It’s been about two years since we started sharing our travel adventures on this blog and social media, and since then we’ve found it slowly evolving. We asked ourselves, how can we be relevant, helpful and mildly entertaining while also doing something good; how can we make a positive impact with our time and efforts in a meaningful way? The answer: EDUCATE. We will spread awareness and educate others on the practices of responsible recreation. And what better time than now, as the world has seen an increase in outdoor recreation, camping and road tripping as we’ve adapted our travel in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fortunately we’re not alone in our efforts and there are tons of resources out there, and people and organizations working on the same awesome mission. That’s why we love the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, an organization that focuses on educating the public about responsible outdoor recreation for land preservation. An astounding nine out of ten people who visit the outdoors are unaware of the Leave No Trace Seven Principles and how to minimize their impact in nature! If we can spread awareness to just a fraction of people who come across our content it helps make a difference.

The Leave No Trace Seven Principles outline practices for minimally impacting the environment when you’re recreating outside — backyard included. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics provides evidence-based, research proven solutions for protecting the natural world. Below you’ll find a general list of the Leave No Trace Seven Principles, but for a full detailed explanation of each one and the most up-to-date information, please visit the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics website.

The Leave No Trace Seven 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

© 1999 by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org.

If you’re not familiar with the principles we urge you to read up on them and help spread this valuable information to others who enjoy the great outdoors. The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics is trying to solve some pretty complex issues and they need our help. Their work focuses on minimizing impacts and providing resources and information for things like removing trash from outdoor spaces, protecting water from pollution, protecting wildlife and their habitats, providing information for safe outdoor recreation, trail preservation, increasing fire safety, reducing crowding in parks, and connecting kids with nature. If these things are important to you, there are ways you can help: use the principles and share them, consider training courses and programs, volunteer, become a member or make a donation to support the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

Seriously, visit their website to learn more about their amazing work. Responsible recreation starts with you!