National parks provide an amazing opportunity for people to experience the beauty of nature, which can embolden them to protect the environment. However, not all visitors leave a park better than they found it.
One national park visitor raised concerns after finding a recently chopped young tree while on their hike. They posted photos of the damage to the subreddit for Algonquin Provincial Park in Canada and called the parkgoers who cut the tree "destroyers."
"Anyone have a source in the parks office to find out who was at this site just before me? Let's go to their home, and butcher all their trees!" the Reddit user said.
Bad behavior, such as littering or tree-cutting, at national parks impacts the visitors who come after you. These actions go against the principles of Leave No Trace, which encourages people to enjoy nature while leaving a minimal impact. When we keep our parks beautiful, it keeps patrons coming back and gets them motivated to preserve such breathtaking ecosystems.
Plus, cutting down young trees undermines the aim of a national park to conserve native plants and wildlife. Native plants allow a local ecosystem to thrive, providing food and shelter to animals and critical pollinators. When the livelihoods of native species are threatened, this has far-reaching consequences, including displacement or endangerment.
There are repercussions for damaging vegetation in Algonquin Provincial Park. If a visitor cuts a tree, they can face up to $155 in fines, according to the park website. These rules help deter bad actors and protect the forest.
Commenters on Reddit shared that these penalties work. One mentioned having experienced such consequences while on a trip to the park as a child.
"My older brother put some tools to use to build a wind screen by cutting down a small cedar. My father and his friend were old enough to not know it was illegal to do so. … Park rangers showed up, fined them and explained how this was all wrong," the person shared.
Others simply expressed how disappointing it is to see such damage at a park.
"This makes me rage," another wrote.
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