Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Oct 12

Would you rather donate a few pounds now – or be left at sea?

Did you know that UK lifeguards are not paid staff? Did you also know that they receive no Government funding at all?

And, did you know that they offer their services to people in need absolutely voluntarily? 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!

As a result, they can only buy, run and maintain their lifesaving equipment with funds raised from public and private donation.

Your Eco Adventures:
Now it’s not just people on boats who might need the services of the coastguard – they help rescue all sorts of people from all sorts of places.  I mean you don’t even need to be in the water!

Day trippers on the beach might get caught out by a fast incoming tide, pets and people can sometimes slip over the top of a low cliff and get caught on a ledge, rock pool dippers might slip and twist their ankle or people might just happen to get ill while out on a pier.

If the land-based emergency services can’t get their transport to you – then the coastguard gets called in!

Now – we all take our ambulances for granted.  If we get ill when we are out and about, we just assume that a paramedic will get to us in just a few short minutes.  But when you are in a place with no roads near by – they just can’t come.

So if your eco adventures could take you off the beaten track and anywhere near the coast, harbours, large rivers or out to sea – then you need to think about your health and safety.

photo credit: Reiner Schubert

Make It Safe:
Obviously, there are plenty of things you can do to make sure that you avoid having problems in the first place by planning ahead and learning how to maintain your boat or other equipment – but there is more:

1) Make sure that you have had training in using all the equipment you are going to need for your adventure that day.

2) Make sure that all your equipment is correctly fitted for you.  If you are borrowing someone else life belt/boat/ropes etc – make sure that you have checked them before you leave to fit you personally.  You move the mirrors and seat when you borrow someone else car – so check that everything else you borrow fits before you start out.

3) Make sure that someone on land knows where you are going that day.  Not only when you are leaving, who with, where from and with what – but also how long you will be, where you will end up and how they can contact you if they need to.

4) Plan to be back on dry land or away from the water/coast before the tide comes in or it gets dark.  If you don’t know exactly what time it gets dark, or exactly what time the tide changes – then don’t go!

5) Make sure you take all precautions necessary – don’t forget that something you might think is ‘fun’ could end up dragging over 30 rescue workers out to sea to come help you – when you could have just planned to do that next time when you had more planning.  Spontaneity at sea or on cliffs is plain stupid!

See Into The Future:
Know how to guess things in advance!  Now I know that all accidents that the coast guards attend are not always through direct human error – but there are signs when something is about to go wrong.

If someone on your boat starts to become ill, feels unwell (other than sea sick), the weather changes, you notice a small problem with the boat, a friend isn’t quite as good at navigation or boatmanship as they told you – head for home.

Regardless of whether you think you will be fine – think of the worse case scenario.  Could that person become really ill soon and you are even further from safety?  Is that small problem your emergency back-up?  So what happens if the main part fails now?  Your friend took you too far to the right or left, or too close to that shingle bank or cliff edge.

You have all seen programs on TV and in the movies where you can see whats about to happen, but everyone just wants to have fun – no body wants to be the person who turns home early on – but no doubt, they have never had to call out the coastguard!

Your Eco Friendly Insurance Policy:
When you go abroad, you take out an insurance policy to make sure that paramedics will come a help you if you get injured.

When you drive a car – you take out insurance and get a recovery policy to make sure that someone can come a fix your car if you get in an accident.

So why not pay out for a coastguard policy if you like to have fun around water or the coast?  If you donate a few pounds (or more) a year – then you are helping to guarantee that there are always men and women around the country who will drop everything – even in pitch black and bad storms – to come and help you out.

And all for free!

It’s all well and good thanking them after they save you, and raising money as a ‘Thank You’ – but if we don’t support them BEFORE we need them – they might not be there anymore!

If they don’t raise more in donations than the cost of keeping their boats on the water and helicopters in the air – then the boats will have to go, and it will take them longer to respond to your 999 call – and longer to get you to safety.

