Leave Only Footprints

20 01, 2021

What you should know about the Leave Only Footprints program when planning your Alabama beach vacation

By |2021-01-11T21:25:17+00:00January 20th, 2021|Blog|0 Comments

January is a good time of year to plan your spring or summer vacation to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. As you choose your favorite hotel or vacation rental, we want you to be aware of our Leave Only Footprints program and what it means.   In 2016, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach adopted the Leave Only Footprints initiative to protect the beautiful white-sand beaches and keep them clean. Beach visitors are asked to remove all personal items from the beach by one hour after sunset each [...]

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24 11, 2020

What is the Leave Only Footprints Policy?

By |2020-11-19T20:58:03+00:00November 24th, 2020|Blog|0 Comments

We’re always talking about the Leave Only Footprints program. Do you really know what it is and how it benefits our coastline and its inhabitants?    The beautiful gulf beaches of Alabama have been a favorite vacation spot for folks in the southeastern United States for generations. In recent years, our little 32-mile beachfront on the northern Gulf of Mexico has gained more popularity. Now, more than 5 million visitors from across the nation and world travel to our destination each year. Wow! Just imagine what the [...]

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23 09, 2020

Protect nesting sea turtles at the beach this fall

By |2020-09-23T16:31:23+00:00September 23rd, 2020|Blog|0 Comments

Sea turtle nesting season on Alabama’s Gulf Coast is between May and October. During this time, mama turtles come on shore to lay their eggs. After approximately 55 days, the baby sea turtles hatch and head to the Gulf of Mexico. Thousands of these endangered creatures hatch on the beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach each year.   Sea turtle nesting season is also the busy tourist season on Pleasure Island. Volunteers comb the beaches each morning and keep a watchful eye out for turtle tracks in the sand. If they spot tracks and a nest, it will [...]

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28 05, 2020

It’s never too soon to learn to protect the environment 

By |2020-05-18T20:31:46+00:00May 28th, 2020|Blog|0 Comments

They say children are like sponges: They absorb everything. Have you set a good example for your kids and grandkids at the beach? Let’s teach our children to “Leave Only Footprints!”   We take care of our environment so future generations will also be able to enjoy the outdoors. But we also need to make sure the future generations know how to take care of our planet. It’s never too early to instill good habits and respect for our beautiful white-sand beaches.   How can you be a good role model?  Talk about the wildlife that [...]

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6 04, 2020

Teaching kids to Leave Only Footprints 

By |2020-04-01T16:42:56+00:00April 6th, 2020|Blog|0 Comments

Hundreds of thousands of sea turtles, whales and other marine mammals, as well as more than 1 million seabirds, die each year from ocean pollution, including ingestion of or entanglement in marine debris. Let’s teach our children by example how to stop being litterbugs and to Leave Only Footprints everywhere they go.   The Leave Only Footprints program exists to raise awareness and participation in green initiatives and Leave No Trace https://lnt.org/learn/7-principles behaviors among visitors and residents of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.   Our resources are precious. So to take this initiative a step further, we ask that you teach [...]

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18 03, 2020

History of the Leave Only Footprints Initiative

By |2020-02-27T18:18:44+00:00March 18th, 2020|Blog|0 Comments

“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” The quote originated from Chief Seattle, a Native American who came from the Duwamish Tribe in the state of Washington. This mindset has been adopted by locals and lovers of the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area who established the Leave Only Footprints program. Leave Only Footprints exists to raise awareness and participation in Leave No Trace behaviors and other green initiatives. The collaborative effort began in 2007, coordinating city, state, business and individual [...]

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20 12, 2019

Leave what you find when exploring the shores of the Alabama Gulf Coast

By |2019-11-12T13:38:09+00:00December 20th, 2019|Blog|0 Comments

The Alabama Gulf Coast is a wonder. The endless blue skies, emerald water that gently laps on the sugar-white sands, the smell of fresh salt air and the shells you find scattered along your path. All wonders. All part of our natural environment. It’s easy to want to take home a treasure from the beach. A symbol of the memory of the day spent on the Alabama shores. But we want future generations to continue to enjoy the shores, soak [...]

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29 11, 2019

No-Waste Food Prep for Your Beach Picnic

By |2019-10-25T09:53:14+00:00November 29th, 2019|Blog|0 Comments

Picnics are so much fun, especially when they are on the beach! And it’s actually easy to decrease or eliminate the use of disposable products that may get left behind. Learn how to pack a zero-waste, delicious picnic with a few easy steps. First, finger foods are a great way to go. They are perfect for a picnic because they do not require any utensils or wrappers that may be blown away or thrown away. Pick your favorites from this [...]

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20 11, 2019

Escape Noise Pollution with a Trip to the Beach

By |2019-10-25T09:45:53+00:00November 20th, 2019|Blog|0 Comments

Noise pollution. Did you know it may be harmful to your health? Or why it is beneficial to take a break from it, such as with a beach break? Let’s break it down. Noise pollution is the presence of excessive and disturbing noise from machines, transportation systems, aircrafts, trains, vehicles, machinery, construction and more. It’s harmful to your physical and mental health - more than just annoying, it can lead to hypertension, as well as increase stress and anxiety levels. [...]

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10 10, 2019

Recycling Habits in the U.S. and the Outlook for the Future

By |2019-09-22T02:29:46+00:00October 10th, 2019|Blog|0 Comments

Recycling in the United States is on the uptick and has been so since the 1980s, but there is still room for improvement. In 1980, Americans recycled 15 million tons of waste. Move forward 30+ years and we are now recycling 87 million tons a year - about 34% of the overall waste, which totals 251 million tons. Of the 87 million tons that were recycled, 51% consisted of paper and paperboard, 22% yard trimmings, 9% metal, 4% food waste, [...]

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