At two months old, I visited the beach for the first time. At two years old, I had already been halfway across the globe and visited Australia and New Zealand. At twenty-two, the places I will have been to and the experiences I will have had are far greater than most people will ever get the chance to enjoy in their life. 

 

That is a privilege I do not take for granted. Those transformational experiences I had at a young age formed my values, personality and passions and have followed me into adulthood.

 

In elementary school, my biggest priority and pride was being a Junior Ranger. As a high school student, I did everything in my power to encourage my friends to bring their Hydro Flask with them and religiously avoided single-use plastic straws. In college, I have tried to learn why plastic is so prominent in society and what systems damage our Earth the most. 

 

Who is at fault for the harm the human race has caused to the Earth? How can we fix it? What areas need the most help? 

 

Whenever I see trash alongside the trail or someone failing to walk on the trail, I wonder what actions led to that very moment and if there was a way to prevent it. 

 

Nature can not speak for itself, but it does show the hurt and pain when it is not protected and respected. Educating people on how to properly exist within natural spaces and minimizing their impact is important and needs to be common practice.

 

The public’s desire to explore and enjoy outdoor spaces far outweighs the education and understanding they have surrounding their impact on the environment and ecosystems. 

 

The federal government and local and state governments have set aside land deemed worthy enough to be protected and safeguarded. The public rushes to these places and witnesses the beauty within. 

 

Without proper education and preparation, the damage humans inflict upon these ecosystems is detrimental. Flora that has been stepped on takes years to grow back, graffiti etched onto rocks is there for generations, improper campfires can turn into forest fires and recreational water sports can damage delicate sandstone walls.   

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Senior Brendan Trachsel is a parks and recreation management major at Northern Arizona University (NAU). 

 

“I would just say my involvement in outdoor recreation just drastically increased and so I kind of came with a sense of caring about what happens out there,” Trachsel said. “And just the education that comes along with that.” 

 

Some individuals do care about the environment and not wanting to cause unnecessary harm, but not everyone knows how to avoid it. Trachsel said growing up, he was not educated on how to properly interact with the environment. 

 

Trachsel is an example of the youth growing up without outdoor education and then having the weight of self-education on their shoulders. Trachsel has worked toward learning proper outdoor etiquette and said his extreme knowledge surrounding Leave No Trace principles is due to him having completed the highest certification, the Master Educator Course.

 

The Leave No Trace website indicates they are an organization with the goal of promoting a sustainable future through seven principles. These are to plan ahead, travel and camp on durable surfaces, dispose of waste properly, leave what you find, minimize campfire impacts, respect wildlife and be considerate of other visitors.

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Trachsel explained how he has noticed the public’s lack of knowledge around Leave No Trace principles and said he often sees smoldering fires, but a larger problem is how people handle food scraps. 

 

“When it comes to food scraps, people throw apple cores or banana peels out car windows or even just into the woods all the time,” Trachsel said. 

 

The decomposition rate for these items ranges, but in non-native places it may take decades to decompose causing more damage than its worth. An article by The Guardian titled, “Hikers: eat bananas – but take your skins home” said a banana peel can take up to two years to biodegrade. This form of littering also introduces a species the local environment may not be familiar with and it may cause the flora, fauna or soil harm.  

 

Dr. Denielle Perry is an assistant professor in the School of Earth and Sustainability at NAU and is a water resource geographer. Perry’s specialty is researching water conservation and the policies that can restore the conservation of river ecosystems around the world.  

 

“People are pretty receptive to [Leave No Trace],” Perry said. “They just don't know better and once they get told, then for the most part, they treat the place better.”

 

Similarly to Trachsel, Perry explained her experience with individuals' lack of knowledge and care toward the Leave No Trace principles. 

 

“What we were seeing was like river corridors with a bunch of toilet paper all around them and people not knowing how to dig a pit latrine or take a ‘Pack it in, pack it out’ kind of scenario.”

 

Introducing foreign elements to these delicate and easily influenced ecosystems can be very detrimental. That is why it is so important for people to be aware of how to interact with nature. 

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A solution to the public’s lack of knowledge surrounding outdoor etiquette Trachsel proposed was an increase in Preventive Search and Rescue (PSAR). Yosemite Conservancy’s website explained how PSAR attempts to decrease the number of Search and Rescue calls since the “P” in PSAR is all about educating the public. This is ensuring the public is prepared for the time they spend with nature. 

