Green Holidays

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Who is Ramsar - and why does he run our local wetlands?

Small nature reserves in the UK aren’t just for local people to admire or picnic in - some of them are deemed of international importance! Just like the Great Pyramids of Egypt and the Grand Canyon in the States - we have places in the UK that are of interest to everyone in the world and are therefore protected as such!

Such sites have specific names and acronyms to identify them - and here are a few of them to look out for on your holidays:

UNESCO World Heritage Site:
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Heritage Site scheme is known the world over as amazing locations - but did you know we had a few right here?

Heritage Sites are divided up into Natural, Cultural or Mixed and the UK has 28 in total! (Only 6 countries have more sites). These sites can also include just buildings without any surrounding land - but that is why they have split them up into either Natural or Cultural sites to distinguish between them.

They include Hadrians Wall, Giant’s Causeway, Neolithic Orkney as well as Stonehenge and Avebury - and are a mixture of paying and free sites to visit. Imagine; our stone circles being as important as Macchu Pichu and the Grand Canyon!

Avebury World Heritage Site

Geoparks:
These areas are a relatively new scheme of natural sites monitored by UNESCO to preserve the geography of a region.

Whether it’s the oldest rocks in the world in Scotland or a great landscape feature like the Fforest Fawr - it could be included. The UK has 10 Geoparks including the Cotswolds and the Pennines and may well get more in the future.

Biosphere Reserves:
Again by UNESCO, these parks are focusing on the biological side of the natural world and these park are meant to represent the balance between man and nature - basically they are to be managed sustainably by humans.

The UK only has 9 sites out of a worldwide total of 553 - and they include the North Norfolk Coast and Beinn Eighe - but there have been no recent additions to the UK listings.

Ramsar Sites:
These sites are specifically about protecting international wetlands, and so are focused along waterways and estuaries around the world.

The joining parties wished to make sure that other countries do not abuse or destroy their wetlands and so set up criteria in the 1970’s (in a town called Ramsar) for everyone to adhere to.

They now oversee 1,888 sites across the globe covering around 1,850,000km² in total! The UK has the highest actual number of protected Ramsar sites (168 in total) although Canada has the greatest protected wetland area (130,000 square kms).

February the 2nd each year is World Wetlands Day - and is celebrated with events through many of the wetland sites - as well as other similar sites that are not yet classified as Ramsar.

Hope this helps!

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What’s the difference between an SSSI, a SNCI and an AONB?

There are plenty of acronyms all over the countryside and in wildlife literature, but what are they and what do they actually mean?

How could they affect your green adventures closer to home - and which are the best for wildlife, best for families or best avoided!

Well, I have found out about the main contenders in the UK - and details of what they are about:

NP - National Park
These are large areas of the country that have been chosen to be preserved and improved for the enjoyment of people and for the safety of local plants and wildlife - or ways of living/heritage.

Most of the land within National Parks is privately owned and so there are certain areas that cannot be visited by tourists - and this can also lead to conflict with local businesses and excessive congestion in the ‘best’ places.

Parts of a National Park can also be designated as any of the following as well, for example the South Downs National Park is dotted with SSSI’s and smaller Nature Reserves.

SSSI - Site of Special Scientific Interest
This is the name given to areas in the UK that have special features which need to be protected, and fall into either biological SSSI (mainly habitats like peat bogs and cliffs) or geological SSSI’s (which have been chosen to represent a specific geological or visible feature of a landscape specific to the UK).

Pulborough Brooks - Sussex - SSSI Nature Reserve

They do not need to be on public land, and in fact many are in private hands and cannot be visited by the public, however National Charities and Organisations like the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts run them as Nature Reserves.

The SSSI’s do not need to a beautiful places to visit - they just contain certain elements or are in certain locations that should be protected.  They could just be an old field by the side of the road!

AONB - Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Only covering abut 10% of land in the UK, these areas are given special protection with regards to development and housing - so that the areas cannot be destroyed or divided by roads and buildings.

These Areas are normally smaller than National Parks and are more or less places to roam freely.

NR - Nature Reserves
These are totally different from National Parks as they are specifically run to protect and preserve the habitat and wildlife - rather than as places for people - although many are open to the public. 

They can be either a National NR (NNR) and ‘run by Natural England, or they can be a Local NR (LNR) and run by non-government groups or private owners.  They could also be Marine Nature Reserves (MNR) a and protect the coastal edges or the UK. 

It is often created in an area where a particular species of plant or animal is endangered, and so by protecting the area and restricting access and development, the species may survive and thrive.

CA - Conservation Area
These areas do exactly what they say - they are created to protect a species or landscape that would otherwise be lost to development.  They are usually quite small and are part of or all of a LNR.

