As a child standing on the north rim of the Grand
Canyon, I thought how magnificent and vast was the
sight. As I looked toward the south rim, I remember
saying to myself, “I can’t believe there are actually people
who hike all the way to the bottom of the canyon with all
their gear on their backs. That’s crazy! Who would do
that?” I may have even voiced these sentiments to my
family at the time, but my afterthought was that even though
it seemed ridiculous, it would be really cool. Secretly I
harbored the wild idea that I would like to do the same thing
one day, but could never openly admit it to anyone, even to
myself.
As an adult, I was introduced to backpacking. Maybe
subconsciously I was inspired by that long ago childhood
memory, and therefore motivated to learn this new skill. To me
backpacking meant adventure, and I wanted more adventure in
my life. I also wanted to be able to share the exciting activities
with my son, three daughters and husband throughout our years
of scouting.
At some point, during all the backpacking years, I came to
realize that not all people backpack with the same outdoor
ethics. I had believed that the way I learned was “THE” way, and
was actually disappointed that not all outdoor enthusiasts
followed the same guidelines. My backpacking trainer, Jack
Kelly, taught me the Leave No Trace approach. Realizing that
there are different methods, I am still pleased that my training
was done in this manner. The same year I learned to backpack,
I also took a Trainer Course in “Leave No Trace, Outdoor
Ethics”, which supported and built on everything I had already
gained knowledge of from Jack.
After years of backpacking, receiving and delivering outdoor
training, and 13 years of scouting, the opportunity was offered to
me to attend the “Master Educator, Leave No Trace, Train the
Trainer” course. I was thrilled! I looked into various locations
where the course was being held. The closest training to me
involved a backpacking trek into the Grand Canyon for five days.
As I saw the listing, my heart began to race with a strange
exhilaration. My mind flashed back to that moment on the North
Rim as a child; I remembered that I had considered it ridiculous
for people to carry their gear on their backs to the bottom of the
canyon. Now I was actually thinking of embarking on a similar
adventure myself.
Well, that difficult and inspiring journey into the Grand
Canyon DID take place and I participated. It certainly was a
grand adventure. I learned a lot about myself, took 403 pictures,
and had an exceptional, life-changing experience.
In addition to learning things about myself, I acquired skills
to better teach others, shared in the incredible beauty of the
canyon at every turn, made friends who came to take the Master
Educator course from all parts of the U.S., and learned amazing
things about the Leave No Trace ethics.
I have discovered that few people know what “Leave No
Trace” really means. I may not have come to an understanding
myself, if Jack had not introduced me to the ethics. Most
people think “Leave No Trace” simply suggests that we should
not leave anything behind us in the outdoors. It does mean that,
but is so much more.
Leave No Trace, Center for Outdoor Ethics, is actually a
non-profit organization that helps bring awareness to people
about taking on personal stewardship for the land. This is done
through seven simple principles, which if learned and followed
can make such a difference on how much impact we make on
the outdoors. Some guidelines are very simple, like carrying out
our own trash. There are other methods that can benefit the eco
system, like when and when not to have a campfire and what
type of fire to have.
I have noticed that people often do things the way they have
always done them or the way they first learned to do them. They
may not even realize that there are different ways of interacting
with nature. A lot of damage to the land happens because
people don’t know they are impacting the outdoors through
some of their behaviors. Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics are not
a hardcore set of rules that apply everywhere all the time. In fact,
these ethics are quite the opposite. The outdoor ethics are
simply guidelines, which differ based on the types of terrain, land
ownership and environment (desert, mountain, lake, etc.), and
the type of activity. An activity that is good in one natural setting
may be detrimental in another.
There is not “one way” of doing things, but there are “different”
ways of implementing things. If we could all learn some of
these ways, we would make less of an impact on the lands,
trails, parks, historical sites, and other natural places we visit.
Do you fish? Do you picnic? Do you hunt? Do you geocache?
Do you hike local or backcountry trails? Do you visit
heritage sites? Do you camp? Do you visit state or national
parks? Just about everything we do in the outdoors can have an
impact on the land. So why not find a different or better way to
do some of the recreational activities we do in the outdoors? In
many instances, we do not even realize we have done harm.
I love natural beauty and sharing how to better care for it.
That is why I was excited to accept a sponsorship by the Girl
Scouts, Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, to take the Master
Educator course. The training will allow me to help teach these
principles within their organization and to everyone I possibly
can.
It is my challenge that everyone make a visit to the Leave
No Trace, Center for Outdoor Ethics website at www.lnt.org.
Learn about the guidelines, and maybe even learn a new way of
doing what we do in the outdoors. The land is there for us to
enjoy. Let’s take good care of it.
I now have a better appreciation for that childhood day on
the North Rim. It led me to a Grand adventure, and for Grand
reasons.
- Holly Dickinson
Leave No Trace Master Educator, Az Girl Scout Cactus-Pine Council Adult Education Facilitator, Girl Scout multi-level Troop Leader, Silver Beaver Award Recipient of Boy Scouts of America, National Wildlife Federation BOW (Becoming Outdoor Women) Instructor, Wife and Mother of 4 children, 14 years volunteer of Boy Scouts and Girl Scout youth programs.
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