So how long do you want to be floating in the cold sea – Or clinging to that steep ledge?

posted by Catherine on Oct 7

Nobody likes paying for a car park – but you aren’t paying for the parking bay!

We seem to get so annoyed about paying a few pounds for a parking space – particularly if we aren’t going to be a long time there – but we should turn this thing on it’s head if we want to be eco about it!

Don’t forget – there is a car park right where you are becasue there is a reason you want to be right where you are – and usually so do a whole load of other people.

It is usually a beauty spot, close to a historic building, the coast, a river, a church, museum, or some other natural or man-made feature which you want to visit.

However, why is that feature still there and so beautiful and clean – and why is that car park there and litter-free?

The Car Park:
Needless to say the car park is there because of the nearby feature – having possibly evolved over time from a grass verge, to a layby, to a proper carpark – and no doubt has been ‘taken over’ by a local group or national company or charity.

So, why do you think it is still there today?

Because someone has been looking after it!  Most likely somebody or some group have been keeping it tidy and litter-free, mowing the grass, removing trees or large hedges to keep this space clear for cars. 

They may well have altered the road-side entrance to prevent car damage on high kerbs or to eliminate congestion or to reduce the risk of dangerous parking on the road or near junctions, etc.

Now, don’t you think that they should be paid for their efforts?  They have made sure that you can easily park close to the castle you want to visit; they have helped keep clear land close to the footpath you want to use to get to the beach; they have put up signs to inform you of the local amenities and historic landmarks. 

They may well have made it accessible for wheelchairs and prams for example – or put in raised walkways, sign posts and even something as basic as footpaths.

Sometimes they are only asking for 50p or a £1 for their efforts.  But for some of the larger sites this could be £2 or more for the whole day as there is more to do there.

The Thing You Went To See:
Now, say that these people didn’t bother to create you a nearby parking space.  You would have to park some distance away from that church or castle, or there is nowhere close by to park at all and so you will not be able to visit where ever you are hoping to go without enduring a really long walk or bus ride instead!

And, some of these beauty spots don’t even need to be open to the public at all!  They may well be on private land where the landowners have granted permission for visitors to park there on the premise that they pay a small fee for the privilege to help maintain the gardens/house/landmark etc.

Basically the reason you want to park here is because there is something close by that interests you and makes you drive all the way to the car park in the first place.

So what harm is there is paying for your experience?  If you want this beauty spot to be here every time you come here – then surely someone has got to pay for it to be maintained and staffed as necessary.

You can’t afford to pay for the whole thing yourself – or look after it yourself – so why not pay a small contribution towards a company or charity that can.

That way – everytime you come here – you get to see something beautiful.

It Was Free Before!
I know we seem to have to pay for everything these days – but that is because we now realise the damage we were doing before by NOT doing anything.

Erosion of land by inappropriate or non-existant footpaths; plant damage by over-grazing – or not grazing at all; damage to buildings or structures where no guidelines or safety information were in place; and all manner of things that were ‘fine’ 20 years ago are no longer deemed so.

And installing footpaths, lighting, information, safety wardens, flocks of livestock, car park attendants, information kiosks, litter bins, blah, blah, blah – they cannot possibly be done for free.

So you may well have been ‘coming here for 35 years’ – but now we are improving the site and correcting the damage from people like you who have been using the site for the past 35 years – possibly without a care for the future.

We Are All Individuals!
Now I’m not saying that everyone who goes anywhere is going to deliberately cause damage – but 35 years ago, no-one in their right mind would even think about picking up their dog poop in the countryside!

Infact even today – when people are paying for the honour of parking so close to a natural landscape like a river or steep valley – they still think it is OK to drop litter!

It amazes me that people still drop litter anywhere anyway – let alone drive all the way to a delightful countryside carpark near something amazing to drop it there.

But then I suppose if they brought a ticket – at least they are paying someone to pick it up for them afterwards!

posted by Catherine on Oct 1

Your dad may well have got something right on those old family road trips!

