Green Holidays

This article will introduce you to 5 of the most common seen ducks around town ponds and wetland sites.

There are plenty of ducks that all look very similar to the naked eye – especially the females, so these descriptions are focused mainly on the males as they are the most likely ones you will pick out in the water. They will be in their display colours as they try to find a mate.

Most of the time in the spring and summer, the females will be close by the males as well for breeding – or will already be closely followed by a herd of ducklings – so you can start to practice the differences in the females once you have mastered their associated males.

However, outside of the breeding season, most male ducks moult into what is known as their ‘eclipse’ plumage, which is quite different to their summer splendour!

They all turn into rather drab birds – looking very similar to their female friends. Well, they don’t want to stand out to predators when they don’t have to!

Anyway, straight to it then with a firm favourite:

Mallard:
We should all know this one purely because it is always about on almost every pond or canal where there are humans – as they know that we will probably feed them!

As a result, they are usually quite bold birds and will waddle over to us for priority feeding if there are other birds like Mute Swans about!

photo credit: Tomi Tapio

Key points of the mallard male is his beautiful green head, pinched in by a white collar but there are several others ducks with that feature too. So you will have to look for other signs: like he will also have a bright yellow bill which seperates him from some of the other similar birds.

Another point is that he will have blue patches on his wings rather than white or green (not visible in this image) – and in flight these show as a blue bands with white edging.

Shelduck:
Here is another one with a green head – but he has some more striking features to tell him apart. Both male and female look the same; bright white birds (very goose-like) with a band of brown across the shoulders, then a thick collar of white before the dark green head and bright orange beak! You won’t be able to miss them once you see them.

The main and obvious difference between the sexes is that the male has an extra ‘knobbly’ bit at the top of his bill – as in the image below – a bit like the Mute Swans.

photo credit: Vlaskop

Shoveler:
Another green-headed common bird is the Shoveler – so called because of its very wide black shovel-shaped bill.

It sits lower in the water than a mallard, and has a noticable yellow eye when viewed at close range. It has the same broad white neck as the Shelduck with brown shoulders and sides too, but there the similarity ends. This bird has a very low profile where the Shelduck sits high in the water and is more ‘white’.

photo credit: chapmankj75

Goldeneye:
As its name suggests it has a bright golden eye set bold in its green head – but manages to look nothing like the Shevelor despite this!

It has a much more rounder, pronounced head that looks like it has been stuck onto the body like a giant pom-pom! It also has a bright white cheek patch beside its smaller, pointy bill. The rest of the body is very pale with and almost stripy back where black and white feathers mix as shown below:

photo credit: Graham Racher

Mandarin Duck:
No need to worry about the green head for this one as there is too much else to give it away! This species is one of our most decorative and colourful ducks – if not birds – in the UK and you can see them quite frequently in wetland reserves.

They are difficult to describe as there is so much to say – so look at the picture below to be amazed! They have delicate patterning on their seemingly ‘giant’ cheeks if you look close enough; their long white eye streak goes on forever; and they have the most unusual orange ‘sails’ jutting up from their wings when they are on the water.

And the bright blues and purples……

photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar

Next time you head out to the wetlands – have a look for these males – and try to find their partners hidden among all the other brown looking birds on the water!

See you soon…..

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Did you know that it is illegal in the UK for you to take a close-up photo of a baby barn owl?

This little known law is part of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) where there is a list of species that receive full protection of the law – and this protection includes reducing the disturbance of the nesting young or recently fledged young of all the species on it – and this includes Barn Owls.

It also includes other seemingly random species such as Brambling, Fieldfare, Firecrest, Kingfisher, Bewick’s Swan and even the little Crested Tit!

All these species are among the 80+ protected wild bird species that frequent the UK, which can be native or just passing through.

There is, of course, already a law to protect all wildbirds from being intentionally injured, killed or taken from the wild – and the same goes for their eggs – but there are some exceptions.

