Responsible hiking for planet earth

Having originated in the 1990s, Leave No Trace refers to a set of seven guiding principles that help human beings to keep the planet healthy and safe. The beauty of these principles is that they can be applied anywhere.

By following these principles, humanity can do its part in protecting wildlife and leaving the beauty of nature intact.

As a significant component in sustainable tourism, leave no trace principles are there to help people to take in the beauty of nature without harming it. To better understand these principles in environmental conservation efforts, why not examine them?

1. Plan ahead and prepare

Many people  often think of planning and preparing as simply important ways to ensure our own safety and enjoyment, but this can have a significant impact on — well, human impact — as well. Planning ahead can help to  avoid peak travel times, minimise the amount of human disruption created and improve safety.  That’s why the first principle is planning ahead and preparing.

2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces

As highly intelligent bipeds (animals with two legs) human beings  can have a big impact on where they  walk. As the body weight is concentrated on a smaller area (the two feet,) this is both literally and metaphorically true. That’s why it’s important to minimise how much people  disrupt the ground — sticking to established trails, walking in single file when possible,  and avoiding soft, easily disturbed ground, especially when  near water bodies.

3. Dispose of waste properly

Unfortunately, humans can produce a lot of waste. That’s why it’s important to carry any trash produced until you find  a suitable location for disposal such as a trash receptacle or recycling bin.

4. Leave what you find

It needs to be said that people must leave what they find. In other words, whether you see an interesting rock, a beautiful plant, or untouched ground leave it there. While it can be tempting to disturb or even take as a keepsake, this is a selfish act, depriving those who come after  the beauty that you enjoyed.

5. Minimise campfire impact

While fires can be beautiful, warm, and even a source of food — fire is incredibly destructive. It’s one of the most unpredictable and most difficult to control forces of nature, and it can have a huge impact on the environment. Avoid making campfires when possible, and try to rely on camp stoves. If you do make a campfire, ensure that it’s in an approved campfire area and that there isn’t an ongoing fire ban.

6. Respect wildlife

Often when people are hiking, camping or traveling, they are doing so with the express intention of seeing wildlife. In order to keep wildlife safe, it’s important to respect it and leave it alone. This means not feeding wildlife, keeping pets secure from chasing or disturbing wildlife, and not approaching wild animals.

7. Be considerate of others

Finally, it’s important to be considerate of other human beings, too. This might mean responsible hiking — yielding on a hiking trail to others passing you, keeping your voice down or refraining from playing music, and generally working to remain courteous of others.

Discover Africa Safaris is committed to sustainable tourism. That means following these principles carefully whenever applicable and urging guests to do the same. To learn more, and embark on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Africa where sustainable tourism is the norm, don’t hesitate to contact them to enquire today.