Outdoor spaces, like Garden of the Gods Park, can offer us so many wonderful things. We can step outside and enjoy bright colors, fresh air, and a feeling of being connected with the world around us. We can look at the smaller parts of nature and learn about the plants that grow in certain environments as well as the diversity of animals that live there.
There are also the bigger parts, such as considering what these spaces looked like years ago as pioneers were exploring unfamiliar places and what they might look like in years to come as our children and grandchildren walk the same trails.
These outdoor spaces provide a place for us to retreat, explore, discover and to spend time with friends and family. However, it is important to consider that we play a pivotal role in taking care of these spaces and ourselves while we partake in the activities that we enjoy.
Keeping Everyone and Everything Safe
According to the US Forest Service, “The most effective way to prevent mishaps is to adequately prepare for the trip. Knowledge of the area, weather, terrain, limitations of your body, plus a little common sense can help to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip”.
Jennifer Heiny, Park Interpreter at Garden of the Gods, has several tips on respecting outdoor spaces and keeping yourself safe. While hiking, biking, and other activities are fun and beneficial to our health and happiness, the top priority should be safety for everyone and everything. As an advocate for Leave No Trace, she wants to remind us that it is vital that people “stay on the trails, respect others and minimize our impact.”
Keeping plants and animals safe is also a consideration we should have in mind when we strap on the hiking boots. Nature’s beauty is one of the top reasons so many of us take the time to adventure in open spaces.
However, if we don’t help to preserve the plants and animals that reside in those spaces, that beauty will not last for long. Rocky Mountain Health Plans states in their article, Colorado Wildlife Safety Tips, “It’s critical to remember the wildlife we love needs to remain wild to survive.” As we help wildlife stay safe in their homes, we are better able to enjoy where we hike.
Respecting the Spaces
Heiny educates park goers on the importance of respecting outdoor spaces. One key word that resonates with her instruction is “preservation.” We make an impact when we step outside. From the noise we make to the steps we take off the trail, every choice affects the wildlife we go to enjoy.
According to Heiny, we need to recognize, “If everybody picks up a pinecone, if everybody picks up a rock, it causes catastrophic erosion.”
For us to ensure that our parks are enjoyable for the next person the next day, the next month, and the next year, Heiny says, we need to keep preservation in mind. She says, “Rules are awful, but they’re there for a reason: follow rules, signs and trails.”
When we take the time and put in the effort to make little noise, stay on the trails, leave no trace, we would all have a better experience. We would get to see more wildlife, and the animals would be able to find peace in their homes.
Timeless Yet Fragile
Heiny says, “Yes, it’s timeless, but yes it’s fragile. But not only is it majestic and timeless, Garden of the Gods has beautiful rock formations, there’s permanence but it’s also so fragile. It’s a balance of nature. It’s up to us, if you want to enjoy the space you have to respect it and take care of it. We’re all caretakers.”
Please read ‘Novice Outdoorsmen Flood Colorado State Parks‘ for more information on this vital topic.
