Merry Christmas from Leave No Trace New Zealand
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| 3 million year old footprints- are they yours? |
As we look towards Christmas, many of us have a holiday planned. Holidays are often a chance for a change of scenery, to get outdoors and enjoy the beaches, forests, mountains, lakes and rivers. Time together or alone in nature can help us relax, feel more at peace and give us some perspective on life.
While nature is giving so many good times to us, we should also consider how we are going in terms of giving back. Are we leaving places cleaner than we found them, making sure we don’t leave a mark for others to find when they come to the same place? Are we thinking about taking care not just of this particular place, but also other places through our everyday actions?
The photo comes from fossilised footprints left over 3 million years ago. Scientists think that Australopithecus (possibly human ancestors) walked across freshly fallen ash from a volcano. The ash then solidified into rock and we can see where these (not quite people) walked-a child next to two adults who walked in each other’s footprints. It is amazing to think of what life might have been like for these beings. The scarcity of traces means that we really value these footprints.
By contrast, I don’t value many of the common traces that I meet in the outdoors, I’m thinking of bits of rubbish, messy fires, things like that. Even footprints left carelessly in areas that aren’t adapted for humans can last a long time. This summer, let’s be considerate, after all, we depend on nature for water, air and our existence. A little humility and respect goes a long way.
We hope you enjoy some sunshine and time outdoors and let all our footprints be gentle on the earth.
Merry Christmas from Leave No Trace
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