March 20 (Boulder, CO): When we go on vacations, we frequently purchase a souvenir to keep and display as a reminder of our visit. Outdoor enthusiasts are often equally tempted to collect and take home interesting natural and cultural objects, but such acts are rarely sustainable if everyone did the same. Such collecting has the potential to do substantial harm so resist the urge to collect and teach others to do the same.
Consider the adage: "Take only photographs and leave only footprints." Substitute a photograph or sketch to share or display your "find," and allow you to identify and learn more about it after your trip. Take home memories instead of souvenirs to ensure that those who follow have the same high-quality experience you enjoyed.
There are many reasons for leaving special objects behind. Consider the cumulative effect of millions of visitors to our public lands. If we each picked a few flowers the cumulative effect would be devastating.
Instead, load your camera and not your pack. Let photos, drawing, and memories comprise your souvenirs. People come to public lands to enjoy them in a natural and pristine state. Allow others a sense of discovery by leaving flowers, plants, artifacts, and other objects of interest as you find them.
Bring and introduce children to the wonders of nature but help them to understand the interconnectedness of plants, animals, and natural environments. For example, teach youth that picking flowers prevents the development of seeds, which produce next year's plants and flowers.
A study in Great Smoky Mountains National Park found significantly fewer pink lady slipper orchids flowering along park trails than away from trails. Teach youth about leaving them where they are found so that others may discover, experience, and enjoy them as they did.