Leave No Trace & the Monolith

The recent mysterious monolith planted in the remote Utah desert has captured the world’s attention, and consequently sent swelling crowds to this fragile environment. There has been plenty of speculation on how it got there: other-worldly forces, artists or pranksters? Since then, the monolith was unearthed, loaded into a wheelbarrow, and carried out of the desert by a small group, and one of them reportedly commented “leave no trace”—thus the Center has been following along on the action.

Although Leave No Trace has no involvement with this mysterious metal object and no association with those who removed it, we do have a rich history in caring for the outdoors. “When it comes to visitors from other planets, illicit art installations or tongue-in-cheek stories in the media, there’s not much about Leave No Trace that closely applies,” says Dana Watts, the executive director of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

So what does Leave No Trace recommend? Check in with land managers about rules and regulations for the area and leave any unusual behavior to the extra-terrestrials. Specifically for desert areas this is what you need to know:

• Don’t Bust the Crust
• Minimum Impact: Desert Considerations
• Deserts and Canyons Skills and Ethics Booklet