leave no trace - outdoorswa.org no trace resources.pdf · outdoor education: leave no trace 6 clues...

Outdoor Education: Leave No Trace 1

Leave No Trace

A teaching package developed to assist teachers teach the Leave No Trace principles within the new WACE Outdoor Education course

2008/20301[v2]


This resource was developed to assist teachers of the new WACE Outdoor Education course to deliver new content. The Leave No Trace principles are an integral part of Outdoor Education and therefore the new course. They are referred to directly in the content of each of the 10 units in the new course. The development of this resource was coordinated by the Curriculum Council of Western Australia and jointly funded by the Curriculum Council and OutdoorsWA. The Curriculum Council would like to acknowledge Leave No Trace Australia and the Leave No Trace principles and program as the basis of the content of this resource. Leave No Trace Australia Ltd www.lnt.org.au Tel. 61 (0)8 9384 9062 Mob. 0438 501 112 PO Box 71 Cottesloe WA 6911


Relationship with nature: Leave No Trace principles Overview

Leave No Trace resources outline

1A: Understand/recall/discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace and how they relate to the specific outdoor activities and the natural environments in which they are performed Activity 1: What principle am I? (General introduction) Activity 2: My own special place (Dispose of waste properly) Activity 3: Destroying my wilderness experience (Be considerate of your hosts and other visitors) Activity 4: Do I need shampoo? (Plan ahead and prepare) Activity 5: Wildlife observations (Respect wildlife) Activity 6: Treasures for others (Leave what you find) Activity 7: An unexpected fire ban (Minimise impact of fire) Activity 8: Single file or spread out? (Travel and camp on durable surfaces) 1B: Practise/implement/apply the seven Leave No Trace principles to minimise the impact related to the specific outdoor activities and the natural environments in which they are performed Activity 1: Archaeologists and scientists (Leave what you find) Activity 2: Fire or stove? (Minimise impact of fires) Activity 3: Industry tools (Plan ahead and prepare) 1C: Interpret the Leave No Trace principles for different environments. Apply Leave No Trace principles to various environments Activity 1: Walking through wilderness (Travel and camp on durable surfaces) Activity 2: Respect wildlife (Respect wildlife) Activity 3: Environmental impact plan (General) 1D: Identify human impacts and examine Leave No Trace practices that would minimise existing impact. Explore ways to educate users about practising Leave No Trace principles Activity 1: One pot meals (Plan ahead and prepare) Activity 2: Educating others (General) Activity 3: Planning prevention (General) 2A: Explore the role of Leave No Trace principles in sustainable local environmental management. Examine the changing nature of Leave No Trace principles depending on environment/activity Activity 1: Riparian zone investigation (General) Activity 2: Principles and actions (General) Activity 3: Important things (Plan ahead and prepare) 2B: Integrate Leave No Trace principles in the design of management strategies for environments at risk in WA. Evaluate past/existing practices in terms of Leave No Trace. Assess different ways of conveying the Leave No Trace message to different user groups Activity 1: Saving our species (General) Activity 2: Mountain biking or canoeing (Travel and camp on durable surfaces) Activity 3: Turning back time (Leave what you find) 3A: Evaluate past/existing practices in terms of Leave No Trace. Assess different ways of conveying the Leave No Trace message to different user groups Activity 1: User group behaviours (General) Activity 2: Effects of unplanned fires (Minimise impact of fires) 3B: Select methods appropriate to the specific needs of the group and specific environments to convey/educate a group/s about minimal impact (using the Leave No Trace principles) Activity 1: Tricky situations (General ethics) Activity 2: Food scraps or toilet paper? (General values) Activity 3: Wild or not wild? (Respect wildlife)


Relationship with nature: Leave No Trace principles

Unit 1A Experiencing the outdoors

What principle am I? Unit 1A: Understand, recall or discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

recall the seven Leave No Trace principles explain how they modify behaviour when recreating in the

outdoors.

Perspective (how this lesson relates to other parts of the curriculum)

Introduction to Leave No Trace principles

Methodology Materials Introduction

Explain that Leave No Trace is a set of seven principles to help people make good decisions about protecting the special places they visit in the outdoors. Read and explain each of the principles.

List of Leave No Trace principles on board

Body Explain that you are going to read some clues that belong to different principles and that the students have to guess which principle you are describing. Explain that when they think they know which principle it is, they need to stand up, but not say anything. Read the clues (some of the clues are easier and others are harder. Choose the level of challenge appropriate for your group). When everyone/majority of the class are standing, ask for the answer. Brainstorm some other ideas that belong to that principle.

Clues (see below)

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Explain that the Leave No Trace principles are guidelines that help people to care for natural and wilderness places. They are not rules but strategies to lessen the impact we have on wilderness places. Ask if anyone can name all the principles without looking at their flip card.

Evidence and monitoring Participation in the activity Recall of Leave No Trace principles


CLUES (and there are an infinite amount of options you can add specific to your group) Plan ahead and prepare

I repackaged my food to minimise the amount of rubbish I would create. Harder I checked with local land management agencies about required permits and group.

I found out the level of mountain bike riding skills of my group. I researched some rare animals in the area and their breeding time. I let people know of my plans and when I expected to be back. I learnt about the area I was going before I went. I checked the weather forecast.

Easier I wore the right clothes for the activity and the weather. I have brought a hat and sunscreen.

Dispose of waste properly I pick up all the cooked rice I spill. Harder I strain the dishwater and then scatter it away from the kitchen. I go to the bathroom 100 m away from any water source. If my dog is with me, I pick up his/her poop. Easier I have a rubbish bag I put my muesli bar wrappers into. I carry out my apple cores and orange peel.

Travel and camp on durable surfaces I walk to the kitchen using a slightly different path every time. Harder I walk just off the trail in coastal dune areas. I don’t build rock cairns to mark my trail for those behind me. I spread out when walking through untracked places. I don’t wander off by myself. I choose sacrificed sites for my tent where they exist. I take breaks on large rocks. I walk on ice or snow, rather than on plants. Easier I stay on the trail even if it is muddy and wet. I walk around flowers and small trees.

Leave what you find I admire culturally significant artefacts from a distance. Harder I photograph flowers rather than picking them. I sketch beautiful shells I find on the beach. I try not to move rocks around to make my sitting position more comfortable. Easier I don’t touch petroglyphs on canyon walls or stalagmites/stalactites when in a cave. I don’t collect rocks from the canyon.

Respect wildlife I secure my food properly every night. Harder I make sure all the food scraps are out of the washing up water before it gets scattered. I try not to visit area during the nesting season of rare animals. I make sure I camp away from the only water source in the area. Easier I admire animals quietly and from a distance. I would never throw something at an animal.

Be considerate of your host and other visitors I don’t claim the entire hut and spread myself around when I get to camp early. Harder I try not to yell and scream too much while I’m hiking down the trail. I always give way to horses and people coming up the hill towards me. Easier I happily share the trail with other users—hikers, bikers etc. I take my breaks off the track.


Minimise impact of fire I use a stove to cook my meals. Harder I consider my location and the wind direction before I have a camp fire. I only collect dead and downed wood when building a fire. I know how to build a Leave No Trace mound fire. I never burn rubbish or food in the fire. I consider the ecological impacts of collecting wood. I make sure the fire has burnt down completely before pouring water on the ashes. I check the current fire regulations for the area I am visiting. Easier I clear all the dead leaves and sticks away from the area I am setting up the stove. I choose a flat surface to set up the stove.




My own special place Unit 1A: Understand, recall or discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

articulate why a place is special to them discuss how human impacts change their perception of that

place explain the appropriate way of disposing of various types of

human waste.


Introduction to Leave No Trace principle: Dispose of waste properly

Methodology Materials Introduction Get your students to think about a natural environment that they have known about for a long time. It could be a favourite place and it should be somewhere they feel comfortable. It could be a local park, a beach, a garden, a rocky area they have climbed, a cave they used to explore, a river area or a fishing place.

Practical task Ask them to represent the place using a drawing or complete something similar to the box below. Ask them to name the place and describe the location. Ask them to include an explanation of what it is they like about the place and how many times they have been there. For example:

• State the name and describe it: • How many times I’ve been there: • What you like about it: • How you feel about it:

• Drawing

equipment • Blank paper

Ask them to imagine someone who has been there before them leaving a whole pile of rubbish. Get them to draw it into the picture they have created.

