As we’re approaching Easter weekend, officials are advising all families considering a trip to our state and national parks to be careful about what they bring with them.
Easter is a time for family and friends, and for some that involves traveling to parks and forests for egg hunts. But what’s inside those eggs can be dangerous to animals and the forest.
Officials with the Gila National Forest are encouraging families to leave behind confetti often used in easter baskets and plastic eggs.
“Our employees do spend time out in those sites on their hands and knees, picking up all those little bits of confetti and other microplastics that are left behind. But they never really can get all of them and some of it eventually washes into our streams and waterways that ultimately wash out into the ocean,” said U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Maribeth Pecotte.
She said leaving behind unnatural materials in the wild could be harmful and dangerous.
“Wildlife has been known to eat bits of shiny plastic and that confetti can build up in their stomach and cause them to die,” said Pecotte. “It can prevent them from being able to keep food down and just fill up their stomach.”
And with holiday cookouts, the risk of fire danger is always present.
“Campfires need to be attended at all times and made sure that they're cold to the touch with your bare hand before leaving them as well as packing out everything that you bring in with you,” she said.
Pecotte also recommends checking ahead of time with local officials on any potential weather conditions.
Support for this coverage comes from the Thornburg Foundation.
