By SGPC Coordinator
In late August of 2020, the SGPC joined the Recreate Responsibly Coalition to help spread the work about recreating safely—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. With many people feeling stir-crazy due to shelter-in-place orders and other social distancing mandates, managers have seen a record influx of recreationists to public lands. With folks flocking in droves to these parks, wilderness areas, and other shared spaces, managers have also reported record recreation impacts such as trash, toilet paper, and even human waste. These impacts, paired with inherent interactions at common spaces (e.g., parking lots, trailheads, toilets), necessitated a cohesive and coordinated outreach effort to educate recreationists about how to stay safe and act responsibly to minimize impacts during COVID-19. Members of the Collaborative have been attending weekly RR meetings that include regional updates from public land managers and discussions of educational messaging efforts. Learn more at: https://www.recreateresponsibly.org/
