If You See Stacked Rocks In Arizona, Knock Them Over

Human beings are simple creatures. We've enjoyed roughly the same form of entertainment for our entire history, and one thing people can never get enough of is towers.

We love seeing how close we can come to the heavens. From Babylon to New York City, we build these monuments as a display of power and ingenuity.

There's one tower, however, that you should hope to never see.

Rock Stacks

If you've been out hiking at any point in your life, or even just stepped into nature's splendor for a few minutes, you've likely seen something like this:

This is an innocently made stack of rocks, otherwise known as a Cairn. It was likely put together by hikers looking to guide the way for those behind them. They stand as a prominent landmark in most places, and can help other travelers from getting lost.

Unfortunately, this is a dangerous and harmful practice. No, not because they might fall over and hit someone, but the unseen ecological damages it causes.

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Read More: What is "Earthing", and Why Does Flagstaff Care?

Why Stop Building?

These rock stacks are coming from a good place. Even the National Parks Service agrees with that, but they have made it clear that they do more harm than good. First off, while many of these Cairns are made to help guide the path, just as many are decorative, and could mislead hikers looking for directions.

These stacks also rob smaller creatures of their habitat! Insects and reptiles are well known to make their homes underneath rocks, and by depriving them of that resource, we're creating a rift in a perfectly organized ecosystem.

[National Parks Service][LITE FM]