Our etiquette is here to help you and others enjoy your experience while considering your environment and surroundings. We encourage you to read our guidelines to ensure that Seaside Naturally is enjoyed ”naturally” so it will provide pleasure for you and many others………….
- Birding Etiquette
Everyone who enjoys birds and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and birders, the welfare of the birds and their environment comes first.
1. Promote the welfare of birds and their environment.
(a) Support the protection of important bird habitat.
(b) To avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound recording, or filming. Limit the use of recordings and other methods of attracting birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas or for attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special Concern, or is rare in your local area. Keep well back from nests and nesting colonies, roosts, display areas, and important feeding sites. In such sensitive areas, if there is a need for extended observation, photography, filming, or recording, try to use a blind or hide, and take advantage of natural cover. Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography, especially for close-ups.
(c) Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, evaluate the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, and other people in the area, and proceed only if access can be controlled, disturbance can be minimized, and permission has been obtained from private land-owners. The sites of rare nesting birds should be divulged only to the proper conservation authorities.
d) Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise keep habitat
disturbance to a minimum.2. Respect the law and the rights of others
(a) Do not enter private property without the owner’s explicit permission.
(b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad.
(c) Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people. . Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and non-birders alike.3. Ensure that feeders, nest structures, and other artificial bird environments are safe.
(a) Keep dispensers, water, and food clean and free of decay or disease.
(b) It is important to feed birds continually during harsh weather.
(c) If you are attracting birds to an area, ensure the birds are not exposed
to predation from cats and other domestic animals, or dangers posed
by artificial hazards.4. Group birding, whether organized or impromptu, requires special care.
Each individual in the group, in addition to the obligations spelled out in Items #1 and #2, has responsibilities as a Group Member.
(a) Respect the interests, rights, and skills of fellow birders, as well as those of people participating in other legitimate outdoor activities. Freely share your knowledge and experience, except where code 1(c) applies. Be especially helpful to beginning birders.
(b) If you witness unethical birding behavior, assess the situation and intervene if you think it prudent. When interceding, inform the person(s) of the inappropriate action and attempt, within reason, to have it stopped. If the behavior continues, document it and notify appropriate individuals or organizations. Group Leader Responsibilities [amateur and professional trips and tours].
(c) Be an exemplary ethical role model for the group. Teach through word and example.
(d) Keep groups to a size that limits impact on the environment and does not interfere with others using the same area.
(e) Ensure everyone in the group knows of and practices this code.
(f) Learn and inform the group of any special circumstances applicable to the areas being visited (e.g., no tape recorders allowed).
(g) Acknowledge that professional tour companies bear a special responsibility to place the welfare of birds and the benefits of public knowledge ahead of the company’s commercial interests. Ideally, leaders should keep track of tour sightings, document unusual occurrences, and submit records to appropriate organizations.74 | 2006 ABA Big Day Report & ABA List Report
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS CODE—DISTRIBUTE IT AND TEACH IT TO OTHERS.
Additional copies of the Code of Birding Ethics can be obtained from: ABA, PO Box 6599,
Colorado Springs, CO 80934-6599, (800) 850-2473 or (719) 578-9703; fax: (719) 578-1480;
e-mail: member@aba.org
This ABA Code of Birding Ethics may be reprinted, reproduced, and distributed without restriction.
Please acknowledge the role of ABA in developing and promoting this code. 7/1/96 - Biking Etiquette
- Roads are used for commercial forestry and may have motor vehicle or heavy equipment use at any time. Please avoid active operations.
- Obey all signs.
- No littering
- Weapons are prohibited unless area is officially open for public hunting access.
- Riding is allowed only on existing roads.
- Drugs and alcohol are strictly prohibited.
- Fires and camping are prohibited.
- Do not park near or block gate entrances.
- Public access may be restricted at any time.
- Please report any suspicious or illegal activity.
- Kayaking Etiquette
A few simple rules—along with a lot of respect for the forces out there in the natural world—will help you avoid the kinds of situations that otherwise might cause discomfort, injury, or even death.
- There is indeed safety in numbers—don’t boat alone. Recommended minimum is three people, two craft.
- Wear your personal flotation device (lifejacket—PFD). It not only makes good sense—it’s the law.
- Recognize your limits. Avoid situations that are beyond your boating and swimming ability.
- Become a competent swimmer.
- Learn the essential canoeing/kayaking strokes and practice them until they become “second nature.” The safest boater is a skillful boater.
- Think and plan ahead. Know what hazards you are likely to encounter—rocks, down trees, waterfalls, sharp turns; lake waters that can turn into nasty chop if the wind comes up.
