Green Holidays

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It’s your chance to meet some inspirational people – and get your hands on some great equipment!

It’s not all about birds – but if you love birdwatching and great wetland landscapes – then I suggest you clear your diary for any day over the weekend of 20th to 22nd August 2010!

For only £10 entry – you could have the opportunity to ask Chris Packham for some wildlife-watching tips, listen to Mark Carwardine discussing endangered species and maybe watch a slide show of great wildlife moments from Simon King – not bad, eh?

The Show:
Basically, BirdFair is one of the biggest bird-watching and outdoor shows in the UK and is set in the most beautiful scenery to add even more to your day.

As with many great shows, there will also be the opportunity to visit the stands of all the local and international wildlife stands and ask questions about the work they do and how to become a supporter or volunteer.

Add to this stalls that are filled to the brim with the best photographic equipment to improve your photos and to increase your viewing range as digiscopes and binoculars of all shapes and sizes are on offer.  As well as a host of specialist manufacturers and users to help you decide on the best items for your needs.

Whether you are hoping to get some advice for starting out or whether you are looking to take the next step in your craft and hoping to increase your equipment collection to cover more wildlife and birds – it will all be there.

Using A Zoom Lens Can Get Great Images

And it’s not just about technical things – there will be a whole host of stalls selling outdoor clothing, camping goods, walking shoes, wildlife holidays, travel books, field guides, wildbird seed, nest boxes, wildlife art, and so much more!

And, to be ‘green’ the organisers are offering free transfer buses to the show from the local train station to save on all those cars on the roads!

Show Extras:
It’s not all about just being a show – there is so much more there than stall after stall.

For example, there is a grand auction selling a whole range of random goodies from paintings to one-off experiences – all donated to the show specifically to raise funds for this years fundraising targets.

There are also 3 different agendas for events and talks throughout each day and kids events as well for the little learners!  Bushcraft skills, art and education are the themes you can find here in the several big tents on site.

And, your entry ticket gives you free access to the nature reserves here too – so after you have brought that new camera you have been promising yourself – or upgraded to a better digiscope – you can get straight out there are try it for size!

If you plan to go for the day – make sure you get there early and plan to do a lot of walking, and you won’t regret it.  If you know you love this type of show then make sure you stay for the weekend as you might not get to see everything on just the 1 day!

And this only happens once a year!

Have you ever wondered where you can watch bats from your own front door?

Well, I have put together a short list of some bat watching holiday destinations where they virtually guarantee you a sighting or 1 or more species every night – and are working for the bats best interests!

Now, although you yourself will not be allowed to touch the bats or disturb their roosts, by going out on an adventure with a bat specialist you may well get to use highly specific equipment on your trip.

For example, the organisers may well lend out night vision goggles, bat detectors and know specific roosting or feeding sites that you can stake out from a distance. And of course – being experts – they will actually already know how to identify the species you see in an instant, making your experience even better!

1) In The UK;
Many of the buildings that are managed by the National Trust contain bat roosts – and many have had camera installed too. Dunster Castle and Arlington Court have both installed viewing and information for visitors – and even do late night bat events throughout the year.

And other nature charities like the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust and various Wildlife Trusts offer night-time events through the year. There are 18 species of bat found in the UK – although not all in the same place – some can be quite location-specific.

The Bat Conservation Trust also offers a range of free or paying courses to get you closer to bats and their habitats.

By offering up your time to train as a volunteer or if you pay for a introductory course – you will certainly get close up and personal to bats in their natural environment – and willl be taking a huge step forward in studying them and identifying bats day to day!

2) EcoTours Hungary Bat Tour:
If you are a bit more serious and want to really see a huge variety of bats, then maybe this bat watching holiday in the Bükk and Aggtelek National Parks in Hungary will impress you – with 26 bat species to choose from!

They virtually guarantee you will see 15-20 of these as standard – and that adding on a further 3 days and another location could help you see even more. You may also see beaver, lynx and wolves as well as many other unusual species along the way.

The tours offer all safety precautions for you and the bats of course, with a little waiting around sometimes to allow only small group to intrude into roosts at a time. Obviously disturbing the bats is the last thing they want!

