Park ranger warns of Valentine s balloons impact on Padre Island
Valentine balloons end up on local beaches
and last updated 2021-02-08 19:27:45-05
PADRE ISLAND, Texas â Valentineâs Day is around the corner. If you are planning on giving your significant other a balloon to express your feelings about them, think twice about how that balloon will be disposed of.
âThat fleeting gesture can have a very lasting impact, because these balloons can be made out of materials like polypropylene, latex, mylar, and theyâre designed to withstand fatigue; which means once they end up in the environment, they can last a long time,â said Dustin Baker, the Lead Ranger for the Interpretation and Education Division at Padre Island National Seashore.
Social distancing on footpaths is causing devastating erosion, the National Trust warned yesterday.
Visitors are damaging landscapes and wildlife as they wander off trails – a problem exacerbated by much higher numbers embracing the countryside.
Rob Rhodes, head of countryside management at the trust, said: ‘Many of our sites are seeing three times the usual number of visitors they would get on a busy summer’s day.
‘However, landscapes are more susceptible to damage at this time of year due to the colder and wetter weather.’
The trust advises walking in single file and waiting for others by standing aside but not leaving a trail.
Christmas walks could ruin the countryside, National Trust warns
The charity says social distancing causing people to walk off the paths is killing plants and animals
Social distancing is causing people to walk off the paths
Christmas walks could ruin the countryside, the National Trust has warned, as it said that social distancing is causing people to trample wildlife and cause erosion.
The charity said that cumulative effects of winter weather, increased visitor numbers, and social distancing is starting to cause fresh erosion and widening of footpaths at hot spots across England.
Rangers believe that England’s new tiering system and the upcoming Christmas holiday period are likely to attract more people to get out and about in the countryside, causing more damage if action is not taken.