In the case of the Barn Owl and the Kingfisher – they are for greater protection; whereas in the case of the Mallard or Woodcock – it means lesser protection at certain times!

photo credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Northeast Region

These schedules also cater for captive-bred ‘wild bird’ species such as birds of prey and other more common species such as Magpies, Blackbirds and Goldfinches. And also the sale of wildbirds that have been killed legally and the rehabilitation of injured birds.

Game birds are not covered by these particualar laws however, but are covered under the separate Game Bird Act, which fully protects them outside of the Open Season.

The Bird Schedules:
There are 4 such catagories (which may have several parts) which cover those endangered birds to be protected as well as those species which can be killed or sold, and they lay out as follows:

Schedule 1: Full protection at all times (or during the close season for a specific 4 species). To get close to young, nesting or breeding birds in this list – you will need a licence (or you can visit them in specific reserves).

Schedule 2: Birds which may be killed or taken outside of the close season only – but not sold – basically to be killed to protect crops or other interests or to be killed for food or for sale as per Schedule 3.

Schedule 3: Birds which may be sold; either dead at specific times, or alive if captive bred and legally ringed. These include certain ducks and wood pidgeons to be sold dead; and siskins, song thrushes and other ‘garden’ birds that can be kept as ‘pets’ and displayed at bird shows.

Schedule 4: Captive Bred birds which must be registered and ringed if in captivity (mainly raptors). These birds need to be registered and you must have genuine proof of breeding and hatching. If you find an injured bird that happens to be listed on Schedule 4 – even if you intend to re-release it shortly – you should inform the appropriate authority as they may need to be registered.

photo credit: luc.viatour

Your Actions:
So next time you see the opportunity to photograph any nesting bird – think about what that means.

If they have made a law that specifically prevents human from getting close enough to a Schedule 1 species – as it would disturb them – think again for all birds and other wildlife!

If they think that getting that close could prevent birds from nesting at all or may make them to abandon existing young – then what harm are you doing being that close to any species?

Even with the fantastic zooms on cameras these days – you still have to be quite close to get a great shot – so what if you got a great shot of a nest, but after you left all the young starved to death after you had scared the parents off!

When trying to film or photograph nesting birds – or any birds really – it is best to set up a hide (or use one at a reserve). Birds get used to them and so aren’t so affected by all the keen photographers snapping away at them. And some reserves set up hides to be really close to the action just for this reason.

So, if you are going to enter a photgraphic competition with your nest shot – make sure it’s not a Schedule 1 species – otherwise they may ask to see your licence………. and I’m sure you don’t want the associated £5000 fine and accompanying prison sentence instead of first prize!

You know the first 5 inside-out do you? Good Stuff!

Let us move on then……

So now you come to some more common birds – but these ones aren’t so obvious at first glance. You may have to look at them for a bit longer than the first 5 – or have some binoculars to hand too!

There are 2 sets of pairs here; 2 sets of birds that look quite similar until you can pick out the obvious differences.

And then of course you need to remember which one is which!

So lets look at the next 5 species and see what you think…..

Blue Tit:
This tiny garden lover is very common on garden feeders, and is not so easy to tell apart from the larger (but also blue-bodied Great Tits) for beginners.

Although they have a solid blue ‘caps’ seperated from their body colour by a black line running through their eye – they move so fast that you can’t alwasy make it out – especially if there are several birds on the feeder.

photo credit: chapmankj75

In fact to begin with it’s easier to learn what a Great Tit looks like – as it has much bolder colours and markings – and then you know it’s not that, so it must be a Blue Tit.

Great Tit:
Easy markers for these larger tits is the fact that they have a very dark head and neck – and a large white cheek patch. They also have a clear solid black chest line from their chins to their underbellies!

