Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jul 16

Why not celebrate something special as your annual holiday?

More and more these days, you see that people are celebrating everything big. No longer is turning 50 just an excuse for a friend to hang a huge embarrassing bed sheet on a local roundabout with your name on it.

Now we want a massive celebration to say that we have done virtually anything from leaving school, to losing weight, to turning almost any age, and even getting a new pet!

Aren’t we just over celebrating for the sake of it – using valuable resources for bunting, balloons, non-recycleable party novelties and just too much junk food?

photo credit: havankevin

Turn It Around:
If you do want to celebrate virtually anything – why not make it an eco friendly adventure instead?

Rather than having all these little parties and having everyone fill their evening with repeated driving to and from various venues over the year – why not focus it all on one great big event?

Imagine your family and friends renting a huge house in the countryside for a week or two. With enough of you sharing, you could hire out a mansion, part of a castle or a whole farmhouse.

And when you are sharing with 10 people that £2000 a week doesn’t sound to bad – just £200 a person for 7 nights accomodation in an amazing property that you just couldn’t experience by yourself.

Added Bonus:
And with this great big event occuring you can roll all those smaller things into one great big one – and it will probably be cheaper for everyone – and more memorable.

Added to this is the eco bonus that there will be less waste across this one eco holiday – and if it becomes a regular thing – then people might take less holidays abroad as this will count as their 2-week break.

Also, if you are all going to the same place, doing the same things and eating the same foods – you can share cars, buy bulk goods and cook large amounts of the same helathy and local/organic food for everyone rather than buying trashy nibbles and party cakes.

And there needn’t be a party balloon or any bunting in sight!

posted by Catherine on Apr 27

Would you know what to do if you found an unconscious person while out on a walk?

How about if a friend of yours just suddenly fainted, cut themselves, feels unwell, or had a burn? If you said no – or aren’t sure, then you should think about going on an Emergency First Aid course.

Many people only do a First Aid course because they ‘have to’ for work or volunteering – but why should we be forced to do it? Why haven’t you thought about saving your family and friends in an emergency rather than having to help a random person who happened to visit your shop or office?

Why do we wait to be asked to learn such and important skill – we should be climbing over each other to get on a course!

And it isn’t about what to do with the casualty either – it is about assessing your needs as well as those of the patient. And your actions also affect the emergency services and complete strangers who could be 30 miles away from you.

How? Well think of the larger picture as well as just your little part in it.

Just You:
Before helping anyone in an emergency situation – you should check that you are safe to help in the first place – there is no point you getting injured, electrocuted, trapped, burned or drowned as well as the casualty! And if you do get hurt – who will be there to help you?

Don’t forget that 999/911/122 calls will get routed through to the emergency services even if you are in an area with no mobile coverage – so if in doubt about your safety – call them first for advice.

The Casualty:
If you can get to them safely – then you need to assess them before you call the emergency services – as you will need to know a bit more about them. For example, if they are not breathing at all – then those first few minutes could be vital to their survival, so don’t waste them trying to make a phone call!

And you might find that they are not that seriously hurt or were just sleeping! Needless to say that if you do call out a helicopter or ambulance for someone who ends up telling you that they were just sleeping or drunk – you have wasted a lot of peoples time and resources.

photo credit: Artotem

The Complete Stranger:
He was just in his garden at home when he started getting chest pains – they didn’t go away when he laid down so he struggled to the phone to call an ambulance as he thought he was having a heart attack.

He speaks to the emergency staff and they tell him that they will be there as soon as they can – but they know that their last ambulance is on its way to that collapsed casualty in the woods 15 miles away.

Your casualty turns out to be hung-over while that complete stranger is getting worse! There are a limited number of emergency vehicles in any one area – so make sure that you don’t waste their resources by calling them for a non-emergency.

The Emergency Services:
Obviously if you find an unconscious person anywhere who is not responding to your loud voice or a firm shoulder pat (as they could be deaf) – then you should clear their airways and make sure that they are breathing and then call the emergency services for advice.

However, you must assess their situation first to be of most help to them. They have been trained to save lives and have the equipment to do so – but if they are 20 miles away from the casualty then they can’t do their job.

There are also alternative emergency advice solutions – particularly if the casualty is conscious and not in a life-threatening situation. Taking them to one of the many minor injuries or illness clinics is a great first option, calling NHS Direct (UK only) can answer many of your questions and advise you of the best course of action.

But nothing beats getting your own skills in Emergency First Aid – that way you can help your friends and family immediately – and offer the correct help to others in need.

You’ll never regret taking the course – only not taking it.

posted by Catherine on Mar 25

The sun is shining and the lambs are hopping round their field – or are they?

When we see little lambs bouncing around in the sun – we can only think of how cute they are. Out come the cameras and the high pitched voices as we point at them with our friends and children.

