Get Outside and Leave No Trace
Nevada Outdoor School is proud to be a Youth Accredited Program Partner with the international Leave No Trace Center whose mission is to provide innovative education, skills, research and science to help people care for the outdoors. At Nevada Outdoor School, we pair the seven Leave No Trace Principles with our Action. Impact. Choice. (AIC) model to motivate and inspire our northern Nevada citizens to practice behaviors that protect nature, and nature includes humans!
For some people, the idea that humans are part of nature may be off-putting because many people are taught that humans are over nature, or are the stewards or care-takers of nature. This is an understandable perspective because humans are highly advanced animals and are very different than the rest of nature. Our large brains and structural adaptations that includes the all-powerful thumb, gives humans the ability to behave very differently than all the other members of nature.
Nevada Outdoor School believes that humans are part of nature because we have the same basic needs as all other living aerobic (oxygen) organisms; air, water, food, and shelter. Anaerobic organisms may not require oxygen, like us, but they have other requirements and utilize other organic molecules for metabolism, but beyond that have the same requirements as humans; water, food, and shelter. Therefore, on the largest picture, humans fit nicely in nature. With our higher level thinking and behavior capabilities humans are certainly responsible to make choices that minimize negative impacts to nature.
How do we know which choices to make? That may be one of the hardest parts of being human -- having so many choices! Without proper education or awareness, humans can easily make decisions that may harm nature. It is estimated that 9 out of 10 people do not know how their outdoor recreation choices impact nature. That is why at Nevada Outdoor School we like to teach people to analyze their actions, evaluate their impacts, and then choose wisely.
When recreating outdoors there are so many decisions to make! From more obvious decisions that are based on weather or terrain, like shorts or pants and boots or flip-flops, to the more delicate, like where do I go to the bathroom? In the steam or up on the hillside? There are a lot of things to consider! The good news is that Nevada Outdoor School is here to help you navigate all these choices!
Nevada Outdoor School has two new Leave No Trace Master Educators. Meghan Rich, Elko Programs Coordinator and Brandolyn Thran, Associate Director, recently returned from completing a 32-hour course in Zion National Park and they are ready to provide community training to your favorite outdoor recreation group. There is also a Master Educator in Winnemucca. Allana Havernick, Winnemucca Programs Coordinator has been a Master Educator since 2019.
The wonderful thing about Leave No Trace is that it is not activity specific, the learning can be tailored to any outdoor activity. The workshops can range from 1-hour to all day, and are high-energy, fun, and full of games that help you not only learn the “what” to do, but also the “why” you do it. Leave No Trace is a spectrum, and is less about black-and-white answers and more about evaluating impacts, and choosing wisely.
Getting outside is an important part of mental, physical, and emotional health, but no matter what you are doing, there is a responsible way to behave. Invite Nevada Outdoor School into your world and learn about Leave No Trace. Get outside, it is good for humans everywhere!