Sickened by vandals again

[crosslandkelly]

To put it simply people just dont care anymore.

+ 1 to that.

 

[treadlightly]

Im sorry but if you need to be taught that littering is wrong then you have a seriously low IQ. The problem stems from a complete lack of respect, laziness and selfishness driven by a consumerist disposable culture. Long working hours, and long distance journeys to work erode any sense of community and pride which compounds the issue.

To put it simply people just dont care anymore.

It's not about IQ but upbringing. Most kids grow up in towns and cities and have no idea how Nature works. To many, parks or wild places are just another resource to use. They need to be taught from a young age how it works and that it needs to be treated with respect.

 

[mountainm]

It's not about IQ but upbringing. Most kids grow up in towns and cities and have no idea how Nature works. To many, parks or wild places are just another resource to use. They need to be taught from a young age how it works and that it needs to be treated with respect.

I don't think you need to know how nature works to know that vandalism and littering are wrong. It's about respect for other peoples property. And it's not just young people - in fact I'd say they were the minority, they're just an easier target as it becomes "them" and "us".

 

[treadlightly]

I agree it's not just about young people, I didn't mean to imply it was. But people who don't feel an attachment to a place tend not to look after it and I would argue that many people feel no attachment to their urban environment so they behave the same when they are in a rural one.

 

[huntergathereralex]

All the above comments are quite cogent. You've all made some very good points. Vandalism of nature hits us all in a special place, as bushcrafting and being out and interacting with nature is our passion. I feel that engaging those who have little interaction of being out and about in the wilds, in a non-confrontational way, helps open some eyes to what nature is about. Take a kid for a walk in the woods. Grab some senior drive them out to the countryside.
As for vandalism, the state has abdicated it's role as guardian of the wild. We can assume that role of guardian or steward, but that opens a legal can of worms... This is why I suggest engaging folk in a non-confrontational way...take them out to the woods instead of yelling at them or getting your blood-pressure ready to pop.
England has a particularly difficult problem of about 60 million people on an island that studies suggest should only support 20 million, the #'s here suggest that too many people in too small of a nation would only lead to degradation of the lands in immediate vicinity of large urban centers...
If you're up for it, reasonable engagement seems to be the most likely way of affecting local and immediate change.
Sorry to stick my nose in your business. It bothers me to hear what is happening there, as I used to listen to my Nan talk about the countryside near Brighton and Lewes when she was a young girl.
Hope things get a bit better.
Cheers
Alex