Places like Yellowstone are part of our national heritage; public lands that belong to all Americans. This ownership comes with a responsibility: to act as stewards by caring for these special places. Yellowstone is increasingly challenged by the pressure of visitation – as I discussed in my recent article for the Yellowstone Quarterly, the magazine for supporters of Yellowstone Forever:
“As visitation topped 4 million for the second year in a row, the number of visitors acting badly in Yellowstone – taking selfies with wildlife; walking off boardwalks in thermal areas; taking antlers, rocks, and other natural objects; vandalizing natural features; and other unsafe or unethical behavior – has risen as well. Over 51,000 verbal warnings were reported by interpretive rangers in 2016 alone. Although rules and safety information are readily available via the park’s website, newspaper, visitor centers, ranger programs, and signs, the challenge of communicating necessary information to millions of visitors speaking different languages – and spread across more than 400 miles of roads and five park entrances – is significant. Not everyone gets the message on how to behave appropriately in a national park…”
Yellowstone National Park has developed a new social media campaign called the Yellowstone Pledge – aimed to help more visitors understand how to love and care for Yellowstone in a responsible way. We care passionately about Yellowstone, and all wild places. We’ve taken the Yellowstone Pledge, will you? Here’s the pledge:
To be a steward and help protect myself and the park, I pledge to:
- Practice safe selfies by never approaching animals to take a picture.
- Stay on boardwalks in thermal areas.
- Protect hot springs by not throwing anything into them.
- Park in designated areas and avoid blocking traffic.
- Stay with my car if I’m stuck in a wildlife jam.
- Follow speed limits and pull over to let cars pass.
- Travel safely in bear country by carrying bear spray, making noise, and hiking in groups.
- Keep my food away from animals.
- Recycle what I can and put my garbage in bear-proof containers.
- Report resource violations by calling 911 or talking to a ranger.
Take the Yellowstone Pledge and show your dedication to Yellowstone! Don’t forget to share it with your friends.
If you’re interested in receiving the Yellowstone Quarterly, consider becoming a supporter of the park through Yellowstone Forever.
Photo: George Bumann