But did you know that those little sheep are fighting to keep adonis blue butterflies breeding in southern England?

How? Well, it isn’t like they are waving banners about or stopping urban development in the area – they are just doing what they do best. Eating grass.

An Easy Life:
Basically, these sheep are grazing the hillside landscapes that blanket the south of England as well as other sloping grassy surfaces around the world because that is what they are good at.

Sheep thrive in these niche landscapes due to their breeding – or our manipulation of their breeding – and so they have changed the way things look around them. And as a result of that have helped to create habitats where wild flowers and insects thrive.

But these habitats are man-made (or sheep-made) and a few years of no grazing, and all the plants, insects and birds are at risk of being lost!

Without the sheep mowing the hillsides flat – including shoots from all other plants, bushes and trees – the grass would soon become covered in scrub, brambles and gorse, which in turn would become overgrown and then allow for tree growth.

How You Can Help.
Now that farming is becoming less and less profitable, sheep farmers are limited to the amount of sheep they can keep for this valuable biodiversity control – and so flocks are getting smaller and grasslands are shrinking.

So are wildflower and insect populations.

So, when you local farm invites you inside to watch the lambs, stroke them, hold them and maybe even take a ride around the farm in a tractor – he is really asking you to help make sure that the sheep can stay.

And ultimately, he is asking you to save your local grasslands and your local landscapes.

Could you imagine your local open spaces covered in prickly bramble and spikey gorse bushes instead of fields of soft picnic-inducing grasslands?

All you have to do to help keep them that way – is to pay to go and see some cute lambs; your local species and habitat saving warriors in disguise!

photo credit: Tim Pokorny

posted by Catherine on Jan 23

Nothing beats actually doing something – so book yourself on a course.

If you are one of those people who says ‘oh, I’ve always wanted to do that…’ then you need to start doing them!

Sometimes they are such simple things, like going to a local castle, walking along a certain coast, climbing a certain mountain – all of which are usually free, but we never seem to fit them in, even though they are so simple to do.

Other things people might not get round to are new skills – or improving existing skills – where courses can be free, or the cost going to a great cause.

You will never learn how to identify fungi unless you get out there and actually search for them; learning bird calls is impossible without listening to the birds themselves and you certainly can’t learn how to manage a woodland, divert a stream or grow your own food from just reading a book!

Local Courses:
So, by booking yourself on to a course with a local agency, charity or organisation, you will finally get around to achieving something outdoorsy and eco friendly – and have a great time learning!

Build You Own Bug House

Here I have listed some courses and talks that I have found available in local advertisings – things that you could easily do:

Sustainable Building Talk – Local Permaculture Group:
Spend the morning listening to a talk by a leading local expert with a Q&A session – and then have a tour of an existing sustainably built and run eco house and get to see what is working where inside and outside.

Make Your Landscape Photography Come Alive – Local Wildlife Trust:
An intensive 1-day course for landscape photography for beginners and improvers. A few hours in the class room first thing to cover the basic settings, composition and equipment – then out in the field to experiment with emotion, light and adding your own style.

Basic Bushkraft – Local Independant Adult Ed Centre
Covering an array of outdoor skills – you will spend the day with adults all experimenting with basic survival skills. These skills include; green wood-working, shelter building, fire lighting, knots and cooking.

A Weekend With A View – Local Youth Hostels
Stay for 2 days at a local Youth Hostel in a picturesque location – with activites and walks planned throughout. Explore the local area and landscapes with your guide before settling down for group dinner and stories in the evening. Wake up to fresh air and a great breakfast and then head off on more adventures till hometime!

There Is Something For Everyone:
Even if none of those sound like your kettle of fish, then hunt around for other adventures to get you outside and exploring – and hopefully learning a new skill along the way.

Whether its an evening with badgers or bats, woodland or heathland ecology, an introduction to beekeeping or butterflies, or maybe rock pools, painting, basketry and bryophytes! You can always find something you like.

So, no more excuses – do what you have always wanted to do!

posted by Catherine on Jan 6

Your empty car could cause charities to lose money and reduce visitor numbers!

Thinking about what your car can do when you aren’t using it is one of the first step towards eco friendly living and the right attitude.

Anything that limits the chances of other people enjoying their day or makes them have to try twice as hard to get to where they want to go – isn’t very eco friendly.

And in the case of your car – your decisions can make all the difference.

Let’s say that you parked your car in a local viewpoint car park – but you only noticed that you were taking up just over 1 space after you had got out the car. There weren’t many other people in the car park, so would you leave it there or would you move it?

If you aren’t going to be there long, you might be inclined to leave it there – but how do you know what might happen while you are away? What if you are longer than expected or it suddenly fills up. You are preventing someone else from parking where you are.

photo credit: Blyzz

You might be having a lovely walk out there – or a delightful picnic with friends – but there could be a whole family wanting to do the same – but instead they are left in the car park staring at three-quarters of a parking space and no doubt a little bit annoyed as well!

