Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jul 25

These free events on the very street of your holiday destination couldn’t be more real!

Most families take their kids out all day on vacation to a park or a zoo - then it’s home by 5 and off to bed. But what if the night was better than the day?

There are many local parades and free evening events happening all over the world and at all times of year. Just because it’s winter back home or there are no calender events in your part of the country - it doesn’t mean that there won’t be a great parade or celebration elsewhere!

Why A Parade?
Well, it is well known that many parades are run and organised by local people for the local community - and that’s great for your eco adventures; supporting the very place and people you are visiting!

If you pay to get into a adventure park or zoo and then have to buy all of their food and goodies - it doesn’t necessarily benefit the local schools and stores - but an event on the very streets of the town will go straight into the right pockets!

As you and your family walk through the streets, you will get a real feel of the place and be able to experience far more than during the day. As the event is planned in advance and has appeared in local advertising and other parade schedules - local people and businesses will be making a special effort to impress.

You will find store opening hours extended and new products offered - and maybe even free samples. There will be temporary stalls on street sides and in parks, face painting, local foods, musical entertainment from local artists and so on. You will get to be entertained by real people - not paid staff!

Parade Schedules:
So how do you find out about all these events? Well, there are plenty of websites about parade schedules - filled to the brim with parades all over the world - or closer to home - and you can make sure that you visit one if you are close by.

There are also other things to look for in local parades and that includes the route for forward planning, as well as the best hotels to stay in on the route - as well as the best viewing spots: as you could get an amazing view of it passing by from a few floors up!

Websites these days can tell you all about the event, the history of the event, it’s sponsors, and local supporters - so it is worth reading about the parade as well - so you get the best out of it and know who your donations are going to support and any charities involved.

Planning the whole holiday just for a festival is very common these days if the event is well known, like the Mardi Gras Parades - where you can explore the surrounding areas on the days either side, but the focus is on the evening entertainment!

But there are plenty of people who have planned their vacation already - and then manage to find out about a carnival or other parade while already there.

Either way is fine - and you really should make an effort to get to as many as possible, as they are such lively and interesting events - and each one has it’s own character!

And if you are worried that the kids might not like it - then maybe start with one of the friendly Disney Parades.  Although the eco credentials won’t quite be the same, you will know that the kids are happy and safe and at the same time find out about their likes and dislikes.  What if they don’t like certain fireworks, certain foods or whatever, you can’t know until you go! 

So, just click one of the links in this article to be taken to an information-packed website to get you started on your parade hunt!  And don’t forget your camera for some one-time-only photographs!

posted by Catherine on Jun 23

Try something different for your Independence Day Celebrations - July 2010!

Add a little green to your red, white and blue this year to make sure that not only can your celebrations still be as great and grand as last year - but also considering your environment, your neighbors and your pocket too!

How?  Well, just a little bit of forward planning can make all the difference here, and I have put together a few suggestions to help you make the change.

Decorations:
There is always going to be a 4th of July right, so don’t worry about getting hold of specific celebration novelties and flags - as if you pay that little bit extra for the longer lasting things and store them well - they will last you for years, reducing the need for replacements every year.

However, if you can - why don’t you choose flags, garden ornaments and posters with a changeable theme or plain colors that you can mix up a little for different events.  For example, buying separate red, white and blue flags can be more eco friendly than buying loads of Stars & Stripes one’s - as you can’t really use the latter for your birthday party!  But mix in a few yellow or green similar flags and you have Easter parties, birthdays, and yard sales all covered!

Fireworks:
Well, we know we need fireworks - but why all just have a few in your yard throughout the day. Smaller packets cost more, use more resources and can be more dangerous and polluting with all the rubbish every household creates - well you don’t go and pick up all your spent fire crackers and rockets do you?

So why not plan ahead with your neighbors and sort out a few larger displays in one yard or on common ground. That way, you can club funds together and get more for your money - and all the waste is in the same place!

Also, only your family (2-6) people can enjoy your fireworks and only next door (another 2-6 people) can enjoy theirs!  It seems that a lot of fireworks are being let off without many people to see how fantastic they are!  It almost seems a waste of bright colors and bangs!