- Be suitably prepared and equipped—proper footgear, sun protection, raingear, spare dry clothing, rescue line, extra paddle, duct tape, first-aid, map, knife, etc. as your particular trip may require. Secure your glasses.
- Know and respect the water you choose to paddle. Check River classifications and be sure to find out what the water conditions are or will be at time of launch. Check weather forecasts for the area. Consider recent rains, local and upstream, temperatures, winds, and likely conditions, i.e., afternoon winds, late-afternoon showers, chilling nighttime temperatures.
- Beware of cold water and weather extremes. Dress appropriately.
- Be sure your craft is in good repair.
- Equip your canoe (optional for kayaks) with bow and stern lines, 1/4-inch or 3/8-inch lines 10 to 15 feet long. Fasten securely and leave the free end unknotted and accessible. Do not use these lines to tie in gear.
- Have a safety plan. Understand your responsibility to help your partner and other members in your group.
- Keep boats a safe distance apart. Allow the boat in front of you to clear a potentially hazardous stretch before you enter it yourself.
If you spill…
If possible, hold onto your boat and get to its upstream end so you won’t be crushed against rocks. Stay calm and follow rescuers’ instructions.
If others spill…
Go after the boater first. In a group, upstream boaters head to shore, go forward with rescue line to the capsize. Downstream boaters stand by to pick up people and, secondarily, gear. Rescue the boat only if this can be done safely.
Whistle signals can quickly communicate information to every member of the group. Be sure everyone knows the code:
One blast—slow down
Two blasts—go to shore
Three blasts—capsize, take proper action for rescue
Four blasts—approaching powerboat or jet skiOur Rules:
- Respect wildlife. Do not harass it and keep an observable distance from it.
- Respect the peace of homeowners that reside on the banks of lakes and rivers
- Do not access the waterway through private property to launch a kayak or boat
unless you have permission. - Be aware of tidal river and estuary influences. Tide Tables
- Ensure you have all state permits and licenses for your water craft if required.
- Adhere to all local lake, river and ocean rules for water crafts and sports.
- Hiking Etiquette
Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit.
- Prepare for extreme weather, hazards, and emergencies.
- Schedule your trip to avoid times of high use.
- Visit in small groups when possible. Consider splitting larger groups into smaller groups.
- Repackage food to minimize waste.
- Use a map and compass to eliminate the use of marking paint, rock cairns or flagging.
Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
- Durable surfaces include established trails and campsites, rock, gravel, dry grasses or snow.
- Protect riparian areas by camping at least 200 feet from lakes and streams.
- Good campsites are found, not made. Altering a site is not necessary.
In popular areas:
- Concentrate use on existing trails and campsites.
- Walk single file in the middle of the trail, even when wet or muddy.
- Keep campsites small. Focus activity in areas where vegetation is absent.
In pristine areas:
- Disperse use to prevent the creation of campsites and trails.
- Avoid places where impacts are just beginning.
Dispose of Waste Properly
- Pack it in, pack it out. Inspect your campsite and rest areas for trash or spilled foods. Pack out all trash, leftover food, and litter.
- Deposit solid human waste in cat-holes dug 6 to 8 inches deep at least 200 feet from water, camp, and trails. Cover and disguise the cat-hole when finished.
- Pack out toilet paper and hygiene products.
- To wash yourself or your dishes, carry water 200 feet away from streams or lakes and use small amounts of biodegradable soap. Scatter strained dishwater.
Leave What You Find
- Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
- Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
- Avoid introducing or transporting non-native species.
- Do not build structures, furniture, or dig trenches.
Minimize Campfire Impacts
- Campfires can cause lasting impacts to the backcountry. Use a lightweight stove for cooking and enjoy a candle lantern for light.
- Where fires are permitted, use established fire rings, fire pans, or mound fires.
- Keep fires small. Only use sticks from the ground that can be broken by hand.
- Burn all wood and coals to ash, put out campfires completely, then scatter cool ashes.
Respect Wildlife
- Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them.
- Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
- Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
- Control pets at all times, or leave them at home.
- Avoid wildlife during sensitive times: mating, nesting, raising young, or winter.
Be Considerate of Other Visitors
- Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience.
- Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
- Step to the downhill side of the trail when encountering pack stock.
- Take breaks and camp away from trails and other visitors.
- Let nature’s sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises
Leave No trace Seven Principles Courtesy: Leave No Trace – Center For Outdoor Ethics (http://www.lnt.org)
Safety
- Tell someone where you are going.
- Tell someone when you are leaving.
- Tell someone when you will be returning.