You know the story – waiting for hours while your dad planned out everything, checked the car over and generally (from your side anyway) delayed the whole ‘leaving’ thing.

However, he could actually have been saving you a whole bunch of time and been protecting the environment along the way?

Planning ahead can really make all the difference to a smooth and eco friendly road trip – and avoid unnecessary waste!

So, maybe it’s time to take a leaf out of his book!

The Journey:
Getting yourself a good map of the main roads from your home to the places you hope to visit is the best starting point.

Not only can you see the quickest route between any 2 points on the main roads, but you can also see any beauty spots or trouble spots before you even think about the journey.

Driving during rush hour also needs to be avoided – but not at the cost of country lanes and the associated extra mileage, gear changes and potential hazards.  Maybe plan the time you travel rather than just the route!

photo credit: YayAdrian

Even knowing where the main services are can save resources.  If you know how much fuel you use over a certain distance than plan to find a services in advance.  If you leave it to low and get caught in traffic or have to follow a diversion – you could then have to divert again and stress yourself out looking for a fill-up!

The Vehicle:
Find out your best driving speed in your chosen vehicle to make sure that you reduce the cost of fuel and add stress to your journey by worrying about be overtaken all the time.  By setting yourself a target speed – you can focus on the journey itself rather than the hi-speed politics of the road.

Also, by distributing the weight in and on your vehicle to best suit the car you can reduce friction and drag on the vehicle making your car move more efficiently and safely in adverse weather or high speeds. 

Find out whether a roof rack is better or worse for bikes than a rear-mounted fixture, or whether luggage is better situated inside the car – like an extra person – crammed in the boot, or spread out over the top of the car in an ergonomic rook box.

If you only have a small vehicle and a long journey ahead of you – then hiring larger equipment when you arrive may actually be more eco friendly than carrying the extra weight of your own things for miles only to use them once!

The People:
By making sure that everyone has a part to play in the journey can make the whole thing easier on everyone.

If you plan to avoid sitting in traffic (or know alternative routes incase) and plan and tell everyone about regular toilet breaks and food stops – then there is no need for that ‘emergency’ diversion looking for services.

Make sure that younger travellers have plenty of things to keep them occupied – or travel at night to avoid added problems.  Ideally keep and adult in the back too; not only can they help with any kiddie-related problems without the driver having to take their eyes off the road or pull over – but you can keep the kids apart for the ride – reducing squabbles!

Also, make sure that whatever helps the driver to stay awake (regular stops, loud music, sugary food) is planned in to the journey and everyone is accepting of that need.  That way the driver won’t feel guilty about stopping and risk going that bit too far between breaks or driving faster to make up time!

The End!

posted by Catherine on Sep 25

Rather than plan to drive to a cute English village, or rural retreat - hop on a train!

You might have read my previous article about getting by without a car – it wasn’t a happy ending!  However, I have found a great reason to leave the car at home:

Rail Travel.

Instead of just using the train to get to work along with a few hundred other commuters early in the morning – I used the train to go to Paris for the weekend!

When you take into account the environmental cost of driving myself for miles across the countryside on windy stop-start lanes to an out of the way cottage – it was better to hop on a train which was already going the way I wanted!

To Paris We Went!
Well, lets be honest – the train was leaving the main Ebbsfleet International Station with or without me – so I wasn’t really costing the Earth any more carbon than it was already going to create on its short journey under the Channel!

photo credit: Whiternoise<

I know that a full train uses more electricity than an empty train – but still not as much energy as with everyone driving on their own.  And anyway; if you could ever find those 4 more people to share your car journey to that little secluded hotel for your break to save emissions – then it won’t be a secluded little hotel anymore!  It would be virtually full!

And, this little trip was so fast, that I arrived in France in no longer than it would have taken me to get from home down to the West Country to that hidden village – and it was more comfortable – and there was no traffic to sit in!

I still got to see all the rolling countryside of both the UK and abroad without having to worry about which side of the road I was on or whether there were any speed bumps in the road!  I just enjoyed the ride!

