Eco Holidays

posted by Catherine on Jan 21

Get away from the snow and step into a heated haven - filled with free flying butterflies!

RHS Wisley in Surrey, England, is cramming it’s huge glasshouses with butterflies from around the world to make a magical spectacle of colour.

The huge glasshouses cover an area the size of 10 tennis courts, according to their website, and it is already filled with wonderful temperate, tropical and desert living plants.  All these plants are arranged on different levels, with a root section underground for you to explore as well.

With waterfeatures, orchids, ferns, cactus and passion flower curtains - the glasshouse will be a perfect habitat for butterflies to reside.  They will be able to act as though they were in their natural habitats, so you will see them chasing each other around, feeding, and just resting on leaves - basking in the sun (hopefully).

There will be species from all over the world - including the huge Blue Morpho, one of the largest butterflies in the world which flies like a piece or fine tissue paper on a gentle breeze.  A real sight to behold.  I recently saw them flying free whilst in Costa Rica - and it is certainly something I want to see again!

The Theme:
Butterfly Conservation (a UK charity) are helping to arrange this event in Wisley, and it’s focus is to be on native species here in the UK.  There will be experts from the charity on site to answer your questions and help you to identify species that you have seen in your gardens over the past year.

There will be displays throughout the centre, filled with information on plants that butterflies need to lay their eggs on, plants that the young caterpillars feed on and all sorts of tips for vreating a wildlife haven for them in your own back yard.

Butterflies make up a really important part of your gardens ecosystem, with the caterpillars feeding a whole host of garden birds and their spring chicks, and the adult butterflies are essential pollinaters for many British plants - not to mention a lovely sight in the wilflower meadows!

It won’t be long now until the spring brings out some early butterflies, and they want to encourage you to be ready for them.  So there will be recommended plants to help them feed, plants to help them breed, and plants for their offspring to eat!

It’s also the time of year to start paying attention to the garden again - as things you plant now will be in full flower for the summer - perfect for these chaps!

The Site:
RHS Wisley is a huge outdoor wonderland with plenty to do outside of the glasshouses. So, if you only spend an hour or two inside - there will be plenty to keep you busy across the rest of the extensive site.

There is the never-ending orchards, the fruit gardens, vegetable plots and greenhouses and many many more sights to get you inspired for your own eco adventures back home.

The library, garden centre, field trials (row upon row of magnificent plant varieties hoping to achieve accreditation), landscape sculptures, the ornate water features, rock garden, maze and woodland paths. It is going to be a fun packed day out.

And the more people you go with - the cheaper it is to get in, and kids uner 6 are free anyway - so get your friends and family together and book a great day out with a difference!

Last time I went, I didn’t make it around in one day - so what a great excuse to go back!

posted by Catherine on Jan 11

Have you decided that this year is going to be the year that you make some changes to your eco life?

I mean, it can be hard to start something new when everyone else is talking about presents, eating and drinking all your favourite things and not working!

Well, now it’s all over, it’s a great time to think back over what we did last year and put together some great ideas for your new year ahead.

It doesn’t matter if you make a great list with loads of stuff on it - even some quite outrageous claims can be on it - as long as it inspires you to try something new and to get out there and challenge yourself to do things you may not ordinarily do.

Things that require a little extra effort from the norm - and aren’t across the other side of the world. 

Why can’t you spend an extra few hours a week training for a charity walk? Are you really to busy to put aside a few hours a week for teaching a skill to others at your local college, or a few hours a week volunteering for a local charity?

Just like saving money - if you plan far enough ahead, then you can find the time to do anything you want, and on my list this year there is a little bit of everything. 

Even I know that a year has only got 365 days in it - so there is a limit in that sense - but most people forget to use all the time off they have.  There is also a frightening number of people who don’t claim their full holiday entitlement from work!  Why would you want to be there any longer than you had to when there are so many other things you could put your hand to.

Any Ideas?

How about some of the following to get you started:

Little Effort:
1) Join a local charity that does work or has a centre near you, like a wildlife sanctuary or children’s hospital.  Maybe you could plan to visit every other month and learn about what they do.

