By Phil Daligan.

Musician, mountaineer, BCU Coach, a true master Guide, and father of two

Introduction

Leave nothing behind but footprints (in the sand below the tide line)

Take nothing but pictures and memories.
What do these have in common ?
'Cigarette' boats
Motor cruiser
Jet ski
Sail boat
Lobster boat
Kayak
They all pollute.
Do kayakers pollute? Certainly.
We leave, at the minimum, marks in people’s minds.
For example - island tent sprawl, trees covered with drying clothes, parading symbols of our wealth in financially depressed areas, use of local facilities like car parking and boat ramps?

Trip preparation

What is realistic?  My intended route and campsites minimize my impact on the environment but can I safely accomplish it? Might I end up in a protected zone?
Local knowledge. I know my route minimizes wildlife disturbance and does not unduly
            intrude on local practices or customs.( e.g Isle of Lewis Sunday observance)
Conditions - weather –tide - currents. I have thoroughly researched my route. Search and rescue stress the local emergency services and impact on peoples ‘minds'. "Those damm kayakers shouldn't be out there"
Rubbish and waste. Have we formulated a system for dealing with it?

The group.

Limit the size of your party. Most islands and shorelines are for very small groups.

Minimize duration of stay on individual islands.

High use areas

Campsite selection. Is it resilient? Rock, gravel, lichen, flower meadow, dunes, hardwoods, pine needles, wetlands?
Avoid sensitive and fragile areas. Walk softly – no heavy soles - and stay on the trail.
Leave it cleaner than when you arrived.

Low use areas

Choose appropriate campsites. Sites can sustain a certain amount of use and successfully regenerate. Sites that are starting to show use should be left alone.
Don't be a part of making it worse.
I suggest you keep low use campsites a secret and use them sparingly. Do not divulge locations to guide book writers!

1. Pack it in-Pack it out

This should need no explanation.
Take it all out.
Do not leave organic trash for animals to finish off.

Human Waste? Be responsible.

Proper disposal of human waste. Have people pee in the sea. Feces containers vary from ammo cans, plastic containers and buckets to commercially produced 'Porto- potties' suitable for kayak travel. Can be lined with plastic trash bags and absorbent materials such as 'Kitty litter', wood chips, sawdust or sand. Avoid health issues by carrying them on top of boat or in front of foot pegs. What do you do with this when you go home?
Toilet paper. Pack it out. Be very careful if you’re considering burning.

Wildlife

Birds. If you can see a nest you are too close. Eider rafts are susceptible to gull predation if split up. Avoid eagles’ islands and don't broadcast the location of islands that you know of. Avoid bird nesting islands.
Nesting season in the Gulf of Maine: April 1 – August 15th.
Don't feed raccoons ever.
Seals and pups should be given a wide berth (minimum ½ a mile). Pups are often separated from mothers. They can be injured in the explosive rush back to the sea when kayakers appear. Females choose nursing sites according to the tide and may not be able to feed until another favorable tide. Young don’t have the fat reserves and can get hypothermic. Sea paddlers stress seal colonies more than power boats. Females often leave their pups unattended whilst fishing. It doesn't mean they have been abandoned.
Intertidal Zone. Adaptation to desiccation, temperature extremes, salinity and oxygen. Walk on bare rock if possible and stay out of tide pools. Reduce trips through the intertidal.
 

Leave no trace

            'Naturalize' the campsite when leaving.
Minimize site alterations
Avoid building structures.
Tying to trees can damage the bark.
Avoid damaging limbs and plants. Trimming broken eye level branches for safety?
Leave cultural artifacts where you find them.

Fire

Danger, danger, danger. A very sensitive issue in Maine.
If you simply must. Build below tide line but still leaves burnt marks.
Use a fire plate. Fire scars rock for years.
Safety precautions
If the guide does it, it must be all right !
Fires v's stove
When it is appropriate. Emergency ? Existing fire pits ? Fire permits?
Care and feeding of fire
Clean up.

Guides are in an invidious position. We are arming people with the skills to access areas of great natural beauty and fragility. We seem to be destroying that which we love.
The least we can do is to make sure that the people we meet understand the impact of environmental ethics.

Thanks for listening,

Phil