Be Eco Civilised:
So, maybe public transport for my shorter journeys was a complete disaster – but for longer trips it really gets the thumbs up!  I mean, you can hop on a train close to home and get just about anywhere!

Whether you arrive at the Caledonian Sleeper platform at Kings Cross to stay in a highland castle, or depart from the St Pancras Europe platform for a vineyard chateau – you won’t be disappointed.

On the long distance trains you get to buy your tickets in advance and choose your seating – and there is plenty of legroom!  There is no need to stand in the doorways either holding onto a post for dear life – it is like stepping into a hotel to some extent.

You are greeted at the desk or on boarding; your seats are clean, buffet cart is as standard – and sometimes meals are even included.  There are power points onboard, toilets are clean and the windows are huge!

There is no 2 hour check-in and security checks at every turn – and there is no need to stop for petrol or oil checks – and there is no chance at all of getting lost!

All that time and effort saved or reduced compared to other forms of transport only highlights train travel as the most eco friendly long-distance overland travel option.

What Else?
Well, due to the demands of many – there can be a certain commercial aspect surrounding the whole experience – but this doesn’t have to count against it.

For example, taking Ashford International Station as an example, these large commuter areas have started to cater for your every need – including huge shopping centres. Ashford has a huge shopping complex attached to the rail link with food, clothes and all sorts of consumables that shoppers demand in such places.  And you just need to glance at the St Pancras website (stpancras-international.co.uk) to see the terminal facilities you can use while waiting for your train!

And without these large commercial buildings – some eco friendly projects just wouldn’t get the money for their developments.  Without the financial input of large companies paying rent to these places – they just wouldn’t get built!  So go easy on the fast food chain next time you are passing, or buy your book for the journey from inside the station – as it is these companies that are funding your exciting journey!

Bon Voyage!

posted by Catherine on Sep 23

Could eating insects be the best eco friendly move you make this year?

When you see those cooked crickets or giant squidgy bugs for sale at the market next time you are on your holiday – maybe you should try them for the sake of the planet!

We all know that there is a food crisis at the moment – what with climate change, food and energy demands and a growing population, but shouldn’t we all try something new if it could do some good without really putting us out too much.

I mean only the most extreme eco advocates would want to give up all their worldly possessions, electricity, fridge, meat, instant communications and go live in a tent with no running water!

The rest of us want to make a difference – but without to extreme an attitude.  And this new concept regarding food could be one of the things you try.

Eating insects may not appeal instantly as an alternative to a fresh salad or some fries for example, but it could be the answer to some of the planets current woes.

Land Requirements:
Farming cows is a topic that isn’t very popular with many people across the globe today.  Not only do they require a seemingly endless supply of land to graze and roam about on – which was possibly a dense rain forest 6 months ago – but they also require supplementary feeding by crops grown on yet more land.

Insects can live in tubs – all stacked on top of each other in the same barn.

Food Requirements:
And this is where it gets sticky – that land was growing crops that could have been fed to humans instead.  Rather than feeding nutritious food to cows (which are basically more food) it could be used to lower food prices and feed millions of humans rather than shipped across to American or European restaurants as prime T-Bone steak for the very wealthy.

Insects require only small amounts of food – none at all for eggs and grubs!

Living Standards:
Cows also need specific land in which to thrive – and lots of it.  If they don’t have lots of it, and are farmed intensively – then they need tonnes of supplementary food (grown on the land the cows don’t have); supplementary medicines and vitamins to maintain optimum health; and more farmers to watch over them incase of injury, trampling or other problems associated with bored, stressed, confined large animals!

Eggs and larvae won’t even know they are in a small space – and need no food either!

In Summary:
Obviously there will be some ‘grey’ areas to insect farming that I haven’t covered in this article – but in general: farming grasshoppers does seem to have the eco edge over farming cows.

Whether or not insect farming on a scale to feed all 6.87 million of us will be achieveable on a local or at least national scale is something we can only aim for – but in terms or land use – this could be a huge step forward!