And don’t forget you can get eco friendly fireworks too now - so you can make the event twice as good for the environment!

Food:
Let’s not forget our bellies!  We all love a variety of great food during the celebrations!  Whether it’s traditional food - or we are trying something a little different this year.

Wouldn’t it be great if your got together with a few families or arranged a community feast instead?  Rather than every home buying 20 burgers and buns, chips and a few bottles of soda and beer (along with all the individual trips to the store and all the individual packaging for smaller product packs) - why not bulk buy 200 burgers and buns, wholesale chips and kegs of beer!

Get the whole lot delivered to one place with one journey and share the cost!  All chip in some time to sort things out and get tables set up - and again - all the rubbish and all the people in one place, making everything so much more cost and energy efficient!

Maybe you could even get a local farmer to supply a whole hog for a great hog roast - or a bull depending on the number of people you are inviting!  If yu are using the local municipal grounds - why not get in some bouncy castles and adult games too!

Isn’t the whole point of July 4th to celebrate America?  Not just to sit alone in your own back yard!

posted by Catherine on Jun 18

Teach Yourself: Holiday & Business Basics - Introductory Course

Format: 1 PaperBack Book & CD

Style: Learning phrases common in introductory conversations, with verbal accompaniment.  Unit tests and quizzes throughout to test learning with answers in the back of the book.

Language: Latin/Roman Script - (My Language: Same)
Have I Tried This Language Before? - Yes, but still a beginner.

General Comments:
You start the course with the most common conversation details - introducing yourself to others and finding out about destinations and jobs.  You read the full conversation in English, then read the full conversation in your chosen language.  You can instantly see familiar and common words and new words are explained over the page in the remainder of the unit.

The accompanying CD helps you with the pronunciation, but you can use the book on it’s own throughout if you are confident with your own pronunciation.  There are also nice and easy quizzes on your new vocabulary to build up your confidence - and finally a very thorough Unit Test (with answers at the back!).

There are no grammar lessons in the course or boring repetitive sentences - just simple phrases that you will use most often; like ‘I like to go to A’, and ‘We need a table for 4′.  Not ‘I want, You want, He wants, She wants, blah blah blah!’  Just the basics, from start to finish.

There are even some nice little cut-out-and-keep flash cards at the back if you don’t mind destroying the book!  And because it’s a tiny book, you can always find things again easy to learn again or to check up on without getting stuck in the middle.

However, due to it’s lovely format, I found that I ended up learning the conversations in full, as though they were words in a play.  So I was remembering how they were used in the conversations rather than what the individual words were.  This is fine for those routine question and answers like ordering food and describing your family, but useless for spontaneous interactions - but then, this is only the very basic level, so it’s just a taster course really.

I completed it easily and felt like I had learnt something new, but I wasn’t 100% certain I could actually have a proper conversation abroad using it.  I may well have got through in a bit of a mess, but I would definately got a room for the night and ordered some dinner!

Ease Of Use: 4/5

Result: Finished And OK

Reason: Still Not Sure Of Key Verbs but Perfect Layout For Me

posted by Catherine on Jun 2

If I raise enough money for charity - will it off-set the cost of the flight to get there?

A friend of mine is going to be taking part in a Charity Trek across Patagonia later in the year - but it made me think of the eco side of things - not just the ethical part.

Don’t forget that ethical holidays are all about the people - so raising money for a humanitarian charity and supporting the local population as guides and hosts along the way fit’s the bill perfectly.

But what about the eco friendly side?  Flying a group of up to 70 charity trekkers and all their equipment across the globe to the very south of South America isn’t really carbon-friendly is it?

So, can we justify these as Eco Holidays or Eco Adventures at all? They are for charity - and they all have responsible travel codes of ethics - but the flight is a bit of a sore point.

The Eco Side: 
Well, they certainly offer the particient something to remember - and the experience of another culture and meeting like-minded people in their group.  And no doubt, a large percentage of these people will be taking a holiday anyway - so why not make it count?