There aren’t many great – or green – bat watching holidays, but there are plenty of ways to see some great wildlife without over-running their habitat or destroying the very things you went to see!

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Have you ever wanted to know what that beautiful orange butterfly was? 

You must have been sitting in the garden, or walking in the countryside and watched the most delightful and brightly coloured butterfly waft past you on a breeze.  But what was it?

Or maybe you followed it as it hopped from flower head to flower head, fanning it’s wings open and closed. And we have all tried to photograph them only to have them flutter away on a breeze.

So, why not take part in a survey this July (2010) to help identify some of our most common butterflies here in the UK – and get to learn what they are for your own benefit at the same time!

Butterfly Identification:
There are plenty of very distinct butterflies in the UK – but there are plenty of similar species too – so when trying to identify any butterflies, you need to be looking for key details like the placing or spots or the position and amount of white on the wings for example.

There are also more expert ways of identity – such as the shape of the wings, the coloring of the underside of the wings (normally totally boring compared to the the top) and which plants they are settling on.

Butterflies are very specific in the types of plants that they will eat and so this can sometimes be the key difference between two similar looking species.

Best course of action for the butterflies (as with all species id) is to start learning the most common species in your area and get these 100% right. Only then is it worth learning all the other similar species.

Butterfly Id Guide:
It is always great to have a simple colour guide to these common species that you can carry with you – and then refer to immediately you see the butterfly.

Peacock Butterfly - With Obvious Large Spots

This way you get to learn their patterns much quicker, For example the Peacock butterfly (above) and the Small Tortoiseshell (below) can both appear quite a reddy-orangy colour to the novice as they flutter about – but they are so different when you see them in display.

Small Tortoiseshell - With Distinct Patterning

So by knowing to look out for stripes on the one and spots on the other can make all the difference when trying to identify them. Then if a Painted Lady appears, you will be able to tell it apart from these 2 as well rather than getting all 3 muddled up!

Painted Lady Butterfly

Download the Butterfly Identification Guide off the Big Butterfly Count website and start practising!

The Butterfly Survey:
What a great opportunity to get outside and away from the busy town than to plan a walk or a picnic out in the countryside or local woods – than to go count butterflies!

Butterflies are a key indicator or damaged habitats and changing weather patterns as they depend on only a handful of specific plants for their lifecycle.

So a drop in numbers of one species can mean a drop in the numbers of the other species that live in the same area – including the mammals and birds that feed on the missing butterflies!

All you have to do for this survey is spend 15 minutes in the sunshine (and it has to be sunshine otherwise the butterflies won’t be flying) and log your sightings!

What easier way is there to help your local wildlife and have a great outdoor adventure at the same time!

Big Butterfly Count – Takes place between: 24th July and 1st August 2010

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Have you ever imagined what it would be like to see wolves in the UK – following your every move?

Well, you can do it now, right here in the UK – you don’t need to fly off to the US or a scary forest in Europe!  And don’t worry, the wolves are totally tame!  But all the same – what an experience it would be.

So how do you get involved? 
Well, that’s simple – you just visit the Events page of the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and check out the dates that suit you.

It really is that simple!

The wildlife encounters with the wolves are run by the UK Wolf Conservation Trust which is based near Reading in Berkshire, and you will get some really close contact with their tame wolves.

There are 2 different main encounters on offer, 2 for adults only and 2 for children (1 with an adult and 1 without).

Walking With Wolves – Adults:  2 hour walk - plus extras; Half Day Event.
This is probably the experience that most people will be interested in.  You basically go out for a nice long walk with a Wolf Expert and the wolves – just like walking your dog really (apart from chasing balls).

As you wander through the woodlands, the wolves run freely around you, maybe interacting with you, or just walking ahead or to the side of the group.

You will also get a tour of the centre, the opportunity to photograph the animals close up and get to view the animals in their larger enclosures as well.

Walking With Wolves – Kids (6-18):  2 Hour Event.
Here, the kids get to walk with the wolves with an accompanying adult.  It is a shorter event than the adult walk due to the shorter attention span of the kids I would imagine!