Try to find a garden feeder with both Blue and Great Tits feeding to see these differences first hand. And of course the Great Tits are much larger as well when you see them side by side!

photo credit: Chris Isherwood

Moorhen:
If you are out on the water – then you will no doubt have seen a small black bird walking about the waters edge with large feet. It might be on the water trying to get away from you as fast as it can.

Now this is one of 2 birds; if it has a red bill it is a moorhen – remember ‘R’ as in Moorhen. It will also have big yellow feet if you take a look.

photo credit: brian.gratwicke

Coot:
If it has a white bill and face plate – it will be a Coot (just remember ‘Red’ for moo’R'hen – then you will know it is a coot!). These birds are much larger than moorhens, but you might not see them together to compare so just go by the face. They also have grey legs and feet too if you get a chance to look at them walking over weeds.

photo credit: shimgray

Starling:
These noisy little birds tend to hang around in groups and will raid any food source that they come across! They are mainly black in appearance, but it depends on when you are watching them. In winter on closer inspection, you will see that they are a mottled pattern of brownish feathers spotted with creamy-brown patches all over, wheras in the summer they sport a rather metallic appearance of shiny greens, blues and purples with only residual spotting on the upper back and lower underside.

photo credit: marlin harms

They can look like other birds from a distance in your garden, but their extensive vocal range and large numbers usually gives them away as not your normal garden bird.

Now you have the basics, lets move on to some garden specialists in our next installment!

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!

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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Instead of waiting until you have booked your green holidays – get planning now!

Think of all the time you have available now to learn something new or start saving for! Even if you don’t know when you will book your next trip – it’s never to late to start thinking about the things that will come in handy when you do.

For example, if you love South America or South-East Asia – then you know you will get there eventually even if you have a few local short breaks in between. And you know that you will want to spend longer there than normal vacations as you love the place. And you know that anything to do with the language, culture or wildlife of those places will interest you.

So, what are you waiting for?
You will never get time back, so why waste it watching that repeat on TV again when you could be reading about a nations history? Why wash the dishes staring out of the window when you could be working through an audio language course while your hands are wet?

And it’s not just the little things you could be achieving. Say for example you enrolled yourself on a distance learning TEFL course and spent a few hours a month completing that rather than searching for an elephant on Farmville!

Or took flying lessons, diving lessons, a photography course or rock climbing adventures. If you practice all these things in advance you can get so much more out of your green adventures – and you will regret it as I have seen people who are in the beautiful Maldives filled with endless coral and passing dolphins and turtles – but they are in the pool taking starter diving lessons rather than out there experiencing the real magic beneath the waves!

Just a few horse back lessons before you leave can build up your confidence for that sunset canter along the sandy beaches on the Caribbean, or a long trek up into the rainforests and mountains of the Andes.

Write Your Plan:
Get yourself a sheet of paper, and create a sort of spider diagram to highlight the places, people, wildlife, or experiences that you love or want to see or experience.  Keep adding to the flow as you think of things.

For example, writing ‘Canada’ could lead to ‘Rockies’ which could lead to ‘skiing’ or ‘horseback riding’; or it could lead to ‘Wilderness’ which could make you think ‘camping skills’ and ‘kayaking’.  Either way, if you read up on these things or gained the new skills needed before you arrived – your trip would become 100 times better.

I wouldn’t want to try setting up a tent for the first time in the middle of nowhere – and I certainly wouldn’t want to try to eat plants or mushrooms in the ‘wild’ having only just brought the book!

Once this diagram is complete, turn it into a 1 or 2 year plan – effectively finding out how long these things take to learn and planning backwards.

So, learning to dive might take around a week if you do it intense, whereas learning Chinese from scratch could take at least 6 months for general conversation – or more.  Fit these in around your existing plans and your work load to find out the best plan for you.

The First Steps:
The easiest first step is a trip to the library.  You don’t need to spend any money or risk any investment – just go grab some books about the things on your list and start reading.

It’s possible that you thought you could learn hieroglyphics yourself – but after reading the first book, you know you need help – or a lot longer!

