Leave more trace

Outdoor educators are adapting practices to respond to the priorities of education for sustainability. New practices are emerging or adopted from elsewhere. In Europe, the American recreational movement of Leave No Trace (LNT) has influenced environmental education programs. LNT has been criticised for encouraging a reduction in environmental impact in wilderness areas whilst ignoring the more significant impacts of equipment purchase, travel and modern lifestyles. This paper extends the critiques of LNT suggesting that it encourages attitudes of a separation from nature. It is suggested that the LNT concept is unrealistic and unhelpful in Europe where most landscapes have experienced the impact of humans for millennia. The author suggests that, inspired by European approaches of human nature relations and at a time of need for significant environmental changes, educational programs seeking to connect people with nature could encourage people to ‘leave more trace’ or, perhaps, to ‘consider their trace’ instead.