Be A Wolf Keeper For The Day – Adults: 6 Hour Event (10am-4pm).
Here, you get the full Monty!  Basically you are there all day feeding, cleaning, treating and working with the wolves all morning.  Working alongside permanent staff and experts to get an behind-the-scenes glimpse of what wolves need – and like!

In the afternoon you get to go on a walk with the wolves (as above) and interact with them.

Be A Wolf Keeper For The Day – Kids (10-14): 5 Hour Event (10am-3pm).
As above but for the younger generation – including watching the wolves get their dinner! 

Kids do not need an adult with them for this event, and infact no-one under or over the age limits can attend!

For more information on the wolves other events, or the Wolf Conservation Trust in general, then just visit their website – and if you would love to help protect these magnificent animals in the wild – but would rather not get too close, then consider a membership instead!

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Hello again, and what a lovely time of year it is to be traveling through familiar environments!

There is nothing better for me sometimes, than to just walk a short while from my home to the beach or the countryside with a good book and my binoculars!  Pure bliss on a sunny day like today!

I’ve been out along the beach, up in the countryside – as well as visiting the family now that we all live a lot closer together these days!  Although, I shouldn’t have gone on the trampoline for so long – my legs are aching today!

Well, let’s see what the rest of you have been up to…….

It is quite clear that some of you are also planning to stay home too by the looks of Ana Paula’s article – with the Top 100 Gardening Blogs - many of which are eco friendly green fingered tips – but not all, so make sure you modify the un-green gardening tips!

Try to lighten up or even ‘green’ over your commute to work using Maria Clara tips: 100 Excellent Lifehacks for Your Long Commute. There are quite a few in there that totally make eco sense…….. and best use of your time. I mean if you have to take a journey, why waste it just staring out of the window – learn something new, do something new – make every second count!

Here’s a nice little article on one thing that even I struggle with – Tips for Eating Healthy While on Vacation by Debbie Dragon – and it had a great Vitamin gadget on the site too!

Here’s a lovely sort tale of what wonders a walk in the countryside can have – especially if you happen to pass through a farm – so thanks to Richard with his A Visit to Fulking Hill! – with some great photo’s in there too.

Next, Mike Vogt gives us something very different to think about with his great article on 10 Great Mission Trip Ideas.  Not many people consider the role that religion and religious thinking can have in developing countries.

the beach

And one for the summer: Tara V presents Green Wedding Guide; Planning an Eco-Friendly Exchange of Vows.  A great way to enjoy the best day of your life – as well as making sure that it doesn’t have a negative impact on anyone else!

It’s still sunny, so get back out there!

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If you haven’t got your own kids – then grab someones else’s for some great green adventures.

This May and June you can get involved with some national or local events celebrating the great outdoors and family life!  Or why not make your own adventures…….

National Family Week starts on the 31st May and runs until the 6th of June across the UK (although you can run your own events in any country you want!).  It is a celebration of all things family – so your nieces and cousins will do if you want to make a bigger day of it if you want.

Planning is the key here, as you will need to make sure that transport and lunch is all taken care of before the big day – and of course the theme!

There are specific ‘days’ on the national schedule which might help you make a group decision – or their are things being planned across the country that you can just turn up to with your hoard!

Monday: Family Picnic Day
Maybe you can head of to a local park with a great big hamper of yummy food and some sports equipment – a bat and ball and maybe a bike or 2 should do the trick!  A nice couple of blankets and a chair for granny and you are well on your way to a whole day of outdoor fun.  Don’t forget the camera!

Tuesday: Family Film Day
How about getting everyone to score some films of your choice from 1 to 10 – with 1 being the one they are most likely to watch and then tot up everyone scores to get the best 3.  Order the pizza and microwave the popcorn – and make sure all the sleeping bags are out for everyone to stay over!

Wednesday: Family Story Time
For this one you have the choice of 3 things really.  Either all get together at your home and read some short stories (maybe scary stories on a sleepover), or find a lovely patch of woodland with a tasty lunch box of goodies and all just read in the sunshine.  Or maybe, get together around a table with scraps of magazines, scissors and coloured pens and make your own stories or scrapbooks!