Same goes for certain countries – what if you thought you liked a certain region and then found a better one – or you found out something about a region that you didn’t know about before and want to learn more!

Everyone has a spare 15 minutes a day to start reading stuff – so take the first step as soon as possible, and get learning!

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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!

Great tips on how to minimise your traveling ‘footprint’ in fragile or little visited locations.

We all love traveling to isolated, pristine environments where we can experience nature as it was meant to be.  We don’t want giant hotels standing on the beaches, or wide, busy roads leading into the wilderness – but if you want to go somewhere special – you need to take precautions.

I’m not talking about those for your own safety and health while traveling – I’m referring to the impact you will have on those environments.  And how you could ruin them before anyone else has had a chance to enjoy them – sometimes without even meaning to!

Here are some simple tips to make sure you really do ‘take only photos and leave only footprints’!

Keep Erosion To A Minimum:
When hiking through delicate ecosystems, try to keep to the paths to avoid damaging plants unnecessarily.  If people all start to walk side by side just because there is room to do so, the path eats away into the location – and can only get wider each time. 

Also, if enough plant material is trampled when you take a short cut, others who visit later may think it is an actual path, and start to enlarge the route – damaging more land.

Pitch Your Tent Eco-Wisely:
Choose a site for your tent that doesn’t cover native plants or flowers.  Always try to find a sandy or un-vegetated area to settle your ground sheet – otherwise you could be squashing or killing delicate ecosystems or slow-growing wild flowers.

In addition, don’t settle somewhere that is too close to water as you could prevent shy animals from approaching their water source.  Or get your belongings washed away after heavy rain!

Deposit Your ‘Waste’ With Care:
If you are outdoors long enough to need to ‘go’ then make sure you are sensible with your choice – and make sure you are off the main path! (however, this isn’t an excuse to violate ’rule 1′). 

In hot climates, make sure it is buried several inches underground – and to the lower edge of the path.  In rocky regions cover it with leaf litter or rocks, and make sure you don’t leave your toilet paper in the wind!  Either burn it or better still take it away with you – as with feminine hygiene products and dispose of in a bin!

Don’t Pollute Rivers:
Goes as an ‘obvious’ really – but not many people take biodegradable eco-friendly soaps and shampoos with them when camping!  Let alone washing up or cleaning products!

Also, try not to use them in the watercourse itself.  Ideally use a bucket or similar, then throw the waste water into the ground away from the stream or lake, so the ground can absorb most of the chemicals instead.

Depending on where you are and in what country – make sure that you don’t upset local communities by splashing around in water that they use for drinking or are trying to fish in – otherwise you could cause possible friction in the future for other tourists in the area.

Cooking Over Flames:
When thinking of starting a campfire – make sure you are legally allowed to do so – never assume that you can start one anywhere as they are by no means harmless!  And never leave a burning fire unattended.

Ideally, you would use an area that is already burned, or an area that is not covered in plant materials either dead or alive – dry or dead plants can act as fuel across the ground.  And make sure nothing is overhanging so make sure it doesn’t heat up and burn.

Only use fallen branches and wood for fuel – rather than dead branches still on trees – they act as an important natural habitat for birds, insects and mammals.  Also, don’t make it larger than you need as wood is a valuable resource in many communities.

Happy Camping!

Planning Your Green Holidays in Yucatan, Mexico

Mexico is always a great destination for sunshine and beautiful scenery.  A perfect destination for all seasons. 

If you are planning to head to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico for your vacation and want your accommodation to be more responsible for it’s actions, then hopefully these eco resorts may appeal.

Where To Start:
However, if you are going to enjoy your green holidays, then you need to look beyond the standard brochure.  Many companies will cater for your every need in Cancun and around the Caribbean coast – but what if you want it to care about the needs of the environment and local people too? 

