I’ve hiked far too many trails to find them littered with trash. About a year ago, Sarah Jones Decker, a local author from Asheville, NC shared photos of Max Patch on her social media page. This beloved bald, just off the Appalachian Trail was covered in trash.
Toilet paper, sleeping bags, tents, and even pots and pans were left abandoned. Sarah’s photos went viral, and her story was shared by the Citizen times to bring more awareness to the increasing problem of littering in our parks and trails.
Thankfully, all of the press from Sarah’s story inspired many folks to get together and help clean-up the Max Patch area and other nearby trails.
The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics was founded in 1994 to “conduct research that impacts public land and the general public.”
The center developed seven Leave No Trace Principles to help anyone visiting the outdoors to leave a minimal impact. Created for Adventure has implemented these principals in our adventure programming so that we can join the effort in protecting the beautiful and wild places we visit.
7 Leave No Trace Principles
- Plan Ahead & Prepare
- Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- Leave What you Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
What if we all adapted these seven principles and took the time to pick up after ourselves? Can you imagine the impact we would have on God’s beautiful creation?
Our staff and campers at Created for Adventure understand how important it is to follow these principles, and they play their part in protecting the places they have so much fun exploring.
The next time you are out hiking or enjoying the outdoors don’t forget to apply the seven Leave No Trace principles. Help take care of the places you love and cherish.
- Colleen Schnitzer, Owner and Director of Created for Adventure