The World Around Us: Enjoying it in a Sustainable Way
Jennifer Roma
I have always been an animal lover, an outdoorsy person, and a real natural girl, among many other things. I only recently embraced these characteristics in such a way to let them transform my career from one of health and wellness to one of wildlife conservation.
In coming to this decision, I have had many opportunities to meet new people, experience things from a different perspective, and begin to learn about some of the concerns and issues that lie ahead of me in this field of work.
From my own humble experiences and love of nature, I can tell you that one concern I struggle with is the desire to see more people enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds them but also to get them to understand, and to truly understand myself, how our actions affect the environment we are in.
There is nothing more disconcerting than enjoying a relaxing hike on a summer afternoon, the sunlight falling through the trees in dusty granules, the breeze lightly wafting through the open spaces between the stands of forest, the trail bed moist with the scent of old leaves…only to be greeted by the old, faded, brown (or red, if it’s Roll Up the Rim time) shape of a Tim Horton’s coffee cup carelessly tossed amongst the pine needles and leaves in just the spot where you were going to set your next footstep down.
Spring has arrived, and with it the promise of longer sunshine-filled (we hope!) days. Days that we can fill with all those activities we neglected or were not able to do over the winter: long hikes and nature walks, bike rides, camping trips, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, sight seeing, and bird watching, just to name a few.
But how many of us consider the result of our use of outdoor ecosystems for activities such as these? What can we do to ensure that the spaces that we enjoy today will continue to be viable and vibrant areas for waterfowl, other wildlife, and plants, as well as places of beauty for people to enjoy, for decades to come?
In order to find out how we can be environmentally responsible during our outings this season, we should all think “Leave No Trace.”
This phrase is much more than a quick tagline. It is now a non-profit organization (Leave No Trace Canada), based in Calgary, Alberta, which is “dedicated to promoting and inspiring responsible outdoor recreation through education, research, and partnerships”. The organization was officially launched in March 2006.
Leave No Trace Canada is based on seven main 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
Personally, I think we should adhere to the principals that Leave No Trace promote all the time – being more aware of our surroundings; respecting other people, animals, and the environment; and minimizing our overall impact.
David Suzuki speaks to this everyday awareness on his website with the Nature Challenge. The idea behind the Challenge is to urge us to consider ways in which we can help to “conserve nature and improve our quality of life.”
The 10 most effective ways to do this, according to Suzuki, are:
1. Reduce home energy use by 10%
2. Choose an energy-efficient home & appliances
3. Don't use pesticides
4. Eat meat-free meals one day a week
5. Buy locally grown and produced food
6. Choose a fuel-efficient vehicle
7. Walk, bike, carpool, or take transit
8. Choose a home close to work or school
9. Support alternative transportation
10. Learn more and share with others
You can find out more about each of these items on Suzuki’s web site, and why following them will help to conserve nature.
Being relatively new to this whole conservation field, I do not pretend to be an expert, but I think I know where to get good, reliable, quality information and I believe following the principles that have been introduced here will go a long way in allowing each and every one of us to enjoy the world around us in a way that will sustain it for years to come.
Enjoy your outdoor activities this year and maybe I will see you on the trails!
For more information:
