30-Minute Activity Plan: Leave No Trace Challenge

Spending time outdoors is one of the best ways for Scouts to appreciate the environment, but enjoying the outdoors also comes with a responsibility to look after it.

The Leave No Trace Challenge gets Scouts thinking about how small decisions can affect the places they visit. Through a series of practical scenarios, they identify potential problems and work out how to enjoy the outdoors while leaving as little impact as possible.

The activity doesn’t require Scouts to clean up a large area or undertake conservation work. Instead, it focuses on awareness, responsibility and making better choices.

Before You Start

Prepare several scenarios showing different outdoor situations.

These could include camping, walking, eating outdoors, using natural areas or disposing of rubbish.

If possible, collect a few everyday items that Scouts might take outdoors, such as food packaging, bottles, tissues or camping equipment.

Don’t deliberately leave rubbish in a natural area for Scouts to find.

Explain that the activity is about thinking before acting and that Scouts should never remove natural materials or disturb wildlife simply to complete the activity.

0–5 Minutes: What Does “Leave No Trace” Mean?

Ask the Scouts:

“If we spend a day outdoors and nobody knows we’ve been there afterwards, is that a good thing?”

Discuss their answers.

Explain that leaving no trace doesn’t mean literally leaving absolutely no evidence. It means taking reasonable steps to avoid unnecessary damage, disturbance or litter.

Ask the Scouts for examples of things that could leave an unwanted impact.

They might mention litter, damaged plants, noise, food waste or campfires.

Introduce the idea that responsible outdoor behaviour involves thinking about people, wildlife and the environment.

5–15 Minutes: Spot the Problem

Divide the Scouts into small teams.

Give each team several scenario cards.

For example:

A group stops for lunch and leaves food wrappers behind.

A Scout takes a shortcut across a planted area to save time.

A group gets very close to wildlife to take photographs.

Someone washes muddy equipment in a stream using soap.

A group leaves a campsite without checking for rubbish.

The teams must identify:

What is the problem?

Why could it matter?

What would be a better choice?

Give them a few minutes before bringing everyone together to compare answers.

15–25 Minutes: Make the Better Choice

Now turn the scenarios into quick decision challenges.

Read a situation to the group and give them two possible choices.

For example:

You stop for lunch. Do you leave food scraps because they’ll break down, or pack them away and take them with you?

You want a photograph of an animal. Do you approach closely, or stay at a suitable distance?

The main path is muddy. Do you create a new shortcut, or stay on the established route?

Ask the Scouts to move to one side of the room for one choice and the other side for the alternative.

Then ask a few Scouts to explain their decision.

The purpose isn’t simply to identify the “correct” answer. Encourage them to think about why one choice is less damaging.

For older Scouts, introduce situations where the answer isn’t immediately obvious.

25–30 Minutes: The Leave No Trace Promise

Bring the group together and ask them to suggest simple rules for responsible outdoor behaviour.

Create a short list together.

Ideas might include:

Take your rubbish home.

Respect wildlife and keep your distance.

Stay on suitable paths where appropriate.

Don’t damage plants or trees unnecessarily.

Leave natural objects where you find them.

Respect other people enjoying the outdoors.

Finish by asking each Scout to choose one habit they could use on the next outdoor activity.

Safety

Do not deliberately disturb wildlife, damage plants or leave rubbish in natural areas as part of the activity.

Scouts should not taste, collect or handle unknown natural materials.

If discussing wildlife, reinforce the importance of keeping a safe distance and following local guidance.

If running the activity outdoors, use an established meeting area and ensure Scouts remain within the agreed boundaries.

If discussing fires, water or other potentially hazardous outdoor activities, keep the discussion theoretical unless the activity has been separately planned and risk assessed.

Leader Notes

This activity works best when it avoids becoming a lecture about environmental rules.

Give Scouts situations where they have to make a decision and let them explain their reasoning.

For younger Scouts, concentrate on obvious examples such as litter and respecting wildlife.

For Cubs, introduce ideas such as staying on established paths and taking food waste home.

Scouts can explore more complicated questions, such as the impact of noise, repeated foot traffic or inappropriate camping locations.

If you have access to a suitable outdoor area, finish the activity with a short observation walk where Scouts identify examples of good environmental practice rather than collecting anything.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the activity, Scouts should have had the opportunity to develop:

Final Thought for Leaders

Looking after the outdoors doesn’t always require a big conservation project.

Often, the most important choices are small ones: taking rubbish home, staying on appropriate paths, keeping a sensible distance from wildlife and leaving natural objects where they belong.

Teaching Scouts to think about the impact of their actions helps them become more responsible visitors to the countryside — and helps protect the places they enjoy for the future.