Most grey nomads are very proud of the respectful way in which they travel around Australia and would say they made a significant effort to ‘leave only footprints’. But, as with most things, it seems there are different levels to which people can take their environmental friendly travel attempts.
While picking up rubbish, burying toilet paper, and not spitting toothpaste into the bushes are in themselves commendable, they aren’t nearly enough for some travellers.
A journalist with the Times Union newspaper in the United States received the shock of her life recently when she went on a guided backpacking trip to the wilds of Montana’s Glacier National Park.
Gillian Scott says after a meal, she watched her guide put some water in her used food bowl, rub down the sides with her spoon to loosen the food scraps and the drink the ‘dirty’ water. She called it ‘sumping’. The more common alternative for people – even those who think they are doing the right thing – is to wash the dishes in water and throw it on the ground, along with any leftover food scraps.
Similarly, many campers throw things like apple cores into the bush thinking it is biodegradable so it doesn’t really matter. However, Ms Scott says she learned that – besides encouraging animals to approach humans – food left around trails and campsites is bad for their health and can alter natural behaviours and put them in greater danger from predators.
And, it seems, it is not the actions of one lone camper which is the real problem … it is the cumulative effect of dozens and even hundreds or thousands of people doing the same thing in the same area over a period of time. Even remote-seeming campsites in areas like the Kimberley are well used over a season, with people using the same paths for walking and the same spots for parking up the van or motorhome.
The Leave No Trace Centre for Outdoor Ethics has developed Leave No Trace principles, as guidelines to help people reduce their impact on the environment and enjoy the outdoors responsibly.
One of the more attention-grabbing recommendations is that people in the bush find a durable surface like a rock or pebbles to pee on, as apparently this prevents animals from destroying plants in order to get the minerals from our urine.
“To really minimise our impacts, we’d have to give up hiking and camping altogether; as well-worn trails show, our every footstep has impact,” said Ms Scott from the Times Union. “But no one is asking us to do that. Instead, we can try to find ways to embrace Mother Nature without leaving too much of ourselves behind.”
* How far do you go to minimise your impact in the places you travel? Comment below.
