Nature Trail: 'If you Love This Place, Leave No Trace'
Furthermore, there is significant medical evidence that spending time out-of-doors is good for both your mental and physical health: it boosts vitamin D production, reduces stress and fatigue, promotes better sleep, and is the best free medicine available.
However, there are downsides to more people spending more time outdoors; it can lead to an increase in traffic, litter, noise, water pollution, disturbance to vegetation, wildlife, livestock and other people.
Leave No Trace Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation committed to promoting responsible outdoor recreation through education, research, and partnerships. Its principles are widely adopted across Ireland's outdoor, tourism, and conservation sectors. Recently, the organisation launched its Love This Place 2025 campaign to protect Ireland's outdoors and called on all of us to come together to protect our rich natural landscapes, so we can all enjoy them responsibly as we head into the summer season.
Now in its fifth year, the national awareness campaign is supported by partners including the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, the Office of Public Works, Coillte, Sport Ireland, Waterways Ireland, and several Local Authorities all dedicated to promoting responsible outdoor recreation and environmental stewardship.
With more people than ever seeking connection with nature - through hiking, swimming, dog-walking and exploring - this year's 'Love This Place' campaign reinforces the simple message: 'If you love this place, leave no trace.'
If you are in wild places the advice is to stick to marked trails and stay on paths to avoid damaging habitats or disturbing animals, both seen and unseen. Bring all litter home, don't feed wild animals, and watch wildlife from a safe distance. Dog owners are asked to be responsible with their pets: keep them on a lead, especially around farm animals and wildlife, and always clean up after them.
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