A variety of tools area available to learn about and be reminded of Leave No Trace principles, including cards such as these.
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What is Leave no Trace?
Leave No Trace is about attitude and ethics. It's about taking personal responsibility to respect and care for our limited resources and the experiences of those around you. Low-impact skills and knowledge are also an important part of Leave No Trace, but without the right attitude and ethic, they are useless. Leave No Trace extends the National Park Service mission to you and challenges you to "…conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Leave No Trace is also a universal education message, and a national program led by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and adopted by the four federal land management agencies -- including the National Park Service -- and many state and municipal agencies and private nonprofit organizations. To practice good stewardship we must commit ourselves to apply the principles of Leave no Trace.
Why Practice Leave no Trace?
Saint Croix Island may not be one of the biggest national park sites, but we must all work to protect it. Saint Croix Island is in a neighborhood, and we want to keep our parks clean to be a good partner to our neighbors, and we want to preserve the park. Without Leave No Trace, and not being mindful of what we do, areas of the park can experience adverse effects. Saint Croix Island is committed to promoting Leave No Trace and encouraging visitors to minimize the impact of their visit. As part of our efforts, Saint Croix Island is a carry-in, carry-out park. The Seven Principles of Leave No Trace are universal.
The 7 Principle of Leave no Trace
Although different parks may have different regulations, the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace provide a framework of minimum impact practices that are easy for everyone to understand and implement when visiting the outdoors. Learn about each one and how to apply them during your visit to Saint Croix Island – and beyond. Keep in mind, at Saint Croix Island International Historic Site we allow neither camping nor fires, but as you travel around your national parks it is good to have all 7 principles in mind.
1. Plan ahead and prepare
Be prepared! Remember food, water, and clothes to protect you from cold, heat, and rain.
Use maps to plan where you’re going. Check them along the way so you’ll stay on course and won’t get lost.
Remember to bring a leash for your pet and plastic bags to pick up your pet’s waste.
Learn about the areas you plan to visit. Know where you need a reservation, check park websites, and talk to people before you go. The more you know, the more fun you’ll have.
Repacking food to minimize waste.
2. Stick to the trails and Travel and Camp in Designated Areas
Hike on designated trails to protect trailside plants.
Only ride bicycles and hordses on trails where they are alowed.
Do not step on flowers and plants. Once damaged, they may not grow back.
Respect private property by staying within the park boundaries
Camp only in designated campgrounds.
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
Pack it in, Pack it out. Put litter -- even crumbs, peels and cores -- in garbage bags and carry it home. Do not rely on park trashcans as some parking lots don’t have any.
Check maps to know where restrooms or vault toilets are before hiking. If not available, bury human waste in a small hole 6-8 inches deep and 200 feet or 70 big steps from water.
Use a plastic bag to pack out pet waste to a garbage can.
4. Leave it as you find it
Leave plants, rocks (and other natural objects) as you find them so others can enjoy them. Do not alter the landscape.
Preserve the past: observe cultural or historic structures and artifacts, but do not touch them.
Treat living plants with respect. Carving, hacking, peeling, parking, or stepping on plants may kill them.
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
Check regulations and amenities at individual sites to ind out if campfires are allowed. Use only existing fire rings to protect the ground from heat. Keep your fire small.
Buy firewood from a local vendor. Don’t bring firewood from farther than 50 miles away – it can harbor tree killing insects and diseases. Many states regulate the movement of untreated firewood.
Burn all wood to ash and be sure the fire is completely out and cold before you leave.
When in doubt, use a camp stove for cooking. Stoves are easier to cook on and create less impact than a fire.
6. Respect Wildlife
Observe wildlife from a distance and never approach or follow them.
Never feed animals. Human food is unhealthy for all wildlife and feeding them starts bad habits.
Protect wildlife and your food by securely storing it and trash in hard sided containers or locked in your car.
Control your pet at all times.
7. Be Considerate of Others
Be courteous and considerate when passing others on the hiking trails. Respect speed limits for bicycles.
Federal law requires that all pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet. This helps protect your pet, other visitors, and wildlife.
Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid making loud noises, yelling, or playing amplified music – including bird calls. You will see more wildlife if you are quiet.
Remember to have fun but be respectful of other visitors. Everyone enjoys the outdoors differently.
These principles were established by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, and built on work by the National Park Service, US Forest 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.
Thank you for doing your part to protect our natural world.