What impact the rubbish has on their experience of the place. Do they feel the same way about the place? What emotions do they experience when they see the rubbish? For example:

• What emotions do you experience when you see the rubbish there? • How do you feel about your special place now? • Does the rubbish impact on your experience? • How can we make sure this sort of thing does not happen in real life? • What is the correct way to dispose of different types of waste in this environment?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Share ideas about correct waste disposal and the tools required to successfully minimise impact when recreating in the outdoors

Evidence and monitoring Drawing Participation in discussion Answers to question



Unit 1A Experiencing the

outdoors

Destroying my wilderness experience Unit 1A: Understand, recall or discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

state what it means to be considerate of your hosts and other visitors

discuss the importance of respecting culture discuss the importance of consideration of other visitors demonstrate the ability to be considerate of other visitors.


Introduction to Leave No Trace principle: Be considerate of your hosts and other visitors

Methodology Materials Introduction Have the students use pastels and paper to draw their most favourite place in the wilderness. Have students share their picture with the group and talk about why it is their most favourite place. Give each student a direction sheet with an impact listed to draw on their picture (you can add more specifically relevant to the area or activity they will be participating in). Have students show their pictures to the group once again and describe how they feel about this exercise.

Pastels/crayons/ coloured pencils

One sheet of paper per person

Slips of paper with impacts listed (see below)

Discussion Discuss the following: I. Who are our hosts? Why consider respect and the experience of other visitors?

How much is our responsibility? II. How can we respect cultural owners and their country?

a) Permitting and/or permission b) Appropriate behaviour— what does it look like and does it change in

some areas? c) Cultural differences d) Privacy

III. How can we respect other visitors? a) Where to camp. b) How much sound to make? How to keep the noise to a minimum? c) Choice of colours for gear and clothing. a) A cooperative spirit—what does this look like?

IV. Why should we and what does yielding to other visitors look like? b) Simple courtesies. c) Other land users. d) Right-of-way. e) Rest breaks.

Knowledge of indigenous owners of the land you are visiting

Knowledge of the land managers current owners of the site you are visiting

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion The consideration we show our hosts and other visitors in order to provide them with respect and their most positive experience may do more than anything else to encourage them to conserve the wilderness. Get students to think of a time when they did not respect their hosts or other visitors. Now they have the tools to do so, how would they change their behaviour? Share ideas.

Evidence and monitoring Drawing of favourite place Description of feelings due to impacts Participation in discussion


Be considerate of your hosts and of other visitors Impact example sheets

(cut these out along the dashed lines; add more examples as necessary) On the weekend, a group of campers camped at

your favourite place and left three large fire rings filled with ash, rubbish and half-burnt logs. Add these to your picture. On the weekend, a group of campers left toilet paper and what goes with it in several places close to your favourite place. Add these to your picture. On the weekend, a 4WD left wheel ruts all over your favourite place. Add these to your picture. On the weekend, a group of campers left scraps of food and bits of plastic packaging scattered throughout your favourite place. Add these to your picture. On the weekend, a group of campers very obviously carved their names and the date into a tree at your favourite place. Add these to your picture. On the weekend, a group of campers left a large bag of rubbish which animals have gotten into. Add these to your picture. On the weekend, a group of four-wheel drivers broke the branches from one of the trees at your favourite place to burn in the fire. Add these to your picture.




Do I need shampoo? Unit 1A: Understand, recall or discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

identify items which are necessary to remember in order to minimise one’s impact when recreating in the outdoors

identify ways in which people can pre-prepare their gear when planning their activity.


Introduction to Leave No Trace principle: Plan ahead and prepare

Methodology Materials Introduction Have a backpack with all the items necessary for a camping trip laid out beside it on the floor in front of all the students. Group activity Ask them to list all the items and explain why each item has been included as essential for the trip. Ensure that there are items the students may not consider themselves such as mesh to drain dishwashing water, water drum tap, space blanket, food repackaged to minimise waste, garbage bags etc.

In small groups, get students to brainstorm any items that are missing and add them to their lists. Discussion

As a class analyse the missing items and evaluate whether they are truly necessary.

Ask students to suggest why food items may have been repackaged.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Review the items required to minimise impact.

Backpack: all items necessary for an overnight trip, repackaged to minimise waste, minus a few key items such as communication device etc.

Table to record items

Evidence and monitoring Completion of table Participation in discussion about missed items and unnecessary items


Essential items Item Why it is necessary

Missing items Why it is essential




Wildlife observations Unit 1A: Understand, recall or discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

identify actions that impact wildlife suggest ways to minimise human impact on animals.


Introduction to Leave No Trace principle: Respect wildlife

Methodology Materials Introduction: In the classroom: show pictures or slides of wildlife. Alternatively, in the field, find an area containing wildlife or visit a zoo/wildlife park.

Ask the group why loud noises and quick movements are stressful to wildlife. Ask if there are particularly sensitive times of the year for wildlife. Have someone explain how they can tell if they are too close to wildlife. Have someone explain how wildlife survive very cold winters or very hot summers.

Pictures/ slideshow of wildlife

Area with lots of wildlife

Group activity Have the group sit and observe the wildlife in the area in silence for five minutes. Ask them to list things that might disturb each type of wildlife. Have them list the things they could do to minimise their impacts to wildlife.

Discussion Have each of the students share their observations and things they would do to minimise disturbing wildlife and or wildlife habitat. Discuss the negative effects if they did not observe these precautions with wildlife. Discuss ways to view wildlife without harming them. Encourage the group to observe wildlife from a distance (to include the use of binoculars) so the wildlife are not scared or forced to flee. Remind them to always be kind to wildlife.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Review the negative effects that humans can have on wildlife: habitat destruction;

making them sick; polluting water sources; encouraging them to become habituated etc.

Review the possible outcomes of these events: animal cannot feed itself; animal dies; animal is destroyed etc.

Evidence and monitoring List of actions that impact wildlife Ideas to minimise impact on wildlife




Treasures for others Unit 1A: Understand, recall or discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

explain the Leave No Trace principle ‘Leave what you find’


Introduction to Leave No Trace principle: Leave what you find

Methodology Materials Pre-lesson preparation Find an area outside and create a trail through it with M&Ms and jelly snakes or similar (sitting in ramekins if need be). Make sure there are enough lollies for most people but not everyone in the class.

M&Ms Jelly

snakes

Introduction Review the seven Leave No Trace principles. Ask students to imagine that they are in a wilderness area on a trip. Divide the class into two and have them walk along the trail you have created. Encourage the first group to eat all the M&Ms and snakes if they want. Have the second half of the class follow them, and there should be no or very few lollies left by this stage.

Discussion Ask the second group what they thought of the trail. Ask the first group. Ask the second group how they feel to hear that the first group got M&Ms and snakes? (You probably want to hand the second group some lollies at this stage!) Why is it important to leave what you find: food, feathers, rocks, shells etc.?

For others to enjoy In case it is the habitat of an animal So animals can use it to build nests/shelters etc.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Ask students when they think this principle will be the hardest to follow. What are some ways they might be able to ‘take home’ the object without it ever leaving the site? (Photo, sketch, poem etc.)

Evidence and monitoring Participation in discussion Identification of why this principle is hard to follow at times


Outdoor Education: Leave No Trace principles


An unexpected fire ban Unit 1A: Understand, recall or discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

identify the leave no trace principle ‘minimise impact of fire’

explain why a stove is preferable to a fire.


Introduction to Leave No Trace principle: Minimise impact of fire

Methodology Materials Introduction Share this scenario with your group: Imagine you are camping in the mountains. The air is a bit chilly as your group begins preparation for the evening meal. You plan to build a fire to cook hotdogs and heat up cans of tomato soup. The fire will also take the chill out of the night air. As you begin to pile sticks inside the fire ring, a ranger approaches your group and informs you that there is a ban on fires due to dry weather. You will not be able to build a fire.

Group activity How will your group solve this problem? What will you do about dinner? How will you deal with the chilly air? How will not having a fire change your night time activities?

Discussion It is recommended that all visitors to natural areas minimise their use of fires, even when there is not a fire ban. Ask students why they think this may be the case. Discuss the value of contacting land managers to learn about local regulations.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Short activity Ask students to create a plan for their next outing which does not include fires. You may wish to discuss different types of food, food repackaging, and the value of using lightweight foods instead of canned goods.

Evidence and monitoring Ability to problem-solve the scenario Participation in discussion Plan for next outing




Single file or spread out? Unit 1A: Understand, recall or discuss the seven principles of Leave No Trace Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

identify when to spread out and when to walk single file on a trail.


Introduction to Leave No Trace principle: Travel and camp on durable surfaces

Methodology Materials Teacher information This lesson works perfectly when on a trip. Find a grassy expanse or alternatively use the school oval (not just after it has been mown).

Grassy field

Introduction Have everyone follow you single file, across the oval. Ensure they understand they

must follow directly behind the person in front. Hopefully it is easy to point out where everyone travelled as the grass has become compressed.

Turn around and ask everyone to spread out and make their way back to the beginning. This time, you should not be able to see where people have travelled.

If possible, repeat the process on sand.

