ACA Environmental Awareness & Ethics 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An ACA instructor leads a group through an area with posted 'Seasonal Closure — Osprey Nesting' signs. What is the appropriate response?
- Paddle through quickly and quietly to minimize disturbance
- Respect the closure and redirect the group to an alternative route (Correct answer)
- Enter only if the group stays more than 50 yards from shore
- Post a lookout and proceed if no birds are visible
Correct answer: Respect the closure and redirect the group to an alternative route
Seasonal wildlife closures are legally and ethically binding; instructors must honor them and plan alternative routes to prevent nest abandonment and protect protected species.
Question 2: What is 'cathole' camping hygiene, and what depth is recommended?
- A hole for food waste, 4 inches deep
- A hole for human waste, 6–8 inches deep, dug 200 feet from water (Correct answer)
- A hole for gray water, 12 inches deep
- A hole for trash, dug at the campsite perimeter
Correct answer: A hole for human waste, 6–8 inches deep, dug 200 feet from water
A cathole is a 6–8 inch deep hole for human solid waste, dug at least 200 feet from water, trails, and camp to allow decomposition and protect water quality.
Question 3: Which of the following best describes 'cumulative impact' in the context of paddling ethics?
- The total weight paddlers add to a canoe over a season
- The combined environmental damage from many paddlers each making small impacts (Correct answer)
- Erosion caused by a single high-water flood event
- The total carbon footprint of paddling events held annually
Correct answer: The combined environmental damage from many paddlers each making small impacts
Cumulative impact refers to how individually minor actions (e.g., one group picking wildflowers) become significant damage when repeated by thousands of visitors over time.
Question 4: When is it most ecologically appropriate to pull a boat up on a vegetated riverbank versus a gravel bar?
- Vegetated banks are always preferred because they are more stable
- Gravel bars are preferred because landing on vegetation crushes plants and disturbs root systems (Correct answer)
- Either is fine as long as you move the boat quickly
- Vegetated banks are better in high water, gravel bars in low water
Correct answer: Gravel bars are preferred because landing on vegetation crushes plants and disturbs root systems
ACA and LNT guidelines recommend landing on durable surfaces like gravel, sand, or rock to avoid trampling and killing riparian vegetation.
Question 5: A paddler in your group catches a fish in an area where catch-and-release is mandatory. What must the instructor verify before the fish is released?
- That the fish was not photographed
- That the fish was handled with wet hands and returned promptly to minimize physiological stress (Correct answer)
- That the fish was measured and recorded for ACA logs
- That barbless hooks were used before the trip started
Correct answer: That the fish was handled with wet hands and returned promptly to minimize physiological stress
Proper catch-and-release requires wet hands (to protect the fish's slime coat), minimal air exposure, and gentle release to maximize survival and comply with conservation regulations.
Question 6: What is the purpose of 'packing out' all waste including food scraps when paddling in wilderness areas?
- To reduce bear activity near parking lots
- To prevent habituation of wildlife, maintain water quality, and preserve the wilderness experience for others (Correct answer)
- To comply with ACA equipment checklists
- To avoid attracting insects that disturb paddling
Correct answer: To prevent habituation of wildlife, maintain water quality, and preserve the wilderness experience for others
Food scraps attract and habituate wildlife, introduce non-native nutrients into aquatic systems, and degrade the aesthetic and ecological quality of wilderness for future visitors.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of an invasive species commonly spread by paddling equipment?
- Largemouth bass
- Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) (Correct answer)
- Native bluegill
- Great blue herons
Correct answer: Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha)
Zebra mussels are a highly destructive invasive bivalve spread primarily by watercraft and equipment; they colonize native ecosystems and outcompete native species for food.
ACA Environmental Awareness & Ethics 3
An ACA instructor leads a group through an area with posted 'Seasonal Closure — Osprey Nesting' signs.
What is the appropriate response?