So, next time you see a local farmer when on your eco travels selling his locally sourced and locally grown beetle larvae – then maybe you should support him in his work (and for not farming something illegal or destructive – or from America!).

Enjoy your lunch!

posted by Catherine on Sep 20

Taking that trip into London, Paris, New York or Cologne could be greener than staying at home!

When we stay home, we travel in our cars – usually alone – and get about in our own little worlds.  However, living the city life can mean taking advantage of all the communal transportation available – and becoming a bit less carbon-heavy along the way!

We all know that cities cater for thousands of people every day and so their shared resources can work out cheaper and easier than traveling by car – for example catching the train into the city itself (maybe as part of some long-distance rail tour package) and then using buses, underground, bikes or boats to get around when you are there.

City streets are usually vehicle restricted, and parking it tightly controlled – and on the other hand cities can be very pedestrian friendly.  I certainly wouldn’t drive into London or New York if I could help it!

Free Up Some Time:
If you know that you are going to travel straight into the heart of a city for a few days, then you know that leaving your car at home gives you 1 less thing to worry about – and could free you up some valuable vacation time.

You won’t have to worry about parking times, parking costs or getting to the right place on time – you can just leave all your things at your hotel and head straight out into the streets – and you can usually buy an all-day travel pass so that you can hop on and off public transport whenever you want and wherever you want!

This way, you can make a lot more out of your vacation without having to worry about putting more money in the meter or running up huge ‘all day parking’ fees – or worse: a parking ticket or a towing fee!

Alternative Travel:
And it’s not all just buses and trains – you may also be able to take advantage or travel by other means like city bus tours, canal boats, river barges, horse and car - or even gondolas!

Just because back home you opt for the sensible transport types – when abroad there are other viable options – making your trip more enjoyable and allowing you a different view of the place at the same time.

Imagine viewing Paris from a great riverboat, touring New York to the sound of horse’s hooves or peacefully floating down a canal under clear skies!

And sometimes a tour aimed at tourists can be a real travel gem!  Sometimes they travel to places that other transport links can’t go; and they might give you lots of information that an ordinary bus or boat trip. So even if you don’t want to ‘be’ a tourist all the time – sometimes it’s just worth the extra effort to get more out of your journey.

Planning Your Transport:
There are 2 ways to plan your transport – and there is no harm in doing a bit of both for your trip.

Plan in advance for the main journeys and for specific things you ‘really’ want to do.  Your main train tour across Europe would be best planned way ahead so that you get the best travel deal and find out if you can actually visit all the places you want to go in the time given.

It also allows you to find out if any of the places or things you want to see have a booking system or are closed for refurbishment or whatever.  There is nothing worse than not finding these things out until you have arrived – especially if you find out that if you had got there the day before……

Planning other things can wait until you are there!  Why not choose a last-minute trip around that church or park? 

If you want some inspiration about a certain city – why not visit one of the many city websites or tour guide sites or travel search engines like CityGuideTours.com to research some bus tours, cruise tour deals, general transport information or that something different!

Happy Hunting!

posted by Catherine on Sep 18

Time To Find Out If A Change Really Is As Good As A Break?

Rather than wait until your vacations to have a break, why not try a few little things alongside your everyday life to make things a little less stressful and a bit more down to earth.

We all get a bit absorbed by the ‘every day’ things than we need to and sometimes just a little pause or a small change can give us something else to focus on a give our bodies a chance to relax and ‘catch-up’ with ourselves.

And why not give these little ‘daycations’ an eco twist!

1) Switch Off:
Literally switch off everything that isn’t your fridge!

This means anything connected to work, the internet, the tv or any music and DVD’s – switch off the lights, the radio, the kettle, the oven – the lot.

Give yourself a peaceful day by yourself or with your partner (as long as they are switched off too!)

photo credit: *SJR*

Imagine the home-made picnic in the park with soft drinks rather than coffees; the walk along the beach with a pub lunch; the evening in the garden reading a good book; and finally – the candlelight bath.