Long Term Effects:
Yeah, that might only be a one off for you as you live close by and go there all the time – but what if that person you prevented from parking had come a long way to see your local coastline or woodlands – and they never got to see it because of your actions.

What if they were going to spend their holiday money in the area – your area? But instead they drove off to a town further down the way and spent it there. Their loss or yours?

What if the car park was a pay and display car park funding the very location you love to visit – and you just lost them some money as well – paying once but using 2 spaces and driving of another customer to boot!

And do you think those people would recommend your viewpoint to their friends back home who are planning a road trip or will they just say ‘there wasn’t enough parking’. How can they tell them about the beautiful countryside near you if they didn’t get to see it – they will just have to say how wonderful the other place they went to was instead.

Your loss again I think!

posted by Catherine on Dec 10

Have you ever seen your local woodland or riverbanks coated in the morning frost?

We all love walking in the woods, on the Downs, through the valleys, on the moors, along the coast and beside the rivers – but have you done it first thing on a winters morning?

There are some scenes you just won’t see in the normal run of things out with the kids or walking the dog – you need to make the effort to get out there really early for a people-free, wildlife-filled and weather dependant great view.

Being first up on top of a frosty hillside and seeing the low clouds rolling over the sides is priceless.  And watching herons feed in the misty waters first thing could make you see your local walk in a new light.

Local Tours:
There are always local organisations and charities offering winter walks at this time of year – and many of them are themed so you can choose the one that most appeals. 

For example some are about the wildlife, some about the landscapes and some about the history surrounding us – some are even one-offs like a festive wreath walk, where you get to cut your own holly and ivy etc, and then are helped to create your own designs for your home!

And needless to say, these walks are great in 2 main respects; the first being that they are run by an expert.  You won’t just be wandering around the usual footpaths with a group of people aimlessly – you will be led to all the main features and given specific information about plants, animals, people and the past.

These guides will be well aware of everything in local area and will be able to answer most of your questions there and then as they would have a passion for it – otherwise they wouldn’t offer to do the walk in the first place!

photo credit: maxim off

Secondly, they will be able to take you to places that you might not have been to before – such as on to private land, through farms and fields that the general public don’t have access to.  For example, there are huge areas of land that are owned by wildlife trusts which are kept free from the everyday general public as essential work is carried out or sensitive areas where animals are being surveyed/preserved/introduced.

Taking a tour with these charities or groups that have agreements with local landowners and farmers can allow you a new view of the same landscape - or access to rare or protected habitats.

Feel Encouraged:
Of course, noone really wants to get up in the dark on your day off – but if you have signed up to one of these walks or are aware of it – then you are more likely to get up and out.

The photo opportunities on these walks are huge as well as the possible wildlife sightings.  I mean you may well be there before all the morning dog walkers – so you are more likely to see some of the more shy native wildlife – and even hungry owls hunting for those few extra hours in the cold.

If you are a duvet diva – make sure you arrange to get a lift off someone or pick someone else up on your way - that way you can’t talk yourself out of it when the alarm goes off!

posted by Catherine on Nov 2

By paying upfront – you are more likely to take part in local events!

If you get home from a long day at work – the last thing you normally want to do is then pay to go out with a friend to the movies or to eat.

However, what if that meal was already part paid for – or there were lots of other people you know going to see that film?

You might think differently.

Basically, I am trying to get you to think about joining a membership scheme for something local – or national – that you really like or want to get involved in more.

Why?  Because there are too many people out there saying ‘Oh, I’ve always wanted to do that’ or ‘I haven’t really got the time to….’ – and this needs to change.

Local Groups:
Say for example you had joined your local cinema or theatre group by paying a small joining fee.  Yes, you will get all the benefits of newsletters and priority booking and seating – but you will also get a discount on viewings.

Hopefully this should be more of an incentive to get out more often in your own town and meet up with friends.

And, if you are out in town with a few friends, then you are more likely to use local services like restaurants, bars and taxis – all great for your community.

And it won’t seem like a drag each time as you will know the seating, the entry times and the best nights to go!

National Groups:
In the same way that local services benefit from your membership – so do more distant organisations.

For example, if you want to help preserve wetlands or historic houses and gardens but there are none in your town, then joining a membership scheme that supports their work directly will help them get things done.

This way, when you do decide to travel further afield on a weekend or day off – you are more likely to be able to go and see the very thing you have been preserving from your own home.

I mean, how can you go and visit a wetland if it is not there anymore due to lack of funding?  And that historic house won’t be open to the public if there isn’t enough money to pay the electricity bill for it!

