logbook 4. Jan. 2018. leave No Trace thoughts
Sometimes a big troll might be the best to explain thingsText and illustration by Frits Ahlefeldt, Hiking.org
Most people know better than to throw their trash along the trails, still some do it, and then maybe sometimes a big troll might be the best at explaining things so everybody understands them
Thoughts on why people still do things they would advice their kids not to
From littering to lightning up a campfire in a drought hit pinewood forest, to smoking cigarettes while lightning a petrol stove most people know what to do and not. Lots of campaigns are working their best to explain why any of the above things are a bad idea. Still lots of hikers, campers and locals close their eyes and do it anyway, and its an open question what to do about it.
Sometimes a big troll might be the best to explain why not to leave trash
Change by doing
Hiring some mountain trolls is one way used in some places, others rely on less drastically methods. Two of the best methods I’ve seen so far, is either just to pick up any trash you come across along the trails yourself. Doing is so much stronger than words and it helps create a trail culture, where throwing trash is done less frequently.
Rwanda’s Umuganda day
Making an obligatory public work day is a method used by Rwanda in Africa, where everybody in the whole country, even the president, one day a month, at a certain time in the morning have to stop what-ever they are doing and help do community work, collect trash and make the public places nicer for everybody. They call it Umuganda and close to 80% of the population of Rwanda takes part in this day every month. It works so well that Rwanda is today the cleanest country in Africa, at the same level as countries like Switzerland. (Link: Read more about Umuganda day on Rwandapedia.rw )
Learning by doing is just so much stronger than words
