Leave No Trace is a huge movement and awareness in the growing elopement market. It is not just for elopements though; any outdoor wedding can take part in the movement. Built upon a set of seven minimum-impact principles, Leave No Trace is something anyone and everyone can be mindful of.
Honestly, I didn’t really know that this movement existed until a couple of months ago. I joined a new Facebook Group for adventure wedding photographers, and it seemed to be a popular topic.
Once I looked into it, I was baffled that I never really paid much attention to it before. Of course, you hear about packing out what you bring in, but the seven steps in the LNT movement is more than that.
The Seven Steps of Leave No Trace
- Plan Ahead + Prepare
- Travel + Camp on DURABLE Surfaces
- Dispose of Waste, Properly
- Leave What You Find
- Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Respect Wildlife
- Be Considerate of Other Visitors
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My guide defines each of these steps in length and how to complete each one, but what caught me off guard most were the two following tips:
- CONFETTI. If you are like me, I love a good sparkle or champagne pop. Did you know that champagne can attract wildlife to areas where they pose a threat to humans or vice versa? It’s sweet, that’s why we like it. Also, it emits a cute reaction and pure emotion from those that are popping it, but it is actually harmful for the environment that you are in. An alternative that is suggested is simple sparkling water. No sugars added, no extra flavor. It’s natural but still creates the pop you are looking for in your photos.
- Traveling on DURABLE Surfaces. I figured that walking through areas that aren’t marked off would be fine, right? Wrong. The environment is sensitive, just like you and me. There are some grasses and surfaces that don’t just bounce back after being trampled on for photos. It’s important to keep that in mind.
LNT can be used for ALL session types. Anything outdoors. It’s important to love the earth so that our kids and future generations can love all the same locations and outdoors as much as we do.
