Seven Ways to stay on the ‘Right Side of Outside’
Being outdoors is fun, but more importantly, it’s good for the brain, body, and soul – especially in the middle of a pandemic when getting outdoors is a lifeline to many people to avoid being cooped up inside all day.
As more and more people have embraced the great outdoors during Covid-19, the majority of those are respectful of the natural environment. There is, however, a small number who are not.
This has created significant issues at some of our most beloved beauty spots so we’ve put together some simple ways you can help the next time you visit the outdoors.
Seven Ways to stay on the ‘Right Side of Outside’
- Get there early
As many outdoor places become more popular our advice is to get there early as there will probably be no car parking spaces left if you don’t. Unfortunately when car parks fill, it often leads to people parking wherever they can find a space, which often ends up blocking access to emergency services or to a farmers field.
- If you want to bring your dog avoid areas where livestock are present
The presence of a dog, even one that’s on a lead, can cause stress to sheep, particularly during lambing season. When dogs are off their leads, the risks are even greater with sheep potentially being chased, injured or killed. If you want to bring your dog with you, instead of bringing it to mountainous or farmland areas where livestock are present, why not bring it to some of our beautiful forests, parks and coastal areas instead? We would also kindly ask you to keep your dog on a lead in these areas to minimise the disturbance to wildlife.
- Bring all of your litter home with you
Some outdoor locations don’t have bins and the ones that do are often overfilled with litter already. It is best, therefore, to go with the intention that you will bring everything home, including what you would compost!
- Bring your dog waste home with you
Nothing spoils the look of the outdoors quicker than dog poop bags hanging from a tree. It also sets a precedent for others coming behind you to do the same. Let’s not spoil everyone’s visit and bring it home with you.
- Prepare for your visit
Plan ahead for your visit. Do you have the appropriate clothing and footwear, will you need food and drink or a map? Are you aware of the route out if the weather turns bad and you need to leave urgently?
- Bring everything home if you are wild camping
No one wants to spoil our beauty spots so if you are wild camping in a designated area, take all of your belongings home with you…and yes that includes your human waste.
- Avoid lighting open fires in the outdoors and only light a BBQ in a designated area for that purpose
The reason being is that campfires and BBQ’s can be extremely dangerous and can escalate rapidly if you are not experienced in managing them.
Over the next few weeks and months, we’ll be sharing a series of articles to provide more detail on each of the points above and offer you more guidance on the best way to enjoy the outdoors.
We also have a series of short videos to help you stay on the ‘Right Side of Outside’. The first video features local comedian Shane Todd and concentrates on why you should bring all of your litter home with you (even your banana skins and apple cores!) when visiting the outdoors. Watch the video here.
The Rightside of Outside Campaign is Funded by
