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SLIDE 1:
What is Leave No Trace? And what do we do?
Leave No Trace Ireland promotes and inspires responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnerships. The programme strives to build awareness, appreciation and respect for Ireland's natural and cultural heritage and is dedicated to creating a nationally recognised and accepted outdoor ethic that promotes personal responsibility.
It encourages all outdoor enthusiasts (e.g. walkers, mountain bikers, canoeists, orienteerers, horse riders) to do their part to maintain those lands used by the public for the benefit of the environment and for future generations.
At the heart of Leave No Trace are 7 principles for reducing the damage caused by outdoor activities. These are:
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Be Considerate of Others
- Respect Farm Animals and Wildlife
- Travel and Camp on Durable Ground
- Leave What You Find
- Dispose of Waste Properly
- The extraordinary diversity of the Irish landscape is one of Ireland’s most important resources.
“We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children”
- The responsibility for looking after this belongs to all of us.
- As the number of people using the outdoors, for recreational activities increases each year. The collective impacts on the environment are increasing proportionally.
- The evidence of these impacts can be seen by the increase in litter, in deteriorating water quality, soil erosion, disturbance to wild life, livestock and the effect to other people.
- These are all indicators of the need to PRACTICE AN ETHIC to protectboth our natural and cultural heritage.
Leave No Trace is about awareness an attitude – making the right decisions to protect the outdoors.
SLIDE 2
What is the company structure?/ History?
Company limited by guarantee with charitable status
1 employee – Programme Manager
VOLUNTARY BASED
Based in Westport, HQ Irish Sports Council
Established in 2006 in Ireland (Based on US programme)
Ireland's countryside is undoubtedly a high quality natural resource, both spatially extensive and diverse in nature. The extensiveness and diversity of the resource base lends itself to the provision of opportunities for a wide range of countryside recreation activities for both the local population and for an increasing number of tourists.As pressure on our landscapes and seascapes from recreational use continues to increase, it is necessary that a national system is put in place which will ensure that visitors to the Irish countryside, whether locals or tourists, visit with care.
To date, no national Country Code has existed in the south of Ireland, although a plethora of codes from various organisations have been developed. In the UK, currently, three different versions of the Country Code exist. In 1999, the Countryside Access and Activities Network (Northern Ireland) revisited the Country Code and modified it to make it more relevant to recreational users. More recently, England and Wales published a new Country Code following the introduction of the CROW Act and Scotland published another version, the 'Access Code', following the introduction of its freedom to roam legislation.
In early 2004, an ad hoc committee was established in Ireland to progress the idea of establishing one system for all of Ireland. The committee consisted of the Countryside Access and Activities Network (NI), Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme (NI), Coillte, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Forest Service (RoI), Heritage Council, Irish Uplands Forum, Mountaineering Council of Ireland, Mountain Meitheal, Scouting Ireland and The Presidents Award.
In 2005, it was agreed that the Leave No Trace message was the most relevant to the Irish context. Leave No Trace differs from all existing country codes in that it is an 'education programme' that constantly puts the message and skills before outdoor users. Leave No Trace concepts can be applied in Ireland's uplands and lowlands, in urban parks, on lakes and rivers or in local neighbourhoods. In September 2006, 'Leave No Trace Ireland' was officially launched in Ireland.
The current office is run by a part time programme Manager in Westport, Mayo situated in the Mayo County Council Offices.
Partner based - 5 core partners
Leave No Trace Ireland is a network of organisations and individuals with an interest in promoting the responsible recreational use of the outdoors.There are currently over 100 partners
Failte Ireland, Coillte, Irish Sports Council, Department of Environment, Waterways Ireland and 50 other partners partners
Leave No Trace is the ONLY code of ethics that has been endorsed by Comhairle na Tuaithe, the organisation who write the national country side and recreation strategy.
SLIDE 4
Education:
- Awareness training – over 6,000 delivered
- Trainer – Over 440 trainers
- Advanced Trainer - 33
All Inspiring positive behaviour
We run training most weeks, whether its awareness training or specialised trainer courses. We give our trainees a unique insight into the secret life of Irish Flora and Fauna.
What the native trees and animals are?
What medicinal properties they may have?
How to pack your bag correctly?
Why its important to keep your dog on a leash?
Why its important to consider access and private land?...
How to light a leave no trace fire?
How the sand insulates the ground and protects the ground beneth?
- We work with partners who are concerned about the effects of mass outdoor recreation
- The training experience is not ,run of the mill and the trainers have an experience they won’t forget.... and most often are so intrigued and connected – they want to pass the message on.Games, Quizzes, building campfires, Scavenger nature hunts, Pollination games, animal shapes! Anything that is FUN, we will do to helps people interpret and connect with the environment. Its simple, it’s slow, we use our eyes, ears and the great outdoors to learn.
Leave No Trace also run custom training with eco tourism business and destination groups i.e. Burren Geo Park, Castlebar and Westport Tidy Towns, Coillte Schools Compass Programme. The training is outdoors based and involves a full day of interactive learning in a fun engaging way!
- LEAVE No Trace schools – All linked to the 6 An Taisce Green Flags and Schools Cirriculum
SLIDE 5 EVENTS
Leave No Trace Campsite the Envy of All at Electric Picnic
- The lucky 400 campers staying in the first ever Leave No Trace campsite were the envy of all at this year’s Electric Picnic in Stradbally, Co. Laois. Those that registered for this free camping option woke up to a pristine campsite complete with picnic benches, morning yoga, a wishing tree and most importantly somewhere to recycle their rubbish and dispose of their waste properly.
- Campers took great pride in using the green and brown biodegradable bin bags provided in their welcome packs. We can safely say that empowering people to Leave No Trace worked. The campsite was pristinely clean all weekend. However, the contrast to the adjacent campsites was all too stark. Whilst the Leave No Trace Campsite was beautifully clean and green with ‘picnickers’ sunbathing on the grass, beer cans, food waste and general litter covered the ground of other campsites so that you could no longer see any grass.
- A key aspect of the campsite ethos was to educate people about Leave No Trace Principles to inspire responsible camping. There was no policing involved, everyone took responsibility for their own waste and their own impact on the land.
- The Leave No Trace campers ensured that a section of Stradbally’s beautiful environment was not disturbed. It is clear that an increasing number of people seek to preserve the beauty of the outdoor environment which they are enjoying. Since this year’s Electric Picnic, Leave No Trace has been inundated with requests to join next year’s campsite. There is a great opportunity to make Electric Picnic more sustainable and reduce the impact we have this festival has on the land it is held on. Watch this space!
SLIDE 6
Why ? – IRELAND SIGN
Outdoor recreation in Ireland :
It has gone from niche to norm
42% European and US travelers take part in an activity – research by ATTA
17% Increase in outdoor recreation annually
Ireland is changing and we have been taught a lesson that has impacted on us all
We have BEAUTIFUL Mountains, wild atlantic ocean, rivers, lakes and quaint tracks to wanderupon. We also have bio- diversity second to none. We want to keep it that way.
We want to balance our growth in Ireland with sound conservation practise and good environmental practice.
Our environment must not be compromised for any other gain.We have a Shared responsibility to protect Ireland
To sum up!
All over Ireland, Leave No Trace projects are growing whether its working with adventure, eco tourism or communities . Leave No Trace Ireland invite you to come on board to our programme.
Thank you