I like to leave some sort of tribute when I visit memorials, but often cannot carry flowers.

Does anyone have ideas for something easy to carry that would be appropriate, and would not be considered as litter? I am not interested in anything that is not biodegradeable. I have seen stones or shells in some cases, but that is not always appropriate and can cause problems for groundskeepers.

I've been pondering this for an upcoming trip in which I plan to visit several memorials, and it occurred to me that the Fodors community might be the perfect place to get input.

Thank you.

A donation to help pay for maintaining these monuments would be best.

Yes, if there's an obvious place to do that I generally do.

Are these memorials for relatives/friends or just a visit to a memorial {we often go to cemeteries}? If it is just to visit a memorial and not a relative/friend, I don't think anything need be left. "Take only memories, leave only footprints"

I like what's been mentioned above. But if you want to leave something organic: rose petals?

[At the local Japanese cemetery the mourners leave oranges for their departed.]

Depends what kind of memorial...

Leaving stones is common on Jewish graves.

Christian religious places often have candles on sale to be lit.

Elsewhere, it is rather appropriate to leave nothing lying around.

Leave a prayer. And maybe the donation as mentioned above.

@DebitNM, it will be a little of both (family and public memorials).

I like the rose petal idea, @annw. That could fit in nicely with my private little ritual.

Thank you for the ideas, everyone, and I hope there are more.

If you are visiting war memorials, there is generally a book that visitors can leave their comments in. When you get to a memorial, look for a little metal cupboard usually found in the wall that makes up the entrance way.
These pages are regularly removed and stored for perpetuity somewhere locally - doing this means that you don't leave anything that might spoil the site for following visitors. Di