When I first heard the Leave No Trace message that’s often promoted at state and national parks, I thought it was simply a reminder to not leave trash behind. It’s pretty sad that people need to be reminded. However if you spend any time out in popular nature areas, you’ll quickly see that people do leave a lot of litter. Unfortunately, reminders to pick up trash seem to be needed. I later learned that Leave No Trace means a lot more than just picking up your trash.
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure.
The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace comes from the Center for Outdoor Ethics. (© 1999 by the Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org) It’s far more than just a simple sign posted at a park or a phrase muttered by rangers and other park employees and volunteers. This organization educates people on how to explore natural environments with minimal impact to the area.
The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace are –
- Plan and Prepare Ahead
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Others
Leave What You Find – My First Impressions
My first encounters with the Leave No Trace message was because of the Leave What You Find principle. Those first encounters were not positive ones. We live in an urban area that is surrounded by protected natural areas. We have many wonderful parks and trails to explore just outside the city (and even a few in the city), but they are all protected areas – State and National parks, wildlife refuges, and other conservation areas. Removing items from these locations is illegal.
Some of these parks surrounding our city have a few employees and rangers that love to watch kids very closely just waiting to correct any misbehavior such as simply picking up sticks and rocks. We’ve had several instances when someone would scold the kids in our group with reminders to “leave no trace.”
Unfortunately, these potential teaching moments rarely went beyond the scolding. The only lesson learned was that kids (and parents) are not allowed to touch anything. Period. My oldest was even scolded for picking up a piece of gravel from a huge parking lot at a national park without the employee taking a few moments to explain why. These moments often make visitors feel unwelcome.
Related Post – Safety Tips for Hiking with Kids
Homeschool Nature Collections?
Nature collections are often an important part of a homeschool family’s nature study routine. How are kids supposed to create a nature collection if they can’t pick a wildflower flower or take a rock home? How are kids supposed to explore nature with their hands if they aren’t allowed to touch? How can we instill a love of nature in our kids if they’re told not to touch?
Many kids live in near areas with natural areas that aren’t protected, but what about our kids that have no such areas to explore? Besides Leave What You Find isn’t just a principle to follow in protected areas, it’s a principle that the Center for Outdoor Ethics believes should be followed in all natural areas.
Related post – Hiking with Kids – What to Pack
The Importance of Leave No Trace
A few years have passed since my first introduction to the idea of Leave No Trace. I still get annoyed with park employees who panic when they see a child picking up a small stick, however, I have come to realize the importance of this message.
In the last two years, we’ve gone out on nature adventures with many new friends and acquaintances aside from our usual homeschool nature group. Unfortunately, I’ve seen a lot of destruction with very little guidance from parents. I now see why it is so important to properly educate kids and parents about how to spend time in nature with minimal impact to the areas we explore.
I’ve seen…
- kids tear off multiple tree branches to make a wall for a fort.
- parents help kids carve initials in trees.
- nature scavenger hunts where many kids each collect armloads of plants and rocks.
- kids playing with matches in a forest. They weren’t trying to start a campfire.
- kids throw very large rocks off a cliff and onto trails below.
- kids catch and handle lizards and frogs so roughly that the animals die.
I understand that some of these actions are simply kids being kids as they play in nature. They may not understand that some actions can be destructive to the environment or even deadly animals and people. This is why parental supervision and guidance is so important at young age.
Most of the areas we explore with various homeschool groups are very popular nature hangouts near in our city. Imagine the destruction if we all showed such disrespect towards these areas! Soon, there may be little left for others to enjoy. Nature study has become a popular homeschool activity, but we need to be mindful of the nature we’re exploring.
Related Post – 50 Nature Gifts for Kids Who Love Exploring Outdoors
Finding Balance
How do we find balance between instilling a love of exploring nature in our kids while also being respectful of our natural areas?
How do we find a common ground between letting kids touch plants and rocks while preserving areas for future generations?
Does the Leave No Trace message also send a message of Do Not Touch? Is that a suitable message for our kids? Will they grow up with an appreciation of wilderness areas if they are scolded for merely touching a stick on the ground?
I was happy to see that the FAQ section of the Center for Outdoor Ethic website addresses the question of if it is even possible to leave no trace. It’s not. However, we can take steps to greatly minimize our impact. And yes, they say that means leaving those twigs on the ground for birds to make nests.
The examples I gave above of the recent destructive behavior that I’ve seen is clearly unacceptable. It made me completely rethink my annoyance with Leave No Trace. There are many people who come into these wilderness areas without understanding the impact they have on the environment. It goes far beyond picking up your trash.
However, it’s difficult to invite kids to explore nature when you live in an area surrounded by protected areas where kids are scolded for picking up a small stick or a piece of gravel from the parking lot. I’m not sure where the balance is between these two extremes, but I think it’s definitely needed.
What are your thoughts on Leave No Trace? How do you find this balance?
Related Post – 25 Nature Books for Kids
Interested in a Nature Scavenger Hunt printable that ISN’T based on collecting items?
[…] Related post – Exploring Nature with Kids with Leave No Trace […]