 

Trachsel said he has seen PSAR in action during the peak of the hiking season at Arizona Snowbowl. He said representatives from the Forest Service were stationed at the start of the hike in order to educate and talk to individuals about hiking Humphreys Peak in Flagstaff. 

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Fossil Creek near Camp Verde, Arizona, is one of two designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in the state. Fossil Creek has always been a hot spot for Arizona residents looking to escape the heat. However, overcrowding and litter have stayed consistent issues. 

 

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (WSRA) of 1968 grants certain rivers with the privileges of the Wild and Scenic River designation if it meets certain criteria. The criteria includes water quality, the value it provides to a certain demographic or the water flowing condition of the river. Wild rivers, scenic rivers and recreational rivers are the three main categories into which a river must fall to be granted a Wild and Scenic River. 

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The privileges of this classification essentially mean the river is protected and must be cared for. In the case of Fossil Creek, excessive visitation is damaging the integrity of the landscape and water quality. This creates a problem where the land is protected under federal law and the designation gets the landscape the help it needs.

 

Perry said during the peak of COVID-19 in 2020, there was a large increase in visitors, which put more stress on the ecosystem. This, along with the Backbone Fire in June 2021, which burned the surrounding areas, led to the shutdown of the creek until the end of December 2022. 

 

Before Fossil Creek was shut down, a permitting system was installed.

 

Permitting systems for protecting and regulating outdoor spaces are becoming more and more frequent. Permits are used for certain hikes, rafting trips, accessing special areas and more. 

 

More recently, National Parks have implemented permits to simply enter the park in order to stagger attendance and avoid overcrowding.

 

Perry said she thinks with outdoor activities becoming more accessible and popular, we will see a general increase in permitting systems becoming more common. 

 

One of the nations most popular parks, Yosemite, implemented an aggressive reservation system at the height of the pandemic. Although it improved the experience for those who won the lottery, as they experienced an empty park not congested with people and roads, it really limited who could visit.

 

In my personal experience, the crowds made Yosemite a less than enjoyable experience. My parents were frightened of us crossing the street, you drove for hours since lodging within the park was booked years in advance and finding a seat for a family of four in the dinning hall was rare. 

 

In November, the park announced via Twitter it would end its reservation system for summer 2023. An article titled “You Can Visit Yosemite National Park Next Year Without a Reservation” by Outside magazine said traffic jams, overcrowding and waste management all improved with the reservation system in place.

 

“That's why I believe in permitting systems,” Traschel said. “Permitting systems suck, but sometimes they're just necessary.”

 

Fossil Creek is just one of the creeks in northern Arizona where visitors have created a noticeable impact on the land, but there are many more. Perry spoke of her experiences visiting East Clear Creek near Winslow, Arizona. 

 

“You can paddle up into the little canyon there,” Perry said. “It's really pretty, once you get past the place where people can park and walk down to the rocks because where they can park and walk to the rocks, it's full of trash. It's full of graffiti and it is people being trashy.”

 

East Clear Creek is a prime spot for college students to go cliff jumping, swimming and simply spend the day. Especially during summer, the creek is swarmed with visitors despite the little infrastructure in place to deal with the number of people present.  

 

Since East Clear Creek isn’t consistently maintained or staffed, visitors do not have personnel watching them. No one is holding individuals accountable and making them abide by the rules, Perry said. This creek is a good example of the importance of active management over a protected area or space, She explained. 

 

“It's a good comparison, I think, for understanding why those types of regulations are actually really important,” Perry said. 

 

The Verde River is the other river in Arizona with a Wild and Scenic designation. Many individuals are actively working to get the upper Verde River the same rights. 

 

Perry explained access to surface water is getting more difficult to maintain as populations grow. As the aquifers dry up, the rivers dry up and vice versa. Each relies heavily on the state of the other.

 

“People are trying to actually protect this river so that it doesn't shrivel up and disappear because it's such an important source of freshwater in this state and habitat for species,” Perry said.

 

That is why river conservation and management for water quality and riparian areas are so important, especially in the southwest, where water is scarce. 

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The day I walked into the Flagstaff National Monument office started off not in the greatest way. The roads were slick, the freeway was stopped and I had 20 minutes to get from NAU’s campus all the way to the East side of Flagstaff. This was due to it being Flagstaff’s first day of snow for the season.

