Leave No Trace

We LOVE spending time outside on BC's incredible beaches and trails. It’s the most fun and exhilarating way to give mind and body a real boost! But we also like to pretty regularly remind ourselves that nature is not a playground. It’s so important to respect delicate ecosystems and make sure you’re having as little impact on them as possible whenever you get to be out there. Luckily a little planning can help make sure your next excursion is the best and greenest yet.

It all comes down to the idea of “leaving no trace”. Basically, don’t leave anything behind (like garbage, yuck), but also don’t take anything away with you. Leave the plants, rocks and logs and where you found them—there are a lot of humans around so even if just a few us take just a few things, it can have a huge impact. Realistically, it may not be possible to leave no trace at all, but there’s a lot you can do to really minimise your impact.

Fresh air and exercise always boosts the appetite, and there are so many cool, reusable, responsibly produced containers for packing everything from tiny snacks, to large portions, to all your meal-making basics. Beeswax food wraps are a particularly good option for snacks, because they’re super lightweight and can fold up really small when you’re done munching.

While you definitely need to have water with you no matter if you’re at the beach for a few hours or in the woods for a few days, that water doesn’t have to be bought and carried in a disposable plastic bottle because there are tons of beautifully designed reusable water bottles available that are made without toxic chemicals or plastics.

The other chemicals to avoid, of course, are the ones found in many sunscreens and bug sprays, especially if you’re going to be swimming in lakes and oceans. Again, there are many natural options that will be far gentler on you—and all the living things around you—than the industrially produced versions. And as a bonus, so many of these natural options have amazing botanical ingredients that smell wonderful and actually nourish your skin!

We hope you’re having a wonderful, walking-gently-on-the-Earth kind of summer on the gorgeous West Coast!