Before you go walkabout, take some time to consider the following: the Scouts encourage the idea of ‘leaving no trace’ when going bush.
This typically means minimising the impact on local flora and fauna and doing our bit to preserve the local habitat for future generations to enjoy.
- Be considerate of others
- Wildlife is wild for a reason
- Be careful when lighting fires
- What belongs in the bush, stays in the bush
- Take your rubbish with you
- Setup a minimal impact tent site
- Stick to the path and learn to navigate
For me leaving no trace not only means leaving no physical trace, but also no mental, spiritual or emotional trace either. We can have a good time when we go bush and take home plenty of memories. But it’s also important to consider how our behaviour and state of mind may influence our surroundings, especially nature and nature beings.
When out in nature:
- Take your time (there’s no schedule in the bush)
- Listen and observe (tune into channel instinct)
- Mirror what you see (hopefully only calmness)
- Respect your surroundings (you’re a part of it too)
- Leave things as they are (no need to control what has its own rhythm)
- Communicate with nature on an intuitive level (you’ll be surprised by the answers you get back)
- Above all, enjoy! (that’s why you’re there)