1. Revise the old "leave nothing but your footprints" adage to simply "leave nothing." Avoid breaking new ground and never take a path that park authorities have posted off limits due to wildlife rehabilitation. Whenever we stray from trails and paths, on foot or on bike, we're compromising the forest's regeneration cycle. (And increasing our odds of encounters with poison ivy!)
2. Garbage in, garbage out. Make sure you take out anything you have brought into the park. Store all litter at the campsite and either drop it off at designated trash stations, or take it home.
3. Don't feed the animals. If you encourage wildlife to "beg" for food, it increases dependency, and future human-wildlife encounters – which often leads to wild animals having to be destroyed.
Bears can be a huge worry when camping, so protect yourself, and your furry friends, by following standard food-storage protocol when camping in areas known to be home to bears. The Whistler, BC-based Get BearSmart Society (www.bearsmart.com) has tips on their website.
4. Limit campfires to designated sites. Fire pits are designed to prevent the spreading of fire. If there are no designated areas, look for bare ground free of twigs, grass, wood or anything else that can catch fire. Also, make sure there aren't any trees overhead. Don't forget to ensure all embers are out at the end of the night. Designate someone to be in charge of a final check.
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