Windjammer Guests Learn to "Leave No Trace"
June Cruises Provide Catalyst for Change

Mid-coast, MAINE—During the entire month of June, the Maine Windjammer Association will observe America’s “Great Outdoors Month” by offering every passenger a complimentary “Leave No Trace” outdoor awareness workshop.

Since windjamming is just as much about exploring Maine’s beautiful, pristine islands as it is about sailing, the windjammer captains take a low-impact approach to every shore excursion. On a regular basis, guests are advised on the best ways to enjoy their time ashore without damaging the environment. During the month of June, however, guests will receive formal instruction on the seven principles of Leave No Trace as set forth by the national organization, Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.

7 Principles of Leave No Trace:

1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

June 2006 was the first year the captains in the Maine Windjammer Association offered LNT Awareness Workshops. According to Captain Brenda Walker of the schooner Isaac H. Evans, “My guests were very interested in learning to tread so lightly. It hit home that the special places we visit are incredibly fragile, and so worth preserving. I think more and more people are choosing vacations where they can learn something and feel good about their reduced environmental impact. Hopefully they take those ideas home and apply them to their daily life, too.” Every windjammer guest who successfully completes the workshop receives Leave No Trace certification and reference materials.

Low-impact island visits are based on scientific studies and common sense. For example, guests are taught to avoid bird-nesting and seal-rookery habitats, to walk on established trails, and to leave vegetation for others to enjoy. For the beachside lobster bakes, captains bring their own wood and build fires that leave no tell-tale scorchmarks. All trash is brought back to the windjammer for disposal, along with anything else that might have washed ashore. It’s a point of pride with all of the captains to leave the beaches cleaner than when they arrived.

In addition to offering LNT Awareness Workshops, the Maine Windjammer Association will host an official Coastal Cleanup during the first week of June, in conjunction with World Ocean Day on June 8th. Guests and crewmembers from all 12 windjammers will scour the beaches for trash that’s washed ashore over the winter.

The Maine Windjammer Association is committed to supporting the President’s initiative to “get Americans outdoors and actively involved in volunteerism and conservation” during June’s “Great Outdoors Month.” The windjamming industry is so closely tied to the health and beauty of Maine’s rugged coast, that it’s imperative that the captains maintain the highest environmental practices. From removing tons of trash to educating every guest about Maine’s wildlife and natural resources, the captains in the Maine windjammer fleet have plenty of experience guiding people on how to preserve Maine’s coastal wilderness.

The Maine Windjammer Association includes 12 traditional schooners from the mid-coast Maine region that offer three- to six-day cruises from late May to mid October. For more information about these low-impact, “green” vacations, contact the Maine Windjammer Association at P.O. Box 1144P, Blue Hill, Maine 04614, 800-807-WIND or check out the website at www.sailmainecoast.com.

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