74 Nebraskaland • June 2020
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
LEAVE NO TRACE
This happens too often: Me, trying
to immerse myself in the beauty and
solace of nature, and then laying
eyes on Styrofoam bait boxes by the
lake, or finding a soiled diaper while
mushroom hunting, or crushed cans
of beer scattered around what was an
illegal campfire.
These sights pull me out of my
reverie. The romance disappears, and
my annoyance becomes blinding.
Trash is a disruption to the experience
of nature, a sad reminder of humanity
in places where I go to get away from
it. How a person could enjoy the
outdoors, yet feel no remorse about
trashing it – I could beat myself up just
thinking about it.
The good news, there are still
good people, and I'm especially
impressed when I see kids picking
up after themselves – and others.
W e've dedicated many pages and
campaigns to passing on traditions
at Nebraskaland and Game and Parks.
Although Leave No Trace might not be
as exciting as other outdoor lessons, I
believe it is the most fundamental one.
"Time outdoors is time well spent" –
littering not included.
THE LAST STOP
PHOTO
BY
JENNY
NGUYEN-WHEATLEY