Enjoying Mother Nature Responsibly with Your Dog
Thursday, May 6, 2021 14:15:04 PM America/Los_Angeles
When the weather gets warmer and the sun a little brighter, it’s time to enjoy all of mother nature’s bounty! Whether you and your pup go on a hike, take a dip in the big blue sea, or trek to catch a local super bloom, this post discusses some of the most common tips for enjoying nature responsibly. While we would all love to be able to take our fur babies anywhere and everywhere, there are good reasons for these restrictions.
Photo by Jamie Street
One of the main causes of biodiversity loss is, unfortunately, human activity. However, with a little bit of information and awareness, we can help curb the detrimental effects we have on the earth. Here are some tips to keep in mind so that you and your dog can enjoy mother nature responsibly without harming the environment:
- Confirm if dogs are allowed: First things first, you’ll want to check and see if the places you plan to go are dog-friendly. Many places welcome your furry best friend, some will allow it with certain guidelines, and many others won’t permit it at all. If a trail requires a leash, be sure to follow the rules.
- Stick to the trail and/or areas indicated by signs: Nature can be quite fragile. Stepping off the trail can harm the native biodiversity of the flora or its environment. For instance, going off trail in a flower field can cause trampled plants to die as well as prevent their seeds from germinating. Over time this leads to less flowers, but it also harms the animals and insects that rely on those flowers for sustenance.
- Pick up after your dog: Keep poo bags handy to pick up after your dog. Not only does this keep the trail clean, it keeps wildlife safe by limiting their exposure to potential bacteria, viruses, and parasites.
- Don’t feed wildlife: Wild animals are not accustomed to processed foods and they can cause digestive issues. You also want to keep your dog safe, as you never know how wild animals will respond to your dog or if they are carrying any transmittable diseases.
- Silence is golden: Loud noises are not only disruptive, they can also interrupt important signals that animals are sending to each other. Loud noises can overwhelm auditory cues that animals may rely on to survive.
- Take nothing, leave nothing: Refraining from taking anything is just as important as making sure you don’t leave trash behind. There are multiple reasons for this, including not reducing the natural food supply of the area’s wildlife inhabitants, demonstrating respect if you’re on tribal land, and not disrupting the biodiversity of the area. Even taking a rock can be harmful for biodiversity! Some insects, which larger critters feed on for nourishment, rely on things such as rocks or twigs for their habitat and food.
Bark Potty partners with 1% for the Planet to donate 1% of our sales to One Tree Planted. 1% for the Planet is a network of businesses that have committed to taking responsibility for the environmental impacts of their various industries. 1% for the Planet encourages businesses to practice corporate responsibility by facilitating donations to grassroots environmental organizations such as One Tree Planted. Each Bark Potty purchase you make further supports our collective efforts to reduce the ecological footprint that humans have left on the environment!