Added to this, they will have worked hard to raise the money, sharing experiences with other people and opening other peoples eye’s up to the charity they are raising money for and for the culture and country that they are going to be visiting. 

It’s not like they are going to be a drain on the country either.  There is no chance of my friend just sitting around the pool, eating all inclusive burgers and ice cream!  They will be out taking advantage of the natural world and eating local food cooked by local people - maybe even learning the language too!

Not So Eco:
Firstly, think of a group of up to 70 people all turning up in the same place at the same time.  This is certainly something that is avoided on very ethical tours. And for good reason.

Another friend went to Machu Picchu a few years back with a group of 75 people, and a second group of charity trekkers overlapped them in the same hotel - so that’s over 100 people all blundering around Cuzco at the same time, wanting the same things at the same time! 

All those people booking on to the same plane, creating all that waste - and possibly bringing foreign products into the local stores, just through demand.  And could it create a market for child beggars and child salesmen - taking time off school to make money in the markets?

And - what are you raising the money for in the first place?  If it is for an eco charity like WWF -  should you be using all those resources on your journey - including a flight - to raise money to help reduce the effects of carbon in the atmosphere.  I mean flying to the other side of the world to raise money for a company that is spending their donations on trying to reduce carbon emissions couldn’t be more ironic.

But - I fancy a long horse riding ’holiday’ across the Mongolian plains, living in local homes and eating yak butter - and that would be a great eco holiday if I went there by train.  Now, wouldn’t it be a good idea to raise money for a charity at the same time rather than just save the whole experience all for myself?

What do you think?

posted by Catherine on May 4

If you live in California, or a planning a trip there in the next week - then look this place up.

Basically, it is a huge celebration of the landscapes, natural heritage, wildlife and rich native culture, across a huge area of the state; including walks, sea kayaking, very early birding tours and heritage trails from coast to mountain top!

There are areas of land here that can almost take you back in time to a place where humanity hasn’t interfered. A place where native Americans still practice their way of life, whether it’s salmon fishing or kayaking through their land and hunting.

The rivers run free here - and virtually untouched by dams and pollution. There are also large patches of land that are home to some very endangered species - both large and small - as well as hummingbirds, frogs and condors! Out at sea there is ample chance to see whales and dolphins as well!

The Festival 2010:
There are 69 events in total over the Friday thru Monday morning festival days, and there are plenty of experts on hand to to run workshops, run tours and offer hands-on advice.

The areas covered in this festival are wide reaching and include Redwood National & State Park, Smith River National Recreation Ground and Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge amongst many others.

And in fact it was the Castle Rock refuge that is the predescesser of this event as this refuge is home to hundreds of migrating Aleutian Geese - which formed The Aleutian Goose Festival.

What’s There?
Firstly the event will be host to it’s keynote speaker: Micheal Fay (from National Geographic) on the Friday evening, as well as offering up a whole host of active biologists, geologists, ornithologists and foresters to help you explore all the available habitats.

Whether you are studying earthquakes and owls, ecology and salamanders or condors and giant redwoods - there will be plenty of time available for you to explore and learn to work with and love these precious habitats and their vital biodiversity.

And all this in your own back yard!

Getting There:
All events are based at or start from the Crescent City Cultural Center in northern California, although some leave before 5am!

You need to register for the event and pay a 1-off fee, but this includes the keynote speech and Friday night reception - as well as all the free events and the meet-and-greet.

There is of course no way that you could attend all 69 events anyway - so make sure you take a look at the schedule of events and get your moneys worth - and really get ‘inside’ this amazing habitat in the US.

Anything Else?
As if this wasn’t enough, the festival coincides with the International Migratory Bird Day (May 8th), and is a celebration of all migratory bird species for North, Central & South America - certainly a huge event to be incorporated into this annual wildlife festival.

posted by Catherine on Jan 25

All your outdoor and adventure needs and resources under one roof!

And it will actually be filled with real life adventurers who have travelled to the North Pole, the South Pole, across the Sahara and having rowed the Atlantic! Including Ranulph Fiennes, Simon King and Ben Fogle.

Not only will you be able to listen to these great explorers talking about their inspirations and future plans - you will be able to indulge in some activities you have been meaning to get around to for some time!

