At this year’s Keeping it Wild in the Cederberg weekend, Love Our Trails was proud to host a dynamic gathering of nature lovers, trail users, landowners, and conservationists. Among the many highlights, Galeo Saintz’s powerful talk stood out—sparking important conversations about the deeper value of trails and the shared responsibility we all have in protecting and managing them. His insights challenged us to rethink our role not just as hikers, bikers, or runners, but as land stewards and collaborators in conservation. We’re excited to share his thought-provoking takeaways in this piece, via a set of short bullet points summarising his key ideas to consider in relation to trails:
“Trails for a Cause: Why My Boots Have a Bigger Impact Than I Thought” – By Galeo Saintz
Trail Users as Land Stewards
- Recognize all trail users as shared custodians of land and biodiversity.
- Foster a conservation mindset in every trail experience.
- Promote ethical behavior, sustainability, and mutual accountability among trail users.
- Educate on the environmental impact of our presence—there are consequences!
- Clubs and groups can promote:
- Stay on the trail ethos and general etiquette towards other trail users
- A ‘Leave No Trace’ ethic
- Culture of ‘give back’ to fund conservation and trail maintenance projects
- Volunteer for trail care
- Create engaging educational campaigns tailored to different user types.
- Encourage stories, reflection, and local pride in trail stewardship – just like Keeping it Wild is doing.
Collaboration Across Sectors
Facilitate inclusive dialogue between custodians and users to co-manage access and use. Build partnerships with:
- Landowners and farmers
- Government agencies, NGOs and conservation groups
- Tourism operators and agencies
- Scientists and researchers
Trail Activity and Wildlife Consideration
- Map out and monitor wildlife interactions with trails.
- Minimize disturbance through careful trail routing and timing where possible.
- Recognize that trails affect ecological corridors and animal behavior, but can also be key conduits for animal movement and function for biodiversity connectivity when carefully designed and planned with scientists.
Defined User Roles
- Promote diverse roles:
- Responsible users – educated and accountable
- Volunteers – engaged in maintenance and stewardship
- Donors – supporting trail projects and conservation
- Champions – advocating and spreading awareness
Trail Trends in Conservation
- Support trail projects that:
- Enhance landscape connectivity and conservation corridors and manage trails for connectivity with science informed designs and approaches.
- Integrate with biosphere reserves and adhere to standards.
- Use trails as tools for community-building and conservation education.
Carrying Capacity and Impact Management
- Consider systems like lotteries for limited access in fragile areas, that also ensures equitable access, should user numbers become excessive.
- Set standards for and annually or seasonally monitor carrying capacities for campsites and trails.
- Employ trampling mitigation strategies at huts and rest areas through careful design and choice of location.
- Monitor potential impact of trail events.
Waste Management
- Standardize toilet management, including the use of poop bags should such an approach become necessary in future.
- Monitor human waste and promote used toilet paper is removed and not (poorly) buried (easy to place in ziploc bags) and put a ban on burying any wet wipes (these things do not biodegrade at all!!).
- Implement clear systems for waste collection and disposal.
- Educate all users on Leave No Trace and related ethics – all the time!
Trail Standards and Accreditation
- Develop and implement:
- Clear, standardized and accurate signage information, with distance and time indicated for safety ( this doesn’t mean every sign needs to look the same, but this can help).
- Regular (every 2 years) trail monitoring or auditing.
- Ongoing repair and monitoring of campsites or overnight areas.
- Consistent trail experience design based on user needs and conservation priorities.
- Close or rehabilitate social trails, shortcuts and trails that are not sanctioned by owners.
- Promote the idea within your agencies about the value of national trail standards.
Cederberg-Specific Opportunities
- Integrate trails into broader Cederberg conservation and community plans by having a clear Cederberg Trails Management Plan.
- Adopt and promote best practices in trail building and management, and ensure contractors are certified professionals or have undertaken appropriate training and stay current with latest techniques and methods.
- Position the region as a leader in ethical, sustainable trail tourism.
- Contribute to helping shape an Africa-wide Trails of Africa Network.
