The pressure of numbers in the outdoors

 Great news in the last week, the rising popularity of walking and camping means that more New Zealanders are connecting with the outdoors.  In my opinion this is a great thing because our land, mountains, beaches, oceans and rivers are one of the things that define us as a nation.  Leave No Trace is about promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor recreation.  So the promoting and inspiring part is going well as shown by the graphic below (April 4, www.stuff.co.nz): 

DOC has also got aspirational goals that:

• 90% of New Zealander’s lives are enriched by connection to our nature
• 50% of international visitors come to New Zealand to connect with our natural places

More people outdoors more often has got to be a good thing.  But how are people interacting with the outdoors, do we know how to take care of the places we love?  The second part of the mission of Leave No Trace- responsible outdoor recreation is perhaps more of a concern. 

The cover image of Tourism Business magazine (Winter, 2015) shows a picture of the future.  Not a particularly inspiring future.  We should all be part of this conversation.  How can we as a nation maintain the quality of outdoor experiences for future generations and for international visitors.  Leave No Trace education needs to be part of the answer- how can you be part of the solution?  Get in touch.