2) Join a national charity that interests you, like the National Trust or the RSPB.  Take part in some of their surveys or activities, and maybe volunteer at a site close to home.

3) Subscribe to a new specialist magazine about something you have always liked but never excelled at, like digital photography or outdoor adventures - maybe find some courses that you could attend to get that ‘hands on’ experience too.

Medium Effort:
1) Put yourself out for others and get involved in more community activities.  Find out when the local wildlife groups are going to clear rubbish or scrub from a woodland or beach near you and join in.  Find clubs that help the elderly or disabled which need volunteers for coffee mornings or the like, or set one up if you are feeling brave!

2) Re-home a pet this year.  Why not see if you could help the numerous animals that are abandoned each year by taking one (or more) into your home.  And it doesn’t always need to be a dog - I once took in something as small as a hamster from a shelter and gave him a great home!

3) Teach your family (and yourself) something new this year by taking a short course.  Whether it’s a new language, a new skill like cooking or woodwork, taking on an allotment (or your own back yard) to grow veg, learning to identify wildlife, or many of the other courses that are always available at your local colleges and schools.

Huge Effort: (but worth it!)
1) Sign up to a charity trek somewhere challenging like crossing the Sahara or climbing in the Himalayas - and raise money to make a real difference to something you care about.  You can choose your charity - but you will need to work out how to raise the several thousand pound you will need to partake - and put some effort in to getting fit enough to complete it.  They are very rewarding though!

2) Start changing your home into a more energy efficient and green home by finally researching your eco friendly options for all things new.  Starting with your energy suppliers which you can switch to green without too much fuss, and working through your supermarket choices, cars and travel options, cleaning products, electronic products, home furniture and even clothing to replace the old with the new.  Now I’m not suggesting change things for the sake of change - I’m just suggesting that when something needs replacing - look for the greener alternative.

3) Change your job to one that is more satisfying!  Big old heave-ho here - but why spend day after day in a job just for the money when you are so miserable every day that you never feel like doing anything outside of work!  There are many jobs with eco friendly companies, charities, green energy and overseas that could really turn your life around.

Any of those take your fancy?

posted by Catherine on Dec 18

Qualified vets are always needed to help the local people of Iquitos, Amazonian Peru.

It’s not just the wildlife in the amazon that needs our care and attention - the dogs and cats that keep the community happy need a bit of help along the way too.

Pets form an important part of a community, and they get ill the same as we do but not everyone can afford the vets bills!

So, What Can You Do?
Well, you can visit the website of Amazon Cares for a start, and take a look at the great work that volunteers carry out there on the banks of the mighty Amazon.

Take time to read about the projects they run and their dedication to the people they help. Have a peak at their constantly updated images and blog posts of vets and vet nurses already out there helping out in their clinic.you should seriously consider a short (or long) program with Amazon Cares!

Think you can spare a few weeks of your life to make a huge difference to some poorly pets across the globe - and add a great bonus to your future veterinary resume!

Working closely in a surgery like this will teach you a huge amount about yourself - and you will learn a huge amount from the resident team even if you are newly qualified. So, if you have recently finished your training and wanted to travel a bit before settling into a permanent veterinary position back home - have a look at their site.

What Do They Do?
They work tirelessly to promote great animal health and the reduction of breeding animals in the community. They also work closely with the communities as well as their pets, including:

• Free mobile veterinary clinics to more remote areas
• Humane education and domestic violence programmes
• Assisted animal therapy for disabled children
• Free wildlife veterinary care and ‘animal orphange’
• Continued veterinary support to national veterinary collages and surgeries

They really have it all covered!

The Results:
My friend recently returned from a trip working with the team in Iquitos and not only did she help neuter and treat thousands of animals in the short time she was there - she made some great friends.

She also got to live in a riverside home on stilts (!) took some amazing photo’s of the surroundings, the Amazon and her team working in the surgery.

She also got the opportunity to travel to Cusco afterwards as well as a quick visit to the lost city of Machu Picchu as well.

I’m not suprised she was so glad that she went!

posted by Catherine on Nov 25

There is an opportunity on the horizon to get support for a mass tree planting session!

