Category: Responsible Outdoor Recreation

Nature should be accessible to everyone, but systemic barriers (like poverty and racial inequality) often keep marginalized communities from enjoying the outdoors. While geotagging on social media can harm fragile ecosystems, there are better ways to share nature responsibly and make it more inclusive. Share Within Your Community Instead of posting locations online, organize local…

In my previous article, For the Love of God, Stop Geotagging, I discussed how geotagging can harm nature by leading to overcrowding, ecosystem damage, and disrespect for Indigenous lands. But geotagging isn’t always bad… there are exceptions. To Geotag or Not to Geotag Do Not Geotag: When It’s Okay to Geotag: Important note: Just because a place…

Geotag [ˈjēōˌtaɡ] / verb Example: Geotagging seems harmless, right? But the reality is that social media has a massive impact on nature. Overcrowding, ecosystem damage, and irresponsible tourism can result from any level of exposure—whether a post goes viral or just reaches the wrong person.  Don’t believe me? Watch this video. The Geotagging Debate: To…

Why “Leave No Trace” Misses the Bigger Picture “Take only pictures, leave only footprints.” Sounds great, right? But here’s the thing— The 7 Principles of “Leave No Trace” (LNT) can reinforce a harmful idea: that humans and nature are separate. That the best way to “respect” the land is to pretend we were never there.…