Green Holidays

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Welcome to the final Green Holidays Blog Carnival of 2009.

It has been snowing where I am for days now and the ground is thick with snow! Great stuff - but not so good for all the people who are trying to get home before the new year!

And, not so many to choose from this month - maybe as everyone has been out visiting families or trying to escape to the countryside rather than be stuck in town on the holidays!

Anyway, we are here to talk about some green holidays - and lets start with a short one about voluntourism from Mircea: Tips for Volunteering and Traveling Abroad

Next, another short post about feelings running deep in some countries about cultural sites and landmarks where Dan gives us his opinions on The Ethical & Responsible Travel Minefield. Linking to this is a similar post by another writer: Take Care Not To Climb Uluru.

Ther is also another article about the ethics of travel these days, and poses some interesting questions and ideas.  Compare it to what you think when reading Should We Be More Travel Eco Friendly?

Lastly, Theo presents Green Christmas Ideas Revisited where he covers a few ideas for having greener holidays at home and with family at this time of year.

So, it’s ho ho ho and see you in 2010!

I’m afraid there is an green holidays shortage occuring!

I only have 2 that are true to the title of this Blog Carnival and are actually talking about something original!

So, lets start with Guffly’s article on how to Have an Ecofriendly Holiday on a Budget | Guffly. This fantastic eco-article-a-day website is worth going back to time and time again…… Can’t get enough of it myself!

And then Autumn Beck covers an interesting topic: Want the best wet bag for your cloth diapers?

So, that’s it. Sorry!!

Hello, and welcome to another great blog carnival this month!

I have just moved into a new house at the moment, so any free time is limited for the next few weeks, so listening to stories about other peoples green holidays is really making me want all these boxes to just disappear!

Anyway, lets get started with a short story about one mans adventure in the rainforest with Henry’s tale of Finding Freedom: Night Hike Through Jungle which sounds amazing - but also Tyler’s closer to home tale about his Frugally Green Weekend.

Although not strictly about green holidays, the following 2 articles touch on areas that can be applied readily to a green traveler, and so have been included today. So, first up is a few tips on green shopping with Matthew Paulson’s story on How to Become a Green Shopper.

Then there is the eco argument of whether e-books are better for the environment than paper books. It’s an interesting one and Marco Gustafsson puts his thoughts forward with: New Generation of e-Book Readers Contributes to Environmental Protection.

Kate presents Green Lodging Part I. Green hotels & Soap-on-a-Rope for the next article about some new legislation in Florida regarding green hotels and energy consumption.

And finally, there is a great story about a green adventurer who has unbelievable plans for a trip around Australia - totally different from what I would class as a trip around Down Under. Join Marjorie Morgan with a story about Freya Hoffmeister | A resource for women in Outdoor Education and Recreation.

See you next time….

What great weather we have been having - and the kids are raring to get outside for some adventures….

…..and so are the grown-ups!

Here we have some more offerings for your green adventures this month:

Amy @ The Q Family start us of again with a story of some great locations they have found closer to home with: 5 Family Favorite Outdoor Adventures Around Atlanta.

Ed Biado comes up next with some great tips for anyone planning their next trip with his notes on The green traveler

Saving money on your next road trip - or just around town is covered by Tyler, who explains his new concept of using the car! Take a peak at Save $550 a Year by Hypermiling and see what you think yourself!

Next we have the thoughtful Marjorie Morgan who takes time to explain about wildlife skills and how to manage without all the mod cons we get so used to at home. Even in your local woods - you should really know the basics, so read Wilderness and Urban Survival Skills for a taster.

Gregory E. Rouse has written a short article on a particular location, but his blog is certainly one to read more about as it covers all sorts of outdoor adventures including this one about Beehive Lake.

Along a similar note, Henry Carlson takes us into one part of his personal journey in Finding Freedom: Monteverde Waterfall along his way.

Almost last, we have Pete giving us some tips for a great local day out in the warmer weather with Cool Things To Do On Hot Days, and then we have Matt Shaulis giving us some further ‘tent’ tips for all those who love the outdoors! Take a peak at his rather thorough Lightweight Northwest Territory Tents or 4 Season Kelty Tents? article if that is what you fancy!

Take care out there!

Did you know you could invest in a castle, a meadow or a farm?