 

As soon as I sat down with Richard Ullmann, I was immediately welcomed with a large smile and an enthusiastic personality. His office amplified passionate, but organized chaos. Ullmann sat behind double monitors with picture frames and ranger hats resting on the bookcase behind him. With a new layer of snow falling outside and a late 80s to 90s rock playlist quietly playing in the background, Ullmann had made his office home.

 

While I was there, Ullmann was more than happy to explain his position along with any questions I had regarding the Flagstaff Area National Monuments. 

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Ullmann oversees visitor services for the Flagstaff Monuments at the National Park Service (NPS) and said his staff usually consists of 15 to 16 people. However, with high housing costs, nationwide inflation and COVID-19, they are down about three staff members. 

 

Ullmann explained when COVID hit, everything shut down, then they began a phased reopening. During this reopening, Ullmann said the parks would only allow a certain number of people inside and only opened certain trails.

 

The parks did see a decrease in visitors during the height of COVID and when there were strict restrictions in place, but within the last year, the visitor levels have noticeably increased.

 

Ullmann said he witnesses people genuinely caring about the environment they are existing in and his job is simply to help those people enjoy and understand the park they are in. 

 

“We're public servants, right,” Ullmann said. “You own the land, we're just taking care of it.”

 

Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics initiated a study titled, “Exploring Visitor Attitudes, Values, And Behaviors Regarding Waste In National Parks” in 2018 to investigate waste and recycling behavior within National Parks. 

 

The results showed the majority of visitors did properly care for their trash and waste while within the parks. Over half of the sample indicated they disposed of a recyclable object in a recycling container. 

 

Important systems like sorting waste and recycling was a behavior respondents found to be easy. Now that distinction can be used as data to support having different bins in one location, allowing visitors to dispose of their waste correctly. This process now has an educational component along with a practical one. 

 

The study did point out that visitors said purchasing items that cannot be reused or recycled within the park to be one of the more difficult behaviors to pursue. Even though National Parks are encouraging proper waste management and the reduction of plastic waste, they are implementing that in their for-profit store.

 

Human behavior ended up agreeing with Ullmann's perspective of individuals wanting to do right by the spaces they are inhabiting, since visitors tended to do a good job separating their trash from their recycling. 

 

There will always be the occasional individuals who still act out despite knowing better.

“We had some younger folks probably in their early twenties, they thought it was great to throw rocks off the side of Walnut Canyon,” Ullmann said. “Well, that's not cool. … And so those people had to be reminded, I think eventually with a law enforcement contact, like, ‘Hey man, that's not cool.’”

 

In order to properly educate the visitors entering the park, Ullmann explained the general interactions visitors have with rangers. 

 

“These are fee-collecting parks,” Ullmann said. “So there's a point of entry where one engages with the staff member, right? So there's a welcoming element and there's an orientation element. If there are certain things they need to know about we will let them know at that time. Beyond that people choose to interact with staff while they're at their national park sites, right? We have a visitor center at each.”

 

Ullmann’s office is in charge of the three Flagstaff National Monuments; Sunset Crater National Monument, Wupatki National Monument and Walnut Canyon National Monument. All of which have their own visitor center. 

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Rangers take the roving approach to operating the parks. This approach allows staff to become immersed in the environment and create meaningful connections with visitors. By simply being available as a resource for visitors to use to ask questions, park rangers then have a lot of opportunities for engagement and community outreach.  

 

Ullmann said the parks are designed to address Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. This ideology explains how humans require their basic needs to be met before they can proceed to the next level of life and enjoyment. 

 

NPS prioritizes signage directing visitors to the bathrooms and water fountains Ullmann said. The rangers also explain any dangers visitors are concerned about and answer any questions that may arise. 

 

“There's a hierarchy of safety, security and comfort to the point where if they're on a trail, that means these things have been largely addressed,” Ullmann said.  

 

He, later on, explained how overcrowding in any capacity can regress Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs making people return to a previous state of survival. At the Flagstaff National Monuments, this is a real concern due to the size of space they have to work with.  

 

Ullmann said the monuments have not reached capacity yet, but as more and more people begin to discover Flagstaff’s Seven Wonders, the issue may need to be readdressed — especially as the NPS occupies three of Flagstaff’s Seven Wonders. 

