Recreate Responsibly: Smart Outdoor Tips During Covid-19

By Natalie Ferguson

(With a background in retail and a love for wellness, travel, and the outdoors, Natalie Ferguson joined Alabama Outdoors in 2016. )

A national coalition launched earlier this year in Washington state wants to help you enjoy the outdoors responsibly as the nation grapples with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Recreate Responsibly coalition of nonprofits, outdoor businesses, and land managers is focused on developing, sharing, and amplifying common-sense guidance about getting outside during COVID-19.

“The overall RecreateResponsibly message remains simple: We all have a role to play in keeping people, places, and communities safe as we enjoy the outdoors this summer and beyond.”

recreate-responsibly-forest

Recreate Responsibly guidelines

  • Know before you go: Check the status of the place you want to visit. If it is closed, don’t go. If it’s crowded, have a backup plan.
  • Plan ahead: Prepare for facilities to be closed, pack lunch, and bring essentials like hand sanitizer and a face covering.
  • Explore locally: Limit long-distance travel and make use of local parks, trails, and public spaces. Be mindful of your impact on the communities you visit.
  • Practice physical distancing: Keep your group size small. Be prepared to cover your nose and mouth and give others space. If you are sick, stay home.
  • Play it safe: Slow down and choose lower-risk activities to reduce your risk of injury. Search and rescue operations and health care resources are both strained.
  • Leave no trace: Respect public lands and waters, as well as native and local communities. Take all your garbage with you.
  • Build an inclusive outdoors: Be an active part of making the outdoors safe and welcoming for all identities and abilities

A lot of these steps may seem similar to the “Leave No Trace”  principles. However, if you aren’t familiar with those principles, check out our blog to learn about them. 

We are all in this together

I see this two ways: Recreate Responsibly and re-create responsibility. We need to be responsible for our health and actions as we partake in recreational activities around others, both indoors and outdoors.

However, we are also re-creating what it means to be responsible as we do enjoy these areas. Every day, our communities are recreating new ways for us to work, live, and be healthy, and we need to duplicate those efforts individually as we explore.

As you continue to #BeOutdoors, whether it be at one of our remarkable national forests, a park, or even your backyard, we encourage you to keep in mind the  Leave No Trace principles as well as the Recreate Responsibly guidelines. We are all in this together.

Find all your summer essentials aAlabama Outdoors. We want everyone to enjoy the outdoors, and we work to build loyalty one connection at a time.  Visit one of our stores or take advantage of our shipping or curbside pickup  #BeOutdoors