I am an avid mountaineer, hiker, and backpacker. I consider myself a nature lover who does what he can to be environmentally friendly.

And yet, when I think back to my favorite memories of the outdoors, like when I was standing on the summit of Mount Rainier, I’m always in the position of taking.

On the summit of Rainier I felt connected to the natural world… but I was also carrying thousands of dollars’ worth of gear that been assembled and shipped across the world for my use. I was taking summit selfies on a phone made from rare minerals by exploited workers overseas. I was on a peak that was called Rainier after a British naval officer who had never even seen the mountain, this despite millennia of local indigenous peoples already having several names for it.

I began realizing though I’d spent countless hours in nature over the years, I hadn’t put much thought or action into its conservation, or the preservation of the indigenous cultures that were stewards and inhabitants of the land for long before the United States, or the modern world, even existed.

I began to wonder: Was I a city-dweller in the noble pursuit of getting back in touch with mother earth? Or was I just a privileged opportunist that used nature as a playground?

I didn’t like where the evidence pointed.

I decided to recalibrate my relationship with the lands I live on and visit, particularly when going out on purely-for-fun trips. Below are my first thoughts on personal guidelines:

I will help compensate for my carbon footprint by buying offsets

Carbon offset services allow you to “buy back” the emissions you’re responsible for. You simply calculate what your footprint for a given activity is, then put enough money towards carbon-sinking projects, such as planting trees, to offset that.

There are several controversies around the efficacy and impact of carbon offset services, so I researched and for a variety of reasons have for now settled on non-profit The Gold Standard, which is recommended by WWF, Greenpeace, and the David Suzuki Foundation. The Gold Standard carries out a variety of carbon offset projects across the globe for you to choose from. Here’s how I will use it:

1. When purchasing carbon credits from Gold Standard, I will calculate the rough amount of emissions I generate on a trip (I’ve tried many calculators; the most granular I’ve found so far are from Climate Care and Native Energy). I use the travel calculator to find my footprint from the miles I’ve driven on a trip, then add 25% on top of that to help account for my gear and clothing, underestimations, etc.

2. I will choose carbon projects for which I’ve read the most supporting evidence. If it both sinks carbon and supports indigenous peoples, even better.

3. I will also calculate carbon offsets I owe on a regular basis, not on a yearly basis. The latter might allow for a one-and-done alleviation of guilt. The former requires frequent, intentional revisiting of my carbon footprint.

I will support indigenous peoples and learn about the land I’m on

I recently went to a showing of the film Promised Land, which brought to light many things about the creation of the US that I’d never known or had conveniently forgotten. The film opened my eyes to ways in which the US government marginalized indigenous peoples not just in centuries past, but to this very day.

In an example close to home for me, the Duwamish once inhabited the land we now call Seattle and its surrounded areas. The Duwamish were forced off their lands in 1855 after signing a treaty with the United States government whose terms the US never honored. To this day, a century and a half and many broken promises later, the Duwamish continue their fight to become formally recognized by the US government as a tribe.

So, the lands I live on and use for recreation were home to many generations of people who continue to be disenfranchised from it in many ways. Here is how I will try to recognize and begin repaying my debt:

I will use the Native Land tool, which illustrates how the area was inhabited by many tribes. Now, before I go on a fun trip out into nature, I will find what tribes live or lived there and if there are any tribal sovereignty funds I can donate to.

2. Beyond simply passing off money, I will look into hiring indigenous guides. I’ve found Native America, which offers Native America owned and operated tours, and am looking into similar sites. With this, I can be confident my money goes to the people I intend, and that I can learn from them about their relationship with the land. This is not necessarily feasible for a lot of the mountaineering trips I take, but it’s viable for stops along the way on other trips I go on.

3. I will try to learn about the history of the lands and its original inhabitants. I will try to stop by interpretive centers, film showings, and similar, and to go as a listener and learner.

4. I haven’t yet found a repository of similar information for indigenous peoples abroad, but when I do travel internationally I will look into information on indigenous rights. This is an issue in many parts of the world besides my home in the US, from Australia to Zambia.