How does a 50,000 person event Leave No Trace?

It is undeniable that large groups have unique challenges when it comes to minimizing their impacts. Now scale that up to 50,000 people, and imagine the possibilities. Now read about the annual Burning Man event that is largely figuring it out: http://bit.ly/bBSwnw

Group Size

Thanks to all those who participated in this week’s poll: For a group of twenty on a backcountry hike, it is best to…

1. Camp in small groups on separate campsites, and do not hang out or eat together.
   
2. Have the whole group camp on one site.
3. Split up and camp on separate campsites, but designate routes to a central area to eat and socialize.
4. Take the whole group into a remote area where others won’t see the impacts.
   

The correct answer to the poll is: Camp in small groups on separate campsites and do not hang out or eat together. 

Organized outdoor groups provide training, equipment, expertise and logistical support for everyone from novices looking for an adventure to experts seeking a unique experience with the help of a guide. Group trips into the outdoors play critical role in shaping the life-long skills and ethics of their participants. Many who enjoy spending time outside are introduced to the outdoors on a scouting trip, a church group overnight, at a summer camp, with a hiking club or through an educational trip with a school. For this reason, groups are integral to getting Leave No Trace information out to a wide and diverse audience. 

However, large organized groups in the out-of-doors sometimes earn a bad reputation. Noise, crowding, trash, poor sanitation, trampling and undue impact on the land are often blamed on large groups. Sometimes these labels are deserved; more often they are not. Current research indicates that the techniques a group uses and how it behaves in the out-of-doors are more important than its size in determining how the group will affect the land and other visitors.

Your success in instilling outdoor  ethics in your group will make a significant difference in the condition of the out-of-doors and the recreational experience we enjoy there. It may also prevent further regulations or group size limitations from being imposed. Make Leave No Trace part of your group’s agenda and help protect the places we cherish. 

Plan Ahead and Prepare

Remember to plan realistically. Match your group's goals and skills with your trip's objectives.  

Helpful hints:

• Check with local land management agencies regarding permits, group size requirements and area-specific rules and regulations before you leave for your trip. 
  
• A group size limit of 10 means that your group never congregates in numbers greater than 10. If your group is larger than the area’s group size limit, break into smaller sub-groups to travel and camp. 
  
• Avoid the most popular and congested areas, or visit them during times when they are less crowded.
  
• Concentrate all activities on the most durable or previously disturbed surfaces and avoid trampling plants. 
  
• Gather as a large group only on durable surfaces and within group size limits.
  
• Explain what both durable and non-durable surfaces are to your group.
  
• Help them recognize areas sensitive to human traffic such as wetlands, riparian zones, recently thawed ground, fragile plants and cryptobiotic soils.