 

“You know, if we ever reach a point where we are getting like two million visitors a year, that would start to overtax the parking and the infrastructure and the plumbing that's like 80 years old,” Ullmann said. 

 

Ullmann said in 2021, between the three monuments they received about 543,000 visitors which Ullmann estimated was approximately a 100,000-person increase from previous years. 

 

The parks do include other forms of education for the visitors. Ullmann said these include interpretation, offering guiding walks, cultural demonstrations and hosting artists in residence. 

 

Looking forward, Ullmann said the Great American Outdoor Act (GAOA) allows them to install infrastructure that encourages outdoor education and reaches more diverse audiences. This is possible because they are able to foresee a consistent increase in visitor numbers to properly accommodate waste management and mitigation. 

 

GAOA has a variety of sections but the Forest Service website describes the act as a means to an end for preserving water quality, conserving the land and ensuring individuals can still access public lands. 

 

Another form of education and outreach the park service has implemented is the newly released National Park Service app.

 

Ullmann said this effort is working toward connecting with the next generation of park stewards and setting the younger audience up through a digital presence before they arrive at the park.

 

Targeting individuals with curated advertisements and informative content through social media is the direction in which the NPS is heading. The digital space has the resources and the audience for it to be a very effective way of messaging. 

 

With this in mind, on TikTok, the NPS account @NPSGov has 2,372 followers but zero posts. On the other hand, the hashtag #LeaveNoTrace has over 139 million views. If properly used, the park service could reach a much greater audience by pursuing marketing through their digital platforms.

 

An entire community on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube is dedicated to the outdoors. Some of these people focus on educating how to properly care for the environment they occupy while others engage in travel-based content showing the most stunning views.

 

Transferring to the digital space through the NPS app and social media is one way to combat the loss of audience engagement they see in person. These platforms can also reach a much wider audience that spans demographics and physical geography, reaching audiences previous educational content curators could never have dreamed of reaching. 

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At the Flagstaff National Monuments, Ullmann said in his department they have a social media plan, which allows them to start expanding their digital footprint.

 

Ullmann explained his office is a large proponent of achieving the highest level of efficiency in order to streamline the process of the work environment. A lot of that has to do with reducing plastic usage, being more sustainable and having a more conscious impact on the environment. 

 

One way they have pursued this is by changing their name badges from plastic to wood. 

 

“We've converted our Junior Ranger badges,” Ullmann said. “When I first got here, they were all plastic, right? Now we don't buy plastic anymore. We buy ecologically sourced wood badges.”

 

Samuel Nields is the Western National Parks Association (WNPA) Store manager for the Flagstaff National Monuments. For the past year, he has been operating the stores located at all three of the Flagstaff National Monuments and oversees the staff. 

 

The WNPA is a non-profit organization supporting National Parks in order to enhance every visitor’s experience. The funds raised through these stores are immediately returned to encourage education, community engagement and research.

 

When asked about the sustainability efforts used within these parks, Nields said one change they have implemented is the removal of plastic bags. Another is the selling of reusable water bottles which visitors can refill at the water refill stations found throughout the parks.

 

This is actually an effective and useful initiative since the 2018 Leave No Trace study found 75% of the respondents did in fact use a reusable water bottle with them in the park. 

 

Nields said he also tries to partner with organizations and businesses who take an environmentally positive approach themselves. 

 

“The people who supply our stuffed animals are a company called Eco Pals,” Nields said. They're super interesting because their stuffed animals are made out of recycled plastics and it's called ocean-safe plastics. So if they end up in the ocean, they eventually just dissolve.”

 

By partnering with companies like Eco Pals, the park service is encouraging environmentally friendly consumerism.  

 

All these Flagstaff National Monuments have been given the designation of Climate Friendly Parks Program. This essentially means these particular parks are striving to achieve sustainability benchmarks and address climate change however they can. 

 

Starting at a young age is a great way to instill environmental consciousness values at a young age. The Climate Friendly Kids program was started in 2013 with the goal of educating the local youth. The excitement as children is what translates to passion and respect as adults.

 

“Most of the time if you bring up Junior Ranger with [the kids], they are super excited and you'll get these kids who have done 10, 15, 20 Junior Ranger programs, which is all about sustainability and learning about the resource that they're visiting,” Nields said. “They'll come in with all these little badges. I've seen kids make Boy Scout and Girl Scout sashes with them and they'll come up running, they'll run right up and [the Junior Ranger program] will be the first question every time.” 

