Most trail systems are preserved by park districts and experts who are familiar with local ecosystems and the effects of human impact on local flora and fauna. The purpose of hiking is to enjoy nature, so a good trail system allows just enough room for the passer-through to enjoy the scenery without impacting it too severely. Any good hiker knows that you should leave the forest the same way you entered. You should leave nothing behind and pick nothing up.

As humanity has had its historical impact on the world and the whistle-blowers of environmentalism started to sound their voices as early as the late-19th century, ‘Green’ philosophy has finally started to be accepted by the culture’s consciousness, and people are making great efforts to preserve an increasingly fragile world. We are well aware of endangered animal populations, but there are older, nearly extinct creatures on this earth who receive even less attention than their hot-or-cold-blooded counterparts – endangered trees and plants.

There are the “Araucaria araucana,” or monkey puzzle trees of Chile, some as old as fossils. Or “Quercus suber,” cork oak, native to parts of Europe and Africa. The cork from these trees can be shaved from the trees without damaging them, but their population is dwindling. More immediately, there is the North American green pitcher plant, a carnivorous plant which behaves much like the venus fly trap, and is just as endangered. These are just a few of the hundreds of endangered and disappearing plants.

If you’re hiking through the woods and catch sight of something off the trail, it’s okay to look, but watch where you tread. You don’t want to step on something fragile, and you should never touch. You might be near a piece of history hanging on by a thread, and as an environmentally conscious hiker, it’s your responsibility to protect and preserve it.