Green Holidays

Have you ever put into words your close encounters or your love of the landscape?

Every year BBC Wildlife Magazine offer you the chance to not only be published in their magazine – but to win a wildlife experience in some far-flung destination desperately in need of volunteers and research.

All you need to do is write a short passionate story about something you love or have experienced that you want to share with others to help them see another side of nature – your version.

Whether you want to describe the fox family living in your garden, that one off encounter with a tiger in India, your hopes for conserving a small patch of endangered wildflowers or even your first-hand description as you witnessed a tornado rip through a field near you!

As long as it was something outside – and could appeal to anyone interested in the ‘great outdoors’ – then get your pen to paper and write out your thoughts!

The Competition:
Don’t worry if you can’t think of anything for this years competition (closing date 30th April 2011) – but you can start thinking about next years entry.

Nature writing normally means that you have captured your thoughts while caught in the middle of things – or that you have a lot of experience in your subject – so know it inside-out. Needless to say, you can’t just pluck such a story out of thin air.

They offer plenty of tips for your writing and you can read past winners tales too – but only be inspired by yourself.

The hardest part will be reducing your passion down to just 800 words – so don’t even worry about all the judging and the other people entering – get your story straight first.

photo credit: whyohwhyohwhyoh

(Click picture to play)

What If I Can’t Write?
Not everyone feels comfortable writing – so BBC Wildlife offer other competitions too – including poetry and photography.

Whatever your passion, experience, age or ability – they offer something that you can sink your teeth into!

Everyone is different – and their version of events or the way they can share their experiences and knowledge will be different too. By all means try your hand at everything, but some people are naturally just better at some things – but it can take a while to figure out what!

Visit their website for ideas and inspiration – and maybe I could be reading your story or admiring your photos on their website soon!

If you saw tree weighed down with Ivy – would you take action?

Sometimes a mature tree is so overwhelmed with Ivy that it is surely doing it some harm – and haven’t you sometimes found Ivy-covered fallen branches on the ground after bad weather?

And during the winter months a deciduous tree with none of its own leaves looks verdant with a heavy covering of large, dark green Ivy leaves instead!

And because the tree, or trees, are in what appears to be an untended area of woodland – isn’t it best that you take things into your own hands before the tree is damaged or gets pulled down under the shear weight!

Would you resolve to come back next time with some seceteurs or a small hacksaw?

Every Tree Has An Owner:
Many walkers seem to think that areas of land like woodland, grassland, hills and mountains are not owned by anyone – they believe that they can do anything they want on this land as it doesn’t say ‘Private’ on the gate!

However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Every patch of land close to your home has an owner or a guardian – and you may well have rights to walk across that land – but that’s about it.

You can’t – as many people seem to think; cut down Ivy, dig up plants, bury dead pets, abandon cars, take wood for fuel, camp overnight or hold a party there.

Would you appreciate anyone doing that on your land or in your garden? No, I didn’t think so.

You can of course, speak to the land-owner or guardian about doing any of these things, but obviously they may charge you a fee and/or just say ‘No’.

They May Have Plans:
Now we have established that the tree – and the Ivy – is owned by someone, so it is pretty clear that you don’t have the right to cut them down. But what makes you think that they don’t want the Ivy to grow on their trees in the first place?

Had it not occured to you that the Ivy has just as many benefits – if not more – than just the bare tree itself?

photo credit: cdsessums

For example, Ivy is famous for its ability to live through the winter (and that is why it is in many a festive songs) – so it is one of the only plants which has food and leaves in the harshest winter months.

After all the deciduous trees and bushes have dropped their berries and cast off their old leaves by September – the woodlands should be empty of birds, insects and mammals. However, the wildlife in an Ivy-filled woodland can still feed on, and live in, the great swathes of rich green Ivy that remain on trees, even in the frost and snow!

A bare tree in winter is a cold and unwelcoming place in which to hibernate or to hide from the icy weather – whereas the nooks and crannies formed by decades old ivy stems are a perfect safe haven!