It may not be common knowledge, but locations both home and abroad are actually run like companies.

One example is with a recent case of ‘disgruntled’ Bournemouth in the UK. The UK Weather Agency decided that the delightful seaside town on the English Channel was going to have terrible weather over the Bank Holiday weekend - however it didn’t!

Now, Bournemouth Council are trying to sue the weather agency for losing them £1 million in ‘tourist bucks’! Tourism bosses said that over 25,000 visitors stayed away for fear of rain!

I know you might not think it, but if you don’t visit or support stores and companies from the regions you love - then who is to say that they will remain? I don’t mean that the towns or countryside will become people-free - I mean that locations will change to more profitable options.

Open fields filled with wildlife may be churned up for crops or sold for housing. Cute cobbled streets filled with cafes and gift shops won’t stay open if they don’t make money - fast food outlets may well replace them!

Supporting Shopping!
You need to actually visit these locations and spend your money locally. Stay in locally-run hotels and bed-and-breakfasts, eating in local cafes and buying locally made souvenirs.

If you travel to your favourite hide-away but stay in a hotel chain, eat McDonalds and buy souvenirs ‘made in China’ - how can you expect the local population to make a living and keep their businesses up and running?

Support Your Heritage!
If there is a castle that you like the look of or a large stately home - make sure you pay to go inside.

Just looking at it from the outside is all fair and good and it may be amazing! But unless you actually spend money at the site - you are not helping it to stay alive!

Yeah, you might mention it to a friend and they go there for a look too, but unless there is money going into that area - it might not be worth keeping the castle open for tourists. It’s a business, it has to employ staff, clean and maintain the building, trim and plant the gardens and advertise it’s good bits.

How can it do that if you just peek at it across a wall or over a hedge? Without customers like any good store of restaurant - it will have to close.

Joining a Heritage charity or society can help to fund renovations of such buildings allowing them to remain for future generations to enjoy and you can be a part of that.

Supporting Habitats:
But how can you support a field or river? They are free to visit and they are just there.

Well, by becoming a member of a nature or wildlife related charity or business that has projects in that area will make sure that they have the funds where necessary to purchase or develop open spaces for the benefit of the existing wildlife. It may also allow funds to re-introduce native species that have been lost.

By telling your hosts that the reason you came here was for the river/beach/woods/wildlife/etc will make sure that they know what is making them successful. If they know they get most of their guests to see the rare so-and-so - they will all make sure that it stays right where it is! And your money can really become a powerful tool.

Supporting local organic farms can also keep nature in your neighborhood by leaving fields fallow or leave woodlands and hedgerows standing rather than having to sow crops instead.

Paying more for your food also makes a difference. If you are always buying the cheapest products - especially animal products - the farmers are having to make money from elsewhere - and that could include destroying that patch of riverside meadow or expanding smaller fields into super fields to make ends meet.

The Circle Of Life.
Just like a business - a farmer, landowner, town, or country all need to get support or financial rewards for their actions to keep doing them.

If growing apples makes double the amount that growing cucumbers does - then they grow apples. If selling burgers makes more money than locally made ice cream - then burgers it is! If more people want huge hotels rather than cosy holiday cottages then guess what?

Your everyday choices can make or break a holiday destination, can affect the shape of the high street and can destroy or encourage wildlife and open spaces.

So next time you think of your favourite place - make sure you make the most of your time there - supporting the destination and making sure it’s stays just how you like it!

Taking your pets to the UK has never been easier!

If you live in the UK or wish to travel to the UK when choosing to holiday close to home this year - then why not take your pets with you?

Imagine how much fun your pooch would have paddling in the Bay of Biscay or climbing in the Alps!  Would you cat love sunbathing by your pool in Spain or Italy?  Even the ferret can come too!

Why Is The UK Different?
Well, all countries have regulations about the movement of animals from one country to another and you should check these out whenever traveling with your pets. 

Some are very strict and some are more flexible. 

However, the UK has always protected itself from the threat of rabies with a 6-month quarantine period.

These days, you don’t need to leave your pet in quarantine - you just need to get it a passport and it can visit or return to the UK whenever you want it to.

What’s A Pets Passport?
Basically, the scheme has been running for several years, but not everyone knows about it. 

