{"id":15291,"date":"2014-07-03T03:45:27","date_gmt":"2014-07-03T09:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=15291"},"modified":"2025-05-20T09:24:02","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T14:24:02","slug":"please-take-nothing-but-pictures-leave-nothing-but-footprints","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/07\/03\/please-take-nothing-but-pictures-leave-nothing-but-footprints\/","title":{"rendered":"Please Take Nothing But Pictures Leave Nothing But Footprints"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: center;\" data-wp-editing=\"1\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-145528 size-full\" title=\"Please take nothing but pictures leave nothing but footprints\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/nothing-but-pictures-mia-mcpherson-3096.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/nothing-but-pictures-mia-mcpherson-3096.jpg\" alt=\"Please take nothing but pictures leave nothing but footprints, Egmont Key, Pinellas County, Florida\" width=\"572\" height=\"800\" data-id=\"15292\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27572%27%20height%3D%27800%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20572%20800%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27572%27%20height%3D%27800%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/nothing-but-pictures-mia-mcpherson-3096-200x280.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/nothing-but-pictures-mia-mcpherson-3096-400x559.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/nothing-but-pictures-mia-mcpherson-3096.jpg 572w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 572px) 100vw, 572px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Please take nothing but pictures leave nothing but footprints<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The Fourth of July is just a day away and soon many campgrounds, parks and beaches will be filled with people celebrating and sadly leaving trash behind. I remember how many times I have gone to a beach or a park on the 5th of July to find them littered with trash even though there were trash cans in abundance.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload aligncenter wp-image-145529 size-full\" title=\"Disbelief - Osprey looking into an empty trash can, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012.jpg\" data-orig-src=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012.jpg\" alt=\"Disbelief - Osprey looking into an empty trash can, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida\" width=\"850\" height=\"607\" data-id=\"15293\" srcset=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns%3D%27http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%27%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20viewBox%3D%270%200%20850%20607%27%3E%3Crect%20width%3D%27850%27%20height%3D%27607%27%20fill-opacity%3D%220%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012-200x143.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012-300x214.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012-400x286.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012-600x428.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012-768x548.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012.jpg 850w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-orig-sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><span style=\"color: #808080;\">Disbelief &#8211; Osprey looking into an empty trash can<\/span><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ve seen diapers, bags from chips, plastic bottles, plastic shopping bags, beach umbrellas, broken kites and even undergarments left on the beach. And so much more. Within feet of empty of empty trash cans.<\/p>\n<p>What is it about certain holidays; mostly those that fall during warmer months, that causes people to think it is okay to pollute public spaces? I wish I knew the answer to that question and I also wish that they knew that some of their trash can injure and kill the wildlife found within those areas. Maybe they do but don&#8217;t care.<\/p>\n<p>To those people I say&#8230; If you can haul that stuff to public lands&#8230; you can haul it out too. Please take nothing but pictures leave nothing but footprints.<\/p>\n<p>Mia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Fourth of July is just a day away and soon many campgrounds, parks and beaches will be filled with people celebrating and sadly leaving trash behind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":145529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1747,25,704,466],"tags":[4004,9479,9475,9480,3992,9476,9477,4189,3980,9478,9474],"class_list":["post-15291","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-avian","category-egmont-key-national-wildlife-refuge","category-florida","category-fort-de-soto-county-park","category-ospreys","tag-adult","tag-footprints","tag-garbage","tag-littered","tag-osprey","tag-pack-in","tag-pack-out","tag-pandion-haliaetus","tag-pinellas-county","tag-pollute","tag-trash"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/osprey-disbelief-mia-mcpherson-6012.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-3YD","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67785,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2020\/04\/03\/smoke-phase-wild-turkey-hen-photos\/","url_meta":{"origin":15291,"position":0},"title":"Smoke Phase Wild Turkey Hen Photos","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 3, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Someone at sometime had tossed a soda can into the junipers and the Wild Turkey hen walked right in front of it during the few seconds she was out in the open.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Smoke phase Wild Turkey hen with a soda can, West Desert, Tooele County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-hen-smoke-phase-mia-mcpherson-1524.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-hen-smoke-phase-mia-mcpherson-1524.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-hen-smoke-phase-mia-mcpherson-1524.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/wild-turkey-hen-smoke-phase-mia-mcpherson-1524.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":112726,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2023\/04\/19\/fishing-line-is-a-dangerous-nesting-material\/","url_meta":{"origin":15291,"position":1},"title":"Fishing Line Is A Dangerous Nesting Material","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"April 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"All across the country it is nesting season for many North American birds. For some nesting birds it is also a very dangerous time because of fishing line.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;American Robins&quot;","block_context":{"text":"American Robins","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/thrushes\/american-robins\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"American Robin with dangerous fishing line, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/american-robin-female-fishing-line-mia-mcpherson-4093.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/american-robin-female-fishing-line-mia-mcpherson-4093.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/american-robin-female-fishing-line-mia-mcpherson-4093.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/american-robin-female-fishing-line-mia-mcpherson-4093.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6811,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/12\/16\/what-is-wrong-with-this-coyote-picture\/","url_meta":{"origin":15291,"position":2},"title":"What Is Wrong With This Coyote Picture?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 16, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"That is dog food on a road on Antelope Island State Park. Someone threw it onto the road it didn't just fall from the sky.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Antelope Island State Park&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Baited Coyote, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/coyote-baited-mia-mcpherson-4213.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/coyote-baited-mia-mcpherson-4213.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/coyote-baited-mia-mcpherson-4213.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/coyote-baited-mia-mcpherson-4213.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14597,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/03\/22\/a-california-gull-on-the-wing\/","url_meta":{"origin":15291,"position":3},"title":"California Gull On The Wing","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"March 22, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Photographing this California Gull on the wing was a highlight of my morning the day I took this photo. I love to photograph gulls.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Antelope Island State Park&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Antelope Island State Park","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/utah\/antelope-island-state-park\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"California Gull on the wing, Antelope Island State Park, Davis County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/california-gull-antelope-island-mia-mcpherson-8153.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":109033,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2022\/12\/27\/patterns-in-ice\/","url_meta":{"origin":15291,"position":4},"title":"Patterns In Ice And Human Nature?","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"December 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"These swirly patterns in ice caught my eye because of the light and golden reflections from the vegetation on the shoreline of a neighborhood pond.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Miscellaneous&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Miscellaneous","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/miscellaneous\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Patterns in ice, Salt Lake County, Utah","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ice-patterns-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-6543.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ice-patterns-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-6543.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ice-patterns-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-6543.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/ice-patterns-christmas-eve-mia-mcpherson-6543.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12611,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2014\/01\/03\/great-egret-foraging-the-wrack-line\/","url_meta":{"origin":15291,"position":5},"title":"Great Egret Foraging The Wrack Line","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"January 3, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Five years ago today I photographed this Great Egret foraging in a wrack line along the Gulf of Mexico in Florida at Fort De Soto.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Birds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Birds","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Great Egret foraging the wrack line, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Florida","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-egret-foraging-wrack-line-mia-mcpherson-2719.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-egret-foraging-wrack-line-mia-mcpherson-2719.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/great-egret-foraging-wrack-line-mia-mcpherson-2719.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15291","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15291\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}