Discussion Ask the class what they have learnt from this simple exercise.

What is a durable surface? When is an appropriate time to spread out? When should you follow behind one another? What is the difference/what would have been the difference if they were walking on

sand? Talk about ephemeral surfaces–snow, sand, riverbed etc. It is not so important to worry where you are travelling in relation to the rest of your group when on an ephemeral surface. Talk about the resilience of grass—it can tolerate several footsteps but not an infinite amount. However, it does recover quickly. This is opposite to resistant vegetation. Woody plants can tolerate more people brushing past them; however, once they are broken by a footstep, they do not recover easily.

Does the resilience or resistance of vegetation have impacts for when you choose to

spread out and when you choose to walk single file?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Give the class several scenarios and ask what they would choose to do. For example:

1. Travelling on a well-worn trail from the campground to a nearby lake 2. Doing some off trail navigation through heavily wooded areas (talk about group

safety always being prioritised over spreading out in an area of low visibility) 3. Walking from their tent to the kitchen in a pristine camp site (a non-sacrificed site).

They should try and take a different path every time to prevent a social trail from forming.

Evidence and monitoring Participation in discussion Ability to assess when to walk single file and when to spread impact out



Unit 1B: Facing challenges in the outdoors

Archaeologists and scientists

Unit 1B: Implement the seven Leave No Trace principles to minimise impact related to a specific outdoor activity and a specific environment

Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

discuss why it is so important to leave artefacts where they were found

identify ways to share natural history with others without destroying or removing it from a site.


Introduction to Leave No Trace principle: Leave what you find

Exploring minimal impact practices for specific activities

Methodology Materials Introduction Ask students how archaeologists and scientists form ideas about people and animals before us. (They find fossils and reconstruct the skeletons relative to other fossils found nearby.) How do we know:

What animals that lived in Australia millions of years ago ate? How long ago the Aboriginal people utilised Devil’s Lair cave? What the giant wombat-like animal (Zygomatutus Trilobus) of the South-West

looked like?

Body Cut up a couple of pictures of prehistoric creatures that inhabited the South-West

in the past to create a jigsaw. Keep the separate puzzle pieces separate! Outside somewhere (in the playground, on the oval, in the long jump pit etc.)

scatter all the pieces of one puzzle in a small area. In another area scatter about half the pieces of the second puzzle. In a final area leave just a few pieces of the third puzzle.

Split the class into three groups and have each group recover pieces at the three different locations.

Encourage the students to try and reconstruct the puzzle and describe the picture.

Laminated pictures of prehistoric animals Scissors

Discussion How easy was it to reconstruct the puzzle? Why is it important that scientists find fossils and artefacts where they were

originally deposited? What are the effects of deliberate vandalism or theft of fossils and artefacts?

In their groups, ask students to choose an activity that they will be participating in over the course of the year.

What are the effects of unintentional impacts of their chosen activity? (driving off-road, hobby collecting, camp site selection and construction etc.)

Can students think of any other ways fossils might be lost of destroyed?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Ask students to brainstorm ways we might be able to preserve and view any artefacts on-site without them being damaged. Ask them to think of a way they might be able to share the artefact with people after getting home without taking it from the site e.g. photos, sketches.

Evidence and monitoring Participation in discussion Identification of impacts caused by chosen activity Ideas related to how to protect and enjoy artefacts without removing them from the site



Unit 1B: Facing challenges in the outdoors

Fire or stove?

Unit 1B: Implement the seven Leave No Trace principles to minimise impact related to a specific outdoor activity and a specific environment


determine whether a camp fire is a necessary component of camping assess which areas can ecologically withstand another camp fire with

minimal impact build a minimum impact fire in both high use and remote areas.


Explore different options for cooking and the role technology plays in our ability to minimise our impact

Context This activity is designed to allow students to consider various options for cooking and fires. It is an ideal ‘in the field’ lesson where you have access to wood and kindling and can assess the ecological impact of your actions. Participants are going to compare how fast they can heat water on a camp stove, camp fire and a mound fire. They will then assess the value of each cooking method.

Methodology Materials Preparation

Locate an area that will permit the group to safely and responsibly build fires. Practise building a mound fire prior to the meeting so you are familiar with the

process. Scatter the unscarred rocks and fire wood over the surrounding ground. Place the soil for the mound fire nearby.

Introduction

Brainstorm with your students the various options for preparing meals in the back country e.g. eat pre-made cold meals, cook over a fire, cooked on a camp stove.

Explain the whole class is going to build a LNT fire and then compare the value of stoves and fires when making hot chocolate.

Demonstrate how to build a mound fire (see additional sheet ‘Leave No Trace Fire Options’). Use group members to help you gather soil, fire wood, and clean up when you are through. Help participants understand how a properly built mound fire leaves almost no trace of the fire. The entire process of building the mound fire, extinguishing the fire and cleaning up should be limited to about 20 minutes.

Practical activity Split the class into three (or six—two of each) groups and explain that each group is going to heat water and compare how long it takes to make hot chocolate with the other groups. The groups will be using either:

a camp stove a fire built using a fire pan or a traditional camp fire.

They need to heat the water and make hot chocolate and then attempt to remove all evidence of the fire e.g. traces of ashes, dirt, firewood etc. This process will help participants think about the advantages of stoves, mound fires or fire pans over traditional camp fires. Have each group keep track of how long it takes to prepare the chocolate and clean up the site.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Note It will be necessary to supervise the groups as they light the stove and construct the camp fires from the materials you have provided. If you have a large class and two staff, you may want to split the group into two. Half can make the hot chocolate three different ways while the other half learn how to build a mound fire and then the entire class can swap over.

A backpack stove—fuelled and ready

Three small pans for heating water

Water jug Firewood—small to large sizes

Mineral soil for a mound fire

Ground cloth or plastic garbage bag to gather soil

Camp fire ring OR enough unscarred rocks to build: 1) a traditional camp fire ring and 2) for a base for the fire pan

Fire pan (metal garbage can lid, oil pan, or other fire pan substitute)

Chocolate mix and cups for drinking

Person timing each group


Leaving No Trace does not simply mean putting out the fire and cleaning up the rubbish. There should be no evidence that the fire ever existed. Here are points to remember when supervising and discussing the activity:

Make it a special challenge to Leave No Trace. Is the ground scarred? Is there evidence of charred wood? All camp fires require crushing coals to ash, soaking with water

to eliminate fire danger and disposal of the ash (even fires built in existing and properly located fire rings should be cleaned).

Are there scarred rocks? Is the soil noticeably disturbed in and around the cooking site?

Discussion

Which method of boiling water was fastest? (The stove will most likely be the fastest method of boiling water. Fires require more preparation time, especially if proper care is taken to Leave No Trace.)

Which method would the group prefer if they were very hungry, it was raining or they were camped on rocky terrain where a fire was impractical?

What problems arose during clean up? How successful were the fire builders at leaving no sign

whatsoever of their fire? Ease of clean up will generally follow this order:

Easiest: stove. Stoves require virtually no clean up when used properly. More difficult: fire pan. The pan fire, set on rocks or some other suitable surface, will not damage the

land, but will still require disposal of ash. Most difficult: traditional rock fire ring. Traditional fires will scar the surface upon which they were

built, requiring reclamation of the fire site. These fires are usually built with rocks which become permanently scarred. Did the group take the time to wash soot off rocks?

Conclusion A true Leave No Trace fire should leave virtually no sign of its existence. Did the fire builders meet this standard?

Evidence and monitoring Assistance building mound fire Participation in practical activity of heating the water Participation in discussion Ability to return site to original form


Relationship with nature: Leave No Trace principles Resource

Leave No Trace fire options

The following are various Leave No Trace ways to have a fire. True Leave No Trace fires are small. They all have the following in common:

a) Collected wood should be i. dead ii. fallen down iii. easily broken by hand iv. suitably thin that it will burn ENTIRELY over the course of the evening (maximum thickness

of about two fingers is a good guide). Standing trees, dead or alive, are home to birds and insects, so leave them intact. Fallen trees also provide bird and animal shelter, increase water holding capacity of the soil and recycle nutrients back into the environment through decomposition. Stripping branches from standing or fallen trees also detracts from an area's natural appearance.

b) Wood should be gathered over a wide area away from camp especially in fragile or high impact areas.

c) Wood should stop being added to the fire about ½ to ¾ hour before you want to end the meeting/go to bed so the wood has sufficient time to completely burn down to ash. You will probably have to assist this process by stoking the burning embers towards the centre.

d) At the end of the session/evening, when the fire has burnt completely to ash, pour water over the coals until they are cold enough to put your hand in.

e) At the conclusion of the session of the next morning, scatter the ash away from camp and return the mound of sand to where you collected it from. Ash may have to be packed out in river corridors.

f) Pack out any camp fire litter. Plastic items and foil-lined wrappers should never be burned in a camp fire.

