An inuksuk (inunnguaq) in its unnatural habitat.

Even for the Inuit people, who thrived in the harsh arctic climate for millennia, navigation in a nearly featureless landscape was difficult. The solution was an elegantly simple one: cairns (man-made piles of stones) which provided points of reference to travellers, as well as other uses. These landmarks varied in size and complexity, from tiny structures denoting rocks and waterlines to impressive megaliths requiring communal effort to construct.

The Inuit referred to these cross shaped structures as inuksuit (the plural of inuksuk). Today, people are often more familiar with the human shaped structures called inunnguaq.

You might have noticed more than a few of the markers, of varying size and shape, while driving along Highway 400 or 11 in Muskoka. Even more troubling is that inukshuks and inunnguaq are popping up in our parks and trails. And they are, in fact, troubling.

“Loose rocks are important hiding and sunning places for lizards, snakes, and salamanders.”
-Jeff Hathaway, Scales Nature Park

Staff at National and Provincial parks often wage a silent war during the summer months with the cairns that are constructed on lake shores, along trails and almost anywhere else a couple of stones can be found. The activity might seem like harmless, historically inaccurate (as the structures were never used in the area) fun, but building them also means ruining some prime real estate.

One inuksuk often leads to another, removing important rock cover.

Dozens of species utilize these large rocks, especially those found on the edges of lakes and rivers, for basking, shelter, reproduction or other purposes. Some of them are endangered and exist in a delicate equilibrium, meaning the resulting habitat loss can be devastating. While one inuksuk might not make a difference in the long run, those highway medians prove that one often leads to dozens of imitators, often leaving an area completed scoured of rock cover.

“Loose rocks are important hiding and sunning places for lizards, snakes, and salamanders.” says Jeff Hathaway of Scales Nature Park, pointing out that removing rock cover, even for constructing fire pits, can destroy habitat reptiles and amphibians call home.

When out in nature, be it camping or on a trail, it’s best to adopt the “take only photographs, leave only footprints” mentality by leaving rocks where you find them and building fire pits by digging them out.  Remember that all your actions, even ones that don’t seem important, have consequences.

Interested in taking steps to help protect animals? Download a free guide from Scales by clicking here.