As summer approaches, the weather improves, and the pandemic subsides as more people get vaccinated, many are planning to get outside this summer, including visits to our national parks and other public lands.  Unfortunately, it appears that many who ventured outdoors last year, and early this year, had little experience camping, hiking, paddling, etc.  This has created a serious problem due to lack of knowledge: many of our public lands are getting trashed!  Many "new" visitors to our parks and other public lands have little experience, little knowledge of acceptable behavior, of trail etiquette, of how to experience the outdoors while still protecting our wild places and the many species who call these habitats home.  We used to be "loving our parks to death", but now, we're just trashing them.  Human waste and trash is everywhere, people are cutting down live trees, starting campfires in unacceptable places and at unacceptable times, adding graffiti to rocks and structures, even bolting sport climbing routes on sacred rock faces covered with petroglyphs, just generally behaving like idiots.  This all has to stop.  Fortunately, there is hope, in part as a result of the efforts of Leave No Trace, Center for Outdoor Ethics (lnt.org).  The Leave No Trace Mission states: 
"The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics protects the outdoors by teaching and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly.  The Center accomplishes this mission by delivering cutting-edge education and research to millions of people every year."

Leave No Trace has established 7 principles which should help those less experienced in the outdoors to navigate our public lands in a way that does not cause damage, pollute, or otherwise degrade these habitats.
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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.

"Enjoy your world.  Leave No Trace."
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 Today is a day to celebrate the diversity and majesty of Planet Earth, even though now is a very tenuous time in Earth's long history.  We're in bad shape, having misused and abused natural habitats and species for decades, really centuries.  But today is not about the past, it is a day to think about the future, about what we can and need to do to protect species and wild habitats.  As has been said, "Nature doesn't need us, but we need nature."  Nature does need us to do more to protect these special places and species, many of which I have had the pleasure to visit and explore.  We need to act, now, before it is too late.  So today, think about our Mother Earth, celebrate this amazing planet, while at the same time think about what you can do to protect this amazing place we all call home. Happy Earth Day!

Oh, and this week is National Park Week as well, so it is time to celebrate these amazing places we call national parks.