Remember: black feller build small fire and move in close, white feller build big fire and move out wide! Fire pans Use of a fire pan is a good alternative for fire building. Metal oil drain pans and some backyard barbecue grills make effective and inexpensive fire pans. Ensure the pan has at least 7–8 cm high sides.

1. Elevate the pan using rocks or mineral soil so the heat does not scorch the ground should have at least three-inch-high sides.

2. Build the fire in the pan following the guidelines above.

3. Clean up as described above.

Things to think about: a fire pan is quite a heavy addition to your pack on a hiking trip!


Relationship with nature: Leave No Trace principles Resource

Building a Leave No Trace fire continued

Mound fire Construction of a mound fire can be accomplished by using simple tools: a garden trowel, large stuff sack and a ground cloth or plastic garbage bag. To build this type of fire:

1. Collect some mineral soil (which contains little or no decomposing organic material), sand or gravel from an already disturbed source e.g. a dry river bed or the root hole of a toppled tree.

2. Lay a ground cloth down at the fire site. A silver heat reflector also works well.

3. Spread the soil into a circular, flat-topped mound at least 10 cm high. The thickness of the mound is critical to insulate the ground below from the heat of the fire. The ground cloth or garbage bag is important only in that it makes cleaning up the fire much easier, but it has the potential to melt if the mound is not thick enough. The circumference of the mound should be larger than the size of the fire to allow for the spreading of coals. The advantage of the mound fire is that it can be built on flat exposed rock or on an organic surface such as litter, duff or grass.

4. Build the fire on top of the mound. You can even put a $20 bill at the bottom of the mound to encourage students to have a cooler, smaller fire they constantly feed, rather than a huge, hot raging fire that they leave and end up with half burnt sticks. Clean up as described above. Don’t forget your ground cloth!

Existing fire rings The best place to build a fire is within an existing fire ring in a well-placed camp site. Keep the fire small and burning only for the time you are using it. Allow wood to burn completely to ash. Put out fires with water, not dirt. Dirt may not completely extinguish the fire. Avoid building fires next to rocky out crops where the black scars will remain for many years. If you come to an impacted camp site with more than one fire ring, consider dismantling some of them. To encourage people to use the sacrificed site, ensure the remaining fire ring is in an obvious spot.

Pit fires When camping in dry river beds and canyon bottoms, often the most practical place to have a fire is in the sand on the river bed. By digging a small pit, the fire will be protected by the wind and easier to burn down completely. Ensure the fire is completely out and the pit cleaned up as above, rather than simply filled in with sand/soil over the ashes.

Alternative ideas to using a fire Place an upside down head lamp on top of a nalgene water bottle filled with water. Use a candle lantern inside a plastic bag filled with sand. Remember to pack out the wax drippings.



Unit 1C : Building confidence in the

outdoors

Walking through the wilderness Unit 1C: Interpret the Leave No Trace principles for different environments Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

explain the difference between pristine and high impact areas identify how minimum impact practices change in different

environments.


Continues to develop the concept of sustainable human interactions with nature

Preparation Prepare a ‘wilderness’ environment prior to the lesson by slightly dampening the sand and ensuring its relatively smooth.

Methodology Materials Introduction Your group is going to build an imaginary landscape through a wilderness area or area they will be travelling to. Ask them all to gather around the sand and place the objects to create a world they will enter on their trip. Make sure the landscape includes at least one of the following: a stream or river bed, trees, a meadow and a flat, rocky area. Designate a starting point to enter the landscape and a final destination point at the other end of the box. Scenario 1: On trail Have participants decide as a group where to locate a narrow hiking trail leading through the landscape. Ask them to ensure there are some switchbacks. Get someone to use two fingers to draw the narrow trail in the sand. Present the following scenario:

Image your group is planning a trip through the wilderness landscape. The trail and destination are visited by many hikers and campers over the year. The goal of the class is to leave as little trace as possible of their travel through the landscape. Each participant should indicate the route he/she would take by dragging their finger across the moist sand. As a group, they have to identify one spot for a break along the way. Let everyone indicate their path before a discussion.

Discussion

Why did you choose the route that you did? Most people will choose to stay on the trail. Try and focus on choosing a route that will protect the land and help prevent new trails form being formed.

Why do land management agencies build hiking and walking trails in remote or pristine wilderness locations? Discuss that constructed trails concentrate hiker activity and prevent informal trails from forming. They can also protect fragile landscapes below. For example: the tree top walk in Pemberton around the tingle trees. Any there others they can think of?

Where should the group stop for breaks? Taking breaks off the trail allows other visitors to appreciate the solitude. Breaks need to be taken on durable surfaces.

Less

on c

onte

nt

What is a durable surface? Find five (5) different surfaces in the immediate area and ask students to rate them from one to five in terms of durability. Talk about ephemeral surfaces and the difference between resistant surfaces and resilient surfaces (resilient surfaces recover quickly from being damaged easily by multiple trampling e.g. grasses; resistant surfaces resist initial impact but frequent trampling damages them irreparably e.g. woody plants, fern fronds etc.). Talk about whether a durable surface in one season could be a non-durable surface in another season (a seasonal

Section of beach/sand lot/long jump pit/sandy riverbed/ shallow box approx 1m² filled with sand Collection of rocks and pebbles to simulate boulders and rocky surfaces Paper cut outs or similar objects—twigs, moss etc. to simulate natural features such as animals and vegetation


stream bed which is dry in the summer and autumn and becomes a fragile riparian zone in the winter and spring)

Summarise the key points. Scenario 2: Off trail Use a wide paintbrush or a flat hand to erase the trails from the landscape. Present the following new scenario:

Image we are planning to visit an area rarely visited by hikers and campers that has no trail leading to the destination. Again, the goal is to leave as little trace as possible of their travel through the landscape. Again, each participant should indicate the route he/she would take by dragging their finger across the moist sand. As a group, they have to identify one spot for a break along the way. Let everyone indicate their path before a discussion.

Discussion

Why did you choose the route that you did? Travelling off trail presents group members with a few more decisions. Encourage the students to develop critical thinking skills by weighing up the various off trail alternatives.

Would their choice differ if this was a coastal environment? Forested environment? River delta? Alpine environment? Generally, spreading out is the most ideal choice. However in some sensitive areas (alpine regions Kosciuszko national park, riparian zones, fragile desert ecosystems etc. it is better to walk in the exact footprints of the person in front of you. Heavily wooded areas also pose the risk of getting students lost if they are too far apart.

Why shouldn’t you mark your path with trail markers? Trail markers encourage other people to follow in your footsteps and begin to form a new path.

What is wrong with shortcutting up steep banks? Talk about erosion issues in various environments.

Wide paintbrush

Conclusion Talk about social trails created in camp sites between tents, kitchen areas and the toilet. Brainstorm ways to prevent this happening. In groups, ask students to decide what an appropriate group size would be to travel both on trail and off trail through the back country. Ask them to image their group size is larger than their suggested size and how they might solve this problem.

Evidence and monitoring Path chosen through wilderness area Participation in discussion

Outdoor Education: Leave No Trace principles Unit 1C

Respect wildlife Unit 1C: Building confidence in the outdoors



state what it means to respect wildlife discuss the importance of respect for wildlife demonstrate the ability to respect wildlife including but not limited to

a) observing wildlife from a distance b) never feeding wildlife, intentionally or unintentionally c) avoiding wildlife at sensitive times such as during mating and

nesting.


Allows students to gain a better understanding of how humans should interact with nature

Methodology Materials Introduction Choose a volunteer student to help with the performance of a skit. All other students will act as the audience. Instructors/teachers play the role of two obnoxious tourists who see a kangaroo. A student plays the role of the kangaroo. Perform the skit. Discussion Brainstorm what was wrong with the skit. Discuss the following points:

What does observing from a distance look like? Avoiding startling wild animals. Avoiding actions that could be interpreted as aggressive. Avoiding causing animals to detour around you.

Why should you avoid sensitive areas and/or sensitive times? What are they? Where is this information available?

Why shouldn’t you feed wildlife? Store food and rubbish properly. (You might want to demo what this

actually looks like for the environment you are travelling to.) How might it be different if you were going to a different area? Keep camp clean—food scraps endanger wildlife for several reasons:

they may become habituated and rely on human food which can lead to them being destroyed as they are pests OR going hungry when there is no human food available

human food can cause problems with their intestinal flora and make them sick.

Why should you be conscious of camping near water? Most animals rely on regular access to water. If campers put their

tents up too close to watering holes some animals will not visit the watering holes.

What animals are present in the area you are visiting? Why shouldn’t you bring your pets to areas rich in wildlife?

What are the regulations regarding animals in the area you are visiting?

