Leave What You Find
There are a lot of cool things in nature but it is best that we leave them where we find them. This way not only will we avoid disturbing the natural environment and all those who live in it, but all those after us will be able to enjoy the same things we did.
Preservation of place
While the impact of removing a flower or rock from an environment may not seem like much, that changes if it becomes a common practice over time. Someone else who may not have taken anything from that environment may see you do so and assume that because you are doing it they can as well which if left unchecked can lead to significant degradation or even destruction of a place.
Disruption of ecosystem
Even the smallest and most inconspicuous things in nature have their place in an ecosystem. Removing enough of these pieces can lead to significant damage to the entire ecosystem as a change at the top cascades down to the bottom and vice versa.
Spreading of disease and invasives
While removing something from an environment is unlikely to introduce disease, it can make it easier for invasives to spread as there would be less competition. It also increases the likelihood of you spreading disease and invasives into other environments that you travel to with the items you removed.
Special note: Depending on the area, foraging is acceptable. Please see our foraging section for more information.