Forbes March 16, 2024
Lifestyle
The mission of Earth Day, a global movement with education and action at the helm, is a simple one: protect our planet. Every year, since 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated on April 22. Today, one billion mindful individuals in 192 countries are battle-ready for this environmental movement that stresses positive action.
This year’s theme is Planet vs. Plastics, a call to action to reduce plastic production by 60% by 2040. Most people know by now that plastic can have detrimental outcomes for not only humans and animals, but also, our fragile planet. This year’s Earth Day is putting out a bat signal, a call to action for the end of single use plastics and fast fashion, which produces and utilizes harmful plastics. Public awareness and the investment in new technologies and materials are key to these efforts for a more plastic-free reality.
As a traveler, you may be wondering what you can do to help the environment and leave the world a better place for future generations. Whether you’re planting a tree, volunteering, walking or riding a bicycle instead of driving, picking up trash and recycling, or skipping meat for a meal or two, there are everyday actions you can take even while traveling that will have a favorable influence on our environment. Feeling inspired? Keep reading for more ways to celebrate Earth Day while traveling this year.
Spending time in nature not only ensures wonderous things for our health and wellbeing, but also, if you love the outdoors, you’re more likely to protect it. Whether you go for a run in a forest preserve, plan for a backpacking trip, or toss a frisbee in a local park, you won’t regret logging a few hours among the trees and plants. This is especially important for children as they are the next stewards of our ecosystems.
Where to Go: Our national and state parks are wonderful places to inspire a love of nature. Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park, for example is chockfull of flora and fauna like black bears, elk, yellow warblers, wildflowers, and multi-hued blooming shrubs. Plus, the many hiking trails will give you an opportunity to unplug and dial in to the natural world all around, full of bluffs, waterfalls, rugged ridges, and patches of blackberries. The ranger-led programs are great for families and kids will be inspired to act when they return home.
We can learn a lot through the meaningful interactions we have with people from other countries, whether you’re chatting with a neighborhood artisan in a small shop or buying picnicking goods at an area market. A fantastic way to get a local’s perspective is to take a guided tour. You’ll find that it’s easy enough to ask questions and learn about the land and various ecosystems. A guide might tell you, for example, that after building a sandcastle on the beach, you should fill in all the holes in order to protect sea turtles and their life-cycle journey from land to sea.
For your next beach vacation, you can make sustainable choices like packing a reusable stainless-steel water bottle and cloth tote bag. Also, rather than taking multiple shorter trips throughout the year, consider visiting one destination for longer, cutting down on your air travel.
Where to Go: When traveling, it’s important to select a hotel that is actively making greener choices for the consumer. Garza Blanca Resort & Spa Los Cabos, nestled between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, stocks guest rooms with glass water carafes in lieu of plastic water bottles and they’ve swapped single-use plastic toiletries for larger reusable bottles for shampoos, soaps, and lotions. Lights are controlled by motion sensors and guest are encouraged to hang towels and skip a room cleaning or two in order to conserve water and energy. The resort offers many activities like outdoor yoga, aqua fitness classes, Spanish language lessons, and a guided electric bicycle tour on the beach, which are all fun ways to connect with others are broaden your horizons.
When traveling, aim to pack light and reuse items. Buff, B Corp Certified, makes multi-purpose products out of recycled plastic water bottles. The neckwear can be used in numerous ways for diverse activities. Hold your hair back while exploring a new destination on foot, protect your skin from the sun while fishing, wipe the sweat away while running, or pull over your ears for added warmth while camping.
Mammut, an outdoor gear company with the climate strategy motto of “Do our best, remove the rest”, makes fitted sports shorts that can be donned while being physically active or worn underneath a dress for added comfort while visiting museums, local markets, or small artisan businesses. These high-waisted stretchy tights are well made with a side pocket, and they’re meant to last for years to come, helping to keep clothing out of the landfill.
For a lightweight and breathable hiking shoe that can be worn on the trails or while exploring a new town, pick up the well-made Re: Connect—Here kicks from Vasque. Designed with sustainable materials, like a recycled polyester upper mesh, this footwear workhorse fits your feet snuggly and can be used on many adventures around the globe.
Where to Go: Put your multi-use gear into action on a slow travel journey of a lifetime in Argentina. For an immersive adventure that celebrates locally grown and produced food, authentic cultural experiences, and outdoor activities that nurture the mind and body, look no further than Flash Pack’s Ultimate Argentina trip designed specifically for solo travelers between the ages of 30—49.
From kayaking to hiking to sipping local wines to staying the night in an eco-friendly mountain lodge on the banks of the Las Vueltas River, you’ll have the opportunity to make meaningful connections with your new travel companions as well as the locals along the way.
“Patagonia is one of the few almost virgin territories left on the planet,” says Alberto del Castillo, director of Laguna Condor Refugio de Montana, a Flash Pack pick. “Its territory was covered by glaciers for millennia and the hunter-gatherers who traveled through these lands left almost no trace of civilizations. The modern walker can travel between primary forests and landscapes carved by glaciers—it is impossible to tour Patagonia without feeling that we are just passing through this planet.”
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