– The things that annoy me the most on a trip are toilet paper and mosquitoes, says Alyson Thompson. She is on her way down from the popular mountain Reinebringen in Lofoten. Today it was wet and slippery, so Alison decided to turn around before she reached the top. But the mountain-dwelling American doesn’t let that ruin the experience. But if she has to highlight something that annoys her on a trip, then it is mosquitoes and toilet paper. – We can’t do anything about mosquitoes, but people can bring their own bags for their toilet paper, says Thompson, who is not the only one with that attitude. Alyson Thompson and her family tried to walk the Reinebringen one rainy day this summer. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad Poop from people and dogs On behalf of the organization Norsk friluftsliv, Ipsos asked Norwegians what annoys them when they are on a trip. – Littering is the number one source of irritation, says Siri Meland in Norwegian Outdoor Activities. – But we also see that dog poo, human excrement, dog bags and toilet paper are an increasing source of irritation for those on the trip. They also investigated this topic in 2020, and there is one thing in particular that annoys us more now than before. It’s dog poo. 14 per cent were annoyed by this in 2020, while now it is 54 per cent who find this annoying. – It has increased sharply, says Meland. Loose dogs are also a point of irritation that has increased a lot since last time. – People get annoyed about the same whether you are in the south, north, east or west. It’s exactly the same, says Meland. Are not as good as we think – Littering affects how one experiences outdoor life, wilderness and national parks, says researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Rose Keller. She has looked at how the increase in visitor numbers has affected nature in Lofotodden National Park in Lofoten and in Femundsmarka in Inlandet. There, she and her colleagues have handed out questionnaires and interviewed people about what they do on tour, and what they think about littering, nature and human excrement. Rose Keller has actually researched how human excrement affects nature. Here she works with water samples to look for traces of E. coli. Photo: Private Ho says that especially human excrement ruins our trip. Eight out of ten said that the sight of faeces affected their experience negatively or very negatively. When it comes to littering, most answered that they usually pick up after themselves, but that one can be unlucky and the waste can, for example, blow away. – People told us that they take their rubbish home, but when we mapped a popular path and campsite in Femundsmarka in 2022, we noticed a steady increase in rubbish, says Keller. What annoys you the most on a trip? Littering Dog poo and dog bags Human excrement and toilet paper Human intervention Mosquitoes, ticks and other insects Show result She says the waste in Femundsmarka is mostly behind large rocks and partly buried. Many also try to burn the rubbish. – It is not good. Because some of the rubbish doesn’t burn up, and then you end up with thousands of small pieces of rubbish that damage the landscape and several animal species. So even if we get annoyed by littering, we can become better at doing something about it. – People leave rubbish in nature even though they know that they shouldn’t. Things we can do something with Elias Martins are so-called stiffened at Reinebringen. He does not hesitate when asked about things that annoy him on tour: – Drones! I understand that people want to take nice pictures, but the drones destroy the beautiful still life we have here, he says. Elias Martins would rather hear the birds and the wind at Reinebringen than the sound of drones taking pictures. Photo: Vilde Bratland Erikstad Most of the things that annoy us are things that we ourselves are to blame for. According to Meland in Norwegian Outdoor Activities, it is an advantage, because we can do something about it. – Take the banana peel and the apple core back. Do not use a wet wipe, but normal toilet paper and walk a little further away from the path when you need to do your things, so that the rest of us don’t pull it. Or that a dog rolls in it. I’ve experienced that myself, and it’s not funny, says Meland. And in Lofoten they have done something about it. Siri Meland from Norsk Friluftsliv says it is important to pick up after yourself and show care. Photo: Joe Urrutia/Norsk Friluftsliv People there were so fed up with having nature destroyed by faeces, that last year they introduced poo bags for humans as a trial project. Keller at NINA has managed the project, and says that the free poo bags have almost been ripped off the “shelves”. They are continuing with the project this year as well, and after two days three quarters of the bags are gone. After they introduced the project, they have had fewer cases of the E. coli bacteria in the streams. – We have seen a certain effect of the bags, she says. In Femundsmarka, they have also tried out a measure with signage to get rid of the litter problem. Reminding people that they have to pick up after themselves has led to reduced littering, says Keller. – It is when we prioritize conveying a clear message about desired behavior that it becomes easier for visitors to do so. In the absence of a public toilet, visitors to Lofotodden National Park defecate in nature. Photo: Benjamin Fredriksen / Benjamin Fredriksen Published 08.07.2024, at 17.37
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Dog poo littering and other people – news Nordland