They tend to have a variety of names as they are run by the county, so a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) is virtually the same as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC)

CP - Country Parks
These are just areas of the countryside that have been set aside for human pleasure - with no particular interest in conservation.

They are usually large areas of managed woodland and open space with extensive and well marked trails for people on foot, on horseback and more recently on mountain bikes.

The park may well have a campsite and other facilities (cafe/shop/toilets/play park) on site, and there may well be a charge for the car park!

So, now you can plan your trip to better suit your needs - and you will know what to expect when you get there…….

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Use the sun, a few bits of wood and some string - you could create something amazing!

Did you know that virtually all megalithic structures (like stone circles, henges and long barrows) found through the UK and northern France use the same standard measurement? 

And that this measurement is found to be virtually identical across thousands of miles in 100’s of different locations - so how did they do it?

Well, there has been a lot of research into how and why these structures were built - and it all seems to come back to the heavens.  We assume that these are all astrologically motivated structures - to watch solstices and such - but now it seems that they were all built using these observations in the first place! 

What Is This Tool?
Well, it is called the Megalithic Yard (MY), and is a measurement tool that helps people to build great structures that can channel the light of the Sun, Moon or Venus onto specific places at specific times of the year.

Rather than just make loads of copies of the original 1 and send it miles in each direction, the ancient builders found a way to create this tool wherever you were - and it would always be the same size and show the maker the direction to face their structure.

It was rather like a set of instructions for megalithic builders across the north-west of Europe which people took with them and passed on by word of mouth - well, they had invented these great structures, but hadn’t got around to a written language! 

According to several books and notes on the Internet, this measurement is also still to be found today - as the MY is linked to the modern ‘mile’ by use of the ‘old-fashioned’ measurements of ‘rods’ or ‘poles’ - and those of us that have allotments will know all about ‘rods’!

And, using the MY for weight and mass also creates some well known measurements - like the imperial pound and the imperial pint!

How To Make It:
Before you get started - this process does take a while to set up and then at least one whole clear night to complete - and does involve a bit of maths!

But, what great fun it is to sit out under the night sky in summer and take yourself back to a time when people really needed to work this out!  You are sharing your experience with some of the greatest builders of our history. 

I mean, their structures are still standing today - and mystifying scientists!  These people were dragging massive stones across counties - and sometimes countries - to build their structures.

And as you know they are all built in open areas to make full use of the night sky - so you need to find a largish open space with a clear view of the horizon.

Then, you need to gather together the following equipment and a torch (and hopefully some friends, and you are ready to go:

• 2 thick poles about 6ft long each
• 1 shorter pole of around 10 inches with 5 equal notches
• 1 long washing line cord (around 40 ft)
• 1 shorter string (around 5ft)
• 1 small symmetrical weight with a hole in the centre
• 1 sharp blade

It would certainly be wise to print off the full instructions as there are a lot of numbers involved in setting up the poles and counting time - but the general pattern of events involves calculating a megalithic degree (of a circle) and then setting up a start and a finish post on the arc of your circle.

You will then need to count the time it takes a bright star to move from one pole to the other pole by using a pendulum.  The pendulum needs to swing back and forth 366 times between the star passing the first pole and then passing the second pole.  Luckily there are plenty of bright stars in the night sky to give you a few attempts to get it right! 

And hopefully, plenty of tasty food and drink to keep you going until you do! 

If you want to read more about megalithic builders and their astronomical beliefs and actions, then take a look at the book ‘Uriels Machine’ by Christopher Knight and Robert Lomas.  It certainly made me think differently about our Stone Age culture - and maybe you will look at them in a different light too!

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Hello again, and I hope you haven’t been caught up in all this airline trouble at the moment!

No doubt if you had booked a quiet trip by train across Europe, it could have been affected by thousands of other holidaymakers who couldn’t get on a plane! 

Your quiet out-of-the-way hotel could have been besieged by families waiting for a ferry or coach to turn up!  It could make for some really interesting articles but wasn’t much fun I’d imagine!

Anyway, lets get on with those already in the system - starting with a great post about travelling around the States using car-shares rather than the hassle of hiring one yourself or dragging your car across the country!  Follow the tips offered by Byteful Travel in How to Get Paid to Travel 1,000 miles: Craigslist and see if you can go on a great plane-free car-sharing friend-making adventure!

If you are traveling north to Canada instead then why not take a peek at the photos in Mark H’s article: Wicked But Stunning (Jasper National Park, Canada) where you can see images of pure tranquility! And imagine if you a life there for next too nothing - wouldn’t that make it all the more magical?

