What about those things that bite?
I think all of us understand that there are many hazards out in the world, from a dog to a bat – these things bite. One of the biggest things I teach to the young kids that either frequent my business or attend my class at the Chandler Environmental Center – never touch something you are unfamiliar with.
Many people especially here in Arizona love to hike, you just need to be consistently aware of the surroundings. You may have to run or get away from something, so its always good to have a way out. Just recently we had some hikers on Camelback Mountain in Phoenix that were attacked by bees. One person died from injuries not from the bees but from falling. A number of years ago a Mountain Lion attacked someone in Sabino Canyon in Tucson and occasionally a bear gets to close to people in Flagstaff.
So along with the normal things that we should avoid like raccoons, skunks, coyotes, wild pigs & javelinas and don’t forget about the not so innocent ones like Gila Monsters, snakes, scorpions and spiders. Teach the youngsters that just because they look dead, they may not be.
The outdoors is a wonderful place but it also belongs to the wild things and they may not care for you intruding upon their areas.