earthcare
connections
| on vacation & with outdoor recreation |
| boating |
• Consider boating activities, such as canoeing, sailing, kayaking
or windsurfing, that require little or no fuel and don’t disturb
wildlife or habitat.
• Never throw garbage of any kind overboard. Take it back to shore with you and dispose of it properly.
• Watch your wake, especially if you’re within 150 metres of the shore. Waves cause shoreline erosion and can also disrupt wildlife habitat. Know the speed at which your vessel produces the smallest wake.
• Avoid the temptation to top up your gas tank when refuelling. Doing so often results in small toxic spills.
• Don’t idle the boat motor if it’s not necessary. For example, if waiting at a dock, turn the engine off.
| camping ethics |
Become a low-impact user of our many parks and wilderness areas.
No one, especially the wildlife, should see any evidence that you have
been there at all!
• Use existing campsites, trails and portages. Don’t cut new trails, dig trenches, or try to improve a site by removing vegetation.
• Carry out everything that you brought with you into the wilderness.
• Plan on using a camp stove on your next camping trip. The new ones are light, reliable and safe. Besides, they save wood and reduce fire hazards.
• Using biodegradable soap, wash your dirty dishes, clothes and even yourself in a dish pan and not in a lake, stream or river. Then discard the dirty water some distance away from the source.
• Avoid disturbing wildlife, particularly young animals or nesting birds. Remember, you’re the guest in their home.
• Be sure to guard your food and garbage from wildlife. Never feed wild animals, as this interferes with their natural habits.
• Use lightweight, reusable dishes instead of disposable plates, glassware and cutlery.
• Don’t pick wild flowers; many will not grow back, even after one picking, because you remove their means of reproduction.
• To avoid insect bites, instead of using insect repellent, wear light-coloured clothing. Don’t wear perfume or aftershave lotion. Citrus scents or smudges made with damp leaves keep bugs away.
| at the cottage |
No one has a better chance to observe the effects of human population
and pollution on wilderness than do cottagers, who return each year to
the same location. With over half a million cottages in Canada, they can
create quite an impact. The environmentally responsible behaviour you
practise at home is particularly important for cottages, because they
are usually located on the banks of rivers, or on the shores of lakes
or oceans. Guidelines for the environmentally safe operation of septic
tank systems are crucial; be sure to locate such systems as far from the
water as possible.
• Be sure to bring back all recyclables from your cottage and dispose of them, if you have a community recycling program.
• Start a compost pile.
• Consider a biological toilet instead of a septic tank system. They are simple and produce no harmful residue or sludge.
• If your cottage is located on or near a bank or shore, preserve as much as possible of the natural vegetation between the cottage and the water to reduce rainfall run-off that may carry harmful sewage organisms. Plant new shrubs and trees, if need be, using native species.
• Avoid motorized sports such as snowmobiling, trail-bike riding and speedboating in favour of less polluting activities such as cross-country skiing, hiking, sailing, canoeing, cycling or walking.
| miscellaneous vacation and outdoor
tips |
• Consider a vacation closer to home this year. The closer you stay
to home, the less energy you’ll use travelling.
• Get to know your own community – its wildlife habitat, museums, parks; its heritage and cultural activities and attractions.
• Never litter, and help out by picking up any litter left by others.
| © 2005 Earthcare Connections |