If you aren’t at work or on call – make sure that they can’t contact you for a really relaxing day; same with the social networking – do you really need to know that your distant friend has ‘had a great night out’ or has ‘only 3 more days’ until something they don’t tell you about?

2) Take Your Time:
Just because you have the weekend off, doesn’t mean you have to fill up your days with the boring things that you think you must do – find things you have always wanted to do but were always in ‘too much of a hurry’ to do.

For example; you always drive past that lovely farmers market in town, but then worry about the parking and where you have to be next.  Well, if you are taking a daycation – then go to that market, and make sure you have nothing planned afterwards.  Catch the bus or train in so the parking isn’t a worry and plan to make a day of it so you can really explore the place.

Go alone so that you aren’t tempted to go to places you didn’t really want to go, or keep stopping for drinks, or rush around as they have their own plans.  It’s your day – so do your thing.

3) Try Something New:
Take something small that you have always wanted to do or try and see how you can fit it in.

For example, make a point of going to Salsa lessons just once a week or volunteering at a local organisation for just a few hours a week.  If you plan something then it will make it easier to stick to.

Maybe there is a book you always wanted to read, language to learn, special meal to prepare or whatever – make a date real soon for it – and stick to it.  Once you have done it you’ll wonder what was ever stopping you before.

Many people feel that they haven’t got time for something new as they get home from work tired and feel that just crashing in front of the tv with a bar of chocolate or a glass of wine (or both) is the way they can wind down – but many people really do find that something different – even if really lively – can help you to forget work and feel great about yourself.

There is always more time in the day than you think – you just have use it wisely!

posted by Catherine on Sep 16

Travelling around Costa Rica on your next eco adventures couldn’t be easier!

Forget internal flights when you are visiting this amazing country (or any other country in Central or South America) – you need to be on the ground to see the best bits first-hand.

Seeing the top of a cloud forest from way up in the sky or a winding river out the corner of a window is no way to really get a feel for this luscious, verdant and wildlife-filled location. You need to be on the (probably bumpy) road or floating on a murky alligator-filled lake or river – interacting with the landscape!

From Experience:
Having spent a month travelling around this amazing country myself (can you tell I loved it?) I have decided that not only is ground transportation more eco-friendly anyway – but it gets you more involved with the country you are visiting in the first place and can lead to some one-off experiences.

Rather than the immediate (and cocooned) straight from A to B; indirect travel brought me the following:

1) Stopping off to find 6 semi-tame macaws in the trees above us,
2) Watching a boa constrictor eating a huge green iguana,
3) Finding a ginormous Leaf-Cutter Ant’s nest the size of my kitchen!
4) Viewing a grumbling volcano while powering across a huge man-made lake,
5) Having to ask for directions to a hotel in bad French (I asked a tourist by mistake),
6) Stopping to watch a family of 6 coatis (take their time) crossing the road,
7) Getting to eat roadside snacks and fruit from the fields whenever we felt like it!

Long Or Short:
It’s not just the short journeys that can be taken by road, rail or river – longer rides can be organised too.  Many buses head out of Costa Rica into Nicaragua and Panama – as well as the long-haul buses that start and end in Mexico.

You can choose local transport with every else crammed on with you – including local people, animals and other tourists (which are very reliable considering the roads and numbers of people using them) – however, if they are full when they arrive at your stop (and I mean full to bursting) – you won’t get a ride.  And some buses only come through once or twice a day!

However, we mostly opted for the semi-private buses (which varied from giant trucks to personal taxis) to get around.  Not only did these ‘buses’ collect you virtually from your accommodation, but they collected other people too and generally stopped at main hubs all over the place for food and sights.

We were crammed on a minibus from San Jose, but on arriving at a half-way stop for yummy local food, we were divided up and we alone got onto a truck all the way up to the mountains.  The others headed off in their directions in other versions of transport.  On the way down 2 weeks later, we were with about 6 others, in the oldest mini-bus I’ve ever seen - but on splitting up at the side of the road (somewhere deserted), we got in the back of a lovely air-conditioned taxi all the way to Samara beach: perfect! 

