Summertime lends itself to epic adventures, which can lead to an increase in driving and flying for many of us. While we’re out enjoying nature, let’s also remember to take care of and honor the earth. Being green on vacation can easily be achieved with some proper planning and can provide the added benefit of shaking up your normal vacation routine in ways that can be fun for your family and friends.
Top 5 Eci-Conscious Vacation Activities
1. Spend a few hours volunteering on a farm. No matter where you are going you can find a farm. From the Brooklyn Grange Rooftop Farm or Pure Love Organic Farms in New York City to the Urban Garden System in Denver, to the Albany Park Farm in Chicago. Farms always need assistance. Complete a quick online search for farms near your travel destination, contact the farmers in advance, and let them know that you would like to volunteer. Trust me when I say that your support will be much appreciated.
2. Volunteer at a national forest, wildlife preserve, or waterway. If farming isn’t your or your family’s thing, give your time to clean up and preserve the beautiful lands that are on our planet. National parks, wildlife preserves, and public beaches are always looking for people to assist them in maintaining their landscapes, cleaning up litter, and providing safe havens for their animals to live in and prosper in.
3. Buy carbon offsets from your airline. Most airlines today provide the option for their passengers to purchase carbon offsets to help neutralize the pollution that their airplanes produced in-flight. There are also third-party organizations that can connect you with carbon offset options.
4. Stay in Green Seal-Certified hotels. Green Seal Certified hotels promote green ways of living by utilizing products that are generated from sustainable materials and also through purchasing wind and solar energy.
5. Make your meals from ingredients at the local farmer’s market. What could be better than supporting the local economy and reducing the distance that your food traveled to your plate? You’ll also save a bunch of money by not eating out so often.
Photo by Ali Kaukas
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Michael Forman is a native of Bronx, New York, and has lived in New York City for almost his entire life. He is the executive farm director of Pure Love Organic Farms, an organic, urban farm that he and three other friends created in 2012 from a former garbage dump site. Michael also works as the North American account manager for Totally Green in the sustainable technologies field.