Leave No Trace Ireland Promoting Responsible Outdoor Recreation ANNUAL REPORT JANUARY 2012 DECEMBER 2012
CONTENTS 1. Introduction 3 2. Chairman s Remarks 4 3. Annual Accounts 6 4. 2011 Outputs 6 4.1 Network Support 6 4.2 Marketing & Promotion 8 4.3 Education & Training 11 4.4 Finance & Resources 13 5. Company 14 6. Future Work Plans 15 6.1 Network Support 15 6.2 Marketing & Promotion 15 6.3 Education & Training 15 4.4 Finance & Resources 16 1
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INTRODUCTION Leave No Trace Ireland is a not-for-profit company made up of organisations with a shared interest in encouraging responsible enjoyment of Ireland s natural environment. Leave No Trace Ireland, a company limited by guarantee, was officially established in 2006. Leave No Trace Ireland s mission is to promote and inspire responsible outdoor recreation through education, research and partnership throughout the island of Ireland. For the past five years, Leave No Trace Ireland has contracted its administration and marketing to Outdoor Recreation NI based in Belfast. At the end of 2012, this arrangement changed with the appointment of Maura Lyons as Leave No Trace Ireland s new part-time Programme Manager. The updated address and contact details for Leave No Trace Ireland are provided below. The Leave No Trace Education Programme strives to inform those who enjoy outdoor activities of their personal responsibility to minimise their impact on the environment and other people, through awareness and by practising some simple techniques. The education programme is built around seven key principles. Leave No Trace training is delivered at various levels including Awareness Sessions, Trainer Courses and Master Educator Courses. BUSINESS ADDRESS: Leave No Trace Ireland c/onational Trails Office Top Floor, Block A Westend Office Park Blanchardstown Dublin 15 The Leave No Trace message has been adopted by many organisations from government departments, to major public land owning organisations and national governing bodies of outdoor sport. It is this broad adoption and promotion that gives the message its strength, together with the fact that the principles are all positive in nature and based on sound science. The seven principles are: REGISTERED ADDRESS: Irish Sports Council National Trails Office Top Floor, Block A Top Floor, Block A, Westend Office Park Blanchardstown Dublin 15 1. Plan Ahead and Prepare 2. Be Considerate of Others 3. Respect Farm Animals and Wildlife 4. Travel and Camp on Durable Ground 5. Leave What You Find 6. Dispose of Waste Properly 7. Minimise the Effects of Fire CONTACT: Maura Lyons, Programme Manager Tel: +00353 1 9059000 Email: info@leavenotraceireland.org Website: www.leavenotraceireland.org 3
CHAIRMAN S REMARKS 2012 was certainly a busy and eventful year for Leave No Trace Ireland and was the final year of a three year strategic planning cycle for the organisation. For a small, volunteer based organisation Leave No Trace Ireland has come a long way in a few short years and all involved can be very proud of its many achievements. Some of these include: The building of a strong network of State Agencies, representative groups outdoor businesses and organisations on an all-island basis around the programme, all promoting the Leave No Trace message; The recognition and adoption of the Leave No Trace programme by Comhairle Na Tuaithe as the most suitable programme to promote caring recreational use of the countryside; The continued expansion of our education programme with now nearly 350 Leave No Trace trainers in Ireland delivering over 300 awareness sessions in the past four years; The development and launch of an exciting new Leave No Trace Schools website for primary school teachers and children. This project was funded by the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government and developed with the Education Unit in An Taisce; The continued development of a strong brand, web presence, regular high quality newsletters and ezines and of course the Leave No Trace DVD which was developed in partnership with Mountain Meitheal. These are just a few highlights and I would like to acknowledge and thank everyone for their commitment, hard work and dedication to the programme over the past few years. We have certainly come a long way and achieved a lot in a few short years. 2012 saw the appointment of our new programme manager, Maura Lyons and the transfer of the administration duties from Outdoor Recreation NI. I would like to thank Outdoor Recreation NI and specifically Beverley Pierson and Dr. Caro Lynne Ferris for their contribution to the programme over the last five years and also wish Maura all the best in her new position. I d also like to extend a note of gratitude to our main funding partners, the Irish Sports Council, Coillte, Department of Environment, Community & Local Government, Fáilte Ireland and to all other funders and supporters of the programme. Without your continued funding and support, the programme would not be in a position to continue. 4
