Our Responsibility to Nature

#cherishnature, #trails, #environment, #nature, #OldConservationist

Because we have skills many other animals don't have, those skills come with responsibility. A number other animals have the problem solving skills and causal reasoning that we have, (i) but we have the more complex brain. That's because we're the new creature on the planet.  We're the new species in evolution. Unlike humans, most species of animals are hard-wired to do the right thing. Whether it is a good or a bad thing, we have the ability to make "rational" decisions. With these gifts of nature comes responsibility. If we clear land to plant a crop we have certain responsibilities to nature to avoid damage to the environment; avoid destroying habitat for other animals. 

    For example, I put a trail through our Black Fox Hollow, which I'm proud to report is now a certified wildlife habitat.(ii)  I fear that most people would fail to see the environmental impact in a simple trail. So let's take a look.  It is our responsibility to nature. 

     Almost all animals end up making trails simply because they use the same routes. Hunters call them game trails. I love to follow game trails when I'm "off trail" (iii) When we create a trail, either purposely or like other animals do, we firstly impact the environment with our presence. When I wander the wilderness well away from human trails, roads, camps, etc., I don't have to worry about causing a steady stream of homo sapiens behind me that might negatively impact the lives of the animals whose habitat I'm visiting. Nevertheless, I still must be extremely careful where I step and what I do. Going "off trail" should be a very thoughtful act. When done properly, it isn't as easy as it appears but provides a wonderful intimate experience with nature. 

     If we create a trail, as I did in the hollow, we must be aware of at least five things. (a) We must be aware of the impact our trail has on wildlife. Is my trail too close to places where animals might den and give birth to their young? I know that we have a number of animals that borrow or den in the hollow.  Most of them are near a brush pile that I purposely created for their protection. I kept the trail away from there. We were rewarded for our efforts by the presence of a beautiful Red Fox and the three kits to whom she gave birth in the safety of the hollow.  We learned that three of them, the mother and two kits, were captured and released in a very nice place. The remaining kit has returned to the hollow, probably because this is a safe place for her with food and water.  We would not have had this wonderful experience if we had put the trail too near their den. 

      (b) Does my trail destroy any food source or keep animals away from vital food sources?  Governments building roads and putting up border walls are the worst at destroying food sources or keeping animals away from food sources.  Our previous GOP Congress and Administration did irreparable damage to the environment, cutting off animals from food and essential migratory routes.  As you travel through the west you will see wildlife bridges across roads, especially four-lane roads, to provide animals with a safe means of accessing food and following migratory paths.  The Black Fox Hollow trail makes a loop. Inside the loop is an area rich in plants and seeds that provides food for birds and small animals.  Were it not for the very light foot traffic on our trail, such a small loop; only .15 mile; could potentially be a barrier to animals seeking food.  Since the trail does not have heavy traffic, it is not a hindrance. 

       (c) Human presence can be stressful to wildlife.  Even bears (omnivores) and big carnivores will move away from humans. I'm very familiar with bears. They have been a significant part of my wildlife management avocation, an important part of my life, and almost a daily event in our lives managing a campground sixteen miles into the Rocky Mountain wilderness.  I can't help but wonder whether they can tell that we humans are a violent and dangerous species.  If we put stress on bears, moose, wolverines, mountain lions and other large animals high on the food chain, you can imagine our impact on those further down the chain.  Stress is as deadly for a wild animal as it is for the human animal. Does my trail cause stress?  Is that stress forcing them away from important parts of their habitat?  Our trail, by design and lack of heavy traffic, does not interfere with the fox hunting. Also we know that most of their hunting is going to be outside the loop.  If you are on a wilderness trail, in bear or mountain lion country, and you see an animal carcass near the trail, get away from the area as quickly as possible.  Your presence could well stress a big predator into believing it must protect its kill or its food by attacking you. 

     (d)  Is my trail going to cause erosion damage?  A poorly constructed trail can be an erosion nightmare!  In my pictures you can see that my trail is small with minimal impact. At the same time you will notice the picture of the graveled area. I put creek gravel on areas that showed signs of heavy water drainage. Had I not put that gravel in those areas I would soon have deep erosion ruts which would cause significant damage to the land.  If you hike a well maintained trail, you will notice areas that have rocks, logs or other erosion barriers and even small channels dug to move water away from high risk areas.  When we start removing the plants that hold the soil, we risk erosion damage. You will notice that my trail is not totally bare, but that's only because it isn't heavily traveled.  

     (e) Is my trail going to impact or destroy vegetation or microbiotic crusts? (iv)   My trail winds because I designed it that way; trying to imitate a longer trail in the wilderness. Who wants to walk in a straight line?  At the same time I was mindful of the vegetation through which my trail would pass.  I kept it almost complete through grasses, ground cover and wild onions that are very hardy.  One big bend avoids a group of Hackberry trees that have a number of edible and medicinal plants growing below them.  I don't have to worry about microbiotic crusts in the hollow, but it is a very important factor in trails and off-trail hiking in the desert. I can't strongly enough impress upon my readers the importance of acquired skills and extreme awareness, mindfulness and observation when off trail.  There are great numbers of places where one wrong footstep will take nature a hundred years to repair.  Part of my job on one of my trail patrol assignments was to keep mountain climbers from taking short-cuts through fragile alpine vegetation. Unknowing and thoughtless hikers often cut corners on trails. Usually there is a reason for a corner, curve or switch-back. Cutting corners often results in environmental damage.       So why should we care?  Why do I think we have a responsibility to nature?  

     Nature is our life.  We are totally dependent upon a healthy world to survive. We are a result of nature, both as a species and as individuals, therefore we owe our very existence to nature. We are a part of nature. There is an undeniable oneness in the universe that has been confirmed by quantum physics. (v)  Even if we are so selfish that we haven't an altruistic bone in our body, we can still relate to the fact that by hurting nature we are hurting ourselves.  Unlike other situations where we are expected to simply believe that someone/something has done something for us, we have empirical evidence that nature is not only the source of our existence but also provides everything that we need to survive: water, air, food, shelter.  We could not exist without nature.  We cannot live without nature. 

FOOTNOTES:

(i) We're discovering that more and more species do have problem solving skills and causal reasoning.    https://www.primate-cognition.eu/fileadmin/content/Primate_Cognition/Dateien/Schloegl___Fischer_2017_Oxford_Handbook_of_Causal_Reasoning.pdf

(ii) Black Fox Hollow was certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation in May 2020. 

(iii) "off tail" is where one goes cross-country not using an established human trail or road.  With the proper back-country skills it is an exciting and rewarding way to explore the wilderness. It does, however, require a significant skill set and the willingness to be mindful and observant that you don't do environmental damage or negatively impart local wildlife.

(iv) Microbiotic crusts consist of lichens, bryophytes, algae, microfungi, cyanobacteria, and bacteria growing on or just below the soil surface (Eldridge and Greene 1994). These types of crusts have also been known as cryptogamic, microphytic, microfloral, or cryptobiotic,      https://www.fs.fed.us/r6/icbemp/science/leonard2.pdf

(v)  Ricard, Mattdhieu and Trinh Xuan Thuan. (2001).  The Quantum and the Lotus: a journey to the frontiers where science and Buddhism meet.  New York. Three Rivers Press.  Especially Chapter 4 "The Universe in a grain of sand."