You’re visiting their home. Leave it wild.

When we visit a park, it feels like a place to relax, walk or gather with family. For wildlife, it is something else entirely. It is home.

Trails run through feeding areas. Ponds support nesting and spawning. What looks like open space to us is part of a daily survival routine for the animals that live there.
As spring brings increased visitation and wildlife activity, small actions can have a greater impact on these shared spaces.

Regional Parks is seeing an increase in peanuts, candy and other food items being left in park areas, particularly near high-use spaces and waterways. While it may seem harmless, human food does not belong in wildlife habitat.

Wild animals have their own natural diets. Peanuts and other snacks can cause choking, digestive illness and long-term health problems. Feeding wildlife can also change natural behaviour, drawing animals closer to trails and visitors and increasing the risk of unsafe encounters.

Food left behind can attract unintended species, disrupt sensitive ecosystems and create allergy concerns for other park users.

Many people leave food with good intentions. What often goes unnoticed is how even small actions can shape the environment over time.

The most effective way to care for wildlife is simple:
•    Do not feed wildlife
•    Do not leave food behind
•    Pack out everything you bring in
•    Respect sensitive habitats and waterways

By following Leave No Trace principles, we help protect wildlife health, visitor safety and the natural balance that makes our parks special. Learn more about wildlife in our parks at one of our upcoming nature programs.