Land Use Ethic
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None may wholly escape the Good of Nature, however imperfectly exposed to her blessings.
- John Muir
There is a power inherent in the land, a power we can all discover and experience simply through spending time and becoming connected to a place. I believe it is our responsibility to the land to develop these connections. It is only through these connections that a person can truly begin to care for a place and we must care for our lands in order to best protect them from the myriad pressures our modern society places upon them. Of course any use of the land must be tempered by what the land is able to support. There is little point in growing close to a place if it is degraded or destroyed through use.
The first step towards the responsible use of lands is to consider the goals and skills of the participants. Participant goals should be matched with the destination chosen such that the chosen destination substantially contributes towards meeting participant goals. A second step towards determining how an area is best used is to consider any land manager restrictions. When unavailable, restrictions placed on similar areas should be used as guidelines. These regulations and recommendations serve as a good baseline upon which to build a foundation of careful use. A third step is to consider the skills and abilities of participants. Participants with greater skills and abilities should be capable of having less impact on a place, opening up the possibility of visiting areas that otherwise might be too sensitive for less skilled groups to visit.
The end result of outdoor experiences should include development of participant (and facilitator!) appreciation for the importance of natural places. This should include a sense of stewardship for the land, as well as a feeling of landfulness- a connection to the land. These feelings and connections to the land are the seeds that grow into desire to protect our natural lands.
Any backcountry program should also contain some instruction on how to create minimum impact in the environment being visited. This should be tailored again to the skills and abilities of the participants. It could be as simple as asking a group of day-hikers in a highly impacted area to stay on the trail and take out all their trash- or it could be as involved as to incorporate a 2 day Leave No Trace trainer experience into a backcountry trip. Longer exposure to participants provides more time to help participants develop their own land use ethic.
It is sometimes said that the future belongs not to us, but to our children. I believe that careful use of our lands is the best way to preserve them for the future. When I use lands I strive to carefully consider participant goals and abilities, foster landfulness and discuss how to minimize impacts. I hope that by practicing and teaching these concepts I am contributing to the preservation of our natural lands for many generations to come.