Guest Perspective: Leave No Trace in Brazil

Rodrigo Cavasini is a Leave No Trace Master Educator and a Professor at Physical Education and Sports Science Faculty of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, in the city of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Outdoor activities are spreading in the world and the number of involved people is increasing, year-by-year, as it can be seen in Brazil, too. The environmental impacts that are being related to trekking, kayaking, abseiling, climbing, mountain bike and others outdoor activities are concerning different sectors in the Brazilian society, as educational institutions, outdoor activities related people, NGOs, etc.

During the last years outdoor areas have been highly impacted and, in some cases, the access is being limited or canceled, which highlights the relevance of efficient educational approaches, as the Leave no Trace Educational Activities, which are known for some people here, but is not so common in the Brazilian outdoors.

In the second semester of 2011, Leave No Trace Educational Activities started to be carried out in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, in an effort to promote the outdoor ethics discussion among participants in outdoor activities. Three Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops were promoted. The first two were carried out in September, for Physical Education students, during field activities in an outdoor activities related discipline and the third in December, during indoor and outdoor activities in a Basic Climbing, Abseiling and Trekking Course.

The formal and informal evaluations showed that the participants were pleased with these approaches and pointed the need of continuity of these Leave No Trace education activities and the inclusion of longer courses. By the end, for 2012 more Awareness Workshop are been planned, as well Trainer Courses are been prepared, which we hope that could be a good beginning / continuity for all these Leave No Trace experiences in Brazil.

Rodrigo Cavasini