Taking your pet with you can really improve you holiday fun and it is so easy when you follow some simple steps.

A valid PETS passport allows you to avoid quarantine kennels by vaccinating your pet against rabies in advance.  You still need to wait the full 6 months before travelling to or returning to the UK, but you can do this in the comfort of your own home rather than in a secure kennel.

There is only one way to get your dog, cat or ferret a passport and it takes at least 7 months from start to finish - it could be longer.  But it will never be shorter!

Many people think that they can ‘buy’ a PETS passport when they find a stray dog in Spain or wherever and bring it straight into the UK.  But a passport doesn’t avoid the 6-months quarantine, it just changes where the pet has to be during that 6 months.

The Process:
There are 4 main steps in the process by which you can obtain a PETS passport which you can do at any time, and one further step just before entering the UK.

However, in a few cases several of these steps need to be repeated - and at the expense of the owner!

If any of the first 4 steps are not completed - the passport will not be issued in the first place.  And if you miss step 5 or let the passport expire - your pet will not be allowed to enter the UK other than straight into quarantine!  So please make sure you understand the process!

Step 1 - Day 1:
Your dog, cat or ferret must be micro-chipped. 

These tiny ‘chips are uniquely identified by a series of numbers.  When a microchip scanner is passed over the embedded chip the individual code will appear on the screen.  This unique code will be linked through the existing database to the owners details, thus identifying this individual animal.

This makes sure that the animal that is being imported/exported is the animal that has been issued the PETS passport in the first place.

Step 2 - Day 1 onwards:
Your dog, cat or ferret must be vaccinated against rabies.

Your local vet will be able to inject your pet with the rabies vaccination at a routine appointment.  This will send anti-bodies against rabies around your pets body, which in turn should help your pet kill off the rabies virus if it becomes infected.

You can have the vaccine at the same time as the animal was micro-chipped.

Step 3 - 2-3 weeks after Step 2:
A blood sample taken and tested for rabies anti-bodies.

You need to return to your vets around 14-21 days after the vaccination (or as advised by your vets) to have a blood sample taken to make sure that there are sufficient anti-bodies in your pets blood to protect it from the rabies virus.

This blood test must take place at an EU approved laboratory.

If there are not enough anti-bodies in the sample then the blood test will need to be done again later, or Step 2 and 3 repeated.

Step 4 - After Step 3 blood test has been passed.
Only when anti-body levels are deemed high enough, will the animal be checked over one final time, the chip checked and the passport issued.

The passport will become valid for travel to the UK 6 months AFTER the blood test with acceptable anti-body level was taken.  Not a day sooner!

The passport however, will be valid for travel TO any other EU country 21 days after the rabies vaccine was given (if coming from the UK).  Check with the EU country you get your PETS passport from if outside of the UK as several countries have slightly different requirements.

Your PETS passport is only valid while you have rabies cover, so you must get your pets re-vaccinated against rabies before the current one expires.  If you are even 1 day late for the vaccination, the passport becomes invalid and you have to start all over again from Step 2, and wait a further 6-7 months before you can return to the UK  (without quarantine).

Therefore, if you maintain the rabies vaccines after your original passport is issued, you will have continued cover for as long as your pet is alive.

Step 5 - Tick & Tapeworm Treatment:
Must be applied by a vet 24-48 hours before entering the UK.

There are several things that the UK wants to avoid apart from rabies, and they are a certain tick and a potentially fatal (to humans)tapeworm.

The required treatment is quite specific and needs to be applied by, or the application of the treatment witnessed by, a qualified veterinary surgeon.  This vet then needs to complete a section on your PETS passport to confirm the times, as if your flight or ferry is delayed - it will ‘expire’ and have to be re-applied.

Needless to say, this treatment will need to be applied by a vet that may not be your own - so you will need to make sure you find a suitable vets and get an appointment with them within a day of your intended travel to the UK.

The Cost?
Well, it is difficult to quote an exact price as all vets will charge different fees for different procedures, but you should be looking at the following price range:

Step 1: Microchipping - £10-£25
Step 2: Vaccination     - £45-£55
Step 3: Blood Test       - £50-£60
Step 4: Final Issue       - £20-£30

Step 5: Treatment       - £20-£40

Total: Between £145 and £210

AND: You also have to pay for your pet to travel with you in the first place.  There are only certain routes that will accept pets through the PETS scheme, and this cost will need to be factored in to this just as with your own travel costs.

