We say leave your mark a lot around here. It’s our second anthem! One of the best things about working with authentic, natural leathers is to see your product develop its own unique patina telling its story.
We encourage everyone to leave their mark. Whether that’s distinct marks on your leather or impacting your community in a positive manner. Nevertheless, this can sometimes be misconstrued to leaving a physical mark only and that’s not the case. When we invite someone to leave their mark we invite you to look outside yourself and make a difference.
With National Park Week kicking off today, April 21st, and summer right around the corner, we see a great opportunity for everyone in our community to leave their mark. As we step outside and visit our parks and public lands we need everyone's help to maintain and sustain these treasured grounds. By making a commitment to consistently pick up after ourselves, carpool, and reduce waste, we are leaving a collective mark on the places we love.
Next year marks the centennial of the National Park Conservation Association, an organization dedicated to working and preserving our nation's’ most iconic and inspiring places for present and future generations. They work non-stop year round to help take care of our parks and have great tips for anyone looking to reduce waste. Last year, our parks saw nearly 331 million visitors and, along with those crowds, parks accumulated roughly 100 million pounds of trash. There’s a lot you can do individually to help leave your mark and reduce waste:
- Use refillable water bottles
- Pack gear and food with the least amount of disposable packaging
- Try to use rechargeable batteries and components only
- Dispose of waste and recyclables properly in the appropriate bins
- Don’t abandon unwanted gear at sites
- Choose aluminum over glass
- Invest in reusable cutlery, plates, and cups
These are some ways to help reduce waste. Some other important park reminders are to stay on marked trails and, this next one should go without saying but, please refrain from park vandalization. If you have additional methods towards helping leave your mark, we’d love to hear about them in the comments. It’s a team effort and together we can help make a difference and leave our mark.
video by National Geographic
