Stop Doing It For The Gram.

Guest blog post from Ally Pintucci from Chasing Sunrise

For anyone that knows me, you read this title and probably think those words would never come out of my mouth. I’m an active photographer who, in fact, shoots content for “the gram” all day, everyday.

My 9-5 is a social media manager and photographer for an Urban Athletic brand here in Vancouver. Outside of that my hobby and newly found passion is taking photos & I’m lucky to be one of the members of Chasing Sunrise. You take one quick peek at our Instagram page and every picture is literally doing it for the gram.

Ok, so what the heck am I even talking to you about here?

Chasing Sunrise is a community of over 30,000 explorers. We’re humans that wake up every morning and decide to wake up and chase after whatever it is that we want in life.

We wake up to make it count.

The world has no shortage of “travellers”. Some people have decided to spend their whole life exploring by plane, train, bus, boat or foot. Some people get away for a few days here and there.  Regardless, disregard the concept of becoming a traveller, and learn how to be a true explorer.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the excitement of our surroundings.  It’s beautiful, it’s breathtaking and it’s become pretty natural for us to want to share that with the world.

So what do we do?

We pull out our cameras, iPhones, and GoPros to get our newest profile picture, our #best insta post yet, and a snapchat story that would make anyone jealous that they weren’t there with you.

We live to share content from our lives, and in this process, we forget to stop for a second and think of a few really important things:

• Have we stepped off trail?
• Are we hanging out in an unpermitted area?
• Are we setting up our tents in a designated camping area?
• Are we getting too close to wildlife?

All of these points have rules that are set up in place to keep our parks a safe and beautiful place for the enjoyment of other explorers for decades to come.

While Chasing Sunrise encourages people to get out and explore, we wants to build awareness and make sure our community has a serious appreciation and respect for mother nature.  All of this falls under the concept Leave No Trace.

1. Plan Ahead And Prepare.

Know the rules and regulations for the places that you’re visiting and plan your visit ahead of time to prepare for weather, hazards and emergencies.

2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Use existing trails and campsites.  Good campsites are the ones you find, not make.  Do not alter any sites.

3. Dispose of Waste Properly

What you pack in, you pack out.

4. Respect Wildlife

A fed animal is a dead animal.  Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviours, and exposes them to predators and other danger.  Always observe wildlife from a distance.

We tell everyone to not only leave everything as they found it, but to also chip in and pick up after other inconsiderate travellers if need be.  We like to leave places better than we found them, if possible.

So next time you’re getting that perfect shot, please make sure you’re taking these things into consideration.  Set the example for all those people that your pictures inspire to start exploring.

If everyone does a little, no ones has to do a lot.

Blog post submitted by Ally Pintucci. All opinions are her own. If you have a story or tips for exploring BC Parks, we would love to read it. Please click here to share your story.