | | to have a terrible effect on the environment. There |
| center of their group activates. But of those many, | | | | really is no need to put the rocks back exactly |
| one of the most well known is the Boy Scouts of | | | | where you found them. Your tent may press down |
| America. The Boy Scouts see camping as an | | | | some plant life and leave a small impression on the |
| outstanding event for boys to have healthy fun, get | | | | land. Your camp fire will leave behind a small collection |
| plenty of exercise, be together in a wholesome way | | | | of soot. But these are all natural results of your |
| and learn about nature as they go. If you have ever | | | | camping and things that nature can quickly correct |
| been involved with the Boy Scouts, you know that | | | | and assimilate. As long as there is no long term |
| civic responsibility and education is the heart of the | | | | effect on the landscape, you are in compliance with |
| organization. Boys who stay in scouting in their teen | | | | the principles of Leave No Trace. |
| years learn survival skills, how to manage a camp out, | | | | The Leave No Trace ethics that really make a |
| how to live well out of doors and how to treat | | | | difference come from being a responsible camper in |
| nature with respect. | | | | general. Some ways to be respectful of your |
| One of the principle concepts for camping in our | | | | camping home and leave it as you found it are... |
| nation's great wildernesses that the Boy Scouts | | | | - Take all trash with you. |
| teach is called "Leave No Trace." The name of the | | | | - Do not burn any unnatural items in the camp fire. |
| concept is pretty self explanatory. The idea is that | | | | - Don't tie things to trees. |
| when you go to camp in a spot, whether it's a | | | | - Take any rope, tent stakes or other small remnants |
| prepared camp site in a park or in the wild, when you | | | | of your stay. |
| leave there should be little or no trace that you were | | | | - Thoroughly put out your fire. |
| there. | | | | - Use dead wood for fires. Do not cut down live |
| Leave No Trace would make an excellent theme for | | | | trees. |
| any kind of camping. Whether it's a high adventure | | | | - Do no harm to plants, animals or insects as much as |
| hike to go hunting or fishing or a family camp out, | | | | possible while visiting their home in the wild. |
| learning to leave nature the way we found it is a | | | | Many forest fires are the result of a camp fire that |
| way of preserving this wonderful natural resource | | | | was not put out completely and a spark from that |
| not only so it will be pristine and beautiful when you | | | | abandoned fire ignites into a huge blaze. So use |
| return next year to camp but that it will be just as | | | | plenty of water, stir the soot and then drown it |
| untouched years and decades into the future so our | | | | again. If there is any smoke still coming out of that |
| children and grandchildren have a pure nature setting | | | | fire pit, use your camping shovel to turn the remands |
| to enjoy. | | | | and continue to put dirt and water on the fire until it |
| Leave No Trace also fits with an environmental | | | | is completely out. |
| awareness and a respect for nature. People who | | | | Taking care not to leave any trash is part of daily life |
| camp as part of their enjoyment of life already have | | | | in camp and part of breaking camp. It is so easy to |
| a love of nature and a respect for the natural order | | | | leave a tiny scrap of paper or a coke can that got |
| we find when we spend some days and nights in the | | | | away from camp and is hiding behind a log. The Boy |
| wild. So we want to do all we can to minimize how | | | | Scouts have a ritual at the end of camp where the |
| much we disrupt that natural environment. Leave No | | | | entire troop forms a line and walks the camp site |
| Trace means just that. If at all possible there will be | | | | inch by inch looking for trash and picking up as you |
| little or no trace that you were ever there when you | | | | go. This is a fine discipline for all campers to learn. |
| leave a camping spot after you are done with your | | | | Also, there is no room for being particular about trash |
| camp out. | | | | you pick up. If you find remnants of a previous |
| Now, as with all things, we should view our priority on | | | | camper that have no place in a natural setting, pick it |
| leaving nature as we found it with some common | | | | up and put in your trash sacks. By driving your trash |
| sense. The heart of the ethic is that we will not | | | | out, you are doing nature the best favor you can do |
| leave behind any unnatural elements that are part of | | | | and allowing it to continue to thrive until your next |
| our human lifestyles. Obviously our trash or synthetic | | | | camp out visit. And knowing you are leaving the |
| items that may be part of our camping gear count as | | | | natural beauty for your own future enjoyment and |
| part of what we want to not leave in nature. But | | | | for the enjoyment of many who will come here |
| there may be some small impact that you will leave | | | | after you makes Leave No Trace a way of life that |
| behind that will not have an adverse effect on the | | | | is worth the effort entirely. |
| natural environment. | | | | |