We love to travel. We love to travel and get in touch with the real way of life. But, are we going to be able to share this with the next generations? The problem of conserving and protecting nature has been existent for ages - from a tiny cigarette butt to a humongous forgotten item. Luckily, we have LNT (Leave No Trace) and its different principles to help us in maintaining Mother Earth.

Not all of us know LNT; you might be hearing it for the first time or you’re not aware that you’re already practicing it. Within ourselves (Me and Jo), we already have an idea of what LNT is but not to the extent of being able to teach it effectively. Luckily, we were able to attend a workshop highlighting LNT just a week ago and it was a blessing to be able to learn new insights and practices for the outdoors. We shared ideas from people that have the same passion as #OneSongChallenge.

LNT or Leave No Trace provides us guidance through its seven principles namely; (1) Plan ahead and prepare, (2) Travel and camp on durable surfaces, (3) Dispose waste properly, (4) Leave what you find, (5) Minimize campfire impacts, (6) Respect wildlife and (7) Be considerate of other visitors. By properly following all of these principles we minimize the negative impacts that can be done by us humans to our earth. We also help in making the places we go to available to the next generations.

In this entry we’ll quickly brush over the key points of each principle in LNT. Also providing examples and specific benefits for the outdoors.

First principle is Plan ahead and Prepare. We do think that this principle is the most important in making sure that the other principles work effectively. Planning and preparing for the trip gives us effectiveness in the outdoors. Some tips for this would be: Prepare for different weather situations in order to prevent unnecessary use of campfire in densely vegetated areas, consider traveling in smaller groups to be efficient, and repack food and supplies into reusable containers to minimize the waste the group brings.

Travel and Camp on durable surfaces. You might think that this principle is simple but it’s more than what you read. When travelling to a place, research first if there would be designated campsites and established trails. Use of designated campsites and established trails will reduce negative impacts by not disturbing natural vegetation’s growth. But if the place does not have what was mentioned earlier, try to scatter the group in order to negate the impact in a concentrated area. By doing so we help preservation of the place.

Dispose waste properly, a principle that is very straight forward. If you’re travelling, the trash you bring in will be the trash you bring home. If the place has a facility that disposes the trash properly you can take advantage of it. Natural bodily waste should also be disposed by properly by digging a hole, covering it with soil and dry grass and marking it with a small stick. Anything not part of the place should be brought home. This helps in the maintenance of the place.

The principle Leave what you find guides us not to tamper or make changes in the natural elements of the places. We should share what we experience to the next generation by ensuring that the places we go to remain the same over time. We must not take anything from nature because if we took a small part of it overtime, it will be gone. So leave it to your memories and experience to keep.

Minimizing campfire impacts works with the second principle well. By avoiding the use of campfire, we preserve the natural beauty of a place and keep vegetation intact. In the coastal areas, avoidance of campfire should be observed because campfire destroys the fine sands of our beaches.

Animals are important in the outdoor world. The principle Respect Wildlife gives us some teaches that we must not harm them or alter their natural way of life. As travelers our advice is to just observe and watch them over a distance. Just like us, we humans have to respect each other’s space. Feeding them also robs our animals of their natural way of hunting. It makes them dependent on what we give them and it endangers the health of the animals. A good example would be our whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu - The fishermen provide food to attract whale sharks for the tourist and over time the whale sharks are now conditioned to wait for the food and not to find on their own. We must preserve the natural behavior of animals to help them maintain their health. By doing this, we make sure that the natural flow of life for our animals remain the same.

Last and definitely not the least of our principles is Be considerate of other visitors. We should respect others and be sensitive. Others may want to relax, to wander and to be one with nature. Let them be engulfed by the beauty and elegance of nature itself.

After learning all of the principles in the workshop, we were amazed by how big humans affect nature – both positively and negatively. Now, we are ready to make more of positive marks in nature.

This has been a lengthy one and I’ll be closing this for you with an invitation to our passion and advocacy. We challenge you to our #OneSongChallenge and start a sea of change. Grab a bag. Play a song. Pick up as much trash!

See you around!

~Nikko