Eco Living Advice wants to share with you some destinations on the other side of the Atlantic with 7 Eco Friendly Tourist Destinations in the UK, showing that you don’t need to travel across oceans to see some great sites - you have plenty right where you are now!

And if you want to take along some pretty unique clothing and accessories when you travel - maybe for yourself (laptop bag) or for others (hair bands and wallets) - then take a look at some of the links which Gabriella White has in the post 100 Amazing Upcycling Ideas Anyone Can Do and maybe give one a try! It makes using all your rubbish so easy - and you get something totally unique virtually for free!

However, if you want a taste of a country without actually going there, take a look at the huge choice given by Rowena Hebert for travel literature that summons up the taste and feel of exotic or distant destinations that could interest and inspire you: 100 Novels That Let You Travel The World Without Leaving Home. I have added a few to my reading list that I hadn’t heard of before……

……but if you want to see rather than read, then take a look at Daniel Jones’ list of Top 100 Travel Photography Blogs and see some amazing shots - and like me you might wonder why you aren’t doing your own travel journal like this!

And finally, Jerry Rogers offers up a huge list of links for the student and includes a small section on green travel links 100 Essential Blog Posts for Students Going Green, and you might even find something else inspiringly green that you weren’t really looking for as well!

So, get reading and change today for the better…….

All around you are trees that are doomed to die before their first adult leaf - but you can help them!

Basically, last autumn, loads of seeds fell from trees as part of the natural cycle of things - and many of them will grow for ever and become great adult trees.  Some in churchyards, some in woodlands, along a river or around the edges of a field.

But those that have fallen in your lawn and have spent all winter growing roots and hiding under the snow, could well be doomed when you get out your lawn mower for the first time this spring!

Baby Trees:
All around you outside you should be able to find these baby trees really easily, as they nearly all grow identical first leaves (see picture).  These first leaves look absolutely nothing like the mature tree leaves, so you won’t know what they are unless the seed casing is still attached.

This way - it is even more exciting to save them as you will have to wait a while to find out what trees you have actually saved!

Some trees have obvious seed cases, like the one’s I found that were still in their sweet chestnut casing, and others I have found were still in their little ‘winged’ cases, but generally, you can only guess at.

Birds carry a lot of seeds inside their guts after berry eating in the winter, and can drop them well away from the adult tree or bush. And yet other seeds can sit in the ground waiting to germinate for up to 2 or even 3 years - so before they start to grow they could have been dug up and moved to a completely new garden without you knowing about it!

Why Save Them?
Well, we all know that planting trees is great for the planet, so instead of buying trees from a garden center or specialist - why not just help the ones in your own garden to grow naturally.

Not only is this free (yippee!), but it is great fun AND it will help wildlife to be attracted to your garden or local woods.

So, you need to make sure that you move these little trees out of the path of the lawn mower and take them to somewhere where they can grow safely.  Don’t forget that trees take years to grow to any noticeable size, so they aren’t going to over run your garden - unless you wait about 30 years!

And, they aren’t all going to survive anyway as deer might eat them or whatever, so don’t worry about about planting them close together if it’s easier for you and depending on where you can move them to. 

They won’t need looking after at all once moved - and all of mine from last spring survived sitting under thick snow for 2 months solid over the winter and are all doing fine this spring!

So, get out there and get digging!

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It’s snowing again! Will it ever stop?

Well, welcome back to Green Holidays and to another blog carnival for a great collection of articles.

So, lets start with every travelers tip of what and what not to eat with a useful guide to eating abroad with Should You Order The Hollandaise Sauce?.

And if you are thinking of having a great spring clean in the next few weeks and don’t want to just throw out your stuff, read these tips for passing on your unwanted goods and having a great day out too! So have a peek at Car Boot Sale Tips!.

Here’s a quick article on the importance of the Argentinian Tango: Save The Tango!

And another on green products that you might need in the cold!!!! So, take a look at How The Olympics is Going Green! | Guffly

And if you are thinking of taking the family dog on your green adventures but they suffer from travel sickness, have a look at these tips to make your journey better and your family complete with Do You Have A Travel Sick Dog?

So, enjoy your trips - and enjoy planning them!!!!!

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If local women are not allowed to visit somewhere - why should female tourists get access?

I was just reading an article in last months National Geographic about a peninsula in northern Greece filled with around 2000 monks.   This self-governing state is seen as the focal point of Orthodoxy in this region, and is home to over 20 monastical buildings and various other shelters and buildings - and not one single woman!

The males here have decreed that there should be no women allowed to visit, work or live on the peninsula - and they have lived here a long time holding on to this wish.

