Leave No Trace

by Bruce Hronek

It might not be the first thing you’d think of when someone mentions service. But the Scouts of Troop 127, sponsored by the Brookfield Ward of the Milwaukee Wisconsin Stake, learned a lot about giving service to people they’ll probably never see.

The Scouts took a canoeing and portaging trip through Sylvania Recreation Area, a wilderness area with no roads, motor vehicles, or conveniences.

Before the trip, Bonnie Peacock, a Forest Service guide, trained the Scouts in Leave No Trace Camping, a program designed to reduce impact on the environment.

They were taught that in advance planning they should obtain information about their destination; choose less-used areas in which to camp and limit themselves to ten people or less per campsite; package food in burnable or pack-out containers; and select dark-colored clothing and tents, in order to blend in with the forest.

They also followed these suggestions:

—Stay on designated trails while hiking, and avoid cutting across switchbacks. Don’t hang signs or ribbons or carve trees to mark routes.

—Camp at least 200 feet from trails, lakes, meadows, or streams. Hide your camp from view, and stay in one place no longer than four days.

—Avoid ditching around your tent, and avoid building camp structures. If temporary pioneering structures are built, dismantle them completely before leaving.

—Use a lightweight gas stove rather than building a fire. If you must build a fire, gather wood away from your camping area, and only pick up dead wood lying on the ground. Avoid building new fire circles. Never build fires against large rocks or in meadows—the scars are hard to hide. Make sure fires are out before leaving, and in little-used areas, save needles and twigs or sod to cover the fire scar.

—Wash dishes, clothes, and yourself with a pan or bucket well away from a stream or lake. Dig latrines 200 feet or more from water, camp, and trails. Burn fish entrails in the fire or bury them in the latrine. Pick up every bit of trash that will not burn (yours and others) and pack it out.

—Avoid making loud music or noise that disturbs wildlife and other campers. Leave flowers, rocks, and similar “souvenirs” for the next person to enjoy.

Photography by Gerald Purser