BBC Breathing Spaces is trying to break a Guinness World Record for ‘the most trees planted in 1 hour in 1 location’ - and they aren’t aiming low!  The current world record is 18,124 for this record - and they really want to smash it!

It is part of their drive for National Tree Week in the UK, but you can be from anywhere in the world to help them break a more individual record of ‘the most trees planted in 1 hour in any destination’ - currently standing at 653,143!

The Big Planting:
Basically, they will need your group of at least 100 people (and up to 100 helpers) to aim to plant around 20,000 trees (around 3.33 trees a minute) in the specified hour (between 11am and 12 noon on the 5th of December 2009) - so you will need the land (over 5 hectares) and the trees (all suitable for the environment) already planned!

The great thing is that Breathing Spaces will offer advice and support through the whole thing - so if your local group were planning to improve a woodland or parkland, then now would be a great time to do it.

There are of course strict rules governing your planting attempt - as it is a World Record after all - but you will get all the publicity and advice that could make a real difference to your community or local group.

They have prepared a list of guidelines for larger groups to answer all your questions etc, and they would love to help you break the record!

Not Quite So Big?
If you think that 20,000 trees is a bit too much for your group or community - you can still take part in their main event - planting however many trees you want to plant in the same hour.

This way, if you can only plant 500 trees, 50 trees or just 5 trees, they will all count towards the record attempt anyway - without the stress of the full on planting frenzy as described above!

It’s all about improving the environment and encouraging biodiversity - so literally every tree can make a difference. They would rather you plant 10 trees that you could maintain and would improve the environment, rather than rushed in and planted 50 trees that didn’t all survive or were too overcrowded.

So, get yourself onto their website, read all the guidelines and advice - and get pledging!  So far they have had pledges to plant 263,669 trees - way off the current record of 653,143!

Help make a difference - sign up for Tree O’Clock 2009.

posted by Catherine on Nov 10

Going into caves that support beautiful wildlife could actually be destroying it!

We all know that many animals live in caves, whether it’s the obvious bats or the not so obvious creepy crawlies, but could we be damaging the very environment that they evolved to live in?

I recently read a report on the fact that groups of people who pay to go into giant caves to see the nesting bats are actually driving the bats away and making the cave inhospitable to other creatures as well.

What Is The Problem?
For a start, many ‘in demand’ caves are fenced off or boarded up so that you can’t go into them yourself without paying the fee.  This alone not only restricts animal movements, but prevent wind and rain (along with seeds and insects) from entering.

Many larger caves have also added lighting and footpaths without any consideration for the wildlife at all - let alone the increase in traffic on the journey to the cave in the first place.

It is obvious then that this will affect both the food chain and the delicate habitat that you may well have been paying to see!

Since cave tourism was implemented in one cave in China, the fruit bat population has plummeted from around 5000 to less than 2000 in just a few years.

And Humans?
Although this industry stops a lot of things from getting into the caves - it also lets in more dangerous things - basically humans!  Lots of humans.  All that exhaled CO2 can be devastating to the micro climate within these environments.

Picture it.  A large group of tourists have just walked some distance, possibly up a hill to get to the cave.  They are breathing heavily as they enter the cave, talk a lot to each other and possibly get out of breath while exploring, leaning on walls and slipping on plants and guano.

Many of them will be dripping with sweat from this or the increased temperature inside the cave, and they will possibly trample in areas that are not suitable for walking boots.  As most tourists are generally selfish, no doubt they will break things, drop things and probably have food with them.

All three of these could destroy wildlife or bring disease to the cave.

Then, when they have had their monies worth, the door is locked shut, trapping all that nastiness inside until the next tour.

Please think before you enter any environment that is widely advertised for tourists or touted on the streets.  The people who pay to go on a spur-of-the-moment trip to somewhere different are usually not the least bit interested in the longevity of that location.  It just looks fun right now.

So, think before you join them.

posted by Catherine on Oct 20

There is no longer any good reason to not be concerned about carbon emissions!

If you even have one tiny part of you that is seeking to become more eco friendly, it must be to reduce your carbon emissions and helping to reduce (considerably) your by-products and those of your workplace, friends, societies and any other groups of people you can!

