Green Holidays

Dogs love to chase, dig and run - so should we really let them into sensitive wild places?

Having been a dog owner for many many years myself I would love to say ‘yes’ - but having also been interested in wildlife and habitat management - it could just as well be a ‘no’.

The reason I think is because of the owner, not the dogs!  So make sure you consider the impacts of your little furry friends before letting them loose with wildlife!

Dogs In The Countryside:
Dogs have been designed by nature to run and run, and chase anything that moves.  So as long as they have been encouraged to run and run with other dogs only - and to chase only balls and toys - then feel free to let them loose over fields and valleys.

There is nothing better I think for the owner and the dog to have a really great run through different habitats, across streams, sniffing what has passed before and enjoying the sunshine.

And if your dog is ‘under control’ you can cross fields of livestock and wander through deer-friendly environments.  However, many people think that ‘under control’ means that at some point and sometimes after lots of shouting that their dog comes back to them - usually at the car!

However, under control should be taken to mean that at your instant recall, your dog stops whatever it is doing and returns to you immediately if you ask it.

If this isn’t the case, then the only way to have your dog under control is to keep it on the lead.  But unfortunately, people see this as ‘unfair’ rather than thinking that they could well have simply trained their dog to respond to commands then it would be safe off the lead.

Effects On Wildlife:
Dogs are all friendly and cuddly to us humans - but don’t forget that they are capable of sniffing out, chasing and even killing wildlife such as rabbits, birds and deer.

Just by letting your dog loose in a woodland, you could be responsible for lowering numbers of rare ground nesting birds, causing a deer to injure itself bolting away, scaring off shy species from breeding in the area and even spreading common diseases to wild mammals.

There is also the problem of dog feces as well.  As dogs are carnivores their waste products are not of any benefit to the wildlife, and can take a lot longer to decompose as a result.  They could also contain bacteria and worms too which are of no benefit to the environment or other dogs passing through.

Vegetarian stools (from cattle, horses, sheep and deer etc) are more natural as they only contain partly digested plant matter, and so they are easily absorbed back into the food chain by bugs, insects and earthworms.

Alternatives:
Maybe we should be getting our local councils to allocate large areas that are not wildlife sensitive for our dogs to play in in complete safety and without worry.

A huge fenced in area with woods, large grassed areas and plenty of doggy bins could be the best thing for local pet owners.  This would mean that there was always a safe place to let your dog run around to burn off that energy, a place to play with other dogs and people and no adverse effects on wildlife!

Who is your local councillor? - And what are they doing to help dog owners?

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I counted in 3 different locations for the bird count, my mum’s, my niece’s and in my own garden!

And I was quite intrigued by the results, as I live in a village next to a small nature reserve, my niece has a huge lawned garden in the suburbs and my mum has a tiny garden in a town filled with greenhouses, pots and bottles for her allotments!

So who saw the most species?

Well, the species in all 3 gardens contained some common elements, but my mum’s tiny garden saw the most individual species - and was the only one to see a tiny wren!

The Counts:
I chose to help with them all as I can better identify birds than my mum and my niece is only just getting interested in nature - so what better way to help her learn some of the most common garden birds?

All 3 counts were in the afternoon, mum’s from 1-2pm on the Saturday, followed by a quick drive to my niece’s for a 2.30-3.30 slot.  My garden count was on the Sunday afternoon - I was saving the best until last.  Or so I thought!

I get all sorts in my garden with small flocks of long-tail tits raiding the orchard for food, jays screaming through the woods and blue tits virtually over-running the feeders - but they weren’t about when I did my count! Neither were the partridges or pheasants that often cross the lawn!

And I forgot that birds flying overhead don’t count, so that ruled out the gulls, buzzards and red kites that regularly turn up here.  Only things that land on the ground counted - and they needed to show up in that hour! 

Both Saturday counts took place from upstairs windows with the Sunday count from outside on the step - but this kept attracting to cats to come over in the hope of a stroke - not so good for birds!

The Results:
Well, there were some species that we all saw and as expected they were blackbirds, magpies and wood pigeons - all very common everyday, but I was quite surprised that both the urban environments saw collared doves and blue tits when my garden saw none.  Where had they gone for the hour?

My nieces garden had only 1 species that wasn’t found in the other 2 gardens, and that was a group of 20 (that I counted) rooks all squawking away in a great big fir tree!   The other 6 species were all shared with at least one of the other locations.

My mum’s urban garden brought up some great species including 3 song thrushes, a wren, 5 house sparrows, 26+ starlings and pied wagtail!

Great stuff for such a small space and so close to so many other houses.  Maybe it was all the containers and buildings that had attracted insects and other delicious invertebrates that were irresistible to these types of birds.

My garden had some equally interesting species that included a great spotted woodpecker, a pair of bullfinches and some jackdaws. 

