For this article I wanted to offer an alternative view to "Leave No Trace" . I don't (and won't) ever claim to be the authoritative voice on any topic and this is by no means prescriptive. It is simply a "thinking out loud" piece. If you agree, awesome. And if you don't, even better, let's start a conversation.
[In the interest of creating space for conversation, I reached out to Environmental Science student and skilled outdoor enthusiast, Leon Stevenson, who I would like to thank for his input. Contributions from him will be signposted with square brackets"[]"]
When starting to pursue an interest in the Outdoors, most people, from all over the world, pick the same location for their first adventure; the internet. And you will have more than likely come across the Leave No Trace principles; a moral guide of ethics that aims to frame the way we conduct ourselves in the Outdoors. If, by any chance, you aren't familiar with Leave No Trace, they include a number of general rules such as "respect the wildlife" and "take your rubbish with you" that all ultimately amount to the widely held belief that, having left a site, there should be no remaining evidence to say you were even there. Now, it's no secret that this isn't always upheld by everyone. With a growing focus on climate change and the global reach of social media, we have all seen the disastrous aftermath of some campsites and discarded litter along the trails. Leon pointed out that [these social media posts often come in a name and shame format with an associated rant on Leave No Trace practices. But posed the question of whether we risk being too harsh on those that simply don't know any better and suggested we should approach it like we do with children. "Is the behaviour acceptable? No. Do we make some allowance for the fact they might not know any better? Yeah, sometimes. But is there a line? Absolutely"]. And I think this makes a really key point. That the solution here lies in education and not in angry rants on social media (of which I have been guilty of myself and featured in the picture above for the sake of transparency. I am not better than anyone else, simply looking to improve).
So how exactly do we achieve that widespread education? I'll be honest, I have never seen it as my place to "educate" anyone. If someone wants to learn, or engage in a discussion then I would be more than happy to share my view, but as Leon added [no one likes to be imposed upon, especially not by angry strangers telling them what they can and can't do]. Naturally, the best approach that comes to mind is to lead by example. As passionate outdoorsy people we should unquestionably be upholding the Leave No Trace practices. But I think we can do better.
I'm a sucker for a good quote, and "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time" is one I loved as a teenager. Comprehensive, eloquent, and succinct, I really felt that it fully encompassed everything we should aspire to in our outdoor pursuits. But lately I'm not so sure. The Leave No Trace philosophy maintains that there should be no evidence of us having visited a given location, but that only works if everyone abides by it. Which, as discussed previously, they don't. So I might offer an alternative perspective. As passionate people of the outdoors (and if you have made it this far I am making the assumption that you are one), I think we should aspire to more than simply "not making it worse". I think if you regularly engage in outdoor activities, take the time to put filters on your scenic Instagram posts, and talk about the Spider Plant in your bathroom as if it's your child #plantdad, then you should set your sights on more than the bear minimum. Take an extra bag with you and pack out any rubbish you come across, walk through a muddy puddle rather than around so as not to disrupt the peripheral plant life, do things that actually leave the place better than when you found it. In that way, you should leave a trace. Now you might argue that this is pedantic wordplay. And you would be right, but I believe it is enough to spark a conversation. Leave No Trace is an excellent campaign for first time hikers and DofE participants, but as experienced people of the outdoors is it enough?
Leon dug even deeper into the ethics of the Outdoors by adding that [even more seasoned walkers are guilty of leaving behind an apple core or banana peel after their scenic lunch in the hills with the justification that "it goes in the compost at home and decomposes". While they may decompose eventually, it's not exactly pleasant to tiptoe around the remnants of someone else's rotting leftovers just before you're about to enjoy your lunch]. And I agree. I would also go as far as to add that this is harmful to the animals and wildlife. Our food lacks the nutrition they need, and doesn't align with the diets they evolved to sustain. They may also adapt to the convenience of food left behind by people and become reliant on it, losing important survival skills and consequently suffering in the winter months when the people stay at home. Now this isn't to openly criticise or shame anyone, it simply serves as an example to highlight that, even with experienced hikers who know better, there is room to improve the way in which we interact with the Outdoors.
There are loads of different ways we can minimise our impact and even improve the places we visit, but that is for another post. I would love to hear any other thoughts and opinions on this topic. If you have anything to contribute, fee free to get in touch. My Instagram is linked below or you can send a message through the contact section of this site.
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