A Little Less Talk

September 11, 2025

My family was recently walking in some woods in New Hampshire when we came upon a sign affixed to a tree that proclaimed: Slippery When Wet. We stared at it for a moment, wondering who exactly this was helping. I mean, you’re on a path of dirt and leaves, scattered with rocks and fallen twigs. Of course it’s slippery when wet. That’s what “wet” does.

Early last fall, in a column called “Even Better,” I wrote about a September hike my family took in Vermont where wooden planks had been laid to elevate hikers above a swampy stretch of the trail. There, someone had taken the extra step of wrapping the boards in chicken wire. Chicken wire! No sign. No warning. Just additional grip where we needed it. Cheap. Effective. Brilliant.

In both cases, I appreciated that someone had noticed a problem and had tried to help. But all the Slippery When Wet sign did was point at a minor hazard everyone understands (except, I guess, for those who can read English but have never encountered moisture and find themselves inexplicably in a New England forest). The Vermont nature preserve managers, in contrast, provided a straightforward solution that made my world more enjoyable as well as safer.

It got me thinking about the difference between pointing at a problem and solving one. One makes you feel like you’ve done something. The other actually does something.

As regular readers know, I’m totally in favor of helpful signs. But what really makes a difference—in the forest, in communities, in life—is when someone goes beyond pointing and puts in the effort to change things for the better. Sometimes what it takes is a little less talk and a lot more traction.

—Debra Ross, publisher

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