Watch the video: This is why you shouldn’t stack stones in the wilderness.
Stacking stones is trendy. Probably because people like to have their photos taken with them.
But the pastime can harm both the environment and people.
Nick Petropoulos runs Wicked Wildlife – an Australian organization that trains people to interact with animals and nature.
The piled up stones that the environmentalist is seeing more and more often are worrying him.
Stacking stones originally has a vital purpose: the piles are considered landmarks and signposts for hikers. But today the cairns built by tourists could be very misleading.
“What these people are actually doing without realizing it is redirecting someone from the right trail. This can lead to someone getting lost. Are you willing to take responsibility for that just because you wanted to stack a few rocks? ?”
The second reason: It’s inconsiderate.
“All over the world, people go into the wilderness to escape civilization, take a break from humanity and get in touch with nature. The last thing you want to see when you go to a national park is like someone spray-painted their name on a cliff. This is no different.”
Whether in the mountains or on the beach: moving stones can damage sensitive ecosystems. Stones provide solid ground, protect plants and insects, and provide habitat for many different animals.
“Unfortunately, the flat stones are always used because they are easy to stack. But it is precisely these stones that many species need to survive.”
The best rule in the wilderness remains: leave everything exactly as you found it.