Visit DEFRA’s factsheet for more indepth details!

The scheme has allowed thousands of pets to travel abroad with their owners every year virtually hassle free - or at least no more trouble that traveling with kids!  Why don’t you become one of them?

Planning Your Volunteering Green Holidays needs to start somewhere - and these 5 tips should help:

Many people these days are planning to take a longer-then-usual break from work.  There are so many opportunities out there for all sorts of people and all sorts of activities!  There is surely something for everyone and some are just a few weeks long to fit into even the tightest schedule!

Before jumping in to a great adventure however, make sure that you have got yourself covered for some simple things, and make sure that you are going with the best possible company.

It’s easy to just want to get up and go when the travel bug hits you - but you want to make sure that everything is as green as you would like it before you pay a dime!

1) Length of time:
It is better for the environment and the communities you are going to support if you take a longer than average time out there. 

Flying to Asia for 2 weeks - which includes a few days to yourself - means that there is hardly any time for you to make a difference.  It also shoots up your carbon emissions.

However, 2 months in your chosen location can give you time to experience their culture and actually get to know all the people involved while you are there.  It also shows that you and you chosen company mean business - rather than in and out with no real lasting effects in their lives.

2) Company Experience:
Make sure the company you are travelling with has years and years of experience in their locations and in the travel industry. There are many new companies popping up - but can they deliver the goods or are they jumping (late) onto the ethical bandwagon??

Not only will experienced companies be able to prove that their packages are excellent and their community work long lasting - but it also shows you that they mean business and know how to do these things. 

For an example of how not to book your gap vacation, read on…. I recently went to an organised talk where a ‘travel guru’ was talking about her company - and she said that last year she couldn’t find anyone offering advice about gap travellers - so she set one up herself! 

If she was looking for help last year - what on earth would make you trust here for advice just 12 months later?  What type of advice could she really offer you about travelling, volunteering, teaching and living abroad if she has barely done it herself???

If this is your ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ and you are taking time of work or leaving your job - please don’t risk it.  Make sure you put yourself in the hands or a real and proven expert - even if you have to pay that bit extra!

3) Company Ethics:
There are many companies out there offering these fantastic vacations - but where does all the money go and who are they helping?

Check with your short-list of companies what projects they support and where your ‘fee’ is going.  Some companies charge a lot of money for your trip and pocket a large proportion of the money in admin.  Others will clearly advertise that a contribution goes to a charity working locally or to community projects for the long term.

Some trip organisers send huge numbers of volunteers to the same places - not so fair on the other communities and a bit to overwhelming on that one.  Better companies will share out the visitors and limit the impact of it’s travellers.  You are there to help the local people, not socialise with dozens of other travellers from your home country!

Also, make sure that they have a clear responsible travel policy and are a member or at least 1 ethical travel association - the more the better, really.  If you want to be sure you are travelling responsibly with them and that they have considered all their green alternatives for their trips - then don’t book if they can’t answer your questions politely and with answers you are happy with.

4) A Job Well Done:
Ideally, the travel company will make sure that you are suited to the trip you are booking!

By this I mean that they will check your experiences and your aims and will try to send you to the right location in terms of your skills and their needs.  It’s ok to choose your destination - but if your skills are better suited to another project on a different continent than a good volunteer firm will let you know.

You might have your heart set on the Andes - but if they are in desperate need of your skills in the Himalayas they may well see if they can twist your arm a bit.  They would never force you to go somewhere you don’t want to go - but if you are in this for the experience and to help others, then it is certainly worth considering your options.

5) What’s Left Behind:
If you are taking a longer break for your volunteering (a month or more) - make sure that what you leave behind is still in order while you are away.

Cancel or put a hold on magazines and subscriptions so endless amounts of mail don’t sit in your mailbox.  Not only will this show that you are away - it also means that you will have too much to read on your return and possibly waste these resources.  Check dates on all foodstuffs so that nothing is wasted and nothing goes out of date while you are away.

Set up online accounts for everything you can (so you can check it all wherever on the globe you are) and this also allows you to cancel paper billing for most accounts - you can check it all on the Internet - saving endless amounts of paper and postage!  You can even pay bills online though your bank account without having to go home or send the neighbor around!

