Fort Collins boasts many outdoor activities, from hiking to biking to camping. For a lot of people who have never been in the outdoors before, it can be daunting wondering how their actions are impacting the world around them. Many Fort Collins residents already know that Fort Collins hosts a multitude of environmentally friendly events, aiming to help us be better stewards of our town and surrounding areas.

Did you know that you could help the environment in small ways that add up? For example, do you know what to do if you are camping and need to use the bathroom? Or hiking and see something off the trail that you really want to look at? Or picnicking with the little ones and have an encounter with local wildlife? What about a campfire’s impact? How can you leave the environment you visit better than you might otherwise?

It’s okay if you don’t know yet. But there’s a program that can help you: the Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop.

The Leave No Trace Awareness Workshop is a one-day or less event that is backed by the Center for Outdoor Ethics. It involves learning the Seven Principles of Leave No Trace and helps instill a sense of ethics for our environment and community. The idea is to teach as many individuals who use the outdoors as possible to avoid contaminating water sources (it happens in more ways than you think– like bathroom activities and camping), or to minimize land impacts. Leave No Trace isn’t a literal ideal, but rather, a philosophical one, hoping to help preserve natural lands for us now and into the future.

The Center for Outdoor Ethics has a lot of funding from outdoor stores, which allows them to run these workshops through many venues and areas and tailor it to the unique circumstances (for example, for students or for families, etc).

This particular workshop is at JAX Outdoor Gear on Tuesday, September 4th, from 6 PM to 8 PM. You do have to register so they know who is coming, though, it is free to attend. You can register on the website below.

Learn how to practice the Seven Principles, interact with wildlife in a responsible way, and minimize the impact you have on your environment when you enjoy the outdoors right in our backyard. (For those who can’t make this one, there’s another one in Loveland- check out the links below.)

For more information about the program: https://lnt.org

For more information about the event and registering for it at JAX: https://www.jaxmercantile.com/notrace

Crystal Angevine

Crystal Angevine is a CSU Alum, who dreams big and works hard. She loves being in the outdoors, lives for her family, and tries hard to be the change she wishes to see in the world. On any given Saturday, she might be found knitting, doing other handcrafted arts, or playing video games. She grew up in Northern Colorado, but still loves exploring Fort Collins and the surrounding areas. What better way to do that than by telling the world about the plethora of events dear old FoCo has to offer?