Why is it necessary to control your pet at all times? Is it appropriate to take your pet with you? How could a pet pose a danger to wildlife?

Script for skit (see below) Tourist costumes (straw hats, Hawaiian shirts etc., kangaroo ears) Students prepped to help with the skit

When are animals considered totems? Specific animals can have importance to indigenous culture. This

cultural heritage needs to be respected. Can anyone think of an example where this is true?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Written (homework) activity Assign different members of the class different areas you will be visiting throughout the year and the times you will be visiting them. Ask them to put together an information pamphlet about the types of wildlife visitors may encounter at that time of year and the environmental considerations they need to be aware of e.g. breeding cycles. Their pamphlet should also outline how to best respect the wildlife they may encounter.

Access to research tools such as the DEC website


Conclusion Review that the way we treat wildlife greatly affects their health and wellbeing. Ask students to explain the best way to enjoy wildlife present in the places you are visiting as a group. Ask students to suggest the best ways to educate people about the need to respect wildlife and how to achieve it.

Evidence and monitoring Identification of problems in the skit Participation in discussion Pamphlet produced Identification of ways to educate others

Example script for respect wildlife

*The following is presented in a skit form with a student volunteer wearing kangaroo ears. Instructors act as obnoxious visitors to the area. Skit begins with a kangaroo minding its own business and munching on grass. Two tourists, Marjorie and Lester come walking up.

Lester: Hey Marjorie! Look! There’s a kangaroo! Isn’t it a cutie! Marjorie: Wow Whee! And it’s got a baby in its pouch too!! Lester: Let’s see how close we can get so we can get a real good picture. (They move closer to the kangaroo.) Marjorie: Maybe we could lure it over here with some of these marshmallows. Here little roo, here’s some marshmallows! Come on, why don’t you want any. Stupid thing! Lester: I know, chuck a rock at it. That will get its attention. (Kangaroo makes a run for it.) Marjorie: Oh no! It’s running away.

Skit ends with Marjorie and Lester chasing the kangaroo.


Relationship with nature: Leave No Trace principles Unit 1C

Environmental impact plans Unit 1C: Building confidence in the outdoors Lesson outcomes By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

recall where to find information about local land management issues explain how people and the recreational activities they participate in

impact on the environment plan to minimise their impact using the seven Leave No Trace principles.


Allows students to gain an understanding of how humans interact with and impact upon nature

Methodology Materials Introduction Review the seven Leave No Trace principles. Explore the concept of current environmental issues and brainstorm some examples in local areas. For example:

transport of Phytophthora cinnamomi in the South-West coastal erosion along the Bibbulmun Track graffiti on rock art in the Dampier Archipelago South African Love grass in the Darling Range Regional Park cane toads in the Northern Territory Woylie conservation in South-West native Wandoo conservation in the Swan region etc.

Written activity Hand out minimum impact management plans. Ask students to fill them out for a particular area and activity you will be visiting at some stage throughout the year. (If different people/groups are using different activities or different areas it works well.) Brainstorm where this sort of information is available. For example: www.naturebase.net www.dieback.net.au www.csiro.au

Minimum impact management plans

Examples of impacts caused by people: transport of Phytophthora cinnamomi water mould spoors trampling of grasses widening of tracks.

Examples of impacts caused by equipment: tree slings rubbing bark off trees when building climbing anchors erosion caused by caving ladders at the cave entrance.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Review learning and whether the use of a template helped to identify impacts students may not have considered.

Evidence and monitoring Understanding of local land management and usage issues Completion of the minimum impact management plan


Minimum impact management plan Resource

Operating area:

Activity:

Group size:

Date/s:

Land management district/agency:

Environmental, cultural, and social issues

Cur

rent

env

ironm

enta

l is

sues

in a

rea

People Equipment

Fact

ors

that

cau

se im

pact

s


Leave No Trace Australia

seven principles

Plan ahead and prepare Dispose of waste properly Travel and camp on durable

surfaces Leave what you find Respect wildlife Be considerate of your hosts and

other visitors Minimise impact of fires

People Equipment

Stra

tegi

es to

man

age

impa

cts

of a

ctiv

ities

in a

rea

(Use

the

seve

n Le

ave

No

Trac

e A

ustr

alia

prin

cipl

es a

s a

guid

e)



Unit 1D: Outdoor leadership

One pot meals

Unit 1D: Identify human impacts and examine Leave No Trace practices to minimise impact; Explore ways to educate users about practising Leave No Trace principles


plan to prepare a meal in an outdoor environment that creates minimal waste.


Illustrates human impacts on an environment and provides strategies to minimise impact

Methodology Materials Introduction Have one or several one pot meals cooking on the camp stove when the students arrive. Give everyone a copy of the recipe/s and describe how you prepared each meal. Have everyone taste the dish/es.

Body In pairs, have students create a recipe for a simple one pot meal. Ask them to make a list of all the ingredients they need to cook their meal. Ask them to describe how they could pack/repackage the ingredients to minimise the rubbish they create while on camp. Ask them to estimate the weight of their meal before being cooked.

Practical activity Have students compete in cook groups to cook the quickest meal. You could use ingredients you brought in or make this the next lesson and have them bring in ingredients. Have half the groups cook a one pot meal and half the groups cook a two or more pot meal. Have them weigh their ingredients prior to cooking and make sure they are practising good hygiene so everyone can taste everyone’s food at the end.

Prior to lesson One pot meals

cooking on camp stove for students to taste

During lesson Plates and cutlery Camp stoves Fuel Matches Cleaning products Recipes Ingredients for a one

pot meals Kitchen scales

Less

on c

onte

nt

Discussion Why is planning one pot meals important before you go? What’s wrong with canned pasta and canned fruit? Why is it necessary to repackage items before you go? What other things should you consider when planning your menu? E.g.

nutritional value of food, weight, ease of preparation, quantity, dietary requirements of group members etc.

How nutritional was their planned meal? Is there something they could easily add to it to make it more balanced if necessary?

How did they like actually cooking the meal? Did it illustrate the difference between one and two pot meals and could they use it as a way to teach members of their group?

Conclusion Discuss the taste of the different meals (either in the intro or from the alternate activity). Compare the time taken if possible. Get the students to share what they have learnt about preparing meals for their next trip.

Evidence and monitoring: Choice of one pot meal to prepare—nutritional value, ease of preparation, weight of ingredients etc.. Ability to repackage to minimise waste Participation in discussion



Unit 1D: Outdoor

leadership

Educating others



teach a Leave No Trace principle to peers identify what makes an interesting and informative lesson.


Explores ways to minimise impact thought educating peers about Leave No Trace principles

Methodology Materials Introduction

Review what Leave No Trace is and where it has developed from. Revisit the seven Leave No Trace principles.

Practical activity Split your class into seven groups and assign each group a Leave No Trace

principle. Using the LNTA resources available, they need to come up with a creative

way to teach the rest of the class about their principle. They need to cover:

What their principle is. What the words actually mean. What it looks like in a practical sense for a particular activity or a range of

activities. If there are different behaviours or aspects of the principle according to the

environment you are in. The challenge is for them to be as creative as possible and involve their audience if possible. NB—this may work better as an assessment task over several lessons, rather than completed in one lesson.

Leave No Trace resources for bushwalking e.g. the green guide, swing tags, skills and ethics booklets

Any props groups require to teach their principle

Suggestions if they are stuck about how to teach it: using a skit making a poem or song inventing a game or quiz doing a fun activity involving drawing and imagination going outside and demonstrating things PowerPoint presentation puzzle story boardgame.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion After all the principles have been presented discuss the following:

Which lessons did they like the best? Why? Which teaching methods were more effective? Why? What have they learnt about teaching their peers? Do they now think they have the skills to teach others about how to minimise

their impact?

Evidence and monitoring Content and delivery of lessons presented to their peers Ability to work well in a group Contribution to discussion post presentations


Relationship with nature: Leave No Trace principles Unit 1D: Outdoor leadership

Planning prevention



identify human impacts identify ways to minimise impact in the field identify necessary equipment to minimise impact.


Explores strategies to minimise impact

Methodology Materials Teacher information: This is the perfect class to do in the field when you come to a heavily impacted camp site. If you need to run it as a classroom based lesson, find some pictures of a heavily impacted camp site that you can centre your class around.

Heavily impacted camp site

OR Photos of a heavily

impacted camp site

Introduction Have students observe the camp site or photos of heavily impacted camp site. What are the emotions that are evoked by the scene?

Small group activity Ask the students to identify the following things:

1. What did they do prior to coming on the trip to help prevent them causing the same damage to a similar location?

2. Now they are in the outdoors, what are some ways the group could plan to prevent the same type of damage occurring at the place they are planning to stay?