Make sure that your appliances and electrical goods are unplugged - not on standby!  Buy a timer for your lights if you are leaving the house empty - or consider renting it out to friends for the duration to fund your trip and protect your home - and pets if you have any.  Check your fire alarm batteries and any alarm systems to make sure they are in perfect working order before you leave.

Check your mortgage and insurance papers to make sure you are covered if you are not living there - and make sure that you travel insurance covers the full time you are away - some annual policies only cover 3 months in total over any 1 year!

And Finally:
Enjoy yourself and have the time of your life - coming back a more experienced and more relaxed person!

If you want a change in your life - why not go out and look for it?

If you are in the UK this weekend and fancy seeing what the rest of your life could be like, then head over to Olympia in London for the One Life Live Show this weekend.

What’s There?
Well, there are over 200 seminars and workshops going on over the 3 days, and there are 8 zones to explore all included in the ticket price.  Added to this, there is the opportunity to take part in a paid professional workshops for a small extra cost.

Some of the seminars include topics like ‘The Impact of Volunteering’ and ’Making Travel Pay’ as well as some more individual themes including ‘How to Create Your Ideal Life’ and ‘How to Turn Your Vision into Action’

The 8 zones include ‘Travel & Career break’ and ‘Volunteering & Fundraising’ both great topics to help you make the most of your time whenplanning a travel break.  Many of the companies with stands are known through the industry for their responsible ethics and their community support policies as part of their products.

There are also stands that incorporate ‘Health and Wellbeing’ and some great ideas for your ‘Free Time’ including new hobbies and national groups to join to keep those green holidays in th UK interesting!

Go to their great, easy to use website for more details - as there is plenty to see - and get changing your life!

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2009 is the year of the Gorilla, and if you were ever going to visit them, do it now.

Not only because of all the great green holidays available to help conservation, but because groups such as the mountain gorillas in eastern Africa are down to around as few as 700 - and dropping! So there is a chance that you won’t be able to see them in the near future.

Mountain gorillas live in close-knit family groups and are found in only 2 small pockets of forest within the East African countries of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). However, these countries are not always safe for human populations either!

As a result of this, the families are constantly threatened by war, habitat loss and by ruthless people who just kill them. Sometimes for trophies, sometimes to steal their babies for private collectors, or sometimes for no reason at all - they don’t even use or sell the bodies; they just leave them where they fall.

Even rangers sent into the forests to help protect the gorillas are at risk - in recent years over 100 have been killed according to report by WWF.

There are of course several other species/sub species of Gorillas through other areas of Africa, but the ones in danger need your help more than others right now.

Visiting The Gorillas:
There are 2 main ways to see the gorillas in their natural habitat and they are either on a paid tour or by working in the surrounding environment which includes possible sightings as part of that research.

You need a Gorilla Viewing Permit to actually go into the jungle to see them, and you also have to pay for park fees and visas where necessary. There are only a limited number of permits available per day usually around 30-60 depending on which park you are viewing from. Each permit costs around $500 and park fees on top.

Paid Tours:
These will offer a great opportunity to actually see the Gorillas in their natural environment, and depending on the company you use - you will be accompanied by a primatologist who will better guide you through the trials and adventures of the family you are viewing.

Also, the better companies (basically those that are linked in some way to the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund or the International Gorilla Conservation Project (or both)) will also divert more of their ‘profit’ back into the community and to the conservation of the delicate environment in which they live.

You will no doubt pay slightly more for these, but it is all proportionate. You can guarantee that you will get a much more comprehensive tour rather than just an hour in the muddy jungle for a brief sighting. Some tour companies including Discovery Initiatives, offer 3 separate viewing trips into the jungle included in the price rather than just the one and may involve both Uganda and Rwanda as part of that trip.

As with all green holidays; check what is included and what is not. Always ask questions regarding local issues that you are concerned about before booking. And always book well in advance for any Gorilla-based holiday as the permits sell out fast!

Check out the local website before booking - www.berggorilla.de (English language available).

Volunteer Holidays:
Also on offer are research and volunteer programs in the local area. Many of these do not actually guarantee that you will get to see wild Gorillas at all.