Mainly as they do not want to be distracted from their busy lives of worship and also as the land they occupy is hemmed in by great mountains, and only accessible by boat, so they have a certain amount of control over who enters.

Everything that happens here is ruled by the self appointed ‘rulers’ and they are sticking to their word.

However, now Greece has become involved in the European Union and many of the monasteries are receiving financial support from it - there is talk of ‘changes’ to modernise the area and bring it into line with the rest of the country.

And this could mean allowing women to visit!

Is That Wrong?
Just because we (as travelers) can visit virtually anywhere in the world that we want to, including remote Amazonian tribes in Brazil and Aboriginal families in the vast wilderness of Australia, does that mean we can ignore their culture - and their history - and in this case; their beliefs?

So, should men be able to stop women visiting this region?  Well, I think so.  Or more correctly - women should see how important this is to the monks and refrain from going there.

It is directly comparable to our personal space.  For example: when we go to the gym - we don’t just wander into the men’s locker room?  When we visit someones home - we don’t just go looking around their bedroom - so why should we go and ‘look’ at their monasteries?

It’s a matter of respect really.

Preservation Of Culture:
We all know that as the world expands, so history and culture are lost - so why are we not helping to preserve them?  Things may well eventually have to change - but we shouldn’t be the one’s speeding it up.

There are plenty of people living in the world today that do not want to or do not need to become modernised and have everyone trampling all over their land to see what they are like.

They should be able to just continue doing what they have done for centuries before without being ’studied’ or dissected to see how they ‘fit in’.

It is amazing to think that their are still places in the world that we don’t know about - and I must admit that I enjoy reading about such places and the people who live there.  People living their whole lives in religious seclusion or totally isolated from the rest of the world.

And sometimes, I just hope it will stay that way.

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Learning to Tango in Argentina can be just as important as visiting a rainforest…….

There are a whole host of festival and events that may well rely on your visit to survive the next 30 years or so. 

I’m not talking about the modern Rio Carnival or Oktoberfest - I’m talking about traditions that have lived for centuries in small communities across the world.

UNESCO has set about preserving these traditions with their Intangible Cultural Heritage scheme - to which they have recently added the Tango - but which holds many many more already including many little known cultural delights from across the globe.

Take for example, the Indonesian Wayang Puppet Theatre. This art of story telling has been used in Indonesia for 10 thousand years, across the royal courts and in towns and villages, to bring the regions epic history to life.

There is still an interest in the puppets - either 3-dimensional or brought alive by shadows - accompanied by musicians and singers, but it is having to compete with television and the internet for viewers. 

By making sure you add a visit to a traditional theatre show on your trip to the area, you could be making sure that it is worth continuing the tradion and worth training for.  Would you invest your time learning a skill that people might not need in 5 years?

Or a trip to Mexico in late fall could coincide with the huge festival: el dia de los muertos - the Day of the Dead.  Thousands of local villagers spend the day in celebration of their lost loved ones who are said to come alive for the day and to bring properity and good luck to the families.

Cultural Heritage:

We all know how important it is to encourage traditions and festivals, but of course we need to make sure that we don’t make them into a side show, like the Kayan women from Thailand have become, but we want to make sure that they know the importance of their traditions.

Also, they do not want to freeze cultures in time.  There is no intention to force people to continue with customs that are no longer relevant, but to empower cultures with their past - rather than force them into an uncomfortable future.

Things like Morris Dancing in the UK are well known not to be a part of modern culture - yet we all love the tradition of the dancing and the people who dress up for this know the history and pass on the reasons behind the colors and the stick-bashing!

Society will always evolve - but why not hold on to the things that were once important.  Hopefully governments are working with these groups to make sure that these traditions are not lost forever like many languages around the world have been.

If you fancy getting your wellies on and digging a hole - then find your local tree planting event!

Every year the National Tree Council run and support National Tree Week - this year running from November 25th thru to December 6th - so more than a week really - but more time to get involved!

What Is It All About?
Basically, it is a time for people to get involved with community planting events in the winter, and make a difference to local woodlands and parks - and to the environment.

Running since 1975 (wow!), this national event has dramatically changed local communities, schools, parks and gardens across the country - and this year is no different! 

With a list of events running all over the country - and the chance to list your own event - they expect over a quarter of a million people to get involved.

What Else Can You Do?
There are plenty of things that you can do to support National Tree Week that don’t involve any costs, and are just as fun!

1) Your Own Garden: If you can’t make one of the tree planting events - then why not plant your own tree in your garden?  Get your family involved and make a day of it - dedicating your tree to your kids, parents, favourite pet or whatever.  A tree is a tree, so whatever the reason - it doesn’t matter.

