Cairn, which is the Scottish Gaelic for stone man can invoke images of faith and motivation, of a spiritual journey. In the backcountry, making cairns is something of a fad and it’s not difficult to understand why people are attracted to these adorable stacks of flat rocks that are shaped like children’s building blocks. A hiker who is suffering from aching shoulders and black flies buzzing around her ears will try to pick a stone that has the perfect mix of flatness as well as tilt, width and depth. After a few near misses (one that’s too bulgy or too small) The solitary will select the one that’s perfectly in place, and the second layer of the cairn will be complete.
However, what a lot of people don’t know is that cairns can have an adverse environmental impact, particularly when it is done near water sources. When rock is removed from the shore of a pond or lake, it dishevels the ecosystem and degrades the habitat of microorganisms that are essential to the food chain. These rocks may be removed from the edge of a pond, river or lake through erosion and end up in places where they could inflict harm on humans or wildlife.
This is why the practice of cairn making should be avoided in areas where there are endangered or rare mammals, amphibians or reptiles or plants and flowers that require the moisture that is held in the rocks. If you build a rock cairn on private property, it could be in violation of federal and state regulations protecting the natural resources of the land. This could result in fines or even arrest.
Consúltanos por WhatsApp