Respect for Our Environment 
Bill Gummer and Roy John 
Members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club should be aware of the Club’s 
objectives, which appear on the inside front covers of both Trail & Landscape 
and The Canadian Field-Naturalist. The current version goes back to 1968, 
when a revision of our Constitution was approved (Mosquin 1968; Ottawa 
Field-Naturalists’ Club 1969). The most important changes reflect the hope 
that the Club would participate more actively in conservation measures, and 
would encourage public support for the preservation of natural areas. That is 
indeed where we are today. 
Every now and then, something happens that raises the question of what is 
right and what is wrong, in a broad sense, in the Club’s use of nature. There 
has been some discussion in this area during the past couple of years, aimed at 
a possible “code of ethics.” For the time being, however, since our Club’s 
stated objectives make our position vis-a-vis nature quite clear, it was decided 
that we would summarize the results of these discussions in Trail & Landscape. 
The following is a brief identification of the subjects that have been discussed; 
obviously, these are not new ideas, but they do pull together the related 
concerns. 
1. Respect for the environment 
a) Don’t harass animals, especially when they are breeding, migrating, or 
under stress such as that caused by harsh weather. Avoid crowding animals and 
making excessive noise, including tape play-back. 
b) Don’t damage habitats, for example, by unjustified clearing or by careless 
trampling. 
c) Don’t litter. Where feasible, pick up litter left by others. 
2. Respect for private property 
a) Ensure that entry is permitted: do not trespass. 
b) Do not remove anything significant without permission. 
CANADIAN MUSEUM Of NATURE 
MUSEE CANADIEN DE LA NATURE 
LIBRARY - 6IBLIOTHEQUE 
3 