How You Can Actually Help:
If you are really interested in learning more about woodlands; plants, trees and wildlife, then you should consider joining a volunteer nature conservation group as well as doing some reading of your own.

Obviously you will find out that cutting down Ivy is actually detrimental to the woods and it’s wildlife – but you will also find out how to manage it for the better, which plants are signs of an ancient woodland, and which creatures you are likely to see there.

You also get to cut down plenty of plants that are not wanted in other areas – for example scrub on grasslands. Nature wants to gradually replace grasslands and heaths with trees and forests – however, these 2 habitats are vitally important for certain wildlife – but will not survive on their own.

By learning about natural succession and habitat management – you will be far more help to the environment than illegally hacking down Ivy plants in your local woods!

Found something strange – or beautiful – but have no idea what it is?

As long as you have a picture of it, then there is a new way to find out what on earth you have just seen.

It could be something common that you just haven’t seen before where you are visiting – or it could be a species that is new to your area (through land use changes or seasonal migration) and you have been one of the first to spot it.

Basically, the Open University in the UK has set up a database of images of everything in the natural world – as well as people who can tell you what it is.

Rather than just asking a few friends, searching through your field guides or just admiring it for what it is – you can now find out for good.

iSpot:
Not another iPhone application as its name insinuates – but a whole nature database online that can sort out the clustered bonnets from the milky bonnets, the brown bear from the black bear and the large white from the marbled white.

Basically, you can upload your pictures and some basic information about it and leave it to others to identify. You can have a guess yourself, and others will either confirm or deny this – basically like a forum.

You can also help identify other wildlife for photographers as well. It may be that you have experience in fungi – but have taken a picture of a strange insect on that fungi. You can find out what the insect is in exchange for identifying some garden waxcaps or woodland earth star!

photo credit: Marek Komorowski

It is divided up into categories including: mammals, birds, fungi, fish, etc and you can just look at some great shots, see different colour variants of common species (like white deer and black squirrels) or just use the labels to find out where these animals were seen so you can go and look for them yourself.

In Addition:
There are also links on the sites for further reading, related surveys, tips on identification and links to other useful id and specialist websites.

The OU have also recently launched a short course to run alongside iSpot and for all those people who haven’t taken a degree or had experience in the field before.

It’s called Neighbourhood Nature and can take you as little as 5 weeks or as long as 5 months depending on your other commitments. It allows you the support to run your own local field study relating to any area that you have ready access to and a keen interest in like a local woodland behind the houses, a nearby nature reserve or even a disused railway.

Nature is everywhere – and by working alongside your tutors and the experts on iSpot, you can find out what is living there and why – and anything you can do to keep it there or improve the number and diversity of plants and animals there.

So, if you have been meaning to get qualified in something ‘outdoors’ or to help brush up on your basic skills before embarking on a longer or higher level course – then maybe this course could help you out.

Also You Might Like To:
Obviously, signing up to volunteer with nature-related charities in your area will also enable you to experience nature first hand, access some great habitats, learn from experts and it could always lead to a larger project or a permanent job somewhere down the line.

And if anything, get a camera with a good zoom and an even better macro – and practice observing things – or take a basic photography course. Trying out the different settings is one thing – but knowing what to look out for is another.

You might take a great picture of a striking plant – but then get home to find out that you needed to find the berry, scratch the bark or see what other plants were around it to get a 100% ID. But until you make those mistakes and get annoyed with yourself – you won’t get any better at identifications.

It’s alright relying on others for rare species and all those ‘barely indistinguishable’ lichens – but you should really start to build up your basic id skills in the field if you are planning any sort of career based on nature.

So grab your camera, field guide and waterproofs – and get outside!

If you think about how amazing trees can be – you will want to help plant them!

I recently read a leaflet from a charity called Tree Aid - who fund, train and support communities in Africa to give them the skills to use their trees to the best advantage – and saw an amazing list of the ‘Gift of Trees’ which made me stop and think for a while.

I had always been amazed by the growth, resilience, uses and beauty of trees – but had never really thought of them as holding the key to a community’s survival.

So take a look at the list below of all the things that a tree, or group of trees could achieve. 