What you will get from such an experience would be amazing. You would be working with primatologists and researchers in Africa, possibly locating home ranges, processing important data and working with local communities to promote more ‘Gorilla-friendly’ lifestyles - and much, much more.

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund offer 12 week programmes for volunteers from as little as £250 to cover administration. You will need to get there yourself - as with most volunteer projects - and pay for your lodgings and food on site, but everything you need for the job and your daily transport is all included.

Alternatively:
You could sponsor a Gorilla from the Aspinall Foundation for yourself or for a birthday or anniversary gift for friends and family - all proceeds going to protect these magnificent and endangered animals!

Learning a foreign language can improve your vacation and help you experience more of the country while travelling.

I’m not expecting you to be fluent in the language of every country you visit, but understanding a few of the basics can really make a difference to your holiday abroad.

Some people find that learning a second language comes naturally - and learning a third or fourth is also easily achieved by a select few. But for most of us - being fluent in any language but our own seems a distant dream!

Your Choice?
My school only offered it’s students French as a welcome into the languages - and I was never really any good at it to be honest. However, if you didn’t pick up the French, you weren’t offered any other languages - it was a dead end for most.

However, if you were good at it, you got a choice of others - which to me is a bit backwards. If you are good a basic French, why turn your back on it and learn basic German as well? Why not stick with it and become an expert? And if like me you were awful at French and not really enjoying it - why not try another instead instead of keep struggling with your verb endings week after week!

I think schools had it wrong and travelling got it right. Find a country you love and then the language will come naturally.

The Future:
I had always wanted to learn Spanish, but was stuck in a rut at school, so had no chance of achieving anything in the ’second language’ department. But now I have travelled around Central and South America, I have heard the words, seen the culture and now enjoy the language. I recently immersed myself in their language for a month and found myself easily talking to the locals.

I even questioned the timing of my washing at the laundrette with the lady there, as she had told us that our washing would be ready for tommorow - however we wanted them done today!!! How’s that for courage! I really felt proud of myself and hope to improve for my return.

In all honesty, there are too many good reasons to learn a foreign language not to. However, I have listed some important ones, which will hopefully get you started on your way. Some are standard requirements and others are a bit more specific to people you meet.

To Undertand Directions:
It’s important that you know your ‘right’ from your ‘left’ otherwise you could end up nowhere near your hotel or bus stop. Knowing the time is also very important for getting to places and understanding opening times and other important locations and services - and this includes ‘later’ and ‘tomorrow’ etc.

To Find Food & Drink:
Make sure you are aware of the essentials, like ‘no ice’ and ‘boiling water’ for you health, and things like ‘with sugar’ or ‘chocolate’ for your pleasure! Local dishes are best explained by guide books - but if you are vegetarian or allergic - you need to pay more attention. This section should also include where to find the bathrooms and hand-washing facilities!

To Book Acommodation:
Make sure you know what you get at your hotel or pension. A shower or bath, hot water, breakfast, shared kitchen and extras like tour booking and free internet. Counting nights with fingers can be used, but I got a bit stuck trying to advise them that we would be leaving before their reception opened and wanted to know where to leave the key! Try that one for yourself….

For Your Safety:
Make sure you know what signs mean ‘danger’ or ‘no entry’. And in case something does go wrong - do you know how to describe your pains or injury to a doctor? Do you know how to call the local police or emergency services - do you even know how to use a local telephone?

To Be Polite:
Along with reading up a bit on customs and etiquette, do you know how to say ‘thank you’ to a friend and to someone important - there is usually more than one way to do so. If you can communicate with staff or store keepers they will be more helpful and may even offer you extra advice or products.

To Teach In Communities:
You could also sit and chat to children in the communities you visit, telling them about your journey and where you are from, but also to ask about their lives. Equally so when attending festivals or ceromonies with elders or the whole village - talking (or trying to talk) can really impress them - and work out better for you.

Maybe even become advanced enough in the language that you could teach in schools, run tours, work in the country for several months or even teach TEFL courses.

For Your Trip:
There are many locations in any country where even the staff in the hotels advertising in English did not speak a word of the language - and why should they really - so any part of a sentence can be important and help you on your way!

I don’t think I’m ready for a 3rd language just yet - so I’ll stick the Central and South America for my travels for the time being…….