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Take only pictures, leave only footprints
More than 300 million people visit U.S. national parks every year. A very few surrender to temptation and carry away rocks, shells, and other tokens of their trip. Later seized by remorse, some return their mementos to the parks via mail with apologetic notes called conscience letters. The writer sometimes imagines having been cursed by their theft, but the only curse involved is visited on future generations who might not enjoy public lands in the same condition. The National Park Service encourages visitors to preserve the parks and "take only pictures, leave only footprints." |