It’s a crowded July afternoon in Yellowstone National Park. A tourist steps off a boardwalk towards a hot spring in order to retrieve a lost baseball cap. Another tourist stands less than ten feet away from a wild bison. These encounters are fairly common for tourists to take part in, while visiting a national park or other natural areas. Many people underestimate, or are even completely unaware, of the threat that these seemingly insignificant behaviors pose on the well-being and stability of parks.

Background

Nature preserves, such as national parks and national forests, are designed as a site to educate people and provide them with unique experiences to connect with the environment around them. Every day, hundreds of tourists come to these parks to admire the beauty and learn about the ecosystem. However, due to limited knowledge on park ecosystems, many people take this as an opportunity to be extremely close to unique wildlife and landmarks that they would not see in any other place, underestimating the fragility of these ecological preserves. Whether this is carving initials into a landmark, wandering off of designated walkways, or approaching a wild animal, each of these can erase almost all the beauty, history, and uniqueness of a landmark or artifact.

National Park Issues 

There are currently 63 national parks in the United States, each containing its own unique landmark that attracts countless visitors to the park. Whether it is Yosemite Falls or The Grand Canyon, there is rarely a moment when these famous sights aren’t flooded with tourists. 

Two years ago, visitors carved four names, most likely their own, and the date into at least 3,000 year old rock art at Big Bend National Park, Texas. The words that the tourists carved into this art cut into the patterns and lines that were originally visible on the art. Many of these carvings cannot be removed, meaning they have permanently damaged the historic art. Although these visitors were most likely unaware of it, a few scratches were just enough to destroy some of the oldest rock art in North America, making it impossible for future visitors to fully appreciate. 

Nature preserves are filled with trails and boardwalks designed to protect the area and keep tourists out of protected areas. Whether it is for the purpose of taking a picture, getting a better view of a landmark, or retrieving a lost item, walking off designated trails poses a threat to people and wildlife alike. By taking even a couple steps into protected environments, one could kill tens, or even hundreds of small plants growing in the area. Trespassing may also put one in close contact with a wild animal, putting them at risk for an attack or causing the animal to be overly accustomed to the presence of humans. Despite being made to keep visitors from damaging the park, these designated walkways still provide people with spectacular views and the ability to safely observe the unique qualities of the park.

Littering has become an increasingly common problem, and many visitors underestimate the damage even a small piece of litter creates. Trash such as food wrappers and plastic bags can injure or potentially kill animals that attempt to ingest it. It takes thousands of years for plastic trash to decompose, but that doesn’t mean it is acceptable to contaminate the park with compostable food waste. While this may seem harmless and decomposable, these scraps attract wildlife, causing them to depend on human trash for food. In addition to being unhealthy or toxic for park animals to consume, the dependence of wild animals on human food causes instability in the ecosystem and increases the risk of dangerous encounters between humans and animals such as attacks and disease transmission. 

There are countless videos on social media and news platforms about how encounters with wild animals cause injury to people, but many people are completely unaware of the long term negative effects it can have on the surrounding wildlife and overall safety of the park. In 2016, two visitors at Yellowstone National Park transported a live bison calf in the back of their S.U.V. because they believed it was cold. The bison was later euthanized by park officials in an effort to prevent it from spreading brucellosis, a disease the calf may have contracted after its encounter with the visitors. If it weren’t for the thoughtless mistake of these visitors, the bison would have likely ended up living a long and healthy life. Encounters with humans result in animals being  more accustomed to the presence of people and make them significantly more likely to approach humans and vehicles in the future. This leads to these animals depending on interactions with humans in order to survive, making the park unsafe for people, and disrupting the overall stability of the park.

How You Can Help 

Educating people about the park is crucial to preventing vandalism and environmental destruction. Many people who deface landmarks or harm wildlife are unaware of the consequences of their behavior. Visitors should closely read handbooks and trail guides before visiting national parks to familiarize themselves with the environment, wildlife, and rules specific to the park they are visiting. While many people know to be careful, they believe their actions can only possibly threaten themselves and do not have a lasting effect on the area around them. By teaching oneself and others about the importance of wildlife and landmarks to future visitors and the overall stability of the park, accidents due to carelessness are significantly reduced. This will make parks safer and more enjoyable for visitors, while maintaining their charm and stability. 

When entering any natural area, there are certain precautions that everyone should take in order to protect both themselves and the site they are visiting. People should refrain from going off a trail or boardwalk, and speak to a park ranger if they absolutely need to in order to retrieve a lost item. It is most important to be mindful of waste to avoid attracting wildlife. Flore Robin ’27, an avid hiker who frequently visits natural reserves is especially aware of this issue. “I always make sure to carry a bag with me to put my waste in and have plenty of spare bags for other people in case they don’t have their own,” Flore said. When camping overnight, it is extremely important to store all food and waste in sealed containers to avoid drawing animals to the campsite. If people leave food out often, these animals will return to the campsite, relying on human food for survival and disrupting the surrounding area.

Above all, visitors should be able to appreciate the beauty and ecological importance of the park without damaging it. They shouldn’t refrain from taking photos, but instead be mindful of their surroundings while doing so and make sure they are not putting themselves in a dangerous situation or damaging the park while doing so. Our national parks are made for people to educate themselves about nature and to appreciate the beauty of the environment, while simultaneously protecting both the surrounding wildlife and ecosystem. It is possible for both these to happen, but only if visitors acknowledge the importance of these natural areas and make an effort to act with the well-being of the ecosystem in mind.

Our national parks are made for people to educate themselves about nature and to appreciate the beauty of the environment, while simultaneously protecting both the surrounding wildlife and ecosystem. It is possible for both these to happen, but only if visitors acknowledge the importance of these natural areas and make an effort to act with the well-being of the ecosystem in mind.