Forget the shiny brochures from the travel agent who cram everyone into the man-made hi-rise resort of Cancun.  Forget the cheap package vacations that include everything except the local people, and start looking elsewhere……

I have been looking around for you and have found 4 vacation spots all in the Yucatan peninsula, and all offering a ‘green’ alternative to the standard resort, and have detailed their eco credentials. 

However, the search isn’t always easy – as many resorts have information of ‘ecology’ meaning that there are animals and plants there, rather than ‘eco’ in our sense of the word, meaning that it actually cares for that environment and those creatures and plants.

The Hotels:
All are in different locations to offer you a taste of something different, but are all within easy reach of international airports and Mexico’s ancient Mayan Sites.

When making yur decision on the best green resort, remember to check their eco-credentials based on what they have to work with.  If they are catering for green alternatives in towns and cities then they are limited as to what they can achieve and it will take a more reduce:reuse:recycle approach.

When searching for isolated eco-lodges surrounded by beaches or forest, they are playing to a whole new set of rules.  Look out for alternative energy sources, low development footprint and how the accommodation fits in to the environment.

Eco Paraiso
This new-build eco-hotel is in Yucatan State, close to Celestun on the Gulf of Mexico coast.

It was designed around the nature on this coast and was set back from the beach itself to maintain the delicate dunes that protect the coast and is also home to rare plants and nesting turtles.

The actual buildings on the land only take up just over 1% of the total land owned by the resort, leaving nature pretty much as it was.  Any areas that needed replanting or protecting were filled with only native plants and trees.

They buy locally and in bulk to save food waste and catch and treat both rainwater and grey water from the rooms and kitchens to water the gardens.  They even desalinate their salt-water well and treat to make potable for guests rather than import bottled water.

Other attributes include solar-heated pool, low voltage bulbs and no individually packaged toiletries and goods.  They also offer extensive literature for guests to find out about their ethos and the local environment and community.  They even offer short course on eco living and sustainability!

Genesis Retreat
This vacation spot is located inland, just north of the town of Valladolid – close to Chichen Itza.

Based around a local village in the ruins of Ek Balem, this hotel is closely knitted together with the local people.  Most of the activities are guided by the locals and they welcome you into their villages and homes.

The hotel uses all local food and services and the local tours and wildlife trips are all close by.  Any further away is catered for with a healthy supply of mountain bikes.

They say that their gardens were designed to attract local butterflies and birdlife and have a small area that houses rescued native birds that cannot be released.  Their outdoor pool is chemical free and bio-filtered to reduce it’s impact on the visiting wildlife.

The management will automatically send you detailed information regarding their eco-credentials and community programmes on booking with them, as well and any other details you request on top.

Hotel El Rey Del Caribe
Located in the very heart of downtown Cancun (the original town) and so has different pressures on it’s green approach.

It welcomes you with Mexican flair and authentic design and you will probably see it’s sheets drying naturally on the roof!  Their main focuses are reducing and recycling and they are proud of the composting toilets in many of their rooms and the rainwater and grey-water recycling and reuse.

They say that they are constantly learning more ways to improve what they have, and work with local environmental NGO’s to support local projects as well as further their own developments – including their solar water heater.

They are also only a Bed & Breakfast, therefore encouraging visitors to go and explore the heart of Cancun and use local services and enjoy traditional foods.

Papaya Playa
This final hotel is really to the extremes of a green holiday and won’t be for everyone!

Close to the beautiful coastal ruins of Tulum, this complex has few rooms.  All were built with local materials using traditional methods and resources.

The rooms are very basic and sleep as many as possible in double beds to reduce individual waste.  Many go even further with shared bathrooms for some of the cabins to prevent wasted plumbing and ease of water capture and heating!  It goes without saying that they are showers only…

Expect almost nothing electrical in the rooms as there is only power generated between dusk and 11:30pm and so you need to rely on the traditional windowless design of the cabins and the natural ‘gaps’ in the slatted walls to keep your room cool throughout the day.

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