ECO TIPS - Minimum Impact The West Coast of Canada is an area rich in biodiversity. Its coastal ecosystems offer ocean kayakers almost limitless opportunities for discovery. As participants in a popular and growing activity we must take steps to minimize our impact on the natural world. A few guidelines will help us explore these areas in an environmentally sensitive manner. PRE-TRIP PLANNING -keep your group size small, to minimize impact on an area -maximum group size should be ten people -consider alternate transportation such as buses, car pooling, or walking onto ferries WHILE KAYAK TOURING -select launching/landing sites carefully to avoid trampling intertidal life -travelling quietly will allow you to become part of the natural world -avoid bird and mammal breeding habitats -use binoculars and telephoto lenses to observe and photograph wildlife -resist the temptation to feed animals, no matter how bold or curious they may be - handouts may alter feeding habits -tread carefully while exploring the intertidal zone - return all rocks, shells and creatures to their original location CAMPSITES -avoid critical wildlife habitats, obvious animal trails, and fragile terrain -do not cut trees or branches -avoid digging drainage trenches around tents - choose well drained or high ground instead -obtain permission to camp on Indian Reserves (denoted IR on most charts), and private land -do not camp at cultural sites of First Nations Pristine Sites -choose a non-vegetated area for your camp, such as sand or rock beaches -situate your camp 50 meters from fresh water sources including lakes, rivers and creeks (many animals require frequent access to these areas) -leave no sign of your visit Pristine Sites -when possible, it's better to camp at established sites where your stay will cause no additional damage -these sites may have visible tenting areas, an established fire pit, and occasionally an outhouse, but should be free of camp structures (makeshift lean-tos, tables, etc.) and garbage -watch where you walk - use established trails to avoid trampling vegetation -leave sites in a more pristine state than the way you found them FIRES -portable stoves should always be used for preparing meals -fires should only be lit in suitable areas where there is sufficient fuel (it is not necessary to have a fire every night) -restrict fires to cooking size - bonfires are too consumptive -always use established fire pits where they exist where no established fire pit exists choose a site on sand or gravel (not mineral soil or rock) well below the monthly high tide line and away from vegetation, drift logs and rocks - do not construct a ring of rocks around -your fire as it will permanently scar the rocks -burn only driftwood no larger than the diameter of your fist - avoid picking an area clean -allow the fire to burn down to ash, cold to the touch (no half burnt pieces remaining) and crush any charcoal -remove all traces of ash and charcoal by scattering in the ocean or packing it with you to your next site - do not bury remains HARVESTING/FISHING -most areas can no longer sustain plant and animal harvesting - whether or not to harvest, and the amount to be taken should be critically assessed - consult the BC Tidal Waters Sport Fishing Guide for provincial regulations and observe red tide warnings -return all shells and entrails to the area from which they were harvested -harvest only what you need for one meal WASTE DISPOSAL Human Waste -use outhouses wherever they are provided -urine degrades more quickly in salt water than in topsoil feces can contaminate intertidal organisms and in high use areas becomes a health hazard. Feces should be packed out with you and disposed of in proper sewage treatment facilities (use a 'boom box' or a 'port-a-potty'. When travelling with a tour company, inquire about their practices for human waste disposal before you book. -wash with salt water as an alternative to toilet paper, otherwise all toilet paper should be burned completely, or packed out -sanitary pads/tampons must be packed out or burned in a fire Waste Water -waste water from cooking should be drained into the ocean soaps and detergents are pollutants and should not be introduced to freshwater sources, including estuaries -wash your dishes at the ocean's edge, using soapless saltwater, and sand or gravel as a scouring pad -wash yourself and your clothing in the ocean, using (only if necessary) small amounts of biodegradable soap -minor hand and face washing without soap can be done in a stream or lake -brush your teeth at the ocean's edge Food Waste -pack out everything you pack in by sorting cans, glass, plastic and compost for recycling at home -reduce the amount of potential garbage; plan meal quantities carefully, package food in reusable containers and use leftovers for snacks or lunches -food wastes must be packed out, or completely burned References Hampton, Bruce and Cole, David. Soft Paths. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1986. Meyer, Kathleen. How to Shit in the Woods. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1989. Stiff, Howard. "Keeping Wilderness Wild." Wavelength Paddling Magazine. Gabriola Island, BC, 1991.