OUTDOORS
OUTDOOR ETHICS If you are planning to spend time outdoors, remember to be kind to the environment. Around here, you will hear the phrase “Leave No Trace.” Simply put, Leave No Trace encompasses a set of outdoor ethics with seven basic principles. Though most of us don’t intend to harm our natural surroundings, we may lack the knowledge to preserve it. Before embarking on your next adventure, embrace the Leave No Trace model to help protect our natural spaces. PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE • Carry a map and know your route to reduce the chance of needing off-trail travel. • Know regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit. • Prepare for extreme weather, hazards and emergencies. • Schedule trips during low-use times and travel in small groups.
TRAVEL AND CAMP ON DURABLE SURFACES • Stick to using established trails and campsites. • Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent. • Protect plant and wildlife habitats by camping at least 200 feet from water sources.
DISPOSE OF WASTE PROPERLY • Pack it in, pack it out: All trash, food waste and litter. Leave it cleaner than you found it.
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SUMMER GUIDE
SOUTHWEST COLORADO
• Do your business in “cat holes” at least 200 feet from water. Cover the hole when done. • Washing yourself or your dishes? Stay 200 feet away from streams or lakes. Scatter dishwater.
leave no trace
RESPECT WILDLIFE • Photograph or view from a distance. • Never feed wildlife. • Control pets so that they don’t harass or scare wildlife.
BE CONSIDERATE OF OTHER VISITORS • Be quiet. Let the sounds of nature prevail. • Yield to others on the trail. • When encountering horses or other pack stock, step to the downhill side of the trail.
LEAVE WHAT YOU FIND • That antler or arrowhead looks better where you found it than it does on your shelf. • Preserve the past: Examine, but don’t touch, cultural or historic structures or artifacts.
MINIMIZE CAMPFIRE IMPACTS • Keep fires small. Use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand. • Burn only when necessary in established fire rings or lowimpact mound fire. • Firewood from home could introduce pests and diseases. Buy wood from a local source or gather it responsibly where allowed.
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Our love for the outdoors can take its toll on nature. And impacted areas can suffer from litter, invasive species, habituated wildlife, trail erosion, polluted water sources and more. Be mindful of outdoor ethics and leave the wilderness wild. For more information visit the website for Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. www.lnt.org