Leave No Trace Ireland is now entering a new phase of development and the board in conjunction with our programme manager, funding partners, master educators and trainers are currently developing a new strategic plan. This plan seeks to build on achievements over the past few years and explore new ways of communicating our message, connecting with more organisations and outdoor enthusiasts, building our network, improving our research and knowledge base, expanding our education programme, connecting with more sports and developing new funding streams. Our task is sizeable but absolutely necessary and through smart collaborative working and collective promotion of the Leave No Trace message, we can encourage many to consider and minimise their impact on our natural environments when engaging in outdoor recreation activities. Cormac MacDonnell Chairperson, Leave No Trace Ireland 5
ANNUAL ACCOUNTS The annual accounts for 2012 will be forwarded once they have been completed. 2012 OUTPUTS During 2012, Leave No Trace Ireland s work concentrated on four key programmes of work namely; 4.1) Network Support 4.2) Marketing & Promotion 4.3) Education & Training 4.4) Finance & Resources 4.1 NETWORK SUPPORT 4.1.1. Leave No Trace Network Representatives from many different organisations came together to discuss issues relating to Leave No Trace Ireland and to input their expertise. A very successful Network meeting and workshop was held in April at the Brockagh Resource Centre in Laragh, Co. Wicklow. The workshop opened with three speakers on the theme of communicating messages in order to create successful behaviour change. Over 40 people participated in the workshop and it gave an opportunity for organisations and individuals interested in Leave No Trace to network with each other and to gain an insight into the particular theme of the event. The new primary school website was launched by Minister Phil Hogan on the same day. An additional three organisations signed up as Network members during the year. Leave No Trace Ireland s network currently includes representation from the following organisations and funders: Main Official Partners The following partners provide core funding to support the aims and objectives of Leave No Trace Ireland. 6 Coillte Department of Environment, Community and Local Government Fáilte Ireland Irish Sports Council (National Trails Office)
Other Official Partners The following partners provide funding to support the aims and objectives of Leave No Trace Ireland. Angling Council of Ireland Ballynahinch Castle Hotel Canoe Association of Northern Ireland Catholic Guides of Ireland Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust Cliffs of Moher Centre Cycling Ireland Dublin Mountains Partnership Duke of Edinburgh Greenlife Tours Inland Fisheries Ireland Invasive Species Ireland Irish Girl Guides Irish Orienteering Association Irish Uplands Forum Kilfinane OEC Limavady Borough Council Mountaineering Ireland Mountain Meitheal Mulkear LIFE Outdoor Recreation NI Scouting Ireland Sport Northern Ireland Wicklow Uplands Council Supporter Organisations There are also numerous organisations that support Leave No Trace through the provision of resources and the promotion of the message to their members. 4.1.2 NETWORKING The value and importance of building partnerships with organisations having similar aims is recognised. Leave No Trace Ireland continued to network with many different organisations to help fulfill its objectives throughout 2012. All Leave No Trace Ireland s partners continued to promote the programme through a variety of different media, as well as incorporating it into their own organisation. Examples of the type of activity that took place in 2012 are given below: Various Leave No Trace Awareness Sessions took place with Girl Guides and Scouts; Seven of the Rural Recreation Officers were trained to Leave No Trace Trainer Level; Leave No Trace Ireland gave a presentation to members of Comhairle na Tuaithe; Leave No Trace Trainer Courses were delivered at both our recognised Training Centres at Tollymore National Outdoor Centre and Kilfinane OEC: 7
The principles of Leave No Trace were incorporated into the Northern Ireland Tourist Board s Walkers and Cyclists Welcome Scheme as advised by Outdoor Recreation NI. The Irish Girl Guides designed and printed a guide to environmentally sustain able camping practices at for their International CAMP 101 which was based on the seven7 principles of Leave No Trace. 4.2 MARKETING & PROMOTION 4.2.1 Literature Due to the successful distribution of the Leave No Trace Ireland information booklet, stocks ran out again in 2012. A second 10,000 copy reprint was carried out and to date, 80,000 copies of the leaflet have been distributed. 4.2.2 Online Marketing Leave No Trace Ireland s designated website (www.leavenotraceireland.org) has been a key tool in disseminating information regarding Leave No Trace to its Trainers and to the public. The Leave No Trace website recorded just over 7,000 unique visitors and 15 news stories were uploaded to the website in 2012. During the year 5 five e-newsletters were circulated to 800 subscribers. E-Newsletters Leave No Trace Ireland continues to promote the programme and interact with its followers on Facebook, which currently has 1,140 fans. Leave No Trace Ireland s YouTube channel now has nearly 2,000 video views and acts as a platform for people to access the Leave No Trace Ireland DVD as well as providing the public with opportunities to download specific sections of the DVD. 8
