Leaving No Trace
Description of the project
With climate change and higher temperatures in Southern Europe, as well as a possible designation as UNESCO World Heritage at Møns Klint, Møn Biosphere foresee a new form of and potential increased tourism. How many tourists can nature and our hotspots support, and are we good enough to guide tourists to the more robust areas in nature?
Throughout 2023, a project under Møn Biosfære has focused on ‘Leaving No Trace’ and investigated how both residents and guests can take care of Møn's nature through a responsible behaviour. This has led to a report, which was prepared by the working group behind Leaving No Trace, consisting of Biosphere Ambassadors and employees of the Biosphere Secretariat and Vordingborg Municipality.
The report has provided insight into and understanding of concrete challenges in people's traffic in nature on Møn, and it presents 10 areas of intervention and more than 60 concrete action initiatives that can contribute to increased awareness of how to experience nature by leaving no trace.
Tourism and nature conservation are not necessarily at odds with each other and the first step to implement initiatives of Leaving No Trace, has been through a campaign addressing both locals and guests.
When tourists arrived on Møn summer 2024, they have been met by a new campaign HARMØNI. The message is that guests on Møn must take good care of the island's nature and leave no trace of their visit.
'HARMØNI is a friendly nudging attempt to create awareness among both Møn residents and tourists about how we take care of the nature we all want to visit'. It presents a code of conduct and a manifest for people visiting Møn and our nature.
Møn UNESCO Biosphere and Visit Sydsjælland & Møn are helping to spread the campaign with the aim of speaking to and attracting tourists who are willing to take part in the nature protection of Møn. When the guests leave Møn, they must have learned how to take care of nature themselves. As UNESCO's biosphere reserve, we are a model area for sustainable development and want to create learning and information as an important element.
Results and effects
- Creating awareness amongst all residents and guests on how to experience nature in a responsible way.
- Contributing to development of regulation and infrastructure that supports nature restoring in the biosphere reserve.
- Reaching people/changing behaviour through continually focusing on nudging communication.
- Building a local sustainable tourism profile to attract the right guests.
Focal points:
The project engages both local and guests in how they through their own behaviour can contribute to sustainable use of nature and restoring biodiversity.