2) Record Breaker?:  Although, if you can plant your tree on the 5th of December this year - you could take part in the record-breaking event being hosted by BBC breathing spaces.  All you need to do is make a pledge to plant your tree on their website, then take a photo of you planting it and send it in to count!

3) Go Exploring:  You don’t have to plant a tree to support trees - take a walk in the woods.  By regularly visiting your local woodlands you are helping to make sure that they remain.  If people don’t visit these places, they will simply disappear or become private.

4) Capture The Image: Go out loking for great trees to photograph in your area. You can attach your images to Google Maps so that when people search for your town, they can see your photos of amazing trees!

5) Living Giants: Go out looking for huge trees to add to the Woodland Trust Ancient Tree Hunt database. THey are hoping to create a map of all the oldest trees in the UK - so need you out there finding the undiscovered ones!

6) Learn More:  Take the time to teach yourself and your family about the UK’s native tree species and how to identify them.  The more you know about something the more you can get involved, and the more your kids know, the safer the trees futures will be. 

7) Collect Seeds:  When you know the difference between an acorn and a hazelnut - you can plant them yourself and grow your favourite trees from seed!  Not all the seeds that fall to the ground in autumn will grow into trees, so why not take home a few nuts and seeds and try to grow them yourself.

If they survive and last the year - you will have your own trees to plant out for National Tree Week 2010!

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If it doesn’t recycle or have solar panels - is your holiday cottage still a green choice?

I think it depends on your priorites and the area in which it is situated. For example, if it is a city, I think that the emphasis should be on the inner workings of the building. Is it reducing it’s energy use, are it’s appliances A rated, are it’s suppliers doing their part too?

Whereas if it is in the countryside, then I think the priorities can shift a bit to the outside world. Why focus all your attention on the inside of the building when it is the location that is more important. What good is a totally carbon neutral, self-sufficient eco lodge that has flattened all the woodland to build the hotel in the first place and to make a car park?

New builds are very difficult to assess as well, as why build from scratch when you could improve what’s already there without changing the whole location?

I Like Old Fashioned.
It is very difficult for me as a known ‘little-spender’ to see these trendy eco lodges in forests or woodlands that have everything an eco holiday needs but cost an absolute arm and a leg!

I’m all for paying to support my ideals, but paying some of these what I consider excessively high prices, is something that I cannot bring myself to do.

I would rather have the simple holiday with no frills than pay for the luxury of all the bells and whistles that are included in some of these places. Basically I would rather go without appliances for a few days than pay to use super, eco friendly, carbon neutral, low energy fairtrade alternatives!

I recently stayed on a working farm in a renovated 150-year-old barn surrounded by wildlife. And to me, this place was totally natural and a perfect environmentally sensitive location.

The farm owner had gone completely out of his way to preserve the landscape (his hedges are about 1000 years old), protect wildlife (he has banned hunting and doesn’t use pesticides), encourage wildlife (owl boxes and restoring grasslands) and helping animals (he’s released badgers and hedgehogs, rehomed battery-farmed chickens and taken on 2 rescue dogs and 4 feral cats!).

The Location.
This farm is in a protected historic landscape and it’s a shame that their criteria aren’t as strict as his!

I often think of the perfect eco lodge in my eyes, and it’s a bit like here.

I don’t need all the trendy furniture and attractions of what appear to be the only eco lodges out there - they are more like boutiques or top-of-the-range holiday resorts.

Yes, they look totally perfect and some of the locations are amazing - but I couldn’t think of anything better than a small self-sufficient unit in amongst the landscape and the wildlife. Ideally a protected warm indoor area that had some basic amenities and was right in the thick of it.

Basically, I want a camping experience without all the other campers, and I want a place I can stand up in which has running warm and cold water. Anything more is a bonus!

This place certainly had more, (well, it was a holiday cottage) but it was away from all the other ‘campers’ and it was right in the countryside. I could - and did - go out for a walk everyday - and sometimes within less than 5 minutes from my door, there were groups of fallow deer in sight, and the sound of a tawny owl carried on the wind.

On Balance.
Well, I know he won’t win any ‘eco hotel’ awards for his cottages themselves - but that didn’t seem to be his initial intention. I think he just wanted to enjoy the land and the landscape - and he has done just that.

There are many ‘eco’ things he could do in terms of the cottages themselves, as could we all in our own homes, but I really think that he has achieved some really wonderful things in terms of restoring the land to a more natural form. The wildlife are thriving and there is surely more to come.

I’m glad we found it, and we hope that he continues to make a difference!

If you are in the south of England and are looking for a holiday cottage - why not try here. Use this link to take a look at the place.