It’s true that saving wildlife, reducing deforestation, species conservation, cutting poverty and the like are all very, very important - but if we don’t stop the world heating up like a giant radiator - none of these will matter.

How much more difficult will it be to preserve the habitat of an endangered species of turtle when people are struggling to feed their families?  How can you justify preventing agricultural development of a vast area of natural rain forest when food isn’t growing anymore in the fields that people have used for centuries?

They all becomes a bit less of a concern when human lives are becoming threatened instead!

There is a whole host of information out there about cutting your carbon emissions, and trying to make more ‘eco’ choices for your energy, your travel and your home and business, and it’s always great to support any new ones that come onto the scene. 

If the number of ‘green’ internet sites increases and the number of ‘green seekers’ online increases, then larger bodies can see that they need to start becoming interested too.  Lots of voices all saying the same thing make changes happen!

One such new site is CarbonCredits.cm, which has a growing selection of relevant articles about the environment and tips for reducing your carbon footprint.  It also has very up to date comments and reactions to current affairs!

It’s called global warming because it involves everyone on this earth, regardless of where they are, how old they are and what they want for their family and friends.  Unfortunately, the time has passed for someone just recycling their newspapers to make a difference - it is all caught up in a giant web.

The sooner we get the governments themselves to start doing something - the sooner we can all start thinking about something else worth our time and energy!  The longer we put off making a big difference to our carbon emissions, the less chance we have of recovering what we have lost.

It’s time to think big and act on your environmental concerns - otherwise just surviving might be your biggest concern!

posted by Catherine on Sep 30

Staying on a working farm that promotes wildlife has got to be good!

I recently stayed in a holiday cottage in the Weald in Sussex, England for 2 weeks, more out of urgent necessity than anything else (we needed to move in tonight!)

Therefore, my eco wants and needs were rather pushed to one side with the need for somewhere to sleep in the south-east of England with Internet access!

We called one place that looked adorable but was full for most of the 2 weeks, but the owner very thoughtfully and totally of no gain to herself, recommended a friend of hers that was just starting out so would no doubt have spaces! 

I called them hesitantly, knowing that my first concern was the Internet, then availability then price.  In that order.  (Some of the cottages are so highly priced that even if they came with free food the whole time you were there and a complimentary pony, it wouldn’t be worth it!)

Anyway, I called up a friendly man who answered all my questions and gave me his website address to view the cottages.  We had been viewing others and had found that a great many were just large sheds in some-one’s back garden - not ideal really in terms of the freedom to wander about and come and go as you please without the curtains twitching!  However, his cottages were in the middle of the countryside and a delight to look at, so we called back and said we’d be there by 5!

The Cottage:
It turns out that these 3 cottages are part of a rescued 150-year-old barn on the farm (now a fully functioning equestrian center), and had been very thoughtfully renovated up to a high standard and carefully furnished.

They all had a countryside feel to them, with paintings and pictures or the local art and landscapes.  The inside was spacious and showed the beams of the roof space and had a mezzanine bedroom on top.

There were some eco features including a half-bath, reclaimed furnishings and furniture and all modern appliances including an efficient microwave, condensing boilers, gas stove, nicely they had limited electronics but plenty of books magazines and board games instead!

And it turns out that the cottages aren’t the only thing that the landlord thinks are important.

Nature Comes First!
Since taking over the farm, the owner has focused on keeping it preserved.  Based in the Weald - an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) - and with centuries and centuries of history behind it, there was a good basis for him to start from.

His ancient hedgerows divide his 80 acres of pasture and woodland, and many were almost 1000 years old from my estimations of noticeable species present (oak, hawthorn and ash to name a few).  He also leaves a good 6 feet of untreated land on each side of the hedges to promote their use as a wildlife haven and hasn’t removed any of them at all - I found his farm on a map from 1880 and they were all still there today.

He had also banned hunting on his land - which has got clear traces of pheasant farming and many a spent shot gun cartridges from the past.  In fact he does the opposite - he helps release animals back into the countryside from his farm. 

He has already released whole families of badgers and hedgehogs, has re-homed a flock of battery-farmed chickens (of which he gave us plenty of tasty eggs from) and has re-homed 2 lovely dogs and 4 feral cats into his clan!  However the 2 owl boxes in the main barn haven’t yet been used permanently - but the pair of tawny owls in the woods make up for that!

