November 23-24, 2024

Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run

How To Properly Support via the "Leave No Trace" Principles

Our event follows the seven principles of “Leave No Trace.” These principles are all about minimizing human impact on the outdoors while we enjoy our time out there. We want to protect our parks and lands, so we ask that all our participants, crews, spectators, pacers, and volunteers follow these too!

Let’s walk through the principles and how each principle is supported by the race and how we ask you to support the principle.

Credit for this information and inspiration to © Leave No Trace: www.LNT.org and Haley Cottey. Leave No Trace is so much more than not littering. For more information, head to www.lnt.org and hit the like button if you like this brief overview of Leave No Trace by ExploreMore founder Haley Cottey.

PRINCIPLE 1: Plan Ahead and Prepare

By the race: We put a lot of attention into making sure we bring all the appropriate supplies, properly packaged, and limit what we travel to the race with to what will be needed without transporting unnecessary things.
By the attendees: please think about what packaging and waste you can eliminate from ever even bringing on site. What you pack in, you need to plan to pack out.

By the race: We prepare emails, a website, and a Runners’ Manual in English and in Spanish to help participants prepare.
By the attendees: We ask that our participants read the multiple communications emails we send out, read the website, make sure they are following the social media channels we have so you can get more urgent updates, and read the Runners’ Manual that we publish.

By the race: Dress and pack appropriate supplies for volunteers and participants for a variety of weather, hazards, and emergencies.
By the attendees: Dress and pack for a variety of weather, hazards, and emergencies, and make sure your crew, pacers, and spectators do the same.

By the race: We limit the overall participant level.
By the attendees: We ask that you limit your crew, pacer, and spectator level.

By the race: We use pink clothespin flagging and ground flags which are removed afterwards by our lovely course sweeper volunteers to return this land to its original state.
By the attendees: For participants, it means review the race map and keep a small printed copy in a Ziploc bag or carry a downloaded picture version of it on your phone when on the course.

PRINCIPLE 2: Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

By the race: We limit use to existing trails and campsites and areas approved by the State Park.
By the attendees: We ask that everyone not create new trails or try to create shortcuts that are clearly not existing trails or go into areas that are not part of the race site off-trail.

By the race: We use trails that overall drain well when wet and have a soil composition that will overall not create issues if it is raining.
By the attendees: Participants and pacers should run and hike in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy, to prevent damage that widens the existing trail.

By the race: We limit our race site to as small a size as is reasonably possible; for example, we use a small portion of the large field at the start/finish so that we do not mow down native grasses that we want to protect and so that we preserve habitats for wildlife.
By the attendees: Keep campsites and crew areas small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.

PRINCIPLE 3: Dispose of Waste Properly

By the race: Pack it in, pack it out. We pack up everything we bring out and make sure the area is back to its original nature by the end of the event Sunday night, and we have a dumpster for the litter created by our aid stations.
By the attendees: Please inspect your crew areas and campsites for trash or spilled food, and please pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.

By the race: It is critical to wildlife that we pack out kitchen waste, such as bacon grease and leftovers.
By the attendees: In crew areas, plan meals and snacks to avoid generating messy, smelly garbage.

By the race: We bring in trash bags to securely bag up all aid station trash.
By the attendees: Carry bags to haul your trash (and maybe someone else’s). Before moving on from an area, search for micro-trash, such as bits of food and trash, including organic litter like orange peels or pistachio shells. Invite the kids in your group to make a game out of scavenging for human signs.

By the race: We provide portapotties at all aid stations. We also provide menstrual kits that are in a ziploc bag so you can pack out your trash rather than littering.
By the attendee: If you can’t wait until you get to a portapotty, step 200 feet away from the trails and any water source to do so. Dig a hole for excrement. Pack out any toilet paper used.

PRINCIPLE 4: Leave What You Find

By the race: We leave rocks, plants, and other natural objects as we find them.
By the attendees: We ask that you also leave rocks, plants, and other natural objects as they lie.

By the race: Our equipment and supplies do not have contact with non-native species that could deposit seed pods or spores or otherwise spread.
By the attendees: Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species; review the shoes, clothing, and supplies you are bringing with you to make sure they may not have had recent contact with a non-native species. Clean items that may have before joining us.

By the race: we do not build structures or furniture from the plants, rocks, or wood in the State Park.
By the attendees: Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches or pits.

PRINCIPLE 5: Minimize Campfire Impacts

By the race: We minimize use of open flames and any use is by permission of the State Park.
By the attendees: No open flames are allowed in Valley Village.

By the race: Headquarters and all aid stations have a fire extinguisher if one is needed.
By the attendees: Any grilling or heating apparatus needs to be supervised at all times, and attendees need to know where headquarters and the aid station are if our fire extinguisher is needed.

PRINCIPLE 6: Respect Wildlife

By the race: We always observe wildlife from a distance, and do not follow or approach them.
By the attendees: Give a wide berth to wildlife and do not spook them. This is their home first and foremost.

By the race: We never feed wildlife and leave no scraps from the aid station for them to ingest.
By the attendees: Please don’t feed animals or drop any food trash while racing. Save food scraps until the next aid station. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.

By the race: We allow dogs at the race but only Leashed dogs are allowed. Lead length can't be more than 10 feet total. And of course, if we find a dog to be overly aggressive or agitated by the crowd or other animals, they could be asked to leave.
By the attendees: Control pets at all times, or leave them at home. Use a short lead and stay attentive as dogs can become skittish or upset in a crowd.

PRINCIPLE 7: Be Considerate of Other Visitors

By the race: We want you to have a great experience, but this is also a State Park, and we are welcoming to public visitors with day passes who are enjoying the park too.
By the attendees: Respect others and protect the quality of their experience. You can let park visitors know that an event is going on and ask them to stay to the side because of racers. Announce yourself as you approach and let them know how you will be passing them.

By the race: We welcome our participants using trekking poles on the trails when used with consideration for others. We understand that participants are different speeds and will be courteous in passing.
By the attendees: Be courteous. Yield to users on the trail who are trying to pass you. Loudly state “on your left” if you are passing, and then pass on the left side, or if you hear “on your left”, please move to the right side of the trail. Keep aware of how you are using trekking poles so that they don’t swing wildly, hit another runner, or are perceived to be used to prevent participants from passing you.

By the race: We provide portapotties at all aid stations, and we highly suggest using them.
By the attendees: You should be at least 200 feet from the trail or water source to use the bathroom off trail when a portapotty isn’t available. It is always better for the environment to use the provided portapotties. Be sure not to expose your private areas to the other participants on the trail if you must go off trail. A product like a She-Wee can also aid in participants who would normally need to fully squat to pee so that you can pee discretely standing up.

By the race: we limit the volume of music and announcements, and we honor the State Park’s quiet hours from 10 pm to 8 am.
By the attendees: Avoid loud voices and noises. Use headphones (in only one ear so you can stay aware of what is around you) rather than playing music from a speaker while on the trail.