How do park rangers promote sustainable practices among visitors?

• A. By limiting visitor access
• B. By encouraging Leave No Trace principles
• C. By enforcing strict rules
• D. By increasing park fees

Answer: (B)

Promoting sustainable practices among visitors is a critical role of park rangers, and encouraging Leave No Trace principles is a key method for achieving this goal. Leave No Trace is a set of outdoor ethics that aims to minimize human impact on the environment. By educating visitors about these principles, park rangers help foster a culture of respect and responsibility towards nature.

The Leave No Trace principles cover a range of practices, such as properly disposing of waste, respecting wildlife, and staying on designated trails. When visitors adopt these practices, it leads to less degradation of natural resources, reduced wildlife disturbances, and overall healthier ecosystems within the parks.

The other methods, while they may have their own merits, do not directly instill sustainable behaviors in the way that education and awareness do. Limiting access can reduce overall impact but does not teach sustainable practices. Enforcing rules ensures compliance but does not necessarily promote understanding or a sense of personal responsibility for the environment among visitors. Increasing park fees might deter some visitors but doesn’t address the need for sustainable practices or foster a connection to the park’s conservation goals.