Florida's great outdoors: Leave it like you found it

"The great outdoors is my cathedral."

That's what I found myself saying at a recent workshop offered by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

Session leader Janet Herrick of Jacksonville was in Naples for the half-day session, and to kick it off, she asked participants to stand up, tell us where they worked and then say why they liked the outdoors.

"How do you dial into nature," the advocate with foot-long chestnut-colored hair asked us. We were a group of park rangers and non-profit volunteers, environmental educators and eco-tour operators brought together by the Rookery Bay National Esturaine Research Reserve, which sponsored the session.

You may have heard of the Leave No Trace group. Based in Boulder, Colo., since its founding in 1994, LNT — as its disciples refer to it — has seven principles it wants people to follow so everyone from kayakers and ATVers to anglers and hikers can enjoy the wild areas of this globe without impacting wildlife and its habitat.

The principles? Plan ahead and prepare; travel and camp on durable surfaces; dispose of waste properly; leave what you find; minimize campfire impacts; respect wildlife; and be considerate of other visitors.

Beyond the seven-step mantra, though, the organization teaches enthusiasts how to do this stuff, such as how to have a campfire in the Ten Thousand Islands and make it so the place looks untouched when you kayak away.

What I found equally as interesting as the techniques provided, though, was what happened in the room when Ms. Herrick asked that first question about what motivates people to spend time on the water and in the woods.

Many participants' answers reminded me why I spend each weekend and many weekdays outside. I share them here with you, Florida Weekly's own outdoors lovers.

"You can walk the same trail and it's different all the time."

"Sunrise and sunset."

"Noticing the interdependence of everything … the life cycles you can see and all of nature's functions."

"It's peaceful."

"It's an endless source of awe, which we don't get enough of in our daily lives."

"Sharing knowledge of nature with children."

"Looking at small details that people pass by in their daily lives."

"Hiking and biking." "The beach environment." "Connecting with nature."

"Camping. When I'm not working, I'm camping. I'm in my element."

"The enormous details."

"I grew up climbing trees and swimming in springs."

"Nature is the place I can just be."

"Every time you go out, you can learn something new if you take the time to listen."

"The beauty and depth of it."

"Kayaking, fishing, camping and hiking. Fakahatchee (Strand) is a dynamic place — it's that place you love more than anywhere in the world."

"It makes me feel good."

"The animals — on sea and on land — and what you can learn from them."

"It doesn't matter who you are; nature has something to offer."

"Being on the water — the mental state it puts me in when I'm out there."

"Its resilience in adapting to its changing conditions."

"There isn't anything about nature I don't like."

"The language of nature." "The Earth is my favorite planet."

— Betsy Clayton is a freelancer based on Pine Island and also is Lee County Parks & Recreation's waterways coordinator. Contact her at boatingbybetsy@ yahoo.com.

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