3. Which Leave No Trace principles can they see people failing to observe in the scene e.g. rubbish left on a huge fire ring: ‘Dispose of waste properly’ and ‘Minimise impact of fire’.

4. How best do they think the people who use this camp site could best be educated about the impact they are having?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Ask students to share their answers to the previous questions. Challenge them to firstly, make sure they are not guilty of creating a similar picture when camping and secondly, to make a positive difference to the camp site in front of them.

Bags for rubbish collection

Disposable gloves

Evidence and monitoring Ability to identify the impacts at the camp site Identification of actions they took prior to trip to prevent impact from occurring Identification of actions they can take to prevent impact from occurring once on site Recognition of correct Leave No Trace principles



Unit 2A: Being responsible in the outdoors

Riparian zone investigation

Unit 2A: Exploring the role of Leave No Trace principles in sustainable local environmental management


articulate what a riparian zone is and why it is both important ecologically and very fragile

examine current environmental management strategies compare alternative ways to manage specific human impacts in

an area.


Introducing sustainable environmental management strategies

Methodology Materials Introduction Take students to observe a specific riparian or coastal environment. Some options are:

Kent Street Weir Many other places along the river East Perth Development Near Burswood foreshore.

Talk about the Riparian zone and why it is so important but also so fragile—boarders two biomes, acts as a filter etc. (note: it would be fantastic to have previously been down to the East Perth waste water management development near the causeway to look at how storm water is managed down the there, and be able to talk about the riparian zone doing the same thing the development is designed to do on a larger scale.

Look at flora and fauna present—what is native, what has been was introduced? How can you tell? Ask the students to wander around and make some mental or guided written observations of the area.

Riparian location

Try and find an environment where there is some man-made landscaping structures e.g. a bridge, boardwalks, a structure facilitating access to the water AND some natural bush/ vegetation

Discussion Why is it so important to protect this environment? What different management strategies can we see in place in this area? How do they relate to the Leave No Trace principles? What other ones are options—encourage them to think about education

options, barriers, seasonal restrictions etc. What can we do as individuals to minimise our impact (behaviour)?

Written task 1. Explain two different types of management strategies you saw in place to

protect the environment 2. What are some advantages and disadvantages of them both? 3. Can you name a strategy NOT currently in place that might work well? Why

do you think it would be successful?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Alternative location Running this lesson at Rottnest would also work really well as there are lots of places where people obviously access the beach but which are not signed as swimming places and often have fences or old paths covered in brush as an obvious deterrent. It is a great opportunity to talk about the management strategy currently in place and whether it looks like it is working. (There are lots of social


trails in some places, rather than one distinct path.)

Considering it is a fragile coastal area, what would be a better management strategy? Is having an obvious path (which is definitely leaving a trace) better long-term in high use areas? If they think yes, then challenge them to consider what might be the best material to build it out of—aesthetically, environmentally, transport wise, longevity wise? Makes a great discussion.

Evidence and monitoring Observations of riparian location Participation in discussion Written task




Principles and actions



recall the seven Leave No Trace principles explain actions that fall into each of the principles.


Explores environmental management strategies

Equips students with tools to be responsible when recreating in the outdoors

Methodology Materials Teacher information

This is a short activity better suited to a smaller group—for instance with half the class while the other half is doing another activity and then swapping over. The students need to be able to move around and participate in a discussion. It does work in the field.

Action and principles cards, laminated and cut up

Introduction: Review the seven Leave No Trace principles and what each principles

means in terms of behaviour in the outdoors.

Practical activity Place the seven principle cards on the floor. Hand out all the actions, ensuring each student gets actions from a mixture

of principles. Ask students to place their action with the appropriate LNT principle. Once all the actions are laid on the floor, ask everyone to look at the choice

people made.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Discussion Are there any actions that people would have placed differently? Can they explain why? Can the person who made the initial choice explain their choice? Remind them that there should be 10 actions per principle—does the way they have laid them out reflect that? Extension Can students identify more actions to fall under each of the principles? If each group is assigned a different activity or environment, how do the actions compare?

Conclusion Review the fact that some behaviours could fall under more than one Leave No Trace principle—it is not always black and white. The most important message is why the behaviours are important.

Evidence and monitoring Allocation of actions to principles Reasoning behind choice Participation in discussion


Leave No Trace principles and actions Laminate the cards and then cut out the actions. Remember to keep a complete copy for your reference.

Be considerate of your hosts and other visitors

Respect cultural owners and their country Seek permission

Respect all land managers Follow instructions on the signage

Respect other visitors Yield to other people Keep your group’s noise to a

minimum Keep a low profile

Maintain a cooperative spirit Observe appropriate behaviour


Plan ahead and prepare

Educate yourself Seek permission

Ask first Carry water

Plan for your group Develop your skills Avoid the breeding season of

local wildlife Check for regulations and

permits Avoid times of high use Use proper gear


Respect wildlife

Observe from a distance Avoid sensitive times and habits

Never feed wild animals Store food and rubbish securely

Control your pet Leave pets at home

Use binoculars or a camera Do not encircle, crowd, tease or pick up animals

Educate yourself on local species

Report injured or sick animals


Travel and camp on durable surfaces

Concentrate use in popular areas

Disperse use in pristine areas

Use designated tracks Naturalise and restore camp sites before leaving

Use established camp sites Avoid treading on mosses and soft plants

Good camp sites are found and not made

Walk wide when in coastal areas

When off track, spread out Camp away from fresh water sources


Dispose of waste properly

Pack it in, pack it out Dig a cat hole 100 m from water

Do not use soap in streams or lakes

Wash 100 m away from water sources

Bury faeces 10–15cm deep Do not burn rubbish Urinate away from camp sites

and tracks Carry an appropriate rubbish receptacle

Take rubbish to the nearest town Rubbish can kill wildlife


Leave what you find

Respect cultural artefacts Federal and State Law protects natural heritage

Respect sites of significance Protect cultural heritage places

Leave natural objects undisturbed

Clean seeds, dirt, fungus and mud off your gear

Be aware of and report invasive species Do not touch rock art

Avoid quarantine areas It is illegal to remove or disturb artefacts


Minimise the impact of fire

Use a fuel stove Check local fire regulations ahead of time

Consider the time of year

Use a non-drip candle instead

Set stoves on non-flammable surfaces Use established fire rings

Consider the availability of suitable wood

Build a small, minimal impact fire

Manage your fire Burn wood to ash and disperse




Important things



explain the Leave No Trace principle ‘Plan ahead and prepare’ identify the types of information they need to plan a trip effectively recognise where this information is available.


Considers the role of technology in planning for a trip

Considers the responsibilities of planning for a trip

Methodology Materials Introduction Review the Leave No Trace principle ‘Plan ahead and prepare.’ Have students identify that the ‘plan’ bit of it refers to ‘information’ and the ‘prepare’ bit of it could refer to equipment.

Activity Split the class into three types of groups:

Personal gear Group gear Navigation and route.

Ask each group to identify two things:

1. The three most important pieces of information they need to plan their part of the trip properly

2. The three most important items they need to bring.

If you have a large class you can have several groups looking at the same item. NB This is designed to be tricky. Hopefully they feel like they do not have enough information.

Have the groups share their thoughts on the most important information to have and see how similar the groups looking at the same aspect of the trip are. Then have them share the three most important pieces of gear and why they chose them.

White board or interactive electronic worksheet to share ideas

Less

on c

onte

nt

Discussion Looking at the combined group gear, individual gear and navigation gear lists, ask students whether they think they will:

be comfortable? be safe? be able to minimise their impact? Why or why not?

Talk about the goals of any trip as: maximising safety maximising comfort minimising impact.

Explain that to do this effectively they need lots of holistic information that can often seem related to a different area. For example:

If, as the group organising personal gear, they were not aware the route took them wading through a waist deep stream, they may not choose to take extra gear to get wet in and be cold and miserable.

If, as the group organising each group’s gear, they planned to cook on a fire without realising they were going during a total fire ban or into an area with no suitable dead and downed wood to burn, they would be very hungry or eating cold food.

Can they think of any more similar problems? Ask them to spend three minutes considering if they would change their choices now


and if so, to what and why?

Written task Ask students to develop a list of all the information they might need to start

planning a trip. They should save this for future reference. Discuss where this information is available and the technology that we have

access to today that makes gathering all this information easy. Ask them to put together a list of online or other resources to accompany their

information list.

Online access to research information sharing options

Conclusion Review that the goals for any trip are to

maximising safety maximising comfort minimising impact.

Ask what students learnt from the activity today.

Evidence and monitoring Choice of information Choice of equipment Ability to work in a group List of information and where it is available



Unit 2B: Attaining independence in the outdoors

Saving our species

Unit 2B: Integrating Leave No Trace principles into management strategies for at risk environments in Western Australia


explain some of the ways biodiversity issues are increased by human activity

describe a management solution to a local biodiversity issue.


