A Grand Adventure - By Holly Dickinson

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.

Robert Miller :: Guest Blogger

Kate Bullock and Tracy Howard are Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers and you can follow them around the country on their Traveling Trainers blog. On Wednesday February 11th in Fort Collins, Colorado, I had the pleasure of attending one of their two hour Leave No Trace Awareness Workshops as part of my ongoing Volunteer Naturalist training. The primary message of the workshop was that it is vital for every person to understand the combined effect that millions of people can have on our natural resources and, thus, spreading the message of outdoor ethics is an invaluable activity. The following are Leave No Trace suggestions that I become aware of during the awareness workshop:

• Backcountry camp fires - When backcountry camping, it is advocated to check with a park ranger or local land manager concerning where it is preferred to start a camp fire because existing camp fire circles may have been incorrectly created and building a new camp fire circle can be harmful to the local ecosystem.
  
• Leave what you find - Picking up rocks, harvesting flowers, or other items in nature diminishes their significance. In other words, rocks (e.g., Tipi rings), plants, and other natural objects are more powerful in nature than they are in your house.
• Durable surfaces - A durable surface is any surface that is impervious to footprints (e.g., dry grass, deep snow, rock). For the purpose of leaving as little trace as possible, it is advocated to bike, hike, and camp on durable surfaces. Cryptobiotic soil, found in the deserts of the Colorado Plateau, is the opposite of a durable surface because it is a living soil crust that takes up to 50 years to mature and, if destroyed, causes the land to be vulnerable to dust storms and water erosion.
• Hiking spread out vs single file - It is appropriate to hike in single file line while on designated trails. However, if your group needs to hike off trail it is prescribed to spread out laterally because a sizable group that hikes in single file line off-trail can create the appearance of a new trail. Unintentionally creating the appearance of a new trail increases the probability that a subsequent group of hikers will think it is a designated trail which can lead to further expansion of unplanned trails. Unplanned trails can have a negative impact on the local ecosystem.

Robert Miller is a volunteer trail naturalist for Larimer County and blog writer for Guide to Colorado Trails. He is co-founder of Two Knobby Tires; an online store for outdoor gear that strives to promote a healthy, active, and eco-friendly lifestyle for hikers, cyclists, skiers, recreational families, and pet owners.

Leave No Trace is Alive and Well in Alabama

By Skip Essman, Alabama State Advocate

I have had the position as State Advocate since 2002 when Ben Lawhon asked me to take it. Even though I was only a Trainer and at that time the requirement said you should be a Master Educator he said the Center thought I had what it took to hold the position, so I said OK and have never regretted my decision.

Since holding the position I have had many opportunities opened to me that I don’t think would have if I didn’t hold the position. If anyone ever asks you to hold the State Advocate position jump at it and you won’t regret it either.

We (myself and many of the Trainers and Master Educators) have been invited to Outdoor Expos, many training events for Scouting, meetings that the State of Alabama have and numerous events for hiking clubs and outdoor organizations.

Now here we are in January 2009 and the calendar is filling up quick. I will be attending a meeting held by Conservation Alabama Foundation where they plan on uniting all conservation minded groups and work together to the betterment of Alabama and Conservation.

Then in February I will be attending a meeting of all the Superintendents of the State Parks and will speak to them about their involvement with Leave No Trace as a Partner. I am really looking forward to that as I already know several of these leaders and supervisors.

We will again be hosting a Trainer Course in February at Camp Tukabatchee with several of the state trainers and Master Educators as instructors.

As was stated earlier, I was a Trainer when I first became State Advocate, but as of November 2008 I became a Master Educator. This was in part to the hard work of Charlie Thorpe and Ken Bauer both Master Educators here in Alabama. The course was held a weekend in October and one in November. I truly feel now that I qualify as State Advocate.

Throughout these years I have tried to contact many outdoor groups such as Bassmasters and Buckmasters with almost no luck with response. However a few years ago I received a Bassmaster magazine and saw where a member in Delaware was complaining about the trash in the water. He mentions about hikers packing it in and packing it out and why couldn’t fisherman do the same. I responded with the LNT message and it was printed in the next edition. So if you don’t get responses one way don’t give up, your chance might come in a different way.

Just think how clear and clean our hiking trails and streams would be if everyone would just carry a large trash bag into the woods with them everytime they went and took out everything that didn’t belong there. SO THE NEXT TIME YOU GO INTO THE WOODS THINK ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD FEEL IF SOMEONE CAME INTO YOUR HOME AND THREW TRASH ALL OVER THE HOUSE. We are visitors in nature’s home let’s act like it and be kind to her.

So in closing this I would like to thank Ben for offering the position years ago and I will continue as long as you all want me to do this rewarding undertaking. Thanks again and I’ll see you down the trail or wherever we meet.

Leave No Trace - 3 Myths, Effects, and Recommendations for Outdoor Recreation

For the purpose of protecting our environment and delicate ecosystems, I advocate the following recommendations for outdoor recreation: stay on the trail rain or shine, be mindful of plants near the trail, and pick up your dog's feces. Clay soil and poison ivy provide strong examples of how Leave No Trace principles affirm the importance of protecting our delicate ecosystems.

Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace is an international non-profit organization that promotes the ethical enjoyment of nature. In addition, Leave No Trace is a set of outdoor ethical principles that are rooted in the belief that educating people and enhancing their experiences with the natural world is the best way to preserve natural land and wildlife. The following are the seven Leave No Trace outdoor ethical principles:

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect wildlife
7. Be considerate of other visitors
   

The following myths, negative effects of human impact, and recommendations are related to three of the Leave No Trace principles: travel on durable surfaces, leave what you find, and dispose of waste properly.

3 Outdoor Recreation Myths

Hiking, mountain biking, birding, and nordic walking should not come at the expense of future generations. The following are three misconceived myths that hikers, mountain bikers, birders, and nordic walkers may believe:

1. Messing up a trail is unacceptable - The amount of work that has gone into creating and maintaining a trail can lead people to think that it is better to hike or bike off-trail instead of hiking or biking through a trail's muddy sections.
   
2. Poison Ivy should be squashed - Poison Ivy is a nuisance because it can cause rashes, itching, fevers, and blisters when it comes in contact with your skin. Thus, some people think that a trail would be better off if it did not have any poison ivy near it.
   
3. Dog feces fertilizes plants near the trail - Feces is known to be a fertilizer so leaving it near the trail may be a good thing for plants. Further, if wildlife feces is okay then leaving my dog's feces near the trail must be okay too. Finally, picking up and disposing of dog feces requires additional energy that can be rationalized as unnecessary.
   

3 Negative Effects of Human Impact

Improper outdoor recreation can cause harm to soils, plants, and wildlife. What's more, sustained abuse can cause an area to become unusable or undesirable for future generations. Believing in the three aforementioned myths can lead to sustained negative human impact in the form of three compounding and interconnected effects:

1. Severe erosion can cause riles, gullies, and washouts - Some soils are sensitive to compaction that causes erosion. For example, much of Colorado's soil contains a high level of clay. Clay is a fine-grained soil that can absorb and hold water tightly. However, hikers, mountain bikers, and motorized vehicles that compact clay-rich soils prevent the clay from absorbing water which then causes water to run on top of the soil. Water running on top of a clay-rich soil can pick up and carry loosened clay particles. Since clay takes a long time to form, the end result of compacted clay soils can be erosion that takes years to fix naturally or lots of energy for park managers to fix manually.
   
2. Non-native plants replace native plants - Native plants play an important role in localized ecosystems because they prevent erosion and are a valuable food source for insects and wildlife. Specifically, native plants that are lost due to human trampling or human-caused erosion can take years to recover and can lead to a loss of food source for many insects and wildlife. For example, Poison Ivy serves as a food source for bees, caterpillars, and over 60 species of birds. Even though poison ivy is a nuisance to humans, poison ivy plays a vital role in the food webs of ecosystems.
   
3. Wildlife search for unnatural sources of food - In most cases, native plants (e.g., poison ivy) provide a more valuable food source than do non-native plants. Wildlife may begin to search for unnatural sources of food such as human garbage, pets, and gardens if their natural food sources are lost.
   

3 Outdoor Recreation Recommendations for Minimizing Human Impact

The following are three outdoor recreation recommendations that can help you minimize your impact on the environment so that the land and wildlife habitat will be preserved for future generations:

1. Rain or shine, stay on the trail - Trails are designed to withstand repeated human use and can be repaired easier than off-trail areas. Particularly, soil and vegetation around a trail are likely to be sensitive to repeated human use. Thus, it is better to dirty your shoes and muddy up a trail than to mess up the surrounding soil that contains vegetation. Further, it is preferred that you choose to hike or bike on a drier trail or paved trail instead of hiking or biking on a wet trail. Finally, you can kindly remind others to stay on the trail too.
   
2. Be mindful of plants near the trail - Do your best to not trample plants near the trail. In addition, do not pick flowers or remove plants. Finally, kindly remind others to do the same.
   
3. Pick up your dog's feces - Dog feces contains high levels of nitrogen not found in wildlife feces because dog food is chemically-engineered. In Colorado, most of the soils contain a low concentration of nitrogen and, thus, most of the native plants thrive in a low nitrogen soil. Non-native plants and weeds that thrive in high nitrogen soils can replace native plants if enough nitrogen-heavy dog feces is absorbed into the soil. The end result is a loss of food source for local wildlife and insects. Thus, it is very important to use pet waste bags to pick up and dispose of your dog's feces.

Robert Miller is an ardent hiker who lives in Fort Collins, CO. He has a 22 month old daughter with which he and wife have hiked over 85 miles. He is co-founder of Two Knobby Tires, an online store (and Leave No Trace Partner) for outdoor gear that strives to promote a healthy, active, and eco-friendly lifestyle for hikers, bikers, skiers, recreational families, and pet owners. In addition, he is a volunteer trail naturalist for Larimer County and a blog writer for Guide to Colorado Hiking, Biking, and Camping.