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Archive for December, 2010

With summer sun and greening hills the urge to explore and break away from the mundane redundancy of life settles into our hearts, and we long for that one word “vacation”. Sadly many of us are really suffering from the economic times, which forces us to look closer to home for our time away from work. Those of us who can travel are much more discriminating than we used to be. Where our money is spent is truly a vote as to the direction that we want to see our world go. Here are some easy, eco-friendly and frugal options that anyone can consider while engaging in lots of activities without guilt.

When making any plans for you or your loved ones, consider choosing activities that support responsible ecological and environmental development in that area. Places you might want to explore are orangutan rescue organizations, preserved park-lands and eco-tours. Also, consider rehabilitation projects that are happening in your area – or start your own. There really is nothing like the rewarding feeling that comes from taking a few bags down to a polluted area, sorting the trash appropriately for recyclables, etc and knowing that when you leave that day you have made a huge difference for the planet. Consider things like planting projects, or volunteer projects that you can get involved in closer to home. These shouldn’t be looked at as “work” but more as a chance to meet new, like-minded people, to have fun and get involved in your community. At the same time you’ll be left with the knowledge that you are leaving a lasting legacy.

Be conscious when tossing food out when traveling! You might be conscious of throwing non-organic garbage out the window when traveling, however few people realize the potential consequences of throwing out that apple core or banana peel out the car window. Guilty of this ourselves… up until about 8 years ago, when hiking we would leave the apple cores, watermelon skins and banana peels in the area by tossing them into the forest or placing under a rock, not realizing that we may be attracting bear and other animals to the trail where other people frequent.

According to the Go & Do visitor magazine for the West Kootenay region (2008 issue) foods tossed out of travelers windows can lure animals to the road where they could be hit by cars, potentially causing accidents or damage to vehicles. Their bodies can then attract larger predators and scavengers and the problem then just gets bigger and bigger – all because of one little apple core.

To put this into perspective, down in the southern section of BC – Canada’s western most province – the Wild animal Rehabilitation Center, 80% of the animals treat have injuries sustained from human activity. I learned that information during an interview with a representative from the Wild ARC org Sara Debois on March 27, 2008 on the Conscious Discussions talk radio show. (blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscusssions)

Another way we can reduce this tragedy is to reduce speed in areas where wildlife caution signs are posted or near water sources. Create a game with the family and have them keep an eye on the sides of the road to increase the safety. In the evening the eyes of the animals are likely going to reflect the light from the road and will glow a red color. If you see two – or even one glowing dot, you’ll want to slow down right away and be prepared for anything. When you see one, keep in mind that animals will often travel in groups of two or more, so there may be a few more critters lurking around somewhere. Dawn and dusk are particularly dangerous due to the lack of visibility.