Quit that Damn Rock Stacking Fad!
To many, many people, the art of rock stacking (apparently called cairns) is a beautiful thing to do as it gives them peace, relaxation and gets them in touch with themselves. For many, many others like myself, who like to enjoy nature in its natural state, it drives us insane.
And I do mean insane.
For many cultures, cairns (which is Gaelic for ‘mound of stones that serves as marker’) have a meaning; sometimes they mark the right path on a trail, some other times it is the place where someone is buried. And while many times the arrangement might be pleasing to the eyes, you should refrain from altering nature in any way and keep your rock stacking to your own garden.
Rocks in nature are house to a myriad of critters who burrow and hide under rocks, and they provide anchor for native plants to survive in particularly hard environments. Moreover, when you move rocks around and leave the ground exposed, it increases erosion of that area that is now unprotected from the elements. It is high time we understood that when we’re visiting a natural place, we have to leave it in the same conditions we found it if not better, and that does include littering the place with either trash or stacks of rocks.
Rock Stacking
If we visit a place and like it and enjoy the scenery, why on earth would we feel the need to change it, to make it ours and claim it by modifying it? Do we not want to keep it as it is for the next time, the next generation? Next time you’re in that beautiful national park, or paradisiac beach, or hiking up that breathtaking trail, just step away from the rocks. Leave them where they are. Resist the urge!
November 13, 2016
So, we should all quit stacking rocks and change to doing Mannequin Challenges instead? 😉
November 14, 2016
I mean, I’m all for looking silly without harming the environment!