Tonight... 1. Environmental Charter 2. Updates 3. Wild Camping 4.Bolting in natural places 5. A National Charter 6.Managing groups 7. North Wales River Habitats 8.SEACAMS
Environmental Charter Avoid damage to sites Educate group leaders on natural environments Encourage others to respect the natural environment Consider others Respect conservation based management plans
Providing environmental best practise guidelines to activity providers Enabling an effective and reliable communication system to and from the sector internally and externally Offering relevant environmental training to raise awareness and encourage best practice Facilitating a platform for discussion, development and action Building consensus between activity providers, external agencies, conservationist and land managers Promoting the Environmental Charter
North Wales Environmental Charter Group unites outdoor activity providers who wish to ensure the sustainable management of activity venues whilst enabling a cohesive voice for consultation with external agencies, conservationists and land managers.
Environmental Charter Members Steering Group = 13 Individual = Organisation = 66 40 126 Endorsing Partners = 5
Since the last meeting... 1. Outdoor badge 2. isee North Wales Rivers 3. Funding 4.Environmental Training
Groups in Gorges - NRW
Wild Cooking - Nature s Work
Wild Cooking - Nature s Work
Making the most of Afon Ddu - Gritten Ecology
Making the most of Afon Ddu - Gritten Ecology
Natural Navigator
Wild Camping Issues/specific sites at risk Alternating camping sites Asking landowner permission/semi-permanent camps Site already in use Sanitation: carried out or buried?
Wild Camping - Where to go BMC - Wild Camping Worries BMC - Going Sole: Call of the wild BMC Green Guide to the uplands Kathleen Meyer - How to shit in the woods - Shhh-it! Kit Snowdonia National Park - Wild Camping Code Pembrokeshire Outdoor Charter - Bushcraft & Wild Camping Best Practice
Keep group small and as discreet as possible Camp away from popular areas Camp in one place for only one night Take all litter home Toilet 30/50 metres from water and paths or 200 metres of huts, bothies and crags, and never in caves
Managing Human Waste Where to go What to do with it
Managing Food Waste Prepare and repackage food before leaving reusable containers and resealable bags can save on waste Try and deposit cooking water a good distance (30m) away from any watercourse Strain the food scraps out of the water (tea strainer) and carry it out with you (or bury it if need be) Clean the cooking utensils away from running water and with an non-biological cleaner
Bolting in natural places
BMC Mission Statement on drilled equipment: The BMC believes that care and concern for the crag and mountain environment is of paramount importance in such decisions and the following must be considered through discussion: Access, environmental and land ownership issues. The history of the area or crag in terms of the established climbing ethics. Existing drilled equipment policies and agreements in place. The views of the first ascensionists. The level of importance (i.e. local / regional / national) of the area or crag in question. The nature of the rock (i.e. natural or quarried) and the availability of natural protection. The aspirations of current and future generations of climbers.
To bolt or not to bolt? Should it be bolted? Where should it be bolted? Who should do it? Who would be responsible for ensuring it is durable and safe?
A National Charter Considerations: National network vs national charter? One charter with regional differences? Clarify the work of the environment charters to external organisations?
Managing groups whilst minimising impact All leaders adapt their plans and actions when out with a group. It may be due to the weather, the group s skill or an emergency. The same adaptive thought process can be used when considering the environment.
Managing groups whilst minimising impact Is it currently working? How are venues shared? Is there any mechanism to find out who will be a certain venues?
Where possible, try and remain on durable surfaces rock, hard ground, sand etc When it is necessary to cross sensitive habitats such as bogs and marshland, try to spread the group out to minimise impact If travelling through heavily eroded areas, try to stick within the erosion mark rather than skirting around the edge Travel over durable surfaces or already eroded land by bringing your group into a tight formation Travel over fragile surfaces by spreading your group out into a wider formation too increase surface area Lead by example
Don t over use venues, work with other Outdoor Centres to manage the problem over overuse of key sites When climbing, try and base your group on a durable surface think about the path that the group will make too and from the crag Protect belays avoid using tree belays if possible When scrambling with a group, promote the rock as a hand hold rather than the turf Keep an eye out for birds nests and solitary unusual looking plants Communication is key
Any other business? Any questions?
chartergroup@snowdonia-active.com