Leave No Trace - Environmental Education

Students learn Leave No Trace principles to respect and care for the areas where they sail, dive, learn and play.

 

"I learned many things about the environment and about myself that I never dreamed I would."
Emily Smith, age 17, New Canaan, CT

 

Leave No Trace

We are proud to be a member of Leave No Trace (LNT), an international nonprofit organization with a focus on outdoor ethics. Sail Caribbean has always tried to minimize our impact on the environment by teaching students to respect and care for the areas in which we sail, dive, learn and play. Environmental EducationOur own environmental education program, SCOPE (Sail Caribbeans Ocean Preservation Education), was developed over many years and we are pleased to now combine that program with the LNT protocols.

The program starts before you even leave home with our "What to Bring" list of environmentally friendly products. Each day at sea, a student LNT representative briefs the crew on environmental conservation tips. By necessity, we conserve water, fuel, and electricity on the boats, and when we anchor, we select sites carefully so as not to disturb reefs and seabed life. Having practiced this constant vigilance throughout our programs, our students often make environmental awareness a lasting part of their lives back home.  You'll return home more aware of our fragile environment and ways you can protect it.

Four easy steps to start:

Plan on your Camelbak water bottle!
Upon your arrival in the Caribbean, we will hand you an eco-friendly Camelbak water bottle to use instead of disposable cups. This reduces our plastic waste by a thousand percent! And, it's a great reminder to keep hydrated!

Use Biodegradable Products
Soaps, shampoos, toothpastes, and other personal care products that you bring should be biodegradable and contain no phosphates. If possible, use products with all natural ingredients. Check out Sail Caribbean's list of eco-friendly products on the "What to Bring" list you'll receive after enrolling.

Wear Water-proof Sunscreen
Sunscreen that is water-proof will be less likely to wear off and contaminate the reefs and waters in which we swim.

Buy Re-Usable Products
If possible, avoid disposable cameras and razors. Also, recycle any packaging at home prior to coming down to the islands.

Did you know:

  • 71% of the world is covered with water.
  • 35% of the world's coral reefs are in critical condition.
  • 75% of ocean pollution originates on land, including large scale deforestation runoff and small scale septic seepage.
  • For every 1 pound of shrimp purchased, an average of 7 pounds of other sea life is killed.
  • Cyanide, an extremely toxic poison, is dispersed into reefs to capture fish, destroying the system that is left behind.
  • By recycling and reusing at home and in the Caribbean, we can directly decrease our impact on the oceans and our local environment.

Find more environmental facts at websites listed under our Helpful Links section.