But I still thought that my mum’s garden had more life in it than I thought it would - and that’s what made the count so much fun!

Go to the RSPB website and send in your results, and you make a difference!  You might have seen all my ‘missing’ species!

If you think that ‘green’ issues are just personal choice - then try dropping litter in NYC!

The police force there have an Environmental Conservation department who don’t take kindly to pollution, litter or protected species amongst other things.  And won’t be shy in telling you so either.

Apparently there are 20 officers currently dubbed ‘green police‘ working in the city itself and they will respond to anything that breaches current eco friendly incidents like polluting vehicles. 

One such reported incident got the driver of the truck a $700 fine - raising to $1300 if the truck wasn’t upgraded to meet current emissions regulations in 30 days!  The officers have portable monitors they just hold on the exhausts - so there is no second chance once pulled over!

Now that is what I like to see - positive action that really hurts the offenders!  No one is going to stop speeding for fear of a small fine - but throw $700 at someone - and I bet they won’t make the same mistake twice!  Hopefully green offenders will start to get the message too - and buck their ideas up.

And For The Animals:
The police also look out for wildlife law breakers too.  The wider arm of the green police work throughout the whole state of New York, taking care of hunting and fishing licences and regulation - and this extends right into the city.

Fish markets and butchers can all be investigated by the officers looking to spot endangered species amongst the tonnes of produce reaching the restaurants and vendors on the street.  They also know about the acceptable sizes for catches too.  Many species can only be kept for food if they are mature adults and above a certain size.

Shellfish too are monitered with juvenile sizes and protected species not boding well for the trader!  Registration and records of sources for these things are also checked for - and woe betide anyone that can’t prove where they got their products from!

There should be more of these people about - so make sure if you are a resident; you support them to keep them on the streets - and if you are an offender; you need to green up your act - fast!

Can you tell the difference between a blackbird and a robin?

If you can - and you aren’t doing anything much at the end of January, why not step out into your garden and watch the birds?  The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (the RSPB) are running their annual bird count on the 30th and 31st of the month - and your would really be helping if you joined in.

The Count:
Don’t worry about learning every single garden bird - they just want the common species. 

And, they only want you to count the most you see at one time rather than clocking up every single bird that flutters past your garden.  So basically if you see one blue tit - you mark down 1.  If that one flies off and later you see another blue tit - it still counts as only 1.  So you don’t need to add them together. 

However, if 2 blue tits fly in together, then your count goes up to 2, as you only every count the total number of each bird seen at one time.

A quick read of their website will help explain the ‘rules’ which couldn’t be simpler - and you could be helping to make sure that they can monitor the rise of decline of some of the UK’s garden favourites.

House sparrows were top of the table in 2009, with starlings and blackbirds coming next.  Do you often see them in your garden anyway?

Why Count Them?
Counting birds in your own country is just as important as counting birds in the Amazon or in the jungles of Borneo.  Just because they aren’t a tropical species, or live in areas of mass deforestation - it doesn’t mean that they aren’t important.

Losing species close to home can also be an indicator of changing climate, habitats in danger and the effects of mankind - probably more important to you than those birds on the other side of the world - and you don’t need and international flight to keep an eye on these ones!

Joining the RSPB could make even more of a difference, but you don’t have to go that far if you don’t want to - just going into your own garden is far enough!

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I know it’s early yet - but keep the date clear in your diary!

I have been to this show for several years now - and I love it! 

It has got everything from volunteering, gap year advice, great products, specific seminars and great food!

I would really recommend a visit here for any travel related queries. The experts on hand can offer you all sorts of tips and tricks and new ideas - whether you know what you want already or you want to be taken completely by surprise!

This show has inspired us to finally travel to Costa Rica for a month to watch the wildlife - which was one of my best travel experiences yet - as well as numerous other trips and ideas!

I remember sitting in the Overland tours bus that was rolled into the hall watching a great video about Africa wondering where on earth anyone was supposed to go to the toilet!

So whether you are looking for inspiration or want to fine tune your ideas - this is the place!

Go to their website: Adventure Show 2010 for more details and to sign up for their newsletter…..

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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.

Stay in the amazing Torres del Paine EcoCamp and experience the rush!

With this amazing experience you can camp in relative comfort in Patagonia. The rooms/tents/domes are a neat half-way between comfy hotel rooms and a standard tent and are based on the traditional tribal Kawesqar huts resembling an igloo - and perfect for deflecting the high winds that sweep this area.

You can stand up in them and they are right on natures doorstep - but you don’t have to eat on your knees (although you can if you want too) and you won’t ruin the location with a giant obtrusive building with added energy requirements……

And these structures can (and are) moved regularly to allow the grass and plants to recover and regrow without showing signs of continued human destruction!

