As we are starting to get into the warmer months of the year, thoughts begin to turn to outside activities – beachcombing, hiking, biking, etc. Inevitably, especially with small children, these excursions more than likely will include some kind of picnic or at least a snack! This is a great age to start teaching “leave no trace” principles – leaving an outside area, whether it be a park, the woods, or a beach, exactly how you found it. While this may seem obvious (who is going to litter in front of their impressionable kids?) this also applies to things like orange peels and apple rinds too. Make sure to teach your children why it is important to pick up after themselves (keeping a place beautiful for the next visitor, protecting wildlife, keeping waste out of waterways, etc.) and perhaps even set a good example by picking up trash when you see it.