The College of William and Mary's outdoors club recently held a workshop on minimizing one's impact on the environment when enjoying it through direct activities. This particular seminar is based around a larger organization, Leave No Trace, which has evolved since the '60s around the goal of promoting the responsible enjoyment and active stewardship of the outdoors. It focuses on people as the solution to many environmental problems and has established seven general principles to abide by:

 

1) Plan ahead and prepare

2) Travel and camp on durable surfaces

3) Dispose of waste properly

4) Leave what you find

5) Minimize campfire impacts

6) Respect wildlife

7) Be considerate of other visitors

 

This recent campus event embodies many positive principles of action, as a local group has drawn on the long running dedication and resources of a major organization to educate key populations in their community. The concepts are simple but effective and they stress living in touch with and enjoying nature, while being aware of the implications of your every action. Accepting responsibility and pushing ourselves to be better are key steps towards the betterment of our world and the harmonization of man with nature.