Explores current, controversial environmental issues that are related to outdoor experiences

Methodology Materials Get students to read the latest edition of ‘Saving our species’ produced by the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).

DEC ‘Saving our

species’ publication

Less

on c

onte

nt

In groups, get students to choose an initiative that is helping to maintain the current level of biodiversity in our state. Get them to identify:

1) How the problem came about. 2) What people should have done initially that would have prevented the

problem from occurring. 3) How the problem is being managed. 4) How the level of awareness people have about threats to biodiversity

can be improved. 5) How Leave No Trace can be used to educate people about the

importance on minimising their impact.

Evidence and monitoring Identification of how problem arose Management of the problem Use of Leave No Trace principles to educate people




Mountain biking or canoeing?


Lesson outcomes: By the completion of this lesson students should be able to:

review situations where groups should stay and not stay on the trail and travel in a line or spread impact out

identify fragile areas encountered during different activities integrate management strategies into the way an activity is

conducted to protect environments when participating in specific outdoor activities.


Explores the Leave No Trace principle ‘Travel and camp on durable surfaces’

Explores current, controversial environmental issues that are related to outdoor experiences

Methodology Materials Introduction Using the activity of hiking to a location and setting up camp, review what a durable and non-durable surface is and how we can modify our behaviour to minimise our impact. Review that, when on a trail, one should follow directly behind each other and when in a pristine environment the better alternative is often to spread out.

Group or class discussion Pose the following questions:

Are there environments in Western Australia where we should not follow exactly behind other group members?

In Phytophera (dieback) infected areas when it is wet. Phytophera is a water borne mould that can be easily spread by hikers, mountain bikers, and 4 wheel drivers travelling through wet areas. In these situations hikers and people using the trails should deliberately travel around the puddles.

In fragile coastal areas repeated use of a trail can speed up the erosion process. Hikers and asked to deliberately walk wide.

Anymore? What is an appropriate sized group to travel on a well-defined trail? A pristine

environment? How have they identified the right number? If a group size was larger than ideal size, what are some strategies they could

use to solve the problem?

Picture of

impacted camp site with well-defined social trails

Ask them next to consider a well used camp site. Talk about social trails created in camp sites between tents, kitchen areas and the toilet.

What are some ways to prevent the formation of social trails and how can we best educate others about changing behaviours?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Group activity Have the students in groups and assign each group an outdoor activity that they will be participating in over the year or on a camp. Ask each group to identify:

What are the durable surfaces present in their specific environments that they visit?

What are the fragile environments they encounter during participation in their specific activity?

Any non-durable surfaces encountered moving from the classroom or between an activity.

Using the group’s different answers, compare how the notion of a durable surface changes for each activity e.g. when caving, mountaineering, horse riding, participating on a ropes course etc.

Information about area in which activity is conducted

Individual assessment task Have students to create a pamphlet or information brochure or alternative way to share information relevant for various user groups participating in each activity. Ensure their


work addresses the following questions: What are the fragile surfaces we encounter during the activity? How can we protect the fragile surfaces we encounter during the activity? Are there specific management strategies that we can employ? E.g. how could

we land a fleet of sea kayaks or canoes on a fragile surface at night? How could we access and protect various parts of a cave – especially a vertical cave etc.

Evidence and monitoring Creation and information contained in information pamphlet Identification of durable and non-durable surfaces encountered in activity Participation in discussion and group work




Turning back time



explain the importance of leaving ancient artefacts at the site they were found

articulate the problems caused by both vandalism and unintentional destruction of significant artefacts

suggest some ways to preserve ancient artefacts for everyone to enjoy.


‘Leave what you find’ Leave No Trace principle

Explores significant historical, and cultural heritage

Reviews current management strategies of environments at risk

Methodology Materials Introduction Review how archaeologists and scientist form ideas about people and animals before us. (They find fossils and reconstruct the skeletons relative to other fossils found nearby.) For example

What animals that lived in Australia millions of years ago ate. How long ago the Aboriginal people utilised Devil’s Lair cave. What the giant wombat-like animal (Zygomatutus Trilobus) of the South-West

looked like. Body: Split the class into two teams. Explain that the two archaeological teams will take turns visiting the site of an ancient civilisation. (You might like to use the site of a now extinct animal and vary your evidence accordingly.)

Have the first team visit the site and view the objects without touching the artefacts.

Tell them to remember their initial impression of the site and that they need to formulate a hypothesis as a group about the type of animal/people who lived here and how they lived, what they ate etc.

Just before leaving the site, get each scientist/student to pick up one of the objects and hide it (this way only half the objects are visible to the second team).

Have the second archaeological team come to view the site and remaining artefacts.

Ask them to remember their initial impression of the site and to formulate a hypothesis as a group about the type of animal/people who lived here and how they lived, what they ate etc. Ask them to pick up the remaining artefacts.

Share thoughts and ideas Sit the teams down together.

• Ask someone from the second team what was their impression of the site and the civilisation/animal. Ask them to describe how they were able to come to that conclusion.

• Have the first team reveal the artefacts they had removed. Ask them to share the conclusion they came to about the site and the civilisation/animal.

Old camping equipment such as tent pegs, an old blackened pot, burnt wood and blackened rocks

An animal skull An old/broken child toy

A bullet shell or axe or hammer

Pictures cut from magazines or newspapers food scraps etc.

Try and have enough props for the whole class

Less

on c

onte

nt

Discussion How easy was it to make a hypothesis about the past civilisation/animal? Why is it important that scientists find fossils and artefacts where they were

originally deposited? Which Leave No Trace principle relates to this situation? What are the effects of deliberate vandalism or theft of fossils and artefacts? What are the effects of unintentional impacts (driving off road, hobby collecting,


camp site selection and construction)? Can students think of any other ways fossils might be lost of destroyed? What are they?

Conclusion Make sure the students understand this ‘Leave what you find’ concept applies to all things that should remain untouched in the wilderness e.g. birds’ nests, petrified wood/rock, shells, wildflowers etc.

Ask students to brainstorm ways we might be able to preserve and view the artefacts on-site without them being damaged.

Ask them to consider a way they might be able to share the artefact with people after getting home without taking it from the site e.g. photos, sketches.

Ask them to consider ways to educate people about the importance of leaving fossils and significant artefacts in the wilderness using the Leave No Trace principles.

Ask them why it is so important for these types of items to be left where they are found e.g. habitat provision, keeping minerals/nutrients in the environment, allowing others to enjoy them etc.

Extension In groups, get students to look at some local sites that have fossilised artefacts or rare animals or plants and explore the various ways land management agencies have chosen to preserve them. Ask them to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each management strategy. Present their findings to the rest of the class.

Teacher resources Some ideas of local sites with rare artefacts/fossils etc.:

1. Dingo’s cave and the damaged Christmas tree karst formation (perhaps contrast the management strategies before and after the damage?)

2. Mammoth Cave which boasts a fossilised jawbone of Zygomatutus Trilobus, a giant wombat like creature that can be touched, as well as other fossil remains.

3. Devil’s Lair cave and the stone artefacts, animal bone remains, hearths, bone artefacts and human skeletal remains that have been very well preserved.

4. Murajunga (Burrup Peninsula) and the Dampier Archipelago and the petroglyphs thought to be up to 20,000 years old.

5. Shark Bay area and artefacts belonging to the Yamatji people.

Evidence and monitoring Formulation of hypothesis about ancient culture Participation in sharing activity and discussion Thoughts about the impact of vandalism or unintentional destruction Ideas about how to protect ancient artefacts intact at sites Exploration of strategies employed by local land management agencies at local archaeological sites



Unit 3A: Outdoor program development

User group behaviours

Unit 3A: Evaluating past and existing minimal impact practices; assessing different ways of conveying Leave No Trace principles to different user groups


identify why poor minimum impact practices might occur consider effective education strategies related to activity

participation.


Develops understandings of human-nature relationships

Examines strategies that promote positive human-nature relationships

Methodology Materials Introduction Define what a value is. Have the group brainstorm thoughts about how a value guides behaviour.

Small group discussion: Split the class into several groups and assign/have them choose different user

groups. Ask them to wear the hat of their user group and work out which actions the user

group might find particularly intolerable and which are less intolerable (for example paddlers possibly find bright coloured clothing on the river a necessary safety feature, whereas hikers may find that it destroys their sense of being alone out there). Be conscious that you are not trying to promote stereotypes but rather see an activity through someone else’s eyes.

Have the students share some the possible reasons they have identified why poor minimum impact practices might be followed.

Group activity They now need to formulate a plan to effectively convey the Leave No Trace message to their specific user groups being mindful of the various roadblocks to success they may have identified thought the previous activity.

