"Take only pictures, leave only footprints."
Stone stacking is, in essence, all about balance.
This sense of balance I believe should be felt for the natural environment.
While a single stacked collection of stones may be lost in the expanse of a beach, twenty or thirty will alter the place for all.
The wild places we visit are home to an abundance of creatures, plants, lichens and fungi.
A great many of these make their homes under rocks and in the crevices between.
our unobtrusive neighbors deserve our respect so be mindful of where you source the building stones of your endeavor's.
Choose stones that are already loose, so no digging is needed
that do not form part of pathways, ancient stone walls or erosion protection
That can be moved without disturbing wildlife or damaging plants.
Look for areas with plenty of loose stones that aren't overgrown with vegetation and aren't home to creatures.
Please don’t remove stones from dykes, walls or other structures that may well have stood for generations.
A Good rule of thumb is: if you need to ask the question, it's probably not the right place to source stone from.
Cairns have long been used to mark trails and hiking routes. So best to avoid adding a new cairn near a trail or path. Just in case it leads someone astray
The stones you and your loved ones will touch and lift have all been here for an enormous length of time.
These same rocks and stones will be here long after us.
That beautifully balanced stack is fleeting. Personally, once built and photographed, my children would take great pleasure in toppling their creations of order back into the randomness of the world. They would even, very kindly, knock their brothers' and sisters' ones over before they had finished.
On a more serious note, please, please, please do not build on edges, cliffs, parapets of bridges , up on a branch of an old forest tree or anywhere that there is a chance that your creation could fall and hit someone or something.
When on a beach, remember that the sea can cut you off, so know the timings of the tides.
Finally, rocks are heavy and little fingers are delicate; having your finger sandwiched between two solid stones will and does hurt. Little ones love to stack rocks, sometimes their ambition outruns their ability.