Is it possible to get cabin fever in June? Hemmed in on the home front by travel restrictions and soggy weather, some would have said so.
The recent blaze of July heat and reopening of campgrounds and parks has many of us looking to explore. Old camping gear is getting aired out, and used trailers are harder to find than ever.
As folks from all over BC head out into the woods, onto beaches and to campsites, it’s important to revisit ways to do this while respecting the paradise we happen to live in.
With a little forethought, it’s easy. These pandemic times are actually lending themselves to rediscovering local nature, and also the resiliency of the local community.
Why buy camping or outdoor gear when you could borrow from a friend for free? Let’s be honest, how often are you really going to use that new paddleboard? Kids outgrow safety sporting gear faster than they are rung through by the cashier, so why not get hand-me-downs from friends?
Unless you’re backpacking, bringing fresh local fruit for refreshing snacks is a great idea. Apples, pears and plums come in their own packaging and are abundant by late summer.
Wild foraging berries and identifying other edibles in the forest will have you feeling more in connection with nature. Why not drag out that fishing line, and crab trap, while you’re at it? Fireside meals seem to taste extra delicious for some reason: the smoke, the sun-kissed berries and foraged eats all adding to the flavour.
No need to buy a bunch of toys to entertain you in the great outdoors, nature does a fine job of this and you can help, too; you’re very entertaining!
Float on a log, swim in a sun-warmed lake, skip some rocks, wish on shooting stars, write a song and perform it, or discover phosphorescence along the shorelines. Brave leaving tech devices at home, or turned off most of the day. What a world of wonder that awaits you beyond the glowing screen.
Pack it in, pack it out. You’ve heard it said, but it bears repeating. Even seemingly innocent items like orange peels, toilet paper and aluminum drink cans all need to go back home with us. Left behind, they can turn a clean campsite to one that has odours to attract wildlife. They are also an eye-sore to stumble on in natural settings, even if they will eventually break down.
We are incredibly fortunate to have such pristine and vast outdoors to explore, especially at this time in human history. Spending quality time in them is a great first leap into a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship. What follows is a natural rewilding that brings us into remembrance of how our actions affect the whole.
May your summer be full of memories and your impact on the vistas you enjoy, light.
Let’s Talk Trash is qathet Regional District’s waste-reduction education program. For more information, email [email protected] or go to LetsTalkTrash.ca.