Less

on c

onte

nt

Extension This lesson could tie in with a visit from a land manager about the current methods of promoting minimum impact to specific user groups and the successes/failures they have had in the past. They could also speak to members of various user groups e.g. the speleological society about proposed suggestions and seeking out their reaction.

Land manager or member of user groups to visit

Evidence and monitoring Identification of behaviour and actions related to user groups Formulated plan Participation in discussion with land manager or user group



Unit 3B: Managing outdoor experiences

Tricky situations

Unit 3B: Educating groups about minimal impact practices using methods appropriate to the specific group and the specific environment


define ‘ethic’ evaluate ways to resolve challenging scenarios about land

use and care place themselves along an ethics continuum.


Provides opportunities to develop critical thinking about issued and ethics related to outdoor activities

Methodology Materials Introduction Ask everyone in the class to think of an ethical role model in their lives (parent, teacher, colleague etc.). Brainstorm what some of the attributes are that make you think of then in that way? List these attributes on the board. What is an ethic? Get a few definitions. One definition is ‘a belief or principle that guides our behaviour’. How do people learn about ethics? (Hopefully you get some things like: role models; through a discovery or a connection to their own experience; enjoyable experiences; finding things people care about etc.). So, we can all be ethical role models!

Some things worth consideration: 1. Are ethics abstract or action? (Those who speak the truth, but do not act on it,

do not really know the truth e.g. Gandhi.) 2. Need to understand competing pros and cons 3. Ethics are subjective 4. Education increases the variable (doesn’t make it simpler) 5. Ethics evolved in individuals and communities 6. Does position make a difference?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Interactive activity Present the scenarios below to pairs of students and give them 15 minutes to come up with their resolution. These are just some examples—make them relevant to the location and group. Scenarios: For a reunion of old friends, you decide to take them on an overnight walk to your favourite lake. They have come from interstate and overseas for it. After a hot thirsty day’s walk, you arrive at the lake to find it’s closed to camping for revegetation. It’s too far to go back. Your party could make it to the next water source safely, but it won’t be fun, and you won’t have the evening to socialise. What do you do? One of your 13-year-old students has left a pair of socks in camp 20 km back. He knows that your standard procedure is to go back to retrieve items left behind. What do you do? What if it were a stove, a sleeping bag, the last day of the trip? You have been offered $10,000 to give publishers information on the 100 most pristine places in the country. Millions will read it. What do you do? What if it were $100,000 for the 10 most pristine? $1m for 1 place? You arrange to meet your father at a place where he used to take you as a kid. When you get there he is fishing successfully. It’s the first time you seen him laugh for months. You know the fishing regulations have changed because the fish are threatened. What do you do?

Ethical scenarios


You take some friends on a snorkelling trip out to a reef a few kilometres offshore one summer day. When you start snorkelling, one of your friends produces a screwdriver and starts prying the some abalone off the reef. You know full well it is not abalone season but people are very keen to try the delicacy and there is no-one else around for miles. What do you do?

Discussion Get each pair to discuss their decision with the group and debate the issues. Alter the scenarios to make decisions easier or harder. Discuss the fact Leave No Trace principles educate and guide people to make ethical decisions about land management and minimum impact. They do not solve the problem, they are just a tool people can choose to use or not.

Conclusion Have students place themselves along an ethics continuum. Try and have students understand that ethics are an evolution along a

continuum. Everyone can probably imagine a time when they behaved less ethically, often due to lack of education.

Ask them how they think they could personally move up the minimum impact continuum when in the bush.

Try and have them identify the fact everyone can move along this continuum and, as outdoor recreationalists and outdoor leaders, we can try and give people the tools and desire to move along the continuum regardless of where they currently sit.

Take home message is: You don’t have to be a ‘Buddha’ to help or to define ethics.

An ethics scale

BUDDHA BUTT HEAD

Ethics continuum

Evidence and monitoring Resolution of ethical dilemma Facilitation of and participation in debate related to the issues in the scenario




Food scraps or toilet paper?



identify the impacts they find most and least offensive articulate why they feel this way suggest effective ways to educate people about their impact

according to the activity they are participating in or their perception of a resource or place.


Develops critical thinking about issues related to outdoor users and the impacts they leave on an environment

Considers the needs of specific groups

Methodology Materials Introduction Write a list of impacts on the board. Below are some suggestions but add more that are specific to the area you are visiting or the user group that your class belongs to.

Impacts written on the board

1. Many fire rings 2. Litter on track 3. Faeces in water 4. Multiple camp sites 5. Damaged cultural site 6. Noisy groups 7. Large groups 8. Toilet paper spread around 9. Carved trees 10. Food scraps left in camps 11. Harassed wildlife 12. Soap in water 13. Bright gear and clothing 14. Groups breaking on track

Ask people to each write down their three least worst (most acceptable). Ask everyone in the group to each write down the worst three (in their opinion).

Less

on c

onte

nt

Discussion Tally the results of how many chose each one in their worst list, then in their acceptable lists. Discuss the differences—you will find many thoughts and preferences are common within the group. You might like to ask people to describe why they find them so unacceptable or why they consider them least worst. Hopefully the group realises this activity:

Shows the diversity of thought among like-minded people Can be used to find commonality and unite diverse groups. For example,

some people don’t mind rubbish on the track as it can easily be removed, where as they cannot tolerate names carved into a tree as they are permanent. Other people cannot tolerate rubbish on the track as it is so easily preventable

Shows how tolerance for a bad action can develop. Discuss where this diversity comes from.

Can come from an individual’s focus when recreating in the outdoors (this is aside from more utilitarian focuses like mining, harvesting, farming, developing). Different types of focus are:

a. Activity (skill, exercise, competition) b. Companions (solitude, social, educative) c. Setting (aesthetic, spiritual)


Discuss how this can lead to the following sources of conflicts between users: a) different significance of a resource b) different meaning of an activity c) different expectation of the environment d) different social status.

Written activity: Have the students answer the following questions:

1. How might this activity help land managers target specific behaviours they want people to change?

2. Do you think they would have more success targeting behaviours that people find most offensive or least offensive? Why?

3. How might this information help us as outdoor leaders to target specific behaviours of our group?

4. Do you think our strategy would change if our audience or group changed? Why or why not?

5. What are some tools we can use to give people the tools to minimise their impact?

6. Choose two different groups of people you might be taking in to the outdoors. For example a) family b) Year 9 canoeing class. Identify what their most acceptable and least acceptable list of impacts might look like. Explain why you feel like this. Describe the strategies or tools you might use with each of the groups. Finally, explain why you have chosen the strategies you did and why you feel they will be effective.

Conclusion: Have the students share their thoughts about targeting specific audiences with different strategies and the strategies they have chosen to use.

Evidence and monitoring Identification of most and least acceptable impacts Identification of where this diversity comes from Ability to assimilate this information into strategies to minimise impacts relevant to a specific activity or social

user groups




Wild or not wild?



define ‘wilderness’ explain the value of wilderness convey an understanding that outdoor users have a

responsibility to the wildlife in the area.


Provides opportunities to develop critical thinking about issues related to outdoor activities

Methodology Materials Introduction Review the seven Leave No Trace principles. Review what the principle ‘Respect wildlife’ looks like in an area. Ask students to view some pictures of animals—some obviously native and wild, others habituated and eating out of people’s hands or rubbish, others feral, others seemingly wild but domestic.

Photos or a range of animals—domestic, native, wild, habituated etc. (see resource sheet)

Discussion Ask students to consider the following:

What is the definition of ‘wildlife’? Which of the pictures showed wild animals? When do animals become not wild? Is a feral cat, or a fox, or a cow on a cattle station that gets mustered with a

helicopter, wild? What is the value of wildlife? Does the concept of wildlife change the notion of what is wild and what is

not?

Individual or group activity In small groups, have the students answer the following questions:

1. What responsibility do we, as users of wilderness places, have to the animals that live there?

2. Is the responsibility the same for all animals that live there? 3. What are some of the consequences of not respecting wildlife? 4. What are some possible strategies land managers could employ in areas

where wildlife is being mistreated, either intentionally or unintentionally? 5. What do they think about restricting access (i.e. closing a site) as a strategy

employed by land managers? 6. How would they feel if the trip they had been planning had to be cancelled

due to the area being closed? 7. What are some ways to effectively educate users about how to respect

wildlife and the wildlife issues in the area they are visiting?

Less

on c

onte

nt

Conclusion Have students share their ideas for the above questions.

Evidence and monitoring Participation in discussion Identification of wild and habituated animals Written response to questions Strategies to encourage people to respect wildlife



Unit 3A: Outdoor program development

Wild or not wild? Resource sheet

leave no trace - outdoorswa.org no trace resources.pdf · outdoor education: leave no trace 6 clues...

Documents