The Camp:
There are different types of dome available depending on your needs, group size and you budget!

Suite Domes- Have double or twin beds, chairs and units - and are heated with a low-emission wood stove. The electricity for each unit is generated with both a micro-hydro turbine and solar panels. All units also have a private bathroom, composting toilet and food waste facility.

Standard Domes- Also have 2 twin or a double bed, and have clear holes in the roof of the structure so you can see the stars! These are slightly smaller in size as they have no private bathroom facilities. Toilets and showers are available in separate units which are of a high standard.

Group Domes - There are also 2 giant domes for all visitors: 1 for cooking and eating, and the other (at nearly 20ft in diameter) for relaxing and socialising.

The Resources:
Basically, they make sure that they are as little known as possible! They don’t advertise on site as their site does move slightly with time and the tents are completely removed in winter.

They use natural resources and renewable energy as much as possible, and try to create as little waste as possible, by ordering in bulk and less often to reduce transport waste and excess packaging.

They separate all waste - and even feed their organic waste to a neighboring pig-farm! They also have only composting toilets on site. They are also working with the CarbonFund to be carbon neutral.

Food is prepared in bulk by the staff and eating is a group affair to make sure that all the resources and energy are reduced, rather than spread out through the evening.

The Experience:
You can wake up here with a perfect view of the magnificent Torres Del Paine National Park outside of your room. The domes look absolutely amazing at night - and are very impressive inside.

There are a number of trips on offer around the great Patagonian wilderness, and can be aimed at either the mountaineering, the sight-seeing, the natural formation, wildlife, or just peaceful trekking here and there.

Guides can arrange for trips further afield - but if you are based here - it seems a shame to take day trips to other places and miss out on this wonderland!

And If You Needed More:
This adventure firm won the National Geographic ‘Best Adventure Travel Company’ award for the 2nd consecutive year, and is listed in Alistair Sawday’s Green Places to Stay, Rough Guides Clean Breaks, The International EcoTourism Society (TIES) and was even mentioned by USA Today.

However, it is a shame that these locations are so expensive that they restrict the eco trip to just those who have so much money that they could pay for us all to go on vacation in a normal campsite for a month or 2!

At around $1400 for only 3 nights in the eco-camp (1 night elsewhere) and 3 days trekking per person, not including flights to the country or transfers to the site, it certainly isn’t cheap! At least all meals are included!

But, wow - what an experience! Go to EcoCamp Patagonia to see more…….

Now is the time to get packing and set of on your grown-up gap year!

Due to the current financial climate in many countries at the moment - this seems to be the perfect time to ask your boss for some time off!

It is normally quite tricky to get your company to agree to a holiday longer than 2 weeks - but with many companies tightening their belts and looking at redundancies and pay cuts now is the perfect time to offer your services!

How Can I Help My Company?
Well, if you think about it, your company is probably thinking on ways to save money. This may include reducing staff hours, offering early retirement, reducing expenditure on stationary and staff services like cafeterias etc.

Basically they need to cut back on as much as possible to keep running at an acceptable level. This is where your salary comes in to action.

You could save your company your salary every day you are not at work.

They could save $1000’s on just you alone - say you were earning $200 per day - that would be a minimum saving to your company of over $6000 a month

So if you were to take just 3 months off - that is over $18,000 saved - plus all other work paid contributions that your company pay on your behalf. You will also be saving them a whole host of other costs that are usually not thought about.

These include the cost of cleaning your office; toiletries and water you would use if still at the office and all the stationary and electricity you use on a daily basis that isn’t strictly work related.

Places like the cafeteria will still be working while you are gone, but if catering for less staff they too can reduce their expenses by ordering and preparing cold drinks and hot food. Same goes for car park maintenance and general cleaning contracts.

It all adds up.

They May Even Offer You Longer!
It could be that your company haven’t thought of this as a way of saving money and so you could be the first to offer up the suggestion to your bosses and get the credit!

Usually, companies will do anything to keep their staff for as long as possible as it is very hard to get reliable staff back when this bad patch is over! So letting you have time off knowing that you will be back in X months could really help them out - and may even help to keep your company running!

You may be brave enough to ask for just 3 months off - but if your company are thinking of stalling all new acquisitions or reducing big projects until the new financial year for example - then they may well offer you a longer ‘break’ so you are off until they need you.

You won’t find out until you ask - and it could be the best move you ever made!

Make sure you choose and clean and an eco friendly beach for your summer vacation!

I know that there are some great beaches around - but do they comply to strict standards of safety, information and services.

When you are travelling with the family - you want to be sure that the beaches that you want to spend your time at and the waters you want to swim in are safe for everyone involved.

Now, there are some beautiful beaches around the world that are stunning, isolated, crammed with wildlife or jagged cliffs - but they are not for families and usually not that safe for children.  The waters around them may also not be safe for swimming either.