4.2.3 SHOWS & EVENTS Leave No Trace Ireland attended the Irish Girl Guides International Camp 101 at Lough Key, Co. Roscommon. This event provided a platform to introduce Leave No Trace to a range of girl guides from all over the world. International CAMP 101 More importantly, with limited resources, Leave No Trace Ireland has capitalised on the work undertaken by other organisations and individuals in holding outdoor related events and has worked with event organisers to provide Leave No Trace material for inclusion within information packs etc for various events including walking events, club days out, scout days, National Trails Day events etc. Leave No Trace National Trails Day Walk 2012, Antrim Hills 9
4.2.4 PUBLIC RELATIONS An impressive 1.1million worth of PR value was achieved in 2012, largely because of the features secured by Coillte in the Sunday Business Post Agenda for the third year running ( 859,920). Since 2006, the amount of PR secured for the programme has increased year on year with it increasing by 29% from year 2011 to 2012. 4.2.5 CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS Leave No Trace Ireland published and disseminated its newsletter to over 700 people in 2012. This high quality publication showed the broad range of approaches being used to spread the Leave No Trace message across Ireland and provided an update to organisations partners. Newsletters 10
4.3 EDUCATION AND TRAINING 4.3.1 Education Advisory Group The purpose of the Education Advisory Group (EAG) is to advise the Board of Leave No Trace Ireland on the effective delivery of the Leave No Trace message, to contribute to the social and environmental knowledge base that underpins the Leave No Trace programme in Ireland and to generate educational resources for use on Leave No Trace training courses and awareness sessions. A sub-group of the EAG formed to work on the Primary Schools Resources met four times in 2012 to finalise the resources and to discuss their launch. The full EAG met in December 2012. 4.3.2 Training Courses Fundamental to the continuing success of Leave No Trace is the ongoing delivery of a comprehensive training programme including Awareness Sessions, Trainer Courses and Master Educator Courses. The training highlights of 2012 include: AWARENESS SESSIONS Awareness Sessions are one of the most effective ways of delivering a medium level understanding of the principles of Leave No Trace. In 2012, Leave No Trace Ireland delivered approximately 50 Awareness Sessions. These sessions have reached an audience of over 650 people including scout leaders, walking leaders, primary school children, outdoor trainees, Since Leave No Trace was established, more than 300 Awareness Sessions have been delivered. TRAINER COURSES Leave No Trace Ireland delivered six Trainer Courses in 2012 with a total of 39 participants. To date, 46 Trainer Courses have been delivered leading to approximately 340 people being qualified as Leave No Trace Trainers within Ireland. Leave No Trace Ireland s designated training centres at Tollymore National Outdoor Centre and Kilfinane Outdoor Education Centre delivered a Leave No Trace Trainers Course each in 2012. MASTER EDUCATOR COURSE A third master Educator course whish was planned to take place in June 2011 had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. This course will now take place in autumn 2013. To date two Master Educator courses have been delivered, with a total of 22 participants. 11
4.3.3 EDUCATION OFFICER Given the vital importance of its education programme to Leave No Trace Ireland, it was agreed, if financial resources were available, that the programme warranted a dedicated Education Officer to work on organising and delivering the training programme to as wide an audience as possible and also to develop educational resources. Resources have been re-allocated to employ a part time Programme Manager from January 2013 to January 2015, who will provide some assistance to the EAG in fulfilling its role. 4.3.4 EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES It is extremely important that Leave No Trace Trainers have the right resources to deliver the programme in a way that is specific to the Irish environment. Therefore it is essential for Leave No Trace Ireland to develop our own educational resources and where appropriate to adapt the American literature to the Irish context. Leave No Trace Ireland liaises with Leave No Trace America to secure the endorsement of all Irish training materials and courses. A key role for the new programme manager will be to manage the development of a new first contact Leave No Trace resource, as well as completion of the 101 Ways to Teach Leave No Trace for Ireland and the development of a Leave No Trace Ireland Trainers manual. The Primary School Online Resources which were developed through funding from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government were launched in April 2012 as part of the organisation s network meeting and have been promoted throughout 2012, including press coverage secured in the Wicklow Times, Sunday Business Post Magazine, InTouch Magazine and the Irish Mountain Log totalling an equivalent advertising value of H68,500. Leave No Trace Primary School resources Website 12
