Bigfoot's been doing it for years: hulking around in the
backcountry and leaving no trace for people to find. Rob
Stephens wants to encourage kids and their adults to be more
like Bigfoot. Rob is a volunteer, educator and Arkansas State
Advocate with the Leave No Trace organization.
"Leave No Trace is NOT a collection of DO'S and DON'Ts,"
Rob says, but instead "a way to teach skills for reducing your
impact in the outdoors. We want to inspire people to protect
out public lands and learn more about the science behind
conservation."
For instance, do you think it's OK for kids to cut from one
part of the trail to the other to get in front of everyone on a
hike?
Should you throw you food and snack wrappers into the
camp fire?
Is it OK to break branches off a tree?
Should you feed the squirrels?
It all started in 1987 when the U.S. Forest Service, the
National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management
created a pamphlet called "Leave No Trace Land Ethics" with
guidelines about how people should behave in the wilderness.
Now, the "Leave No Trace for Outdoor Ethics" organization
has grown and provides training and education as well as doing
important research about the environment.
Rob suggests that before kids go out into nature this summer
to camp, swim and enjoy the outdoors, they learn and practice
these 7 Leave No Trace Principles:
Backcountry (backpacking, multiday treks)
Plan Ahead and Prepare
Travel and Camp on Durable Surface
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impacts
Respect Wildlife
Be Considerate of Others
Frontcountry (picnic areas, city parks & kids)
Know Before You Go
Choose the Right Path
Trash Your Trash
Leave It As You Find It
Be Careful With Fire
Keep Wildlife Wild
Share Our Trails
Why is "Leave No Trace" important? Arkansas is known as
the Natural State because of our many outdoor recreational
opportunities, from trails and parks to the Buffalo National
River. "Every year more and more people are taking advantage
Leaving
No Trace
Learn what it takes
to protect nature
44 • Off icialKidsMag.com JUNE 2019
