{"id":43149,"date":"2024-10-01T14:22:36","date_gmt":"2024-10-01T18:22:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=43149"},"modified":"2024-10-28T10:42:31","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T14:42:31","slug":"treading-lightly-recreation-with-rare-species-in-mind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2024\/10\/01\/treading-lightly-recreation-with-rare-species-in-mind\/","title":{"rendered":"Treading Lightly: Recreation with Rare Species in Mind"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Sarah Witcher<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_43157\" style=\"width: 2570px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Allegheny-Woodrat-by-NHP-staff-ecologist-Megan-Zagorski-scaled.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43157\" class=\"size-full wp-image-43157\" src=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Allegheny-Woodrat-by-NHP-staff-ecologist-Megan-Zagorski-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Allegheny-Woodrat-by-NHP-staff-ecologist-Megan-Zagorski-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Allegheny-Woodrat-by-NHP-staff-ecologist-Megan-Zagorski-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Allegheny-Woodrat-by-NHP-staff-ecologist-Megan-Zagorski-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Allegheny-Woodrat-by-NHP-staff-ecologist-Megan-Zagorski-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Allegheny-Woodrat-by-NHP-staff-ecologist-Megan-Zagorski-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Allegheny-Woodrat-by-NHP-staff-ecologist-Megan-Zagorski-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-43157\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Allegheny Woodrat, by NHP staff ecologist Megan Zagorski<\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With cooler fall weather comes some of the most popular times to get outside and enjoy our favorite forms of recreation. Whether that\u2019s camping, hiking, biking, climbing, just parking at a scenic spot to watch the sunset,our activities can and do have a profound effect on the wildlife with whom we share Maryland\u2019s natural resources. Many are aware of the famed \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/publiclands\/Pages\/lnt.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Leave No Trace Principles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201d, a beloved tenet of seven ideals for outdoor recreation. For those that keep protection of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/wildlife\/Pages\/plants_wildlife\/rte\/rteanimals.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Maryland\u2019s rarest species<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> front of mind, the ideal low-impact recreation can go <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">beyond<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> Leave No Trace. Here are some tips from the staff at the Wild Acres Program on being the best, most responsible stewards as you explore wildlife outside your backyard habitats.<\/span><!--more--><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Traveling off trails<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can be tempting, especially when the ground appears bare and uninhabited. As long as you\u2019re not squishing a plant or animal, you\u2019re not doing any damage, right? Wrong! Our soils house huge networks of fungal mycelia, tree roots, invertebrates and other critters that would appreciate not being repeatedly squished if it&#8217;s avoidable. Some ecosystems, like the serpentine barrens at <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/publiclands\/Pages\/central\/soldiersdelight.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Soldiers Delight<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, appear sparsely vegetated but actually house a wealth of tiny rare wildflowers that depend on our trails to protect them from trampling. Plus\u2026\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">People and pets are notorious for spreading <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/Invasives\/pages\/default.aspx\"><b>invasive species<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and rare species in Maryland. Besides staying on trails, you can help by cleaning your shoes, waders, and clothes between hikes in different areas; this can prevent the spread of not only invasive plant species, but also some very scary <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/parcplace.org\/species\/herpetofaunal-disease-resources\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">fungal wildlife diseases<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. If you\u2019re camping or driving off road, this also means cleaning your equipment and avoiding transporting firewood to prevent transporting insect pests. Attention to cleaning is also important if you\u2019re visiting any place Maryland\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/wildlife\/Pages\/plants_wildlife\/bats\/index.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">cave bats<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> may live, as your caution could prevent the spread of the bat killing <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/articles\/how-to-help-bats-threatened-by-white-nose-syndrome.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">white nose<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> syndrome.\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">We all know not to litter, but if you want an extra \u201cgold star\u201d from nature, always bring a bag and gloves so you can <\/span><b>help pick up<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> what others left behind. Challenge yourself to always remember a reusable water bottle and pack picnics that have <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">zero<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> waste, so you don\u2019t have any trash to pack out.\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Trash isn\u2019t the only pollution- <\/span><b>noise <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">can be too! Many species depend on natural soundscapes to find food, communicate, or navigate. Consider leaving that bluetooth speaker at home on your hike. One of the first signals that wildlife is near can be a sound, so you may miss a once-in-a-lifetime sight by adding your own soundtrack!\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"attachment_43159\" style=\"width: 770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Wildlife-camera-footage-of-an-Allegheny-Woodrat.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-43159\" class=\"wp-image-43159 size-large\" src=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Wildlife-camera-footage-of-an-Allegheny-Woodrat-1024x720.jpg\" alt=\"Wildlife camera footage of an Allegheny Woodrat. Photo by DNR Staff\" width=\"760\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Wildlife-camera-footage-of-an-Allegheny-Woodrat-1024x720.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Wildlife-camera-footage-of-an-Allegheny-Woodrat-300x211.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Wildlife-camera-footage-of-an-Allegheny-Woodrat-768x540.jpg 768w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Wildlife-camera-footage-of-an-Allegheny-Woodrat-1536x1080.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/Wildlife-camera-footage-of-an-Allegheny-Woodrat.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) 100vw, 760px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-43159\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wildlife camera footage of an Allegheny Woodrat<\/p><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Respecting wild animals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> doesn\u2019t just mean not taking them home or offering them a snack (<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/wildlife\/Pages\/plants_wildlife\/Feeding-Wildlife.