 

Nields said since there is no age limit to the Junior Ranger program, everyone should join. 

 

The Leave No Trace study found that signage surrounding the disposal of trash and recycling in addition to those who actively sought information regarding waste management was the best system for those who were more likely to properly dispose of their waste. 

 

In 2011, the Flagstaff monuments created and signed a sustainability commitment statement with a list of goals including: greenhouse gas reduction, water and energy conservation, fleet management and more. Ullmann said despite this statement being severely outdated, they are still on track to meet all the commitments. 

 

In regards to the fleet management aspect of this plan, Ullmann explained the phasing in of a fully electric company car for the Flagstaff Monument NPS headquarters. 

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“I think we're on the verge of getting a fully electric car for us to use here which is great,” Ullmann said. “So what’s cool is that forces the [sustainability efforts] to not just fade away… So it's a continual dialogue that helps elevate the importance and urgency of it.”

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For a while, the National Park Service has been producing and utilizing a newspaper that not only gave informative content regarding the parks, but doubled as the map, FAQ section and any seasonal park updates. 

 

In an effort to reduce paper consumption, Ullmann said they have rid themselves of this newspaper along with brochures they used to print in excess. 

 

“We've reduced the number of pieces of paper as best we can,” Ullmann said. “I'm hoping to continue in that trend.”

 

Institutional changes within daily societal systems are the type of change needed. A sustainable measure such as investing in a fully electric car is a necessary step in the right direction. 

 

Facilitating an environment where people can exist with nature and learn in a safe and hands-on environment is the goal of the park service. 

 

It is a large task that comes with many responsibilities and shortfalls, but the reward of seeing a middle schooler proudly showing off their Junior Ranger badge or a middle-aged man discovering the value of environmentally conscious consumerism is a great reward. 

 

Julia Oleksiak is the education and outreach manager at Leave No Trace and she explained how the organization reaches out to collaborate with sites around the country. For Arizona, they recently had a Hot Spot site at Horseshoe Bend outside of Page, Arizona. 

 

Oleksiak explained the Hot Spot program involves the LNT representative to be on the ground working through stakeholder meetings, community events and conducting training. LNT  brings everyone who has a vested interest in the area together then leaves them with an action plan and analysis of what areas need improvement and the goals that want to be accomplished. 

 

“For this upcoming year, we're gonna be running a Hot Spot program with Coconino National Forest and specifically focusing on kind of the Sedona area and plugging in with Arizona Tourism and the Chamber of Commerce,” Oleksiak said. 

 

The LNT Hot Spot handbook provides more specific information about the changes the organization leaves behind. LNT revisited Conundrum Hot Springs in Aspen, Colorado in 2017 and 2018 and leave recommendations like “Requiring bear canisters for all overnight users” and “Install a restroom at the trailhead” in addition to creating an informational video for visitors to learn about regulations and LNT principles they should adhere to. 

 

Oleksiak emphasized the importance of encouraging visitors to plan accordingly. 

 

“The first step is kind of anticipation,” Oleksiak said. “So that's where ideally we wanna be reaching people before they get to the site so that way we are able to help decrease impacts before they're even getting there.”

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Visitors being prepared and knowing what to anticipate is proved to be a good tactic since the 2018 LNT study found visitors who sought information regarding waste management before they arrived were more likely to appropriately dispose of their waste once they were in the park. 

 

I find it so interesting and really cool when I am at a location and not only do they have a clear separation of trash and recycling, but they also include a separate space for organic waste. 

 

This is a change I have begun to see more recently, but in the coming years, I hope to see it implemented in more spaces since it tends to be used pretty extensively. It can create a mutually beneficial collaboration between composting and food waste reduction programs. 

 

LNT encourages proper preparation through thorough education on their digital platforms. Oleksiak explained how their social media guidelines share information like the level of difficulty a hike is or the facilities offered at the trailhead when posting to social media where it may reach a large audience. 

 

“It's important to kind of include that information or link folks back to a place where they might be able to find more of that information,” Oleksiak said.

 

Oleksiak said LNT has seen social media to be a great way to get information out to the public quickly for both new visitors and regarding last-minute information. This can range from trail damage that is attempting to be rehabilitated to recent flooding that closed a trail.

