GREEN WHEELING FOR A COLORFUL FUTURE

 

"Green" Wheeling

Four-Wheeling with Green in Mind

By Del Albright, Sustainable Motorized Recreation Advocate

 I don’t want you to frown at the title of this article and think that I will suggest you recycle your toilet paper or any other extremist radical-enviro malarkey because that’s not the case. Instead, I recommend that we all show how much we love four-wheeling and going to the places we go, seeing the things we see. But we don’t enjoy seeing a pile of trash left behind or some idiot getting off trail and tearing up the countryside. “Green” wheeling is an acronym and a concept that help solve these problems.  

Admittedly, I have some other “green” concepts that make total sense to me and what I leave behind for younger folks, such as 1) conserving and using our resources wisely; 2) keeping our outdoors clean; 3) cutting back on waste a bit; 4) using common sense to reduce air and water pollution; 5) making America more energy self-sufficient; and 6) curtailing illegal and outlaw behavior on public lands and waterways.

So regarding four-wheeling, here’s my suggestion for the new Cal4wheel “GREEN.”

G = Get serious about land use.

R = Read the riot act to outlaws. (Or Read from the Good Book?)

E = Educate yourself and others.

E = Eradicate trail trash.

N = Never be the drip.

Let’s look at each of these tips and see how they affect our events, club runs, trail rides, and activities in general.

G = Getting serious about land use means JOIN, DONATE and VOLUNTEER. Join everything you can afford, including national, regional, state, and local clubs/associations that make sense to what you believe in. Donate (beyond membership) at tax return time or when you have extra cash. And volunteer your time and energy at least a few times a year to those causes/groups doing what you know makes a difference. 

I would also add “buy only from businesses that support landuse.”  Buy from businesses that donate to the Cal4 Sweepstakes vehicle, donate raffle prizes to our events, put our event flyers on their website and customer counters, and do something to help us keep trails open. Don’t buy cheap from someone that merely offers cheap. Support businesses that support land use and trails.

R = Read the riot act to outlaws means not letting someone tear up your recreational opportunities and trails. Ask them to stop, show them the error of their ways, or report them (with pictures) to the nearest law enforcement authority. If there is a trail patrol or trail watch program, be a part of that. STOP the outlaws and stop the ill-informed from ruining our future.

E = Educate yourself and others on good trail behavior, such as the Code of Ethics from your favorite organization and Tread Lightly principles. Carry handouts and freely offer others ideas on how to keep our trails open by doing it right.

E = Eradicate trail trash is just that – carry a trash bag and pack out more than you brought in. Set the example for others and stop and pick up that beverage can alongside the trail when so many others may have driven by it. Proudly display your trash bag and fill it up as often as possible! Clean up messy left-behind campfire rings, even those you did not create.

N = Never be the drip and set the example for having a rig that does not leave a fluid trail or sit and drip in camp. Maintain and fix your 4x4, so it doesn’t pollute the trail. Fix your muffler; tighten up hoses; replace seals; and stop any fluid leaks on the trail.

 

If we all practice this idea of Green Wheeling, our trails will be in better shape than ever, our image will improve immensely with those who watch us (or even don’t like us), and our future will be brighter. After all, we are the true environmentalists!

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