What the Blue Flag programme offer is the knowledge of cleanliness and safety.

Who Are They?
In 1985, the first French municipalities were awarded the ‘Blue Flag’ after complying with certain criteria relating to sewage treatment and therefore bathing water quality.

2 years later, it was the European Year of the Environment and so many changes were made across the continent - including the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) putting forward their extension plans for the Blue Flag Scheme.

It was accepted, and plans were drawn up for an international scheme for beaches and marinas to prove their cleanliness.  It also looked at sustainable coastal development and future planning policies.

In that year 244 beaches and 208 marinas from 10 countries were awarded Blue Flag status.

Where Are We Now?
Since 1987, more beaches and marinas in more countries have sought to be registered and identified as a better beach, and now over 3300 beaches and marinas in 39 countries are certified.

From the Bahamas to Morocco and from Russia to New Zealand, people are seeking out these clean, safe and sewage free places to relax!

The criteria for beaches are pretty simple and include Environmental Education and up-to-date information about water quality, code of conduct and the Blue Flag scheme; Coastal Management with regards to dog fouling, litter bins and how it is run; Safety & Services including life guards, first aid stations, maps and toilets.

There is slightly different criteria for marinas - and there is also a scheme for boat owners too.  They need to agree to modify their behaviour to benefit the coast, the sea and the wildlife on both.

Criteria include no disposal of waste or sewage overboard, using eco friendly products both inside and outside of their boats, fishing techniques must be controlled to not affect the fish or sea beds and boats are not to encroach on bird breeding grounds or other sensitive landscapes.

Your Contribution:
Don’t forget that beaches are businesses - so make sure you only support those who have bothered to make them clean and safe. 

If less people visit beaches and seaside towns that haven’t tried to attain Blue Flag standards - those places will start to see revenue and visitors fall - hopefully kick-starting them into action to raise their standards in the future.  Your future.

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Want to see a 7.5 meter-wide giant Manta Rays swimming around you?

Well, you can if you take part in a manta ray project anywhere around the worlds oceans. These giant rays live anywhere there are warm tropical waters - including the Maldives, Thailand, Baja California and all around the coasts of Africa.

Why Manta’s?
Manta Rays (Mantra birostris) is the largest species of ray in the world - and there are around 500 species of ray - and can reach up to 2,000kg or around 5000lb. Yet in water, they look like they are flying!

Although sharing much of their evolution with shark - rays have no true teeth and are filter feeders as a result, eating only plankton - not green volunteers!

Manta’s are also extremely curious of humans and so will approach divers close up. Many tropical holiday resorts feed mantas all year round to make sure that they are around for the tourists. This isn’t always a bad thing - but don’t pick a destination that sells itself of semi-tame individuals - go for the wild ones - they are just a friendly!

Due to their size, manta rays are rarely ever found in aquariums, so seeing them in the wild is one of the only ways most people can get close!

Why Do They Need Help?
This species are classed an near-threatened according to the IUCN as they have reproduce at a very slow rate meaning numbers can be devastated by over-fishing or habitat loss.

Tourists coming too close to their feeding areas or breeding grounds could easily drive them away or prevent natural behaviour - putting them under stress. And there are plenty of people and un-reputable companies who offer diving and snorkeling in these sensitive areas.

Local communities need to see that there are other options for their time and money. If they can only make money by fishing, developing isolated beaches and running desperate ‘guaranteed manta ray tours’ then that is what they are going to do.

However, with education and further study, they may realise that the rays and their habitat are worth more in one piece - and for longer.

Who Can Help With This?
You can for a start, by not paying for a diving tour that doesn’t offer a completely beyond-all-doubt eco friendly and manta friendly trip! Make sure you seek out those trips that respect the environment and the wildlife in the seas - and let them know that that was the reason you chose them - remember demand makes things appear!

You can also join a society that support them or their habitat - without getting wet! Save Our Seas Foundation will willingly spend your donations on indepth research! You can read about all their projects and the people in charge of collecting and interpreting the data. You can also sponsor a Manta for free with Save The Mantas who carry out plenty of research.

Or, the best option is to join a volunteer trip that sets out to monitor their movements, feeding and breeding.

Volunteer Latin America are offering a Manta Ray project in Ecuador from 2 to 12 weeks - where you will help with photo-identification of the individuals living in the area by swimming with them!

African Impact offer a combined Manta Ray and Whale Shark conservation project in Mozambique. These projects can last from 4 weeks or much longer - as long as you are over 18 - with all meals included as well as plenty of close encounters!

I’ve seen these beauties swimming along the shores of the Maldives - albeit at the smaller end of the scale (about 1 meter wide) - and I think they really are worth learning more about!