Parks Canada asks to stay blank when she visits Prince Edward Island. National Park.
This summer, workers detected a buildup of misbehavior among some visitors.
Staff say they see more dogs on the beach, other people rushing and parking on the side of the road and other people leaving trash on the beaches.
“There’s a lot more rubbish than was experienced in the past,” said Emily Gallant, a cleaning student on Prince Edward Island. National Park.
“It’s been part of our job, we like to keep the park clean, that’s why we’re here. But there’s a lot more waste on the beaches.
Gallant said he discovered a lot of cans, food waste and bags full of trash.
And it’s not just waste that other people leave behind.
In one area, Ross Lane, amenities were closed due to COVID-19. This means the bathrooms are closed,” said Tara McNally MacPhee, P.E.I. National Park Visitor Experience Manager.
“Unfortunately, we found that other people are doing their needs in closed bathrooms instead of employing other facilities,” McNally MacPhee said.
“I’m sure they’re only one or two people, but it creates an awkward scenario for our staff, but also for other visitors.”
Covehead and Stanhope are on Ross Lane.
McNally MacPhee said she believes the main explanation for why they realize bad behavior is building up is that the COVID-19 pandemic is encouraging more people on Prince Edward Island. and the Canadian Atlantic to explore parts of the island that do not travel to.
“Many of these other people would probably not be aware of the regulations and regulations in place and might not know what kind of behavior is expected of them when they visit a national park,” he said.
When the park is busy, also keep in mind that other people do not comply with public fitness measures, such as physical distance, as well as they should.
“It’s almost like other people are in the middle of a global pandemic, which is inconsible when we’re in nature and enjoying the same kind of things we’ve enjoyed in recent years,” he says.
With all the additional cleaning required due to COVID-19, the discoveries stretched and having to pick up after more people creates even more work.
“Sometimes we think we can’t succeed in this mess as quickly as we need it. And it’s actually an emotional effect too because we need everything to be the best and it’s, you know, our pride and joy is this park,” Gallant says
And this year, when staff manipulate other people who don’t adhere to the rules, the reactions are negative.
“Compliance reports fewer positive interactions with visitors this season compared to previous and typical years of operation,” a Parks Canada spokesman said in an email.
For those caught disobeying the rules, whether it’s speeding, littering or doing their needs in spaces where they shouldn’t, they can face hefty fines.
If the islanders are making plans to visit Prince Edward Island National Park in the coming weeks, staff ask them to leave the park in the same condition in which they discovered it.
“We need other people to treat it like their island, to treat it like their beaches,” Gallant said.
“We are all here for the same explanation as to why and it is so that our province remains as beautiful as it is.”
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