The Great Outdoors

Questions tagged [conservation]

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Questions about how to behave during outdoor activities in order to preserve the environment and to protect animal or plant species.

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58
votes
6answers
10k views

Is it OK to throw pebbles and stones in streams, waterfalls, ponds, etc.?

I love the outdoors, but I'm not really an experienced outdoorsman, hiker or camper. I have little to no education in outdoor etiquette, beyond the really obvious stuff (pick up your trash, etc.). ...
0
votes
0answers
66 views

Has an excise tax on rock climbing/backpacking/hiking gear to support conservation ever been proposed in the US?

In the United States, there are a couple of excise taxes on outdoor gear that goes towards conservation, Pittman–Robertson Act which taxes firearms, ammunition and archery equipment and the Dingell–...
2
votes
1answer
53 views

How do they capture Rocky Mountain Goats in order to relocate them?

In Grand Teton National Park they have Rocky Mountain Goats and Bighorn Sheep and because they are worried that the goats will spread diseases to the sheep, they want to mountain goats gone from the ...
4
votes
1answer
123 views

How are mountain lion populations estimated?

Knowing how many mountain lions are in an area is important for conservation, as it would be important to know if the population was in decline or to set the number that can be taken by hunters in a ...
4
votes
1answer
261 views

How can I tell if there's a camouflaged octopus in a coral reef, so I can keep from disturbing it?

This question is based on my desire to avoid disturbing, injuring, or scaring away an octopus which is camouflaged to look like a coral reef. Since it's so difficult to see, I'd like to know how to ...
1
vote
1answer
321 views

Is there proof that it's good for animals in captivity to do activities such as painting? [closed]

Last spring, we went to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut, United States. We don't like places with captive animals, unless they're work is essential for the survival of life on the planet. We may ...
5
votes
3answers
214 views

When should I report a potentially injured-looking animal to authorities in a large, monitored, wildlife area?

We prefer watching animals from a distance, to try and cause them the least disruption. Every so often I've seen an animal in a distant part of a large area that doesn't appear to feel right. For ...
4
votes
3answers
724 views

How strong of a magnet is needed for magnet fishing for assorted metal objects?

Magnet fishing is where you take a magnet and go fishing for metal objects (usually trash) in ponds, canals or lakes. I think this would be fun and would a good way to clear out some of the garbage ...
4
votes
2answers
226 views

When filming wild animals with a drone, how far away does the drone need to be?

There is a video of a cub trying to follow the mother bear up a steep snowbank and then rolling back down at first. People are saying that it's a cute video but that the drone that filmed it got too ...
1
vote
1answer
138 views

How is Chubby the alligators weight estimated?

There is a massive alligator in Florida that lives near a golf course, and he is estimated to be the largest alligator in Florida history assuming the estimations of his size are correct. Estimating ...
4
votes
1answer
116 views

How do some of the materials in the clothing we wear endanger marine life and the undersea environment?

I was recently told that many of the clothes we wear are made up of materials that are dangerous to marine wildlife, and the undersea environment. I'm curious as to whether or not it's true. I know ...
16
votes
4answers
4k views

Can I use a trail camera to identify a roadside litterer?

The roadside in our semi-rural area is relatively litter free. With very few exceptions, it can be easily picked up with one hand, and is not gross. But one litterer is getting to me. He (or she) ...
8
votes
2answers
274 views

How can we be the most respectful to a moose when photographing it up close?

We've often heard that moose are most active in the early morning or late in the day, around dusk, and are usually near a natural water source. Every year, we travel a few hours away to areas that ...
7
votes
4answers
320 views

Why is it undesirable for the New Forest to convert to a mature forest?

The source, Commoners of the New Forest referenced by @Liam in his answer to the question How do you become a New Forester Commoner? implies that for the New Forest to become a mature forest would be ...
1
vote
1answer
138 views

Will mountain lions eat wild horses?

If I remember correctly, someone proposed that the problem of wild horses over populating in the western United States would be to let the mountain lions control the populations. Would mountain lions ...
8
votes
1answer
476 views

What group of people call themselves “Outdoor Influencers”, and what do they do regarding natural areas of land?

I recently heard the term "Outdoor Influencers" relating to certain groups of people, including conservationists. Apparently some people have negative feelings about their activities, because they ...
4
votes
1answer
3k views

What is the survival rate for fish restocked via airplane?

In some places in the western United States, game fish are stocked into lakes via planes for fishing (every so often lakes will freeze to the point that it kills the fish). I have heard stories of ...
7
votes
1answer
200 views

Are there any biodegrable freeze dried packages?