Thursday: Family Road Trip
Think of all the places you want to go and see a bit further away than usual, and then plan your route – making sure that you remember all your outdoor gear incase you see a great footpath you want to follow, a park to play in or a castle to explore!  Camera and waterproofs are essential for this one.  Even more fun if there is more than 1 car of you, so you can meet up in certain places or pull silly faces at each other!

Friday: Family House Party
Start by checking with mum!  This one gives you a whole host of options; it could include lunch, family board games, dinner, films, cheese and biscuits, night time walk in the countryside(!), scary stories and even a sleepover – but make sure there is plenty of yummy fruit for breakfast! 

Saturday: Family Sports Day
Set up an event of all the silly things that get the family together.  Maybe a few beanbag-on-the-head races, 3-legged races and sack racing, as well as bats and balls, skipping ropes and egg-and-spoons!  Maybe have a red and a blue team and someone keep scores! 

Sunday: Family Roast Dinner! ( I added this last one myself – as I love a family roast!)

But if none of these appeal, then make your own up – maybe Family Horse Riding Day on the Tuesday, or Family Woodland Walk on the Wednesday. Or even Family Photography Day on the Friday!

Swimming, Reading, Bicycling or just Garden Tea Party – all valid family events – so take your pick and get planning!

I watched a film last night that really was quite something – and it involved a quite amazing man!

It is a film about a man from Slovenia called Martin Strel, who loves endurance swimming, and who has decided to swim the giant rivers of the world to highlight water pollution in the regions.  He has already swam the lengths of the Danube in Europe, the Mississippi in North America and the Yangtze in China – and set his heart on being the first person to swim the full length of the Amazon!

You might think that this devoted eco-saviour was the epitome of youth and finesse, with multi-national backing (or rich parents). 

He certainly is someone who doesn’t mind a challenge, but in the words of his own website:  ‘Martin is also a rather overweight, horseburger loving Slovenian in his fifties who drinks two bottles of red wine a day… even when swimming.’

The Man Himself:
The film is certainly a bit kooky and makes you feel as though you are right in the thick of the action, but I really was amazed at the character of this man!

The things he did and has done is really like no one else I have ever heard of – and if the whole thing wasn’t an elaborate set up – he really is a truly amazing individual.

You follow his life in the run up to the trip to the Peru starting point, where you see him striding around his local town (and other cities) in just his speedo’s; you see him mixing with the kids in his local pool, sitting in a cave and then mixing with some of the ‘It’ crowd of his country.

He certainly spans the generations and social classes with ease – but says very little.  Many a moment is spent watching him smiling at the crowds.  And when he does speak it is usually something quite funny!

How he managed to keep swimming for up to 12 hours a day for the 10 weeks it took him is a miracle.  And in one scene you see him arrive in a town after a days swimming to a huge crowd.  Now, it would have made sense to wave a bit, then go and sleep all night after a shower and a hearty meal – but no, he’s there for the people.  He joins them (still in his wetsuit) for a long parade through the streets in the dark!

The Swimming:
The length of the Amazon River is like swimming across the whole Atlantic Ocean – except there are no piranhas in the Ocean!

His health would really be put at risk from the water itself – not just the endless swimming and virtually the whole day being wet!  There were many assistants to spot dangers like flesh-eating fish, giant anacondas and alligators as well as whirl pools and whole trees caught in the flood!  As well as doctors to make sure that he didn’t become infected with parasites, bacteria and other tiny invaders!

He also had to contend with second degree burns from the tropical sun reflecting off the water onto his face!

Of course, no ordinary swimmer could complete this challenge.  Martin is a well known marathon swimmer and spends over a year training for such events – he spent 3 on this one though!

The Result:
By combining such a mammoth adventure with a charismatic lead character as well as the most beautiful backdrop – they were onto a winner.

If only this film does manage to help the environment in some way, as well as the people who rely on the river – then it was worth one mans extraordinary effort…..

….and the least you can do is watch it!

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Could you convince your business and associates to meet up in a cyber-boardroom?

Why do we still include long-distant travel as part of our business mind-set, when there is so much technology and software available that could mean fewer hours spent ‘on the road’ and not clocking up carbon emissions and company debts?