Some are more obvious – but others seem totally unrelated.  So maybe you too could see trees in a whole new light too!

As Wood To Build Homes.
Also schools, hopitals, warehouses and much more – including furniture and farming tools.

As Fuel For Cooking.
This also includes wood used for making cooking utensils and storage pots for food and water.

As Food Suppliers.
By farming tree-grown crops – a community is self-sufficient through the year.

As Food Attractors.
Trees are the perfect home for bees – and bees means honey!

As Animal Attractors.
Woodlands and even single trees attract benificial wildlife to an area, for the ecosystem and for food.

As Habitat Protectors.
Trees help to create the perfect environment for other plants to thrive and grow.

As Shade Makers.
Trees create the perfect place for people and animals to escape from the heat of the sun!

As Rain Makers.
Trees and their roots can help create micro-climates and generate rainfall – and prevent run-off.

As Soil Makers.
Trees products can help improve the fertility of soil and well placed trees can prevent it blowing away!

As Outdoor Chemists.
Many plants and trees contain ‘medicines’ that communites depend on for their health.

As Pet Stores.
Many trees can be grown specifically to feed livestock, or to build fencing and housing.

As Bank Loans.
Sales of produce and/or wood can be used to reduce poverty and buy new seeds or equipment.

As Education Givers.
Profits earned can put children through schooling – and will allow them the time to attend!

As Freedom Givers.
A productive livelihood can empower women and change the lives of the whole community.

So, next time you get the opportunity to fund or partake in charity events that help communities learn more about trees and farming – think of what you will be helping to support – and continue.

And we all know that young trees are a great way to ‘trap’ CO2 from the atmosphere – so think about the effect you could have by helping to plant just a dozen or so each year.

The United Nations World Environment Day is coming – and you could be a part of it!

Can You Offer Your Skills To An International Cause?

Instead of your normal vacation this year, why not take a chance on a new experience and make a difference to somewhere else on the globe.

This years World Environment Day takes place on the 5th of June 2009, and hopes to make a huge impact on town, cities and the entire globe with a joint effort.

Run by the United Nations Environment Programme, such schemes involve governments, volunteer groups and private sector investors – all aiming to help out in some way, and contribute towards a better environment.

The aim of this years ‘day’ is ‘Your Planet Needs You – UNite to Combat Climate Change’ and (unless last minute changes are made to reflect recent world events) the host for 2009 is Mexico.

What Do They Do?
Well, here are the details from the UNEP site regarding an intended project in Kenya:

“Nairobi Members of Clean Up Young Youth Club (Eco Club Action) from EastleighHigh School in Nairobi Kenya With Global Peace Festival Kenya are making consistent efforts to remove trash from a 300 meter length of the Nairobi River.

This cleanup campaign has attracted dozens of agencies, hundreds of volunteers and various government offices to pull there efforts to restore this landmark feature that cut across Kenya’s capital city.”

You could be a part of that!

Or in Adelaide: “To celebrate World Environment Day and the 100th Birthday of the Park, the Friends of Blackwood Forest Recreation Park (FoBFRP) will held a planting day at the Park on 1 June 2008. Planting was planned along Minno creek where recent weeding had taken place.”

• Making A Commitment – look at achievable goals and stick to them.
• Get Energy Efficient – we hear all the advice about saving energy – but what have you actually done yourself?
• Buy Recycled – if recycling saves energy, make sure you buy recycled products to support it.

Closer To Home?
You could arrange your own event closer to home.  Liaise with an agency or society that you know well and wish support and organise your own event – for example:

• Get your local schools/offices to all help in a beach/woodland/town/footpath/river clean-up.
• Arrange a pledge system, where there is a discount for using public transport if tickets brought in advance or a percentage goes to charity to encourage less cars in town that day.
• Support your local open spaces, by organising a massive field trip for all the nearby schools or a ‘walk-to-school’ event.
• Organise a charity bike ride through an old town or along a cycle path to promote it’s eco credentials.

Or, check out their Alphabet Of Ideas, with 80 ways to celebrate World Environment Day, 2009

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!

.

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!