Costa Rica Vacations:
In general, any trip to Costa Rica should be a travelling holiday!  It would be such a waste to just arrive in one location and stay there the whole time before heading home!

There are so many different landscapes and climates in this varied country that you need to move about a bit to see them all!  We had a month and visited 3 different regions – but we need to go back!

We don’t like name-dropping trips though (“I’ve been to A,B and C yesterday and whizzing through D and E tomorrow”) – we like to savour the moment – so “2 weeks in A, 10 Days in B and staying in C for a week” is more our preferred conversation.  D and E will just have to wait!

Hopefully not too long!

posted by Catherine on Sep 12

My Eco Adventures Review:  A Visit To Pulborough Brooks – West Sussex – Late Spring

I decided to visit this reserve after reading a lot about the RSPB and having known the lower parts of the River Arun for some time – but having never explored the higher water.

It was also summer and there were enticing stories about adders mating and butterflies galore on the website. And a new area of heathland being developed on site too.  So we packed a nice lunch and headed off.

My Walk:
Arriving in the ample carpark, we settled into the shade and gathered our bits together before heading into the main building.

There was a spacious shop inside as well as loads of information about the site and a delightful looking restaurant – however, we headed straight out into the reserve – heathland first.

So heading back out across the carpark, we followed a short footpath to a viewpoint overlooking the pine plantation and some barren looking land.  It was a sunny day, so we were hoping for plenty of reptiles and butterflies – but instead found young roe deer, messy squirrels and nesting wrens!

Circling a large area of fenced in plantation we found many plants – but it was all very same-same and very close to the road – so we headed up over the hill-fort remains and back into the main reserve.

Through the main building again and off towards an open area with a small church and houses to the side.  Inside the tiny churchyard we found orange-tips all over the place as well as meadow flowers knee-deep.  A great spot for lunch!

The short walk with full tums toward the flood plains was filled with butterflies – dozens of them everywhere, from painted ladies to large whites – and the sun was really shining now!  We sat next to the Highland cattle field with their ‘white’ calf for a while listening to bird song and practising butterfly identification ‘on the wing’.

Down into the dingly dangly dell was filled with passerines and cheeky jays as we headed towards the first hide.  We were virtually there all by ourselves as we scanned the horizon filled with shelducks, Canada geese and a few young herons!

Then came some people (!) so that was that for the waterfowl!  We headed back up onto drier land still with birds and butterflies all around – we really were making very slow progress here with so much to see!

By the time we got around to the ‘adder alley’ to see the sparring males – it was way past 3pm and the sun wasn’t so warm.  Maybe we should have come here first – or faster!

So after scouring the ground and the low gorse very closely we found none – but did view plenty of evidence of the large herd of deer that live around here!  And at the next hide we found the footprint makers!  About 50 of them all relaxing on the other side of the marsh!  What a site – apparently they were a domestic herd that escaped and found living here quite to their liking!

We headed back to the centre totally exhausted and thrilled with our sD card filled to the brim with great shots!

Site Name: Pulborough Brooks – SSSI – RSPB
This reserve is located in West Sussex just to the west of Pulborough village on the A283 and is on the River Arun (and tidal).

It costs £3 (or larger donation) per adult to visit the centre although there are plenty of free footpaths and bridlepaths leading from the carpark – and you can visit the restaurant without having to pay the entrance fee.  It has plenty of toilets, the store and membership desk.

The carpark is huge and the reserve is well signed from the road and there is a bus stop outside and Pulborough train station is a longish road walk or cycle away!

posted by Catherine on Sep 4

Can I really get through a month without my car?

I spent the past month using public transport instead of a car to see if it was a practical option for the outdoor types.

I was not adverse to traveling any routes, any time or any type of transport – but I needed to get to work and to a few outdoor events along the way.

I physically got rid of the car for the 4 weeks too so that there was no temptation, and told all my friends and family so they all knew my reasons.

