I don't like to give folks a hard time, nor do I find much gratification in preaching, but I need to get a few things off my chest. Hopefully, this post may provoke some people to be a bit more mindful when it comes to the way they treat the Pine Barrens. And to the regular posters here, no, this is in no way directed at you.
Here goes nothing...
To certain 4-wheelers: Please stop destroying the wetlands. Don't drive through streams. When you do that, you are actually doing much more harm than you might begin to imagine. You are tampering with the hydrology of the area, wreaking havoc upon the plantlife and the animal life (even if they ain't got no feelins), and you are turning a beautiful, pristine sight into a war-zone. Also, please don't drive along the shoreline. When you do that, you are contributing to a much faster rate of beach erosion, which in turn effects the very course of the stream. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against 4 wheeling per se, as I myself own a 4x4 which I occasionally drive into the Pines.
To certain fire-makers: One fire pit in a small area is plenty. Don't over-do it. For example, there is a beach on the upper Mullica river to which I recently hiked and, to my dismay, found that there are now several pits there. Aside from being eye-sores, these stains on the beach are littered with broken glass and half-melted cans. C'mon, give it a rest already. What's more is that, on that same day, I came across two different fire pits directly in the middle of a hiking trail. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against fires per se, and I understand that sometimes cirumstances might call for one to build a fire (as I once did when my canoe tipped and ejected me into the bitter cold water). But use your sense about it. Pick a sensible location. Use a pit that is already in existence, if possible. Leave no litter in it. Cover it up.
Finally, to all the litter-bugs out there, enough already. No need to leave your signature all over the land. The way we treat the Pines reflects the way we treat ourselves and others. Let's all be nice.
If anyone would like to add something to this list, do so by all means. Consciousness begets consciousness; responsibility begets responsibility.
Here goes nothing...
To certain 4-wheelers: Please stop destroying the wetlands. Don't drive through streams. When you do that, you are actually doing much more harm than you might begin to imagine. You are tampering with the hydrology of the area, wreaking havoc upon the plantlife and the animal life (even if they ain't got no feelins), and you are turning a beautiful, pristine sight into a war-zone. Also, please don't drive along the shoreline. When you do that, you are contributing to a much faster rate of beach erosion, which in turn effects the very course of the stream. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against 4 wheeling per se, as I myself own a 4x4 which I occasionally drive into the Pines.
To certain fire-makers: One fire pit in a small area is plenty. Don't over-do it. For example, there is a beach on the upper Mullica river to which I recently hiked and, to my dismay, found that there are now several pits there. Aside from being eye-sores, these stains on the beach are littered with broken glass and half-melted cans. C'mon, give it a rest already. What's more is that, on that same day, I came across two different fire pits directly in the middle of a hiking trail. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against fires per se, and I understand that sometimes cirumstances might call for one to build a fire (as I once did when my canoe tipped and ejected me into the bitter cold water). But use your sense about it. Pick a sensible location. Use a pit that is already in existence, if possible. Leave no litter in it. Cover it up.
Finally, to all the litter-bugs out there, enough already. No need to leave your signature all over the land. The way we treat the Pines reflects the way we treat ourselves and others. Let's all be nice.
If anyone would like to add something to this list, do so by all means. Consciousness begets consciousness; responsibility begets responsibility.
It's just sad that it sometimes looks like we came from the market with all the plastic bags garbage we're carrying out.