So, Join Up:
So, if it’s just cheaper cinema tickets you want or a greener countryside – find out who is working in your area and the memberships or offers available – and think about joining.

Most schemes work out at just a few pounds a month – so its not like you will spend a fortune on anything – but it might just liven up your evening or weekends if you got a bit more involved.

posted by Catherine on Oct 22

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Spring is in the air – and you might not ever have to be again!

One of the largest and most comprehensive adventure travel shows is back on the schedule – and gives you plenty of time to start your own research into your next eco adventure!

If you are thinking about a volunteer Gap Year, a few months independent green travel, starting a career in travel writing or just trying something totally different – then the Outdoor Adventure Travel Show 2011 in London is the place you should really be planning for.

Not only are there travel companies galore to visit, but there are also writing and photography seminars, travel clinics and discount clothing and equipment all waiting in 1 place for you.

Who Can You Ask?
If you are thinking about trying something a little bit ‘new’ or stepping out into the wide world for the first time, then you should really get several opinions on locations, projects and transport from experts.

Not just a travel agent – as they tend to sell package deals and flights only – if you want a real eco adventure or to try out some green travel packages, then you need to speak to the people who specialise in that.

In the same way that a car salesman can’t give you the best advice to drive around the world and an estate agent can only give you a few general tips on how to spot an eco home - a high street travel agent can’t really offer green advice based on experience.

You need to weed out the ‘generalists’ and look for the specialists.

The Plan:
Needless to say – if you just turn up to this event on a whim you will still have a great time and gets lots of great information – but you won’t really be gleaming the best of the best.

As the show isn’t until January 2011 – you have 3 months to get researching yourself.  Find out what possible dates are for travel; which countries or regions you are hoping to travel to – and how you plan to get there.

That way you have a rough plan in mind before you come face to face with the experts!  What if there is a great deal on a trip to Asia – but you hadn’t looked into opportunities in that area before – you might go away feeling like you have to start all over again.

What if you had been thinking about travelling from A to B to C – but then find out that you had the seasons all wrong and it will be the rainy season in the tropics - or the dry season when you arrive at fjords or great waterfalls!

If you have your plan already set out in your head, then you can bend and twist that plan once you have discussed a few things.  If you have no plan at all when you arrive then you could be quite overwhelmed – maybe even coming away from the show with 15 years worth of travel ideas rather than the 6-month trip you were hoping for!

The Dates:
Well, the show isn’t until the end of January, so you have plenty of time to get some of your basics together.

Whether it’s toying with a new language, thinking about a route across the globe or worrying about your carbon footprint – start putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and get some sort of structure to your plan.

Check on the Adventure Show website and see what’s on offer and which lectures or workshops might be of use to you in advance and start to give your eco holiday a backbone.  Maybe even set out a budget in advance and plan to buy the things you need at bargain show prices!

posted by Catherine on Aug 4

You and you kids could help spread the word about green travel by entering these 3 competitions!

The best way to pass on information about something you are passionate about is to put pen to paper, talk to them about them or capture the image - and this is just what these competitions could help you to do.

The first is for under 18 year olds still in education and revolves around the future of forests, the second is for those over 18 about your most memorable travel moment, and the final competition is for you both to show what you see in the environment!

Young Geographer Of The Year 2010:
Have you got something to say about he way we are treating our forests?  About what your local woodland does for your community, your family or the local wildlife? Or just something to say in praise of trees!

Whatever your motivation for entering – it doesn’t matter – it’s what you have to say that counts.

And how you say it is up to you: written, taped, a short documentary or video, photographs – or a combination of whatever media you think will best pass on your meaning to others!

Monkey Running From A Storm

There are 3 different categories depending on your age, and the closing date is October 2010.

PureTravel Writing Competition 2010:
Is there something you want to share with the world that you can tell them in under 500 words?  Something amazing that silenced you?  Something disastrous that made you speak up?

Something with some serious meaning that you think could impress the readers and judges and make a difference to your local area, some distant landscape, an endangered species or a threatened community – or just a funny story that you just can’t forget?

All articles will appear on the PureTravel website and the judges will pick 10 for the public to vote on before choosing a winner!  And your prize could be the inspiration for another great adventure!

WWT Photographic Competition 2010:
Take a moment to visit a wetland centre and try to capture what wildlife means to you today.

Whether it is a close up or a rare animal, a new way of looking at something we think we know so well – or to capture that strange moment in your life that might never be found again!

There are plenty of categories this year – including one that doesn’t have to have been taken in a WWT centre – so there is hope for everyone!  All ages, all themes, all places!

Whichever one you enter – I’m sure you will feel that yours is good enough to be a winner, and why not?  Every experience is real and can make a difference at different levels – whether it’s just in the way we think about things – or whether we manage to change other peoples way of thinking too!

Good Luck!

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!