National parks are some of the closest places you can get to seeing what a world without people looks like while still having access to a fair number of amenities. Because of their accessibility, they tend to attract a ton of people and, with those people, a lot of outside particles. At some trailheads and entrances in national parks (and state parks, forests, etc.), you might see a boot brush station on the ground. But why would you brush your boot before walking on more dirt?
These boot brushes, sometimes paired with a full boot disinfecting station, are designed to stop the spread of unwanted pathogens. In this case the parks aren’t worried about spreading diseases person-to-person, they’re worried about spreading diseases, pathogens, and invasive species to the plant and wildlife of the parks. So should you be worried about cleaning your boots? If you see a brush station, yes, and if you don’t see a brush station, it’s still not a bad idea.
Non-native species can be both a benefit and a detriment to an ecosystem. Bell peppers, for example, are a non-native plant in many areas, but they don’t damage the ecosystem around them and instead act as a food source for humans and potentially animals. Species that are harmful to the environment, whether they damage the economy, plant life, animal life, or human life of an area, are considered invasive. They might spread and reproduce at rapid rates, taking necessary resources away from native species, or they might just kill native species. Either way, they can seriously damage the ecosystem around them. Typically that’s what these brush stations are designed to prevent.
Many U.S. national parks, like Congaree National Park in South Carolina, feature these boot brushing stations, but they can be found in parks all around the world. Bunya Mountains National Park in Queensland, Australia, saw a number of bunya pines unexpectedly becoming unhealthy or dying. Through extensive testing, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service was able to determine that microscopic fungal-like organisms called water moulds were to blame, spread from place to place in the dirt and soil carried on shoes, machines, and other equipment.
In response, the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service installed boot-washing stations at multiple trailheads throughout the park. These stations feature boot brushes in addition to a biodegradable disinfectant spray that kills off harmful organisms and cleans the boots. In New Zealand, similar stations were installed to prevent the spread of a disease called “kauri dieback” at several parks and preserves.
So should you clean your boots before hitting the trail? It’s never a bad idea to clean all of your gear before/after hiking or recreating outdoors. Play, Clean, Go!, which partners with the National Park Service, encourages everyone to clean their gear before an after adventures using the following principles:
National Park Service on ‘Play, Clean, Go!’:
PlayCleanGo aims to keep invasive species from entering our natural areas during recreation. So if you’re hiking, cycling, boating, fishing, or hunting, remember to “Play in the outdoors, Clean your gear and clothing before you leave, and Go to your next adventure.”
Clean Drain Dry is the easy way to remember how to Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers. When you fish or boat, just follow these quick steps to keep invasive aquatics like quagga mussels from infesting new areas:
- Clean visible mud, plants, and animals before leaving the water
- Drain all water-containing devices before leaving the water
- Dry everything for at least 5 days or wipe off before reusing
Also, you may see new boot brush stations at a national park near you like this one at Congaree National Park in South Carolina. This simple tool will help us slow the spread of seeds of invasive species. All you have to do is scrub your footwear on the brush both before and after taking a hike or exploring a nature trail.
If we all do our part, we can help prevent invasive species from infesting new public lands and waters while still enjoying these beautiful and unique places.“