The Outdoors are important

Fundamentally, being outside is good for people. Being in the woods, listening to the birds, watching the leaves growing on the trees, when it is quiet, and nothing is there to occupy your mind, makes all the stress you have seems useless. There are so many ways we use the woods and mountains. All of us are hunters, fishers, hikers, climbers, or swimmers. So much of our happy memories are made outside, both lakeside and in the woods.
    “It makes me feel better, hanging out in my backyard,” Sharmithaa Maheswaran ‘27 says. “It’s peaceful.”
    Already there are protections in place for our natural wonders. In the US, there are 63 National Parks in the United States, with nine in California, the most for any state. North Cross students have gone to many National parks, with personal numbers ranging from one to 30. Favorites include the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and the Redwoods. Beyond the parks, there are countless national forests, state forests and state parks that are much more common, protecting more of the land’s ecosystems. Still, many assumptions are made about the woods that are harmful.
    For starters, the Smokey Bear ad “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires,” ignores the importance of a cleaner burn that actually helps keep the forest healthy by clearing out weedy undergrowth and enriching the soil so new trees can grow in the place of old ones. In fact, burning was a part of indigenous people’s practices, who long ago would set sections of the woods on fire to clear out the underbrush that would keep away their animals. Humans have a natural fear of fire and getting burned. I struggle with this when baking, but a controlled burn is actually more beneficial to a woodland ecosystem than never getting burned at all. When forests aren’t burned often enough, when they do catch on fire, it is often even more deadly. Wildfires harm everyone in its path, because the flammable underbrush hadn’t been removed.
    Secondly, bears. The actual dangers bears and other wild animals pose are much exaggerated, most likely due to the few and far between desperate beasts that would target humans. The average number of bear attacks per year in North America is 11, and even less are fatal attacks. The attacks that do occur are usually due to people surprising a bear, Bearvault, a bear aware website states. A few national parks have asked people to stop wearing earbuds while they explore, because being aware of your surroundings is what will keep you safe. Many people in rural areas are perfectly safe, with minimal protections in place to protect their herd animals; most of which would never approach a human. For those who worry about bears, creating loud noises while you explore the forest is usually enough to warn them of your presence, and they will leave the area long before you ever catch sight of them. Most of the places you can go to enjoy the outdoors are used often, and whatever animal that could harm you is likely not in the area. Most of the creatures that are dangerous are so remote you will never encounter them, unless you actively seek them out. They do not want to eat you. We promise. Other animals that people are afraid of, like student Pietra says, “Spiders”; are not aggressive unless provoked. Most spiders are actually not venomous for humans, and snakes will usually not waste venom on human legs.
    Finally, the woods don’t need our help. The ecosystems do need our protection, usually from the harm we put them in. The beautiful places we can access need to be respected in order for them to still be there far into the future. Things like walking on the path only, not ripping up plants, respecting local fishing rules, hunting in season, will preserve our natural spaces for years to come.
    Humans are responsible for all the pollution on planet earth (obviously), and our mining techniques cause oil spills, land poisoning, and deforestation. We have hunted and overfished species to extinction. Our planet might not be habitable in a few hundred years. We need to start now, and make more powerful efforts than ever to reverse our effect on the planet, protect endangered species, and work for a better and brighter future. This planet does not belong to us, it is borrowed from the generations after us. We need to take care of it, for ourselves and our future.
    The outdoors are important to all of us. Most of us hold the Blue Ridge dear. Natural spaces need and deserve our love, and everyone should be dedicated to protecting them. The mountains are calling and we must go; an iconic quote joined by many that describe the poetry of the outdoors. Go outside. Worst case scenario, you get eaten by a bear (no you won’t).