Leave No Trace

Duration:

2 minutes, 6 seconds

Join Ranger Karen and GIS Intern Giselle as they share how to recreate responsibly at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument using the 7 Leave No Trace Principles.

Thanks for recreating responsibly!

 

Duration:

2 minutes

Para celebrar la semana Latina de conservación, queremos compartir un video sobre el "7 Principios para recrear responsablemente" hecho de GIS Intern Giselle y Guardaparque Karen. Hay una versión en inglés y una version con audiodescripción en nuestro sitio web. ¡Muchas gracias para recrear responsablemente!

¡Gracias para recrear responsablemente!

 

Protect Your Parks - Leave No Trace!

Each of us plays a vital role in protecting our national parks. As we spend time outdoors, in the natural world and in wilderness, it’s important to be conscious of the effects our actions may have on plants, animals, other people, and even entire ecosystems. Following the Leave No Trace Seven Principles, summarized below, can help us minimize those impacts. They can be applied anywhere, at any time, while taking part in recreational activities.

Plan ahead and prepare

Organ Pipe is a land of extremes: expect high temperatures in the summer with little shade for cover, and in winter freezing temperatures are possible.

• Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you'll visit.
• Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
• Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
• Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
• Repackage food to minimize waste.
• Use a map and compass or GPS to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Help preserve sensitive areas and delicate ecosystems that may easily erode and become impacted by using durable services.

• Durable surfaces include maintained trails and designated campsites, rock, gravel, sand, dry grasses or snow.
• Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from springs, washes, and tinajas.
• Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.
  • In popular areas:
    • Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
    • Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
    • Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
  • In pristine areas:
    • Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails.
    • Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.

Dispose of Waste Properly

Plastic bags, orange peels, toilet paper, and other things people leave in wilderness areas not only impacts that area and the wildlife in it, but can ruin the wilderness experience for others who are there to experience the pristine beauty and solitude of those landscapes.

• Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite, food preparation areas, and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food and litter.
• Utilize toilet facilities whenever possible. Otherwise, deposit solid human waste in catholes dug 6 to 8 inches deep, at least 200 feet from water, camp and trails. Cover and disguise the cathole when finished.
• Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
• To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from open water sources and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.

Leave What You Find

Rocks and plants are used by wildlife as home and food. Arrowheads and metate are a remainder of thriving cultures who were here before us and whose ancesters are here today. Leaving what you finds helps not only the life residing in the monument, but also preserves the rich cultural history of the area.

• Preserve the past: examine, photograph, but do not touch cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
• Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
• Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
• Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.

Minimize Campfire Impacts

Ground fires are not allowed in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument to help protect shallow plant roots and sensitive cryptobiotic soils. However, raised fire pits are permitted. The rules below pertain to other parks that may allow fires to help .

• Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the environment. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
• Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
• Keep fires small. Only use down and dead wood from the ground that can be broken by hand.
• Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.

Respect Wildlife

For their protection, pets are not allowed in the backcountry and are only allowed on designated trails. Cholla and other cacti are a painful hazard, and scorpions, snakes and other venomous reside in the monument. Pets may be seen as a threat to these animals, who may attempt to protect themselves from them. Pets should be on leash no longer than 6 feet on trails and under supervision at all times.

• Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
• Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, habituates them to humans, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
• Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
• Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
• Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Taking in the pristine beauty, breathing in the clean air, admiring the dark sky, and taking in the sound of silence are seemingly rare experiences to encounter today, and visitors come to these wilderness areas to bask in nature, including you. Sound systems, glaring lights, and trash along the trail take away from this amazing experience; help protect everyone's experience by following these steps:

• Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
• Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
• Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
• Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
• Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.

These principles were established by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, and built on work by the US Forest Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management in the mid 1980s. This relationship continues today. The principles are based on and informed by scientific research in the fields of recreation ecology and human dimensions of natural resources. Take a look at the science behind the principles on the Leave No Trace website.

Thank you for doing your part to protect our natural world!

Leave No Trace Seven Principles © 1999 by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org.

 

Remember to leave only footprints in your wilderness areas to help preserve these beautiful places.

NPS Photo