Tribewanted: Vorovoro

I became familiar with Leave No Trace (lnt.org) while I was in high school and participating in backcountry canoe trips in Canada. Leave No Trace (LNT) stressed pricisely that – leaving the environment after you left in as good a condition or better as it was when you found it. For backcountry travel in the woods and later hiking in the mountains, it meant sticking to established trails, burning only drift wood that was found along the way, and keeping a clean site and not dropping any food. However, LNT also brought about a shift in my overall thinking. LNT is an ethics base that really should surround our whole lives. Why can’t we live by LNT ethics while in a big city and at home. While it doesn’t apply quite as well, in a city setting you can still pick up trash when you see it, no contribute to additional trash and use parks and resources responsibly.

When I joined tribewanted and made the trip to the island, I brought a couple hundred LNT cards as I figured that they would be usefull as an educational tool and could be made a part of the general island orientation. After returning from the island, I did a bit of research and decided that LNT could only contribute positively to the project and reinforced the ethics and overall goals of the TribeWanted program. Because of this I signed TribeWanted up as a LNT partner.

The Leave No Trace Core Values are as follows:
Leave No Trace
1. Is commited to the enjoyment, health, and protection of recreational resources on natural lands for all people;
2. Believes that education is the best means to protect natural lands from recreational impacts while helping maintain access for recreation and enjoyment;
3. Is founded on outdoor ethics whereby a sense of stewardship is gained through understanding and connecting with the natural world;
4. Believes that practicing the Leave No Trace Principals is the most relevant and effective long-term solution to maintaining the beauty, health of, and access to natural lands;
5. Is science-based and builds ethical, pragmatic approaches to resource protection for varying types of outdoor recreation and enjoyment;
6. Strives to build key partnerships that support education programs, training, and communities of volunteers, educators, land managers, organizations, and corporations commited to teaching and instilling the values of Leave No Trace;
7. Is inclusive, for all people, and focused on all non-motorized recreation activities occurring on natural lands;
8. Is apolitical and dedicated to education;
9. Does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, marital status, military status, or disability;
10. Remains committed to its mission, core values, projects, and programs without deviation.

Leave No Trace and their practices opened my eyes to better living and recreational practices years ago. Their approach is very logical and common sensical and should be easy for everyone to implement. If everyone knew the LNT ethics and practices, the world would be a much cleaner place. I think the Mali kids could greatly benefit from the LNT message and educational programs. I’m very excited that TribeWanted and LNT can work together to spread these principals on the other side of the world. Check out the program at LNT.org

The Leave No Trace Principals of Outdoor Ethics:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors