The Environmental Impact of Cairn Making
The word cairn is derived from the Scottish Gaelic meaning stone man. It can conjure images of purpose, faith, and spiritual journeys. Cairn building is a very popular activity in the backcountry. It’s easy to see why people are drawn to these small piles of flat stones that are balanced like blocks for children. With shoulders hurting and black flies buzzing through ears, a hiker will survey the stones before her and try to choose one that has the right balance of flatness and tilt in depth, breadth and width. After a few near misses (one that’s too wide and another that’s too small), the purist will choose the one that sets perfectly in place, and the subsequent layer of the cairn becomes complete.
What many don’t know is that cairns can have a negative environmental impact, especially when it is done near water sources. When rock is removed from the edges of a pond, river or lake, it disturbs the ecosystem and ruins the habitat of microorganisms that are essential to the food chain. Additionally these rocks can be transported due to erosion and transported to places where they could inflict harm on wildlife or humans.
To avoid this, the practice of cairn making should be avoided in areas with rare or endangered reptiles, amphibians or mammals or plants and flowers that need water that is trapped under the rocks. If you construct an cairn on private property it could violate federal and state regulations that protect the natural resources of the land and may result in fines or even a detention.