Having experience of business decisions and travel arrangements myself, I know that sometimes a ‘really good idea’ isn’t always cost effective, and it can be like banging your head against a brick wall if you are trying to promote more sustainable work plans if your boss isn’t open to change.

I also know that some of the green business ideas I had previously pitched to my bosses which were not financially viable at the time – have now become so, and the company is implementing them as we speak!

Things change and businesses need to change with them – so why not look back over some of your green business ideas that were rejected in the past and see if they could work for you now.

Improved Technology:
It isn’t only your green ethics that are changing – but so is the technology that drives whole industries.

For example, you can now communicate (virtually) face-to-face with people on the other side of the world in live time and with very clear images and very little time delay – as well as completing complex banking transactions at the touch of a button from one continent to the other.

Business has changed so much these days that equipment and other electrical items that were once rare and expensive are now commonplace and competitively priced.

When I was at school (which wasn’t that long ago), we had one just 1 single word processor for the whole school, but now – children have their own iPhones and home computers!

Although the above example spans some years, there are certainly much quicker and more important technological advances that could really improve your business – you just need to look at them afresh.

The First Step:
There are many companies that are available to help you decide which technologies and solutions may be best for your business, but of course you can investigate many of these yourself.

The benefit of an expert in the field would be that they will have worked with many other businesses like yours and also seen the results of their work, however you alone might not know all the alternatives and end up missing out on something great – so it might not be cheaper to go it alone!

However, there is currently an initiative to help businesses reduce their need to travel for meetings and promotions etc, with the Climate Care Day drive taking place next week, and again in October 2010.

This one area of you business could help not only reduce outgoings and increase productivity but could really make a difference to your ‘green’ policies and ethics, which are now just as important to a company as the products or services you offer.

So, if you are looking to reduce your environmental impact whilst promoting your business, then go to their website or search for video-conferencing online.

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The UK’s National Trust are offering 2 full days of free fun close to you!

This massive charity are hoping that they can offer everyone a great day out in one of their properties – and help everyone experience some goo old natural fun!

There are 100′s of properties available for you to explore, and they are all quite different.  Some take up whole valleys, others have a secret garden, yet more have aviaries, lakes, streams, caves and orchards! 

There is absolutely no shortage of habitats, architecture, famous faces and great history – so take a browse on their website and see what would suit your family day out.

Closest To You:
Obviously the most ‘green’ adventure would be to visit the properties closest to your home. 

Whether it a a huge world famous property or a tiny chapel, you can always make a great day out.  Many smaller properties still have nice gardens and landscapes and wildlife too.

And the smaller properties could take only an hour or two to investigate, so you could possibly fit 2 properties into the same day out.

The larger properties, of course, can entertain you for the whole day.  I have visited properties myself that I didn’t get all the way around as I was having so much fun on the way around!

Lawned areas are perfect for a picnic – so don’t forget to take some tasty morsels and a refreshing drink!

Getting Your Moneys Worth:
Of course, if you want to really take advantage of the National Trust’s generous offer, then you may well want to find the most expensive property and save even more money for the family.

Obviously, that’s what quite a lot of other people are probably thinking too, so you may well find yourself surrounded by 100′s of other people and children.

In terms of a green adventure – this might not be so rewarding.  A walk through the woods in these places won’t really be as fun as a quieter location as there will just be too many other people having a great day out and probably screaming, shouting and laughing!

Wildlife in the woods and around the lakes might be a bit harder to find too as they will just go elsewhere for some peace and quiet themselves!  However, the trees, plants and rivers aren’t going anywhere – so there is still some fun to be had!

A Specific Favourite:
There are plenty of properties that have a particular theme, from a photography museum, tame deer, huge portrait collections or even the home of a famous historical figure.

And many people have ‘been meaning to get to….’ somewhere for as long as they can remember.

Others have seen a property used as a film set for a recent movie or documentary and want to walk through the film sets and see all the related literature on site.

Possibly, your children are studying a particular topic at school or college and it would just be great to get them some ‘hand’s on’ experience of: how they lived, what they wore and ancient crafts of whatever period is on the curriculum!

Anyway, whatever reason you use to take advantage of this great weekend – go to the National Trust website, choose your favourite property and get your voucher printed out!

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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!!!!!