Animal Encounters: How To Respect Nature While Camping

Camping is an incredibly fun and exciting activity that many of us engage in when the weather outside is pleasant, but it is also important to remember that it is important to minimise your impact on nature whilst enjoying the great outdoors. Being able to enjoy nature is a privilege, and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. In today’s article, we look at 6 ways you can respect nature while camping in order to make your next outdoor adventure as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible. Read on to find out more! 

Don’t Camp Next To Water

If you’re thinking of setting your camping tent up next to water, think again. Natural water sources are often utilised by local wildlife, and setting a tent up too close to water may scare off or deter animals from keeping themselves hydrated. You can always venture down to collect your own water for washing or cooking, but it is important that you keep your campsite a fair distance away. It is also recommended to stay away in the early morning and late evening in order to give the local wildlife space to drink and bathe.

Look, Don’t Touch!

There is a saying that humans should take nothing but photos and leave nothing but footprints behind in nature which is why it is important that you refrain from collecting items such as shells, rocks and flowers on your camping trip. If everyone took a piece of nature back home with them, there would be nothing left for others to enjoy — so always remember to look but never touch, no matter how tempting it may be. If you really have to bring something home as a souvenir, we recommend looking for small discarded items such as pine cones, feathers and nutshells that have served their purpose and won’t be missed.

Avoid Leaving Food Out

Avoid leaving food scraps or uncovered snacks out on your campsite as this may attract wildlife, bugs and insects who may feast upon them. Many human foods can be detrimental to the health of animals, which is why ensuring that you do not expose wildlife to food items is so important. As soon as you are done with your meal, we recommend disposing of scraps and keeping any leftovers in air-tight containers so that should any animal find its way to your camping grounds, they won’t be able to snack on anything! 

Pick Up After Yourselves

Littering is something that none of us should engage in, especially when we are nature’s guests. Tidying up after yourself and collecting trash even if it doesn’t belong to you is one of the best ways you can honour and respect nature and all its wonders. This is the best way to ensure that plastic pollution doesn’t end up drifting off into the sea or being eaten by animals and consequently harming their health or even killing them. If you are camping with kids, it is important to lead by example and ensure that you remind your little ones about the importance of picking up after yourselves. 

Keep Noise Levels Down

Animals are often spooked by loud and sudden noises which is why it is important to keep noise levels down on your camping trip. This doesn’t mean that you can’t play your favourite songs to sing along to, but always remember to keep the volume down and try your best to respect wildlife by not disturbing them. Always remember that the sounds of nature don’t include blasting music, loud mobile phones or people yelling across campsites, so keep this in mind for your next camping trip. Respect nature and it will respect you! 

Avoid Bringing Pets

Last but not least, as tempting as it may be to bring your furry friend along with you, we highly recommend keeping pets at home when camping. This is because pets can seriously disrupt wildlife, leave messes and potentially chase animals away. If you really have no choice but to bring your pets along with you, always remember to keep them on a lead and pick up any droppings that they may leave around the campsite. 

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Practicing good camping manners and being as respectful to nature and wildlife on your camping trip is the best way to ensure that our wonderful planet and its wilderness is preserved for as long as possible and for many future generations to enjoy. We hope that this article has given you a few ideas on how you can make your next camping trip one that is more sustainable and eco-friendly.