Wild camping is something nature lovers have been doing to connect with the outside world for centuries.
Setting up tents in the countryside at non-designated campsites allows you to wake up in extremely remote places, allowing for a sense of calm, peace, and unparalleled views.
But in some parts of the world, the practice is illegal. This is usually to ensure the protection of green spaces or to avoid the disturbance of wildlife.
The Lake District in England is one such place, with the area's National Park Authority saying camping is "not technically permitted anywhere in the Lake District" unless you have landowners' permission.
But that doesn't stop some revelers from pitching up, and it's causing distress to both the land and local people.
As the Express detailed, 31-year-old Kate Appleby spends one day a week cleaning up after the mess left behind by fly campers — or campers who leave evidence of their presence — in her local area.
"It looks like a festival," she told the publication, referring to music events where visitors camp out at outdoor venues. "There was always an element of littering and antisocial behavior but since the [coronavirus] pandemic it has been on an unmanageable scale."
She noted that fly campers consistently leave tents and litter behind, while portable barbecues lead to scorched grass and earth. She once found more than 40 glass and plastic bottles among the waste.
"People don't understand the damage — they think people are paid to go and clean up," Appleby said. "People don't care, I think they have lost the connection with the outdoors — you would not litter like this in your own garden."
When coming across wild campers, she is often compelled to tell them to clean up after themselves. But, more often than not, her pleas go unheard.
Piles of waste in green spaces can be a distressing sight. For Appleby, who has found solace in the outdoors while dealing with chronic illnesses, it can ruin the experience.
It is also damaging to the local ecosystem. Animals could ingest litter, which will likely get stuck in their digestive system and cause health problems and even death. Meanwhile, nondegradable plastic items can persist in the environment for centuries, leaching harmful chemicals into the soil that can affect plant growth. If this trash enters water sources, it can encourage the spread of bacteria, harm aquatic life, and travel for miles.
Commenters on the Express' report were similarly upset by the damage to natural spaces.
"Sadly there seems to be a trend over the years of a lack of respect for anything, like nature, beaches, the law and of other people, and many other things," one commenter said.
"There are thousands of wild campers and most leave no trace, therefore their [presences] are unknown; it is the few who make a mess and not only campers," another added. "People need to be encouraged to follow the country code."
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