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">never feed wildlife<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">!). Remember that our surroundings are our wild neighbors\u2019 homes!\u00a0 Would you want someone to rip off your roof or dig up your garden? Leave the natural areas you explore in the exact same condition you found them. Roll the log back over after you\u2019ve searched for that salamander! Never build <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/articles\/rockcairns.htm\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">rock cairns<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (especially in streams, where they disrupt the habitats of rare and sensitive creatures like invertebrate larvae and the hellbender salamander). Rather than scrabble up that gravelly hillside off-trail, skip it and avoid damaging hidey-holes for a wide variety of species and possibly creating erosion.\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When choosing a spot to visit, <\/span><b>use reliable resources<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> for guidance rather than depending on user-sourced internet information; user reviews and reports often list unsanctioned or \u201csocial\u201d trails that can damage protected areas and encourage trampling of rare plant species. If the crowds at well-known spots are getting you down, consider less developed areas like Maryland\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/wildlife\/Pages\/publiclands\/allbyregion.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">wildlife management areas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/wildlife\/Pages\/NaturalAreas\/Natural-Areas-by-County.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">natural areas,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/forests\/Pages\/mdforests.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">state forests<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">; remember to wear blaze orange during hunting seasons in areas where <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/wildlife\/pages\/hunt_trap\/home.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">hunting<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> is allowed.\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Visit public lands at off peak times like weekdays or early mornings whenever possible. Besides adding to your enjoyment, <\/span><b>avoiding large crowds<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> eases the conservation issues associated with them. Visiting during peak times can mean that parking lots and trails get overloaded, which encourages travel off of durable surfaces; this can mean the soil gets irreparably compacted and prevents plant growth or erodes the soils, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2023\/03\/20\/spring-rain-erosion\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">adding sediment and pollutants to our waterways<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. If a parking lot is full, change your day\u2019s plans to a new adventure or consider coming back at a later time.\u00a0\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><b>Avoid high impact activities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> like horseback riding or biking after weather events, as the trails can be extra vulnerable to lasting damage and erosion. During these times, consider more passive ways to appreciate your favorite trail or vista. For example, you could establish a favorite \u201csit spot\u201d, or a spot where you repeatedly visit, sit and watch the changes happening in nature. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sometimes an activity as simple as finding a place to watch the sunrise or sunset or observe the changing seasons once a week can have the same mental health benefits as a long walk.\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Going swimming? Think about what\u2019s on your body, perhaps using a sun shirt or hat instead of chemical sunscreens. Simply rinsing off in the shower before a river swim or choosing your cosmetics with care can <\/span><b>prevent harmful chemicals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> from entering our waterways.\n<p><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Time for a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/publiclands\/Pages\/activities.aspx?activity=RockClimbing\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">climb<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">? If you\u2019re a rock climber, the importance of <\/span><b>staying in established climbing areas<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> cannot be understated. Rock crevices create valuable habitat for rare species like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.marylandbiodiversity.com\/quad\/796\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">woodrats<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and bats, and your hands and feet &#8211; or worse, cleaning a new route in an unsanctioned climbing area &#8211; can cause lasting and damaging effects, altering microclimates and rapidly destroying good habitat. At the very least, read up on the best times of day or preferred seasons to utilize climbing areas that are shared with wildlife (which is almost all of them!) to create minimal impacts to wildlife.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">While you\u2019re exploring public lands, consider contributing to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/Pages\/Community_Science.aspx\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">community science<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. At the very least, we challenge you to learn one thing about wildlife each time you head outside. We hope you\u2019ll take your firsthand experiences this fall and help us teach others to love our Maryland wildlife!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/habichat-header-fall-2024.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-43134\" src=\"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/habichat-header-fall-2024.jpg\" alt=\"Habichat - Fall 2024\" width=\"900\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/habichat-header-fall-2024.jpg 900w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/habichat-header-fall-2024-300x126.jpg 300w, https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/habichat-header-fall-2024-768x323.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dnr.maryland.gov\/wildlife\/Pages\/habitat\/Habichat.aspx\">Visit Us Online!<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Sarah Witcher With cooler fall weather comes some of the most popular times to get outside and enjoy our favorite forms of recreation. Whether that\u2019s camping, hiking, biking, climbing, just parking at a scenic spot to watch the sunset,our activities can and do have a profound effect on the wildlife with whom we share<a href=\"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2024\/10\/01\/treading-lightly-recreation-with-rare-species-in-mind\/\">&nbsp;&nbsp;Read the Rest&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":245,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,1965,4998,23,12,13],"tags":[3614,5306],"class_list":["post-43149","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-maryland-forest-service","category-hiking","category-land","category-parks","category-wildlife","tag-habichat","tag-invasive-species"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43149","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/245"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43149"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43149\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43192,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43149\/revisions\/43192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43149"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43149"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43149"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}