STAY SAFE - LEAVE NO TRACE - LOVE THE PLACE
ENJOY A HEALTHY AND SAFE VISIT TO OUR OUTDOORS
‘Get Into Nature’, encourages people across Northern Ireland to be outdoor smart. Leave no trace. Love the place, to adventure out into our natural environment without damaging it, to do what we can to help protect it and crucially to be prepared for all conditions and events that may occur when we’re out and about!
We are here to help visitors build their outdoor skills, and to provide the information you need to enjoy and look after the environment you are visiting.
Alongside Government protocols and public health guidelines, here are some tips to help us all to make our trips to the outside a safe and healthy one.
Enjoy a healthy, enjoyable and safe visit to our stunning natural environment!
Be outdoor smart. Leave no trace. Love the place.
Be ready for the outdoors.
Be prepared for a safe outdoor visit - don’t risk injury.
Plan ahead to avoid getting injured, needing rescued or ending up in hospital.
Have the right kit – the right shoes, a waterproof, a map, water.
Tell people where you are going if visiting the hills, a remote area or out to sea.
Choose an activity or location within your existing skills and experience level or:
Go with an experienced activity provider if you are undertaking a new activity or getting more adventurous.
If planning a visit to the coast, check the weather forecast (especially the wind speed and direction), tide times, follow safety advice, keep a close eye on your family and don’t use inflatables.
Swim where it is safe and permitted.
Do not park outside of designated parking spaces, on verges or in gateways.
Check if all the services you need are open - are toilets, baby changing, playgrounds and other facilities available? Is pre-booking required?
Make sure the Emergency Services, local farmers or local residents will be able to pass by and to access fields, forests, or houses. If a car park is full, go somewhere else.
Bring your hand sanitiser and consider the use of face masks in busy areas such as car parks.
Respect staff and volunteers. Share the space with all.
Staff, volunteers and signage are there to help to keep everyone, and the site, safe and healthy – please follow their instruction.
Be mindful of not gathering around key points such as car parks, bridges, gates, information points, summits or for photos.
Respect other users of the space – walkers, cyclists, swimmers, horse riders.
Give nature space and quiet to flourish.
Keep your dog under control.
Respect people’s land, property and farm animals.
Take your rubbish home.
Only BBQ in designated BBQ areas.
Leave nature the way you find it, for all to enjoy.
Enjoy nature but don’t disturb it – when watching wildlife, remain at a distance, stay invisible, quiet, and don’t stay long.
Don’t chase, touch or feed wildlife.
Prevent your dog from approaching other people and their dogs, cyclists, livestock and wildlife.
Never let your dog worry or attack farm animals.
Leave gates as you found them.
Help everyone by taking litter home and recycle it.
BBQs can be a fire risk and are challenging to clear up after – please only have them in designated BBQ areas, ensure that a fire will not start and spread and check they are cold before you clear them up.
- For marine trips, choose an operator accredited by WiSe www.wisescheme.org.
- Clean your hands before and after your visit.
- Continue to follow public health guidelines on handwashing.
- Remember hand hygiene if you touch any surfaces.
- Please enjoy a healthy and safe visit to our outdoors.
Be outdoor smart - Leave No Trace - Love the Place
• Choose a quiet location.
• Choose a quiet time.
• Be considerate of other visitors/users – stay a few hours, not all day.
• Avoid popular honey pot sites - if there are lots of people it will be more difficult to stay 2 metres apart from others and observe social distancing.
• Respect staff and volunteers.
•Staff, volunteers and signage are there to help to keep everyone safe and healthy – please follow their instruction.
• Don’t risk injury – protect the NHS and emergency services. Now is not the time to end up in hospital.
• Respect other users of the space.
For now:
- Choose familiar locations.
- Choose a safer activity.
- Choose an activity within your existing skills and experience level. Stick to low-risk routes that you are familiar and comfortable with.
Only BBQ in designated BBQ areas.
Leave nature the way you find it, for all to enjoy.
Enjoy nature but don’t disturb it – when watching wildlife, remain at a distance, stay invisible, quiet, and don’t stay long.
Don’t chase, touch or feed wildlife.
Prevent your dog from approaching other people and their dogs, cyclists, livestock and wildlife.
Never let your dog worry or attack farm animals.
Leave gates as you found them.
Help everyone by taking litter home and recycle it.
BBQs can be a fire risk and are challenging to clear up after – please only have them in designated BBQ areas, ensure that a fire will not start and spread and check they are cold before you clear them up.
- For marine trips, choose an operator accredited by WiSe www.wisescheme.org.
- Clean your hands before and after your visit.
- Continue to follow public health guidelines on handwashing.
- Remember hand hygiene if you touch any surfaces.
- Please enjoy a healthy and safe visit to our outdoors.
Many Governing Bodies of Sport have produced Guidance for their own sport – have a look at the more detailed guidance relating to your chosen activity (see links below).
• Keep your dog under control.
• Keep your dog away from other people.
• Prevent your dog from approaching other people and their dogs, cyclists, livestock and wildlife.
• It is difficult to retrieve a dog while observing social distancing.
• Never let your dog worry or attack farm animals.
• Wildlife may have nested closer to paths while no-one was visiting – please give it a wide berth.
• Clean your hands before and after your visit.
• Continue to follow public health guidelines on handwashing.
• Remember hand hygiene if you touch any surfaces.
• Toilets and facilities may not be open. Consider this in your planning and make alternative arrangements for your own provisions as required.
• Plan ahead.
• Check the site and facilities you need (such as car parks and toilets) are open before you leave home.
• Plan your day around your needs and what will be available
• You can travel for outdoor recreation, but consider if you need to currently until all the services you need are open again - are car parks, toilets, baby changing, playgrounds and other facilities open?
• Have a look at the websites below this table for ideas of places to visit close to you and to check whether facilities are open.
• Have a back-up plan if the venue is full when you reach it.
• The car park may be full.
• Please do not park outside of designated parking spaces or on verges or gateways.
•If the site is very busy, social distancing may be difficult and it would be wise to consider alternative venues.
• Keep the roads clear - don’t park at gates or on verges.
• Make sure the Emergency Services, local farmers or local residents will be able to pass by and to access fields, forests, or houses. If a car park is full, go somewhere else.
• You can help everyone by taking your own litter home with you, especially at a time when staff and volunteers may be deployed elsewhere on site or reduced in numbers due to shielding.
• Respect farm animals and wildlife.
• Leave gates as you found them.
• Wildlife may have got used to you not being there and nested somewhere close by – please give nature some space to flourish.
• Leave what you find.
• For all to enjoy the outdoors and love the place.
Stay sensible, protect yourselves, protect our vulnerable and most of all, take care of each other
