Practicing good stewardship

Usually, we pack up our car with hiking gear, and or camera gear, our kids, friends, or just by ourselves and head to a park. Today I’m doing just that and heading into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Driving through the park puts you in the heart of nature with amazing views, trails to explore, and wildlife. You’ll see many signs warning the public what to do and what ‘not’ to do if they see wildlife, especially elk and bears.

Signs in the park are your first opportunity to learn how to practice good stewardship. Some of the most common signs are ones that instruct visitors to pull over out of the road to prevent bear jams, not idle, and maintain a safe distance, (each park has clear guidelines on distance) and of course speed limits.

So, what happens when we ignore the signs?

Let’s start with bear jams. This is when people stop their cars in the middle of the road to watch or photograph a bear, which causes traffic to back up. This is not exclusive to bears, it also happens when people see deer, elk, and even turkeys in the park. Now you may say what’s the harm it’s only a second.

Unfortunately, people usually don’t stop for just a second. Even when there is plenty of pull-off space for them to move over into. This creates lines of idling cars adding noise and causing stress to wildlife, not to mention all the visitors who can’t catch a glimpse of said wildlife.

Be a good steward do exactly what the signs encourage, proceed slowly, and keep moving to the closest spot you can safely pull over, ‘out’ of the road. Turn off your car and view the wildlife. If the wildlife is close to the car keep your windows up and stay in the car. Only get out of the car if you can maintain a safe distance.

No situation is perfect so depending on the time of day there may not be enough spots to pull over. Unfortunately, this means proceeding slowly and with caution to catch a glimpse and keep moving. Remember wildlife is unpredictable.

What if you’re not in Great Smoky Mountain National Park?

All national parks have guidelines for wildlife viewing, especially if they have predator species like bears. Do a quick check on the website for the park you plan to visit.

Once you get to the park stop at the visitors center and speak with a park ranger. They are there to help us navigate the park and all the do’s and don’ts.

Being a good steward extends to all natural outdoor areas like the state, and local parks including your own backyard. This encompasses all natural spaces, being woodlands, deserts, lakes, streams, and even the seaside.

What are some easy steps to being a good steward while in any natural outdoor space? There are a few and one of the easiest is practicing leave no trace. The national park’s main website has more details on each of the seven principles. You can find it here: Leave No Trace. 

Leaving what you find, being considerate of others, and respecting wildlife to me are three out of the seven that everyone can easily put into practice.

How can you leave no trace?

The first thing that comes to mind is to bring out whatever you brought in. Don’t leave anything on the trail, where you stop to take a break or eat a snack, or camp.

Don’t throw it out the car window either, this applies to all food and trash. Such as apple cores, banana peels, and peach pits I could go on and on. It all needs to be carried out. It is harmful to the natural areas and can increase the chances of wildlife becoming habituated.

Another common example of people ‘not’ respecting leave-no-trace is rock cairns. Have you seen or even built a rock cairn?

Well, that violates ‘leave what you find.’ The rocks used, especially in streams, are vital to stream and river ecosystems, and can disrupt the flow of water.

In addition, they can confuse hikers thinking they are a marker to a trail, putting them off the trail and in possible danger. Be a good steward and leave what you find just enjoy what you see.

Entering any natural area is always exciting and awe-inspiring. You can practice good stewardship anywhere, even in your backyard. I’m hopeful that more people will learn how to be good stewards when out in nature. You can find out more about the stewardship program at Great Smoky Mountain National Park here: GSMNP Stewardship Program

Thank you for your time, now go out explore responsibly and try new things!