Outdoor safety and hiking tips are being offered by the Alabama State Parks with the arrival of warmer weather. The division is also giving tips to attendees on how to prevent the itch and take the necessary precautions before heading outside.
State trails and open-air activities are booming with the spring season in full swing. Wildlife experts say harmful plants and bugs are no longer dormant with these warmer temperatures.
According to the Alabama State Parks Division website, the department consists of 21 state parks encompassing approximately 48,000 acres of land and water in Alabama. The goal of the parks is to preserve nature and ensure the safety of those who visit.
While enjoying outside activities, Alabama State Parks reminds residents about the importance of being aware of harmful greenery like poison ivy, which is a highly common plant found throughout the parks.
Renee Raney is chief of interpretation and education at Alabama State Parks. She explained the growth of this plant in Alabama is dependent on its habitat. Raney said maintenance crews and naturalists at the division maintain and stay cautious of its presence near public areas throughout the parks.
“It’s easy to identify if you know what it looks like. [In] our nature centers, we have pressed copies of poison ivy,” Raney explained. “You know, ‘leaves of three, leave it be.’ I always tell folks to watch out for the furry vines, because poison ivy vines do have those little hair-like tendrils on them. So, if they know those things: ‘leaves of three. leave it be,’ and don't pet the fuzzy vines, you'll tend to be okay,” she continued.
Raney said several safety tips the Alabama State Parks encourage their guests to follow are left up to personal choice. This includes the use of sunscreen and bug repellant.
“Anytime that someone is going to apply a chemical to themselves or their children or their family, it's a personal choice. Some people tend to attract biting insects more than others or sunburn more easily than others and when hiking,” Raney said. “I encourage guests to spray some type of bug spray, it can be natural, botanical spray or a commercial spray, on their socks, around their ankles and perhaps the top of their hat. This usually keeps all the buzzy, biting things away,” she explained.
Alabama State Parks also provide many resting places and shaded activities to prevent burning from the sun, according to Raney. The use of shielding clothing is also encouraged if sunscreen is not preferred.
Two essential resources all visitors need when participating in any activity at the state parks are water and maps, either paper or digital. Raney explained hydration is key to any activity, as staying hydrated is part of biology and not a “personal choice.” She said the Alabama State Parks suggest each person bring one liter of water for every two hours of being outside.
Meantime, a picture or downloaded and saved map on a cellular device is encouraged by the parks to have when venturing out. A charged phone set to “do not disturb” can be used to gather information, look at maps, call for assistance and take pictures of the scenery to share with friends.
“One good thing about Alabama State Parks, is that when you check into the park office, generally we have a map that is available for you to either take a paper copy or snap a picture of it with that cell phone,” said Raney. “They're also online and can be downloaded to phones or computers. Often [time] guests will just use their cell phones as a tool.”
Alabama State Parks offers more than 1,000 programs throughout the 21 state parks. There is an activity for all nature moods. Raney said it best: “Every moment in nature is a once upon a time moment.”
To learn more about programs and to plan an adventurous trip, visit the Alabama State Parks website.