A Work/Life Balance.
Being a working farm, he has of course, got plenty of farm machinery all about the place and no doubt his isolated location brings many large vehicles some distance from towns to run a successful business - but I think it is worth it.

Most guests here no doubt never traipse around the countryside like we do, and so all of his land hardly gets disturbed by man - and how frequently we saw fallow deer and how close we were able to get to them before they crashed off through the woodland shows that they are at home here - they like it here!

He has created a veritable British wildlife reserve here, and so what if he hasn’t got composting toilets or a wind turbine?  He has ’saved’ this little piece of the countryside for the next generation, creating a safe corridor for wildlife travelling around this area which include Ashdown Forest to the north and the South Downs National Park to the south.

And anyway, does ‘eco’ have to mean completely self sufficient?

If you are in this area and want a great place to stay for wildlife and peace and quiet in a beautiful landscape then use this link to get more information on this farm stay.

posted by Catherine on Sep 2

Heading To South America for a bit of eco adventure!

There are some fantastic wildlife areas in Argentina and the country has so much to offer the visitor that I thought I would try to interest you in some of the eco lodges here that offer that little bit of uniqueness that you would expect from your vacation.

The following 3 locations are spread over the country and include stays in locally run estancia - a large ranch or farm estate.

La Alegría Eco Lodge - Misiones, Iguazu Area:

A small and personal destination submersed in the jungles and waterways of this ancient and wildlife-filled part of the country.

There are only ever a maximum of 6 guests so there is no overcrowding or overuse of resources. There is also little need to stock up with excessive amount of other supplies as the types of guest this attracts are not there for just a ’sunny vacation with all the extras’ - people come here to be at one with nature and to explore the many habitats in peace!

Accommodation is in log cabins, designed and heated in the traditional ways. The freshwater swimming pool is fed by a 100% hydraulic pump from the nearby stream and isn’t treated with chemicals.

Most of the meals are grown and prepared on site, and the hosts join their guests for all meals allowing for some great story telling and traditional celebrations! Your hosts Patricia and Marcelo are also experts on the local area and offer guided tours, horseback trails and other adventures.

Or they just leave you alone to find your own way or just relax in the pool!

Yacutinga Lodge - Misiones, Iguazu Area:

Not far from that lodge is this unique biological lodge that has links to a wildlife reserve and the work of the WWF - as a result it is a bit pricier!

The buildings are made of local materials and set in harmony with natures shapes, totally integrated and the wildlife habitats are literally on your doorstep. Each of the fantastic and spacious rooms has it’s own private and uninterrupted view of the forest outside.

The outside comes inside here, and fallen trees and plants fill the reception and rooms - making it a bit quirky. Almost everything used is from the forests - yet only 4 out of the 570 acres of this pristine wilderness are inhabited by the buildings.

Activities here range from helping out with surveying, planting of indigenous trees, to awareness courses on the natural resources and guided walks. There are thousands of trees, plants, birds, insects and mammals to find in these forests and the funds from your visit will help to make sure that they remain there!

Rincón del Socorro - Esteros del Ibera.

This delightful 12,000 hectare former cattle ranch has been amazingly transformed into a nature reserve by it’s current owners. Using identical resources and techniques they have restored the farm house over 2 years - but adding the modern touch.

Covering both wetland and savannah habitats there will be plenty of places you can just get away from it all by yourself - or get immersed in the whole wildlife packages that the hosts offer.

There are plenty of activities on offer, including horseback riding, canoeing and wildlife watching - and nearly all activities are included in the price so you can make the most of it all. Sit yourself down in the tack room for a traditional drink of afternoon ‘mate’, of wander around the wonderfully restored buildings.

Meals are mainly local and organic and the meat is free-range - well, there is no shortage of land here! Using local traditional foods and gourmet dishes for meals, there is something for everyone, and the local wines will no doubt go down a treat!

posted by Catherine on Aug 6

Are you working for a company that are looking to save money without losing staff?

Then why not offer to help them by taking 6 months off to work in an orphanage in Africa or rescue wildlife in Central Asia?