Then it began.

The Scenario:
I currently live in Town A, and I work just outside Town B (which is around 10 miles away).  I live with my partner and we are both ‘outdoor types’.  A friend lives 25 minutes walk up the road, but everyone else lives in Town B.

I am right next to a train station at home, but my work is 3 miles away from a train station, and there are various buses that travel within a 30 minute walk of my work from both Town A and Town B.

I like to volunteer in the countryside, visit a few reserves and go for lovely outdoor walks.  I also like to visit my friends across the county.

Problem 1:
Straight away there was a problem – I had to get to a work meeting for 8.30am – and there was no bus at that time – it seems that country buses work on a timetable that nobody can work out!  So favour number 1 came into action: borrow someone’s car!

In addition to this, I also had to travel on the trains during peak times – so not only was the train packed to the brim with business types, but I had to pay an extra £2 to stand up all the way there – while cowering under some gentlemans armpit for the 30 minute ride!

Problem 2:
I had a training day in the middle of nowhere for the Wildlife Trust.  And although the organisers were very happy to arrange a car share – I would have had to have caught the train to the nearest car to share – in rush hour, changing 3 times and costing £22 return!  Needless to say I decided to decline the event. 

It wasn’t the first event I couldn’t get to without incurring huge costs.

Problem 3:
Well, this was another big one, as everytime a friend wanted to meet up with me – we had to arrange to travel in their car. 

Whether I walked to theirs or caught a bus or train to a meeting place – they had to drive me around like a taxi.  And it didn’t feel too nice either.

It seemed as though I was avoiding using my car by using their instead!  Yes, we were technically car sharing – but we would have been doing that anyway when we met up!

Problem 4:
The shopping was beginning to become a hassle – and I don’t just mean the food shopping.

Yes, I could walk to town and get bit’s a bobs – but nothing too big, as I couldn’t carry it.  Planning the order in which I brought things also added an extra angle to shopping as I had to make sure I brought all the small things first leaving the heaviest things till last.

However, anything too big or bulky was out.  For example I was hoping to get a large fish tank from a car boot sale or the local paper, but there was no way I could go an collect it myself.

With all shopping there was the option to have things delivered to me by other people – but it all added to the cost and sometimes greatly increased the time it took to get to me. Sometimes too long or too much!

Problem 5:
We hadn’t really noticed this one until a few weeks in either – but we weren’t going anywhere for fun.

I had spent so long planning just getting to work and the basics, that we realised that we couldn’t even get to the places we loved.  Visiting a local nature reserve, castle, zoo or park was going to be a logistical nightmare!

Not only would we have to carry everything with us – like waterproof and lunch, etc – we would have to mix and match a chain of transport links to do so – and cut our day short as necessary to get home before the last bus!

And, I wasn’t able to combine journeys as before.  Going to and from work was virtually an A to B then B to A pattern.  Usually on the way home from work I might do the shopping or visit a friend, etc – this wasn’t possible anymore. 

My route to work didn’t really pass by anywhere of any use so either a separate bus ride or a long walk were needed to add anything on to the day – and it was already an extra 2/3 hours a day just doing the basics as it was!

Problem 6:
The money was becoming a key factor too.  I don’t mind spending a bit extra for the more eco friendly options – but over £150 a month just for work.

This obviously didn’t include all the days out I wasn’t having – but there was all the little extras spent on treating all the people who were giving me a lift here and there.  Well, I couldn’t just take lifts for free – so I ended up buying lunch for someone or offering them a few pounds here and there.

Infact, I even started walking everywhere to save money – putting myself out and adding hours onto my day to stem the endless trickle of money from my account!

Or declining lifts and days out with people to avoid having to ‘owe’ people favours!

Solutions?
Well the only way I am going to be able to survive without a car is if I change my lifestyle and get myself a different job!

Basically – the outdoor-loving lifestyle with a job in the countryside cannot work with extreme eco friendly travel – unless money was no issue and there were 4 more hours in a day!