Unpacked: Leave No Trace

Are you planning to visit a beach, go hiking, swim in a lake or enjoy the view from a mountain peak on your next holiday? Leave No Trace is a global movement encouraging you to take only photos and leave only footprints.

Leave No Trace started in the US as a standard for backcountry ethics, but its seven principles have become the best point of reference for anyone spending time in the great outdoors (even if it’s in your local park).

The seven principles of Leave No Trace

• Plan Ahead and Prepare

• Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

• Dispose of Waste Properly

• Leave What You Find

• Minimise Campfire Impacts

• Respect Wildlife

• Be Considerate of Your Hosts and Other Visitors

Photo by Rachel Mills

Unless you’re a regular wild camper, all seven points may not be relevant to you. But it is possible to channel Leave No Trace when you’re on holiday or on a weekend break in Europe: it’s all about enjoying nature sustainably.

Travel by train

Choosing to travel by train absolutely aligns with the idea of planning ahead for minimal environmental impact. The carbon emissions from different modes of transport can vary depending on a range of factors, but a rough estimate provided by the European Environment Agency (EEA) suggests that air passenger transport emits, on average, 160 gCO2 per passenger km, whereas rail passenger transport is only 33 gCO2 per passenger km (well-to-wheel, excluding infrastructure-related emissions).

Choosing the train is also a way of being considerate to other visitors, as train travel helps reduce crowding and traffic on the roads, or a concentration of tourists in destinations with an airport (we don’t all need to go to Lanzarote on holiday). Read previous blog posts How not to be an overtourist and Sustainability and social impact to explore the principle of having a positive impact on your destination (and your hosts). 

The three R’s

Reduce

Choose sustainable transport (hello, trains, buses and bikes), limit energy usage (turn off those lights and air-conditioning), eat local and seasonal, and take part in low impact sustainable activities like hiking, wildlife watching (from a peaceful distance), leaf peeping, sea kayaking and small group eco tours.

Reuse 

Carry a reusable water bottle, coffee cup, shopping bag and cutlery; buy outdoor gear second hand; and choose accommodation that supports sustainable practices like reusing wastewater, composting and not washing towels each day.

Recycle

Understand local recycling rules and sort your recyclables accordingly – or pack it out to where it can be disposed of properly (trains generally aren't the best place to try and recycle, but train stations in Europe are getting better).

Additionally, there's a fourth R, which is “refuse”. This means avoiding unnecessary items in the first place, such as freebies or promotional goods, single-use plastics, or unnecessary packaging. This starts before you even leave home: don’t buy into marketeers telling you that you need a new “summer wardrobe” each year.  

Photo by Unsplash

Take only photos and leave only footprints

Taking things like rocks, seashells or plants might seem minimal, but don’t forget the thousands of other visitors who could do the same. Removing things can disrupt the local ecosystem, which has knock-on effects for biodiversity, not to mention that artefacts might hold cultural or historical significance. Plus you’re leaving it for the next visitor to enjoy (and protecting the site for the next generation).

Though while we’re talking about taking only photos, can we talk about social media? Geotagging a remote or culturally sensitive area might lead to more visitors, which might lead to a natural area being trashed and wildlife being put at risk. lnt.org publishes some great social media guidance.

Finally, littering is a global issue. Surfers Against Sewage report that 12 million tonnes of plastic is dumped into our oceans each year, where it’s often ingested by wildlife with fatal results (they go on to say that one million seabirds are killed by plastic pollution every year). Even leaving food waste can lead to animals developing unhealthy dependencies and alter their natural behaviour. And then there’s sunscreen – which you may not even know you’re leaving behind – some sunscreens contain chemicals that are harmful to marine life.

Join the movement

Support the Leave No Trace movement by following its principles and sharing them with family and friends (sharing this blog is a good start!). Get involved with lobbying lawmakers on broader environmental policies that indirectly support Leave No Trace (reducing carbon emissions, promoting renewable energy, protecting endangered species, preserving natural areas…). Enjoy your holiday and galvanise the Leave No Trace movement.

Photo by Unsplash