When you go on a hike, even when you�re trying your very best you are going to leave back some sort of impression on the environment. But you can lessen your impact and still enjoy nature if you know what to do.
Hiking is heart healthy, good for your body, and fun. It's an activity the entire family can enjoy together too. Just follow these tips to minimize the effect on the environment.
* Don't Take Souvenirs: Don't take home rocks, flowers, or other things from nature that you find to be beautiful. If everyone did that, you wouldn't have anything left to observe and enjoy. Instead, take digital photos of each thing that you love to remember it by.
* Take What You Brought: If you take something with you, don't leave it behind. Always take papers and anything you bring back with you by cleaning up after yourself when you stop for a rest and a snack.
* Buy Used Gear: Don't go out and buy brand-new stuff for your hiking trips. Other than shoes, there is no reason to contribute to waste by having new items. The manufacturing process pollutes the environment so much that it's just not worth it to have new items when you can easily avoid it by shopping for supplies at used shops.
* Use Recyclable Water and Food Containers: When you pack, don't bring plastic water bottles and plastic containers with you. Instead, make it a habit of using reusable storage containers in your everyday life.
* Stay on the Trail: You don't want to go off the trail, because if you get lost they'll have to use a lot of energy and manpower to find you. This is not very eco-friendly and not much fun for you or anyone else. Follow all safety tips regarding being in nature.
* Don't Feed Anything: Do not feed the birds, the fish or any animals in the wild. Nature knows what's best for them and if you mess up their natural ability to find the right food, you could make them sick.
* Pick Up Any Trash You See: It's also nice to help pick up trash when you're out there. Some people are thoughtless about leaving behind trash but if each person brought back just one or two pieces of trash, the entire experience would soon be much more enjoyable to all.
* Keep Your Dog on a Leash: While it may be tempting to let your dog go, you need to not only pick up your dog poop on the trail, you also need to keep your dog contained so that it doesn't get lost, hurt a wild animal or hurt itself.
Going on hikes is good for us because of being close to nature, breathing fresh air, and moving a lot. The more you can get to know nature and stay close to nature, the better. And the more you're cognizant of the dangers and the potential to pollute the environment, the better.