 

Being a part of Generation Z automatically makes you very connected to the digital space.  Almost every aspect of my life involves social media or some sort of technology.

 

Personally, I use social media to gain information about local hikes I want to go on and experiences I want to have. Some of my favorite trips and adventures have been solely found through going down a social media rabbit hole or discovering it once it randomly popped up on my For You page.

 

Social platforms have the potential to be a really great planning resource, if used correctly. The range of audience social media can reach has also allowed influencers to create a space in the outdoors that is more accessible and welcoming. 

 

Social media has allowed nature to be a place where anyone and everyone can appreciate and enjoy it, the way it should be. It allows for communities and individuals who did not grow up camping and hiking, or those who did not feel safe and comfortable, to learn how to do it properly and to appreciate it.

 

Jacey West, who runs the Instagram account @jaceywest, uses her Instagram account to share tips and tricks for the outdoors. She educates her followers on how to Leave No Trace, spreads awareness about solo hiking and simply shares the beauty of nature. 

 

With the outdoor community geotagging on social media is a controversial topic. Some advocate for gatekeeping public spaces to protect them for human use and keep them pure, while others only want more people to experience nature and for it to be more accessible

 

“I do see like the negative impacts of [geotagging] Horseshoe Bend for example, that got super popular and then a lot of people went and the park couldn't handle the influx of visitors and it just caused a lot of issues,” West said. 

 

West takes a unique approach to the concept of geotagging. She said she only chooses to share locations where she knows they have the funds and the facilities to support the visitors. Places like State Parks have the resources to support large capacities of people even during their busier seasons. 

 

She also elaborated on how she chooses to focus the attention on educating people rather than completely keeping individuals out. The shame-based mentality is something West said she tries to avoid altogether. 

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West said the mentality of “we are all learning here” is the methodology she wants to spread.

 

“I think having more just like open dialogue on social media [work],” West said. “I like to think that signs at trailheads work. I think the things that I've seen be most effective is like if there's a trash can at the trailhead and like actual facilities that can help people leave no trace, like trash cans and like pit toilets.”

 

Sharing information regarding trailhead facilities and more on those social media posts that will inevitably pop up on people’s feeds inspiring them to travel is key. Preparation, before the trip begins, is crucial. 

 

“At the end of the day, the only reason I'm doing all of this is to inspire more people to get outside,” West said. “I want it to be more accessible and I want to equip people with the tips and the knowledge and the gear that they actually need to spend time outside in a safe and respectful way.”

 

West explained social media is how the younger generations can learn to respect nature in the same manner the older generations have. Effectively communicating outdoor etiquette and responsibility creates an outdoors where everyone can enjoy and where it can be preserved for future generations. 

 

The state of Arizona spans 113,998 square miles with three national parks, thirty-one state parks and eighteen national monuments. 

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Josh Coddington is the Director of Communications and PIO for Arizona’s Department of Tourism and took some time to speak with me about how the state deals with sustainable forms of tourism and outdoor education within the state.

 

“Visit Arizona is what we call our consumer or visitor-facing website,” Coddington said. “So that is for people who are looking for trips or looking to plan trips or looking for things to do in Arizona.”

 

VisitAZ has the goal of increasing consumer tourism by inspiring people to visit different parts of the state. This is where the AppreciateAZ campaign is located in order to increase education and responsible tourism among visitors.

 

Whereas the Arizona Office of Tourism has a larger goal of supporting the state’s tourism industry like Discover Flagstaff or Visit Sedona. 

 

The AppreciateAZ Ambassador program is within VisitAZ and intends to have individuals who also love the outdoors go to these locations within Arizona and share it on their social media. This way locations that otherwise would not normally be shared, have the opportunity to be spotlighted. 

 

“We wanted to have a very genuine, organic way of people who are already in this space that already do these things to share their love for the outdoors and their love for appreciating the outdoors in the right way,” Coddington said. 

 

Owen Steinwall is one-half behind the Instagram @theazhikeaholics, a travel-based account dedicated to exploring every corner of the state of Arizona. Steinwall and his partner, Lauren Franklin, run the account which has over 104k followers while also being AppreciateAZ ambassadors. 

 

Steinwall explained the campaign started with the goal of adapting the LNT principles to be specific for Arizona by partnering with already established social media influencers.