Leave No Trace Spotlight: Voyageurs National Park July 24-26
Voyageurs National Park and Voyageurs Conservancy proudly hosted the Leave No Trace traveling team over three days, bringing together community members, park staff, and outdoor enthusiasts in support of sustainable stewardship. As part of the park's 50th anniversary festivities, the event focused on preserving the park for future generations through Leave No Trace ethics and meaningful volunteer action and public education.
July 24: Staff Workshop and Collaboration
Conservancy staff were joined by Voyageurs National Park volunteers and rangers to learn more about applying Leave No Trace principles to their roles of education and communication about Voyageurs National Park. From friendly competition to role playing scenarios, the group left ready to take what they learned into their day-to-day work.
July 24: Night Skies and Stewardship
At the Kabetogama Visitor Center, over 60 participants gathered to learn about the park’s efforts to reduce light pollution and what it takes to be an International Dark Sky park. The group gathered to see meteoroids, constellations, and the milky way through our powerful telescope, and even got the chance to help take scientific readings on darkness with Voyageurs Conservancy’s Dark Sky educator.
July 25: Interactive Learning and Engagement
The seven Leave No Trace principles were the star of the show at the Ash River Visitor Center, with activities and giveaways tailored to help educate visitors of all ages on the importance of stewardship and respectful outdoor practices.
July 26: Trail Work and Community Stewardship
National Park Service and Voyageurs Conservancy staff teamed up with local volunteers to spend the morning giving back to the park with a trail clean-up stewardship project on the Kab-Ash Trail. Using only hand tools, the group cleared almost two miles of trail!
Check out the before, during and after pictures – the group sure worked hard despite the mosquitoes!
Leave No Trace Principles in Action at Voyageurs National Park:
Plan Ahead and Prepare: Research the unique characteristics of Voyageurs, including permit requirements, how you’ll get to your campsite and park rules and regulations.
Travel and Camp on Durable Surface: Use only designated campsites, tent pads and trails to avoid habitat degradation.
Dispose of Waste Properly: Everything that comes to your campsite should also leave with you! Use pit toilets when available, and as a backup, bury human waste six to eight inches deep and at least 200 feet away from water, campsites and trails.
Leave What You Find: Do not remove natural materials or cultural artifacts from the park. Take pictures instead to show your friends, and leave the flowers, rocks and artifacts for the next group to appreciate too.
Minimize Campfire Impacts: There's a plethora of fire rings provided by the National Park Service throughout Voyageurs. Using them is an easy way to prevent unintentional fires all year long. When you do set a fire, make sure that your fire is put out cold to the touch before walking away.
Respect Wildlife: Keep plenty of distance from you and all wildlife that call the park home. Storing your food correctly helps prevent any larger critters from visiting your campsite and smaller critters from getting into your stash!
Be Considerate of Others: Noise travels far on the lake, so keep noise to a minimum when you’re on the water, especially at night. When travelling on trails, make sure to travel on the right and yield to uphill hikers.
Want to learn more about Leave No Trace for your next trip to Voyageurs? Visit Leave No Trace’s official website to dive deeper into the seven principles that help us minimize our impact and maximize the beauty of our park.
