Getting kids on board with the principles of Leave Only Footprints is as easy as 1-2-3.
One: Teach them the rules of Leave Only Footprints: If you bring it to the beach, take it with you. If it belongs at the beach, leave it alone. For example, beach toys, rafts, hats, cans, plastic bottles, kites, fishing line and any other gear needs to be gathered and taken back to your home/hotel/condo at the end of the day. Taking your items with you keep them from washing into the Gulf of Mexico. Leaving natural items like beach vegetation alone anchors our sand dunes, and refilling deep holes keeps the beach safe for people and animals alike.
Two: Help children understand how marine debris gets into the Gulf of Mexico. Many times, items such as plastic bags have been blown away from your beach setup and end up in the Gulf. Sand shovels can be forgotten when you go from sandcastle-building to swimming. It’s easy to lose track of a plastic bag, toy or food wrapper, but keeping the area clean is essential to the creatures who live in the sea. A drink can or plastic toy could travel thousands of miles on ocean currents, causing harm anywhere along the way.
Three: Give them an idea of how long items last. For example, glass bottles may literally never decompose, but they likely will become broken and buried in the sand to cut feet and hands or injure animals and birds. Some items eaten by fish and birds can kill them, or they become entangled so that they cannot swim or fly.
Teaching children good conservation principles is also easy. Be a best friend to the ocean by picking up trash whenever you see it, even if it’s not yours. Take a list of what you bring to the beach and mark it off as you gather each item before you leave. Make your children environmentally conscious and it will leave lasting memories while you Leave Only Footprints.
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