More and more I see discarded freeze dried packages abandoned in the woods. The ones I have seen are made out of plastic and are foil lined and so don't decompose the way that oatmeal packets would ...
18
votes
5answers
4k views

What are the benefits of saving bats?

I'm fascinated by bats. I love to watch them fly around, although I've never seen more than a few at a time where I live in a suburban area in Massachusetts, Northeastern Unites States. I'd love to ...
9
votes
2answers
174 views

How to secure wild Red Eared turtle eggs from predators?

We have a wild Red Eared turtle laying eggs in our yard. What can we do to keep animals from getting to their eggs? We had a turtle to lay eggs about two weeks ago and the next morning, something had ...
7
votes
1answer
121 views

What is the proper way to ford a shallow body of water in a back country situation?

I was reading about off-roading just now, in particular best practices for conservation and safety, and I ended up on the Wikipedia page for fording. But that page deals mostly with either natural ...
44
votes
10answers
11k views

Can removing dead wood harm the ecosystem?

My inlaws have about 40 wooded acres in the Mid Atlantic region. They are nice woods but the amount of dead wood on the ground is astounding. For the most part it makes walking through similar to a ...
5
votes
1answer
323 views

What are the white pvc pipes in the Nevada desert for?

Sometimes in my travels in Nevada, I would come across white pvc pipes standing up in the middle of nowhere sticking out like sore thumbs. They looked like this (the red arrow points to another one ...
8
votes
1answer
211 views

What types of wild foods are protected from foraging in the Swedish Lapland forests, and how is the status decided?

There's a question on the site seeking information about foraging food in Sweden. One of the answers says any wild food in the forests of Swedish Lapland can be foraged and removed except "protected" ...
5
votes
2answers
369 views

Is it likely that decimation of its suburban forest habitat would cause a black bear to wander into a busy city if it wouldn't otherwise go there?

I live in the suburban town of Holden, in Central Massachusetts. Many hundreds of acres of mature woodland areas are being torn down nearby to create new roads and housing developments, and it's ...
11
votes
1answer
177 views

Why should lights be turned off on beaches where turtles breed?

I have a friend who lives in Orlando, Florida. She and her husband are avid sailors and travelers. They also hunt lighthouses, and have seen over 100 different ones. They're currently on a trip from ...
11
votes
2answers
505 views

Is sunscreen toxic to marine life, especially coral reefs?

As part of an effort to be a responsible user of the world's waterways, I've been thinking about ways to reduce marine pollution. A friend told me that certain chemicals in common brands of sunscreen ...
12
votes
1answer
418 views

How to get rid of illegal artificial paints on historical monuments?

India is known for its historical monuments and Caves are essential part of them. While among them, almost all major tourist attractions are very well conserved and looked after, unfortunately some of ...
13
votes
1answer
869 views

What should I do if I disturb a bird of prey with a kill?

A friend of mine disturbed a bird of prey (I think it was a kestrel or sparrow hawk) that had just killed a pigeon in her back garden. The pigeon was still alive when she found it but died soon after. ...
0
votes
0answers
53 views

Building a fridge in the wild [duplicate]

I've read that one can create a (actually a pretty decent) fridge with quite common materials a few years ago. How do you do that?
7
votes
1answer
92 views

Municipal invasive species committee experiences?

Our town (Groton Massachusetts) formed a town committee a few months ago to concentrate on invasive species issues. Since we are new, we are trying to find our way and decide what exactly we should ...
10
votes
2answers
2k views

Any tips for landing fish on barbless hooks?

I have started to debarb all my flies a while ago (it is much better for the fish if you are doing catch and release), but have been loosing some hooked fish that I was otherwise able to net when I ...
11
votes
2answers
852 views

Why do some fisheries have a lower size limit and others have an upper size limit for keeping fish?

My home river has a minimum size limit of 50 cm for keeping atlantic salmon, while I have seen online that some other places have a maximum size limit above which fish cannot be retained. Why is there ...
10
votes
1answer
276 views

What are the best practices to ensure survival of catch and release fish?

I have seen some folks handling fish in a rather rough way before releasing them. The other day I was in a similar situation and realized that I don't know well what the best practices are either. I ...
14
votes
2answers
301 views

Minimizing ecological impact of winter-sports in the backcountry

I have heard that skiers and snowboarders can do a lot of damage to an ecosystem. I am interested in the following backcountry wintersport activities and would like to do them responsibly. cross-...
9
votes
2answers
203 views

Minimizing impact of small groups on wilderness areas

I have been given conflicting information for how to minimize the impact of traveling in small groups in wilderness areas. For groups traveling off-trail in areas where it is appropriate I have heard ...