Leave No Trace

When you spend time in the great outdoors, do you hike by the Leave No Trace Principle? The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics developed these principles with a number of nature authority partners in 1994, but the movement encouraging responsible stewardship of the outdoors started as far back as the 1960s. These principles are good for any outdoor enthusiast to know, understand, and follow.

Indeed, many nature-focused organizations, such as the Boy Scouts of America, have instilled these ethics into their members. The seven principles include: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife, and Be Considerate of Other Visitors.

Each principle has multiple sub-principles with more thorough instructions that I encourage you to read. The principles help us keep wildlife wild, reduce litter and pollution, keep trails maintained, reduce wildfires, and keep ourselves safe, too. When we follow these principles, we attempt to leave no evidence at all that we visited the trail—we leave no trash and leave no disturbance. With these “rules,” we can lessen our impact on nature, respecting what God made.

We should also work to do the same in our Christian life. As followers of Jesus, we should strive to live such moral and upstanding lives that we also leave little “disturbance” on those around us. We want to be positive ambassadors for the gospel, representing and embodying our loving, caring God. We don’t give others any reason to accuse us of doing wrong.

Yes, in a kind, respectful, and considerate way, we want to challenge beliefs at times. We want to remind people of God’s love and forgiveness, but we also want to do good deeds and leave lasting impacts on the kingdom. At the same time, we also need to remember that none of us is perfect like Jesus, and we will all mess up sometimes. God will forgive us for our misdeeds and support our efforts to represent him.