4.3.5 PROMOTION OF EDUCATION PROGRAMME Leave No Trace Ireland works to ensure that as many of its partners undertake the appropriate Leave No Trace training programmes and where possible, incorporate a Leave No Trace module within their own in-house training programmes. 4.3.6 RESEARCH It is recognised that undertaking relevant research is a key component of the on-going development of the Leave No Trace message in Ireland. The Education Advisory Group therefore developed a research agenda including elements of both social and scientific research. A key role for the new programme manager will be to initiate a programme of research in 2013. 4.4. FINANCE AND RESOURCES 4.4.1 Leave No Trace Ireland Leave No Trace Ireland continues to operate appropriate financial systems and controls and has reported to members and the wider public. During the year, four Board meetings were held in February, April, August and September. The accounts for the year ending 2011 were approved at the Company s AGM which took place in April 2012. To facilitate this work a small Organisation and Resources Committee (ORC) was established from the Board of Directors in 2010. In 2012 this group spearheaded the recruitment of a new part-time programme manager. 13
COMPANY CHAIR AND SECRETARY Cormac MacDonnell TREASURER Shay Walsh DIRECTOR AND CHAIR OF EDUCATION ADVISORY GROUP Vincent McAlinden DIRECTOR Colm Kavanagh DIRECTOR Martin McEnroe 14
FUTURE WORK PLANS Leave No Trace Ireland is nearing the end of its current Operational Plan. Work undertaken within Leave No Trace Ireland is underpinned by goals and objectives in four key programme areas. Leave No Trace Ireland has recently engaged in a strategic planning exercise to identify priorities for 2013-2014. A draft Operational Plan for 2013-2014 will be circulated to members at the beginning of May and presented at the Leave No Trace Ireland network meeting on Friday 17th May, The future work of Leave No Trace Ireland is ultimately determined by its budget. Key priorities for the programme are listed below, however some of the activities may not be achievable in the short term due to current budgetary constraints. These provisional key performance indicators for 2013 are subject to adjustment following the adoption of a new Operational Plan for 2013-2014: 4.1 NETWORK SUPPORT Hold two Network Meetings Hold face to face meetings with all main funding partners Secure at least three new partnerships Present at a minimum of two events/seminars Input into a minimum of two organisation s newsletters and three ezines 4.2 MARKETING & PROMOTION Increase website visitors by 35% compared to previous year Produce and distribute three to four ezines Have a Leave No Trace stand at one to two large events and promote the Leave No Trace message through partner stands at a minimum of five events Distribute a minimum of 10,000 copies of the Leave No Trace general leaflet Continue to have a strong presence on Facebook as well as developing Twitter and Linkedin social media platforms Promote the Leave No Trace Primary School Resources 4.3 EDUCATION & TRAINING Hold two refresher events for Master Educators and Trainers Increase users of the forum by 10% Hold at least two Education Advisory Group meetings 15
Train an extra 50+ people as Leave No Trace Trainers Deliver 40+ Awareness Sessions Deliver one Master Educator Course Appoint an Education Officer Develop and produce a new first contact resource Publish 101 Ways to Teach Leave No Trace in Ireland Publish a Trainers Manual Develop and publish more tailor made skills and ethics booklets Support the integration of the Leave No Trace programme into the activities of at least one youth organisation Start to implement a research agenda Liaise with Scouting Ireland to develop a Leave No Trace pack containing a plastic/alloy trowel, a fire mat and a WAG bag 4.4 FINANCE & RESOURCES Agree a new operational Plan for 2013-2014 Host an AGM Hold four Board of Directors Meetings Hold at least two meetings of the Organisation and Resources Committee Prepare and distribute an end-of-year report Prepare audited annual accounts Review achievements in 2013 and approve updated Operational Plan for 2014. 16
Leave No Trace Ireland C/O Irish Sports Council Top Floor Block A West End Business Park Dublin 15 Tel: +353 (0) 1 9059009 Email: info@leavenotraceireland.org Web: www.leavenotraceireland.org Printed by Berry Print Group, Westport 098 28500