Maybe your company haven’t thought of letting staff take reduced or unpaid time off to help save money. So why not tell them?

How Will It Help My Bosses?
When your company pay your wages, they also have to pay other contributions on your behalf as well as many other expenses that you may not have really though about.

So, when you take unpaid leave - you could be saving them more than just your salary. I’m not talking pensions, petrol and other expenses here, I’m talking general costs.

Take the following things as examples:

Toiletries: Toilet paper, tissues, soap, dryers are all used on a daily basis by all staff, running up energy bills and paying companies to do the dirty work.
Cafeterias: Ordering, cooking, preparing, eating and disposing of food and drinks isn’t cheap - and there is always waste. If your company know they have less staff, they can cut down on deliveries and reduce waste.
Other Vending: Water coolers, hot drink machines and food vending machines can all be re-filled less often if there are less staff - therefore lower costs of maintenance and staff to refill them.
Stationery: I know people will still need to use stationery even while you are away, but there will be a noticable reduction in use if there are less people in the office. For one: there will be less people to leave notes for - so your Post-It notes use will drop! Less pens will get ‘lost’ or taken home by accident, less email to print, etc……

Other Benefits To Your Bosses:
If they can reduce outgoings with reduced wages then they may well be able to stay in business and pull through the current financial crisis. Therefore - you are actually helping to make sure that you keep your job!

Your gap year may also help you to learn new skills and bring them back to the company on your return. For example, many developing countries have to learn to make do with less - and the skills and techniques that you pick up while working abroad could really benefit the company on your return.

You may even find that the skills that you bring back to your role are better and more usefull and applicaple in this changing climate - possibly even giving you better propects on your return!

However, make sure you check the details before you leave to make sure that you return to your role exactly as you left it - otherwise a great trip could be followed by a heavy thud back down to earth!

posted by Catherine on Jul 16

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What should you do if you see captive wild animals in poor conditions when abroad?

There are many cultures in the world that have a certain disregard for captive animals - but all the more saddening when it is wild caught animals that are used to get ‘tourist dollars’.

Many cultures are associated with certain traditions - such as bear dancing and ‘pet’ monkeys but these have been made worse by people asking for and paying for sights like these as the norm.  Of course, there are many captive wild animals that we will pay to go and see - but you need to make sure that you and other travellers have the animals interests in mind rather than just your own.

I recently went to an adventure park in Mexico that happened to have animals there as well and I was appalled at the conditions of some of the animals and made sure that I reported this to my hotel and the tourist office I booked the trip through.

The conditions were not so terrible that it needed to be taken further on this occasion - but if all the people before me had reported this before I visited, then the animals may well have been in better enclosures by now - or the park may well have been taken off the tourist route.

Voting With Your Dollar!
Tourist destinations depend on tourist like you visiting their sites and attractions and spending your money locally - so if the service they offer isn’t worth paying for then make sure you tell someone.  That way you could save all the animals involved a life in harsh conditions - but you could prevent hundreds of people after you from paying for the same ‘pleasure’!

When you read about a local area, the guide books only recommend those places that attract huge numbers of people to them as they must therefore be ‘good’.  But what if everyone is coming away disappointed?  Who will know unless they all tell someone?

It’s not worth keeping it to yourself either - as if you don’t tell a certain establishment what they are doing that has driven you away - they can’t do anything to rectify it.

How can we expect destinations to improve if we don’t tell them what we expect from them?

What To Do If It’s Really Bad:
If, however, you find animals in such appalling conditions that you just have to do something about it then your best bet is the Born Free Foundation.

They have a multitude of ways in which they can investigate wildlife crime and negotiate better conditions for animals.  Whether they were just tiger cubs  in a ‘zoo’ taken from their parents for ‘cute photos’ or whether they are fully grown tigers in a tiny cage above a bar in Greece - if f you feel it is abuse then take the first step to resolving that issue.

Animals can’t speak for themselves - but your money and your actions can.  Just like payed conservation in reverse - if you pay for it - they just keep doing it.

Visit www.bornfree.org.uk for more details or to support their work - or email on zoocheck@bornfree.org.uk.

Thank you in advance.