Leaving No Trace On Franklin River Rafting

On 11 November 2015, we ran a very special Leave No Trace Franklin River Rafting trip that was guided by two time Everest summiteer Tim Macartney-Snape, who first rafted the Franklin River in 2011. The aim of our trip was to enjoy the pristine environment of the spectacular Franklin River and doing so whilst also leaving no trace.

Travelling down a river is a unique way of experiencing nature. It’s also about the least damaging way of travelling through a wilderness - Tim Macartney-Snape

The Leave No Trace principals are incorporated into our trips as part of our commitment to responsible travel.

We are committed to minimising our footprint and for decades we have honed our responsible travel philosophy. The initiatives we have in the field are continually being assessed and improved to ensure that we minimise our impact, and where possible leave behind a positive impression.

What is Leave No Trace?

Leave No Trace is a non-profit organisation that focuses on promoting conservation in the outdoors and it exists to educate people about how to minimise their impact on nature through recreational activities. In its simplest form, Leave No Trace is about making good decisions to protect the world we all enjoy.

Tim reports that “the special Leave No Trace departure on the mighty Franklin River is now complete and can confidently say that pretty well all traces of our journey - footprints and drag marks on the sand will have vanished, or will do so after the next big rain event. Full credit must go to chief rafting guide Jordie and his assistant Oscar for doing an impeccable job in looking after the river and also to all the other users of the river. It is a wonderful example of how if a standard is set others will follow.”

What are the seven Leave No Trace Principles?

The 7 principles of Leave No Trace that World Expeditions adheres to are:

1. Plan Ahead and Prepare 2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces 3. Dispose of Waste Properly 4. Leave What You Find 5. Minimise Campfire Impacts 6. Respect Wildlife 7. Be Considerate of Your Hosts and Other Visitors

What is the 10 Pieces initiative?

In conjunction with our Leave No Trace policy we also implement the 10 Pieces initiative which is about encouraging travellers to pick up 10 pieces of rubbish and dispose of them responsibly. This initiative helps ensure we keep pristine environments such as the Franklin River clean and litter free, with its mantra being ‘take only photographs and 10 pieces of litter, leave only footprints’. Our aim is to leave the environment even better condition than when we arrived and also encourage other travellers and locals to dispose of litter responsibly.

Beautiful lush rainforest along the Franklin River.

Tim says he challenged himself to pick up 10 pieces of litter a day - “I was keen to challenge myself with a '10 Pieces' litter collection challenge for each day but I think in the whole nine days down 140 odd kilometers of river, I struggled to pick up ten bits of litter overall and they were only very small items that would easily be looked over. An appropriately high bar has been set for users of other natural areas to follow."

Lets keep the stunning Franklin River in a pristine condition to preserve this precious natural area not only for the wildlife but for future generations to enjoy.

Learn more about our Responsible Travel initiatives >>> here.

Check out more of our Franklin River Rafting trips >>> here.