Recreate Responsibly
Enjoy nature while helping to protect it.
Principles to Live By:
Leave No Trace has created a list of seven principles aimed at providing retreaters and outdoor enthusiasts with the knowledge of how to enjoy nature in a way that has minimal impacts. Learn more about each of the seven principles, and complete the online trainings so that you can be sure you are having the best impact possible on the places that you like to visit most! [ https://lnt.org/learn/seven-principles-overview ]
Leave No Trace Seven Principles:
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
© 1999 by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org.
Leave No Trace has created a list of seven principles aimed at providing retreaters and outdoor enthusiasts with the knowledge of how to enjoy nature in a way that has minimal impacts. Learn more about each of the seven principles, and complete the online trainings so that you can be sure you are having the best impact possible on the places that you like to visit most! [ https://lnt.org/learn/seven-principles-overview ]
Leave No Trace Seven Principles:
1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
3. Dispose of Waste Properly
4. Leave What You Find
5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors
© 1999 by the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org.
When It Comes To Wildlife...
1. Keep your distance.
When observing wildlife, it is important to always stay a safe distance away. This is for your protection, as well as the animals'. The appropriate distance may depend upon the animal. As a rule of thumb, I try to stay as far as necessecary to prevent disruption of the animals' natural behaviors. When we get to close to wild animals, they may feel threatened by us and will use their energy to try and get away from us. This means looking at us and subsequently flying, running, swimming, or otherwise moving away. When they use their energy to escape our presence, they are using up energy that they could be using to find food, groom themselves, build their nests, etc. In extreme circumstances, an animal may even feel threatened enough to charge you and attempt to scare or harm you. If you realize an animal has noticed your presence, consider backing away if possible to allow more space for the animal to feel comfortable. Maintain a very quiet tone of voice, and limit noise. Keep watching times to a minimum to avoid causing excessive stress to the animal.
2. Never harass or harm wildlife.
Never approach, yell at, throw things at, or try to capture a wild animal. This could cause a huge amount of stress to the animal, and could result in its injury or death. It could also result in the animal approaching you in an attempt to defend itself. This could lead to you being injured, or being exposed to a zoonotic disease (a disease that is transferrable from wildlife to humans). Some species of animals may also be euthanized if they are reported to have attacked a human. Keeping your distance can be crucial for the health and safety of both you and the wildlife you come across.
3. Never feed wildlife, and always stay crumb clean.
Never try to feed a wild animal, and always clean up your crumbs, food scraps, and other waste when recreating outdoors.
Wild animals are not used to processed foods. Things like bread, crackers, or other human snacks can be dangerous to birds, squirrels and other wildlife. These food items have no nutritional value for animals, but they create a feeling of fullness that prevents the animal from seeking other sources of food that would normally provide the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to survive.
Additionally, feeding wildlife can disrupt the normal ecology of an area. Feeding animals, or leaving food items behind in natural areas can attract scavenging animals such as crows, ravens, gulls, raccoons, and others. Once attracted to areas they wouldn't normally inhabit, these animals may discover eggs of native nesting birds. They can cause a decrease in population size for songbirds, or other rare or protected birds through nest predation. Feeding and attracting these scavengers can disrupt the natural ecological balance of a system.
For more tips and tricks on how to interact with wildlife responsibly, check out the following links!!
National Parks Conservation Association
National Parks Service
Leave No Trace
SEEtheWILD
When observing wildlife, it is important to always stay a safe distance away. This is for your protection, as well as the animals'. The appropriate distance may depend upon the animal. As a rule of thumb, I try to stay as far as necessecary to prevent disruption of the animals' natural behaviors. When we get to close to wild animals, they may feel threatened by us and will use their energy to try and get away from us. This means looking at us and subsequently flying, running, swimming, or otherwise moving away. When they use their energy to escape our presence, they are using up energy that they could be using to find food, groom themselves, build their nests, etc. In extreme circumstances, an animal may even feel threatened enough to charge you and attempt to scare or harm you. If you realize an animal has noticed your presence, consider backing away if possible to allow more space for the animal to feel comfortable. Maintain a very quiet tone of voice, and limit noise. Keep watching times to a minimum to avoid causing excessive stress to the animal.
2. Never harass or harm wildlife.
Never approach, yell at, throw things at, or try to capture a wild animal. This could cause a huge amount of stress to the animal, and could result in its injury or death. It could also result in the animal approaching you in an attempt to defend itself. This could lead to you being injured, or being exposed to a zoonotic disease (a disease that is transferrable from wildlife to humans). Some species of animals may also be euthanized if they are reported to have attacked a human. Keeping your distance can be crucial for the health and safety of both you and the wildlife you come across.
3. Never feed wildlife, and always stay crumb clean.
Never try to feed a wild animal, and always clean up your crumbs, food scraps, and other waste when recreating outdoors.
Wild animals are not used to processed foods. Things like bread, crackers, or other human snacks can be dangerous to birds, squirrels and other wildlife. These food items have no nutritional value for animals, but they create a feeling of fullness that prevents the animal from seeking other sources of food that would normally provide the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to survive.
Additionally, feeding wildlife can disrupt the normal ecology of an area. Feeding animals, or leaving food items behind in natural areas can attract scavenging animals such as crows, ravens, gulls, raccoons, and others. Once attracted to areas they wouldn't normally inhabit, these animals may discover eggs of native nesting birds. They can cause a decrease in population size for songbirds, or other rare or protected birds through nest predation. Feeding and attracting these scavengers can disrupt the natural ecological balance of a system.
For more tips and tricks on how to interact with wildlife responsibly, check out the following links!!
National Parks Conservation Association
National Parks Service
Leave No Trace
SEEtheWILD