News & Updates

Bigfoot Sighting at Delano Park!

Guest - September 23, 2016

Decatur, AL: This week from Monday, September 19, 2016 to Monday, September 26, 2016 Leave No Trace is hosting a Hot Spot at Delano Park in Decatur, Alabama. There have been several events already ranging from Fitness Night in Delano Park (where Bigfoot was seen doing yoga) to a Leave No Trace Awareness workshop with the Decatur Parks and Recreation Department (where Bigfoot was seen giving words of wisdom).

Hot Spot Week at Delano Park

This week Leave No Trace has partnered with the Delano Park Conservancy to educate the community about outdoor ethics.  Delano Park consists of 28 acres of public space in the heart of Decatur, Alabama. Decatur, Alabama was once known as the "Chicago of the South", there is a rich history in this southern town of 55,816.  The town is located on the banks of the Tennessee River and situated at an important crossing point of the river.  The town has grown up around this crossing point, and as such human history in the area ranges from early Native Americans, to settlements in the 1800's, strategic battles in the Civil War and now a place of commerce for big industry.  Delano Park has 500+ trees, 10,000+ plants, including a rose garden and miles of walking paths.  The Park was established in 1887 and designed by a contemporary of Fredrick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park. Delano Park is named after President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  

The community of Decatur has been very involved so far.  We have come together for Dog Night at the park where the first doggie bag dispensers in the 28 acres of Delano Park were unveiled.  The much-needed additional trash cans are symbolic of the Leave No Trace principle of “trash your trash”. We have also come together at the park for Fitness Night where local business owners facilitated fitness classes from yoga to Zumba. Walkers, runners, and fitness enthusiasts are the largest user groups in the park.  We want to encourage everyone to follow the Leave No Trace Seven Principles.  Tonight we will come together for Pokemon Go Night, if you are a Pokemon trainer and want to learn more about Leave No Trace, check out this video! Events for the Hot Spot will continue through next Monday, if you are in the area come by Decatur and check it out! 

 

What is a Leave No Trace Hot Spot?

Many outdoor areas across our nation are negatively impacted by recreational use – we’re literally loving the land to death. The reason is usually not malicious intent to harm nature and wildlife; rather it’s simply a lack of knowledge or skills. The end result, however, is usually the same: Litter, invasive species, habituated wildlife, dog waste, trail and campsite erosion, water sources polluted with human wastes, names carved in trees, filthy campfire rings, cigarette butts along a trail, damaged cultural and historic sites, pets chasing wildlife – the list goes on and on. We call these areas Hot Spots –sites that are damaged but that can recover and become healthy again after specific Leave No Trace applications. By identifying and working with Hot Spots across the nation, we rapidly move toward recovering and protecting the places we cherish for future generations.

Find out more about Leave No Trace Hot Spots HERE

Travel Well,

Amanda and Greg – Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Team East Central

Leave No Trace’s Amanda Neiman and Greg Smith are part of the 2016 Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Program that provides free, mobile education to communities across the country. Proud partners of this program include Subaru of America, REI, Fjall Raven, ENO, Deuter, Thule, Taxa Outdoors and SmartWool.

Let’s protect and enjoy our natural world together

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