Human activity impacts greatly on our environment. There are often unintended consequence of our interactions with the natural world.
People who engage in outdoor recreational activities seek out these experiences in order to appreciate the beauty of these areas and do not willingly want to negatively impact these environments. However, as individuals we all do impact on our surroundings.
Some examples can include: erosion caused by bushwalking, wave erosion by boats and other crafts in waterways, compacting beaches with 4WD’s which can damage food sources for fish and other marine species, overfishing in our waterways and accidentally introducing feral plant and animal species into National Parks.
There is much we can do to reduce our impacts. Following simple guidelines when bushwalking, for example, can help to maintain the long term viability of these areas. This will allow others for generations to come to also enjoy the natural beauty of the areas we visit.
“Leave only footprints and take only photos” is a phrase which is widely used by outdoor enthusiasts. It seeks to reinforce the idea that we should do everything we can to minimise our environmental impact on the places we like to visit.