And as the Outdoors Show is at the end of March this year, you have plenty of time to research the types of travel and outdoor experiences you want to find the most our about - therefore making the best use of the resources available.

What’s There?
Well, if you have ever wanted to use a climbing wall - you won’t be short of opportunities here, there is also abseiling, slacklining (a bit like tight-rope walking but with a wobbly flimsy line to walk on instead(!)) and even using crampons for some ice climbing too!

And it’s not all about far flung destinations - and for those who like to stay closer to home you can enjoy the careers zone focussing on your 5-year plan (basically seeing what type of things employers you like the look of are looking for in a new recruit and aiming for them with courses and real-life experiences).

Add to this the Wilderness section, where you can get hands on advice about bush-tracking, cooking, and camping whether you are at home, in the Arctic or the desert!

Many UK tourist boards will also be found pitching the outdoor appeal of their part of the country to you!

If you are like me, then you will be wanting the opportunity to take advantage of some of the retail offers - I am looking for new walking boots and a nice fitted waterproof coat.  So, I can find out the best styles and prices beforehand - and hope to get a great deal at the show!

Why Go?
Well, if you have any sort of adventure in your heart and need a tiny bit of a push to really get excited - then there could be no better place.

Yes, there are other travel shows going on around now but this one should really get to the ground roots of eco adventures.  Other will talk only of far-flung places, whereas this show is all about advenutres at home as well.

The UK is a great country and can appeal to all sorts of people - and so why not find out what landscapes and cultures we have here before heading across the world to see what they’ve got!

And, you might just meet someone famous along the way…….

posted by Catherine on Jul 26

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Did you know that climbing Ayers Rock is offensive to the locals?

So is calling it Ayers Rock if you think of it.  And so is calling the people that live there ‘the locals’.

But, how often do you read up about indigenous cultures and beliefs before you set of on your green holidays?  How many countries have you already been to that you didn’t really know anything about?

We need to be more considerate of other cultures and religions before we traipse around their villages and ’sites’.

Ayers Rock In Australia:
Recently, this large red sandstone formation in Northern Territory is becoming known by it’s ‘original’ name of Uluru - as according to the 2 Aboriginal tribes in the area: the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara.

For years tourist have driven to the middle of the ‘Outback’ to see and climb this giant ‘rock’, not having a clue that it is extremely disrespectful to the local people to do so.

Yes, there is a path to the top, with a loose handrail hammered into the stone itself to help you on your way - but it doesn’t mean that we ever had any right to just clamber all over it.

To tourists it’s just an public Australian natural landmark - just like a mountain or something - and therefore it is assumed that we have a right to do what we want to it.  However, to people from the Pitjantjatjara or Yankunytjatjara it is like a church or other sacred or personal building.

Turning this on it’s head then is like tourists coming to London and climbing up the side of Westminster Abbey and sitting on the roof eating lunch.  Or hacking a path across the faces of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

What would you think of that?

Another World Heritage Site At Risk?
Tongariro in New Zealand is also a place where traditional Maori culture has been ‘taken over’ by tourists.

In 1887 a local Maori chief gave the volcanic peak and the surrounding region to Queen Victoria so that it would be protected for the future - but other tribes in the area are now hoping to claim it back and stop tourists walking all over it!

Apparently the local chief who gave it away was only one of the many chiefs that worshipped and revered the volcanic peaks of this area - and now the others are trying to have their say as they want to keep their cultural rights alive and give the region the respect it deserves.

What can you do?
Before traveling to areas where indigenous people still live and work - find out a bit about them.

Find out how to act in their prescence, how to react to their questions and what not to do!  The latter is probably the most important.

Find out a few words in their language as well so that you can let them know that you planned to visit them and wanted to make the effort to be welcomed - rather than get dragged there by a tour guide and offend them left right and center with your behaviour.

Mistakes could be a simple as keeping your shoes on in buildings, showing your bare soles to elders, pointing, baring your shoulders and all sorts of other everyday things in our culture!

It only takes a second to offend someone - so take care not to!