Ecoteer

Day 2 – walking to Jambu Bongkok

Sea turtles are “ambassadors of the oceans”, for conserving these animals means protecting the seas and coastal areas. The collection of nesting numbers is vital for their conservation but has never been conducted statewide in Terengganu therefore the walk will provide invaluable data which the decision makers wouldnt otherwise have. The Walk for Turtles event is a 10 day walk which will start, annually, on World Sea Turtle Day (16th June), in 2010 from Dungun to Kuala Besut, visiting every beach along the way (mainland and islands). The team will be collecting invaluable sea turtle data during the walk, visit conservation projects and give awareness talks. The data will be used to identify potential new areas for sea turtle nest conservation in Terengganu. The walk will be further extended in 2011 to cover all beaches in the State of Terengganu resulting in a thorough annual monitoring of sea turtle nesting densities. Raising awareness is the second objective of the walk with the team hosting presentations, meeting turtle conservation experts and visiting conservation projects. The event will be broadcast via the worldwide web, television and newspapers raising awareness throughout the world. The third objective of the walk is to raise RM100,000 for sea turtle conservation projects throughout Terengganu. The funds will be used to support sea turtle conservation in Terengganu, Malaysia.

To find out more walk for turtles

Day 1 – Going to Tenggol island and walking to Rantau Abang

Coral bleaching

Interview with Capt Mok

Walking Tanjong Jara Resort to Rantau Abang

Sea turtles are “ambassadors of the oceans”, for conserving these animals means protecting the seas and coastal areas. The collection of nesting numbers is vital for their conservation but has never been conducted statewide in Terengganu therefore the walk will provide invaluable data which the decision makers wouldnt otherwise have. The Walk for Turtles event is a 10 day walk which will start, annually, on World Sea Turtle Day (16th June), in 2010 from Dungun to Kuala Besut, visiting every beach along the way (mainland and islands). The team will be collecting invaluable sea turtle data during the walk, visit conservation projects and give awareness talks. The data will be used to identify potential new areas for sea turtle nest conservation in Terengganu. The walk will be further extended in 2011 to cover all beaches in the State of Terengganu resulting in a thorough annual monitoring of sea turtle nesting densities. Raising awareness is the second objective of the walk with the team hosting presentations, meeting turtle conservation experts and visiting conservation projects. The event will be broadcast via the worldwide web, television and newspapers raising awareness throughout the world. The third objective of the walk is to raise RM100,000 for sea turtle conservation projects throughout Terengganu. The funds will be used to support sea turtle conservation in Terengganu, Malaysia.

To find out more walk for turtles

15th June – the night before – walk for turtles :-)

Sea turtles are “ambassadors of the oceans”, for conserving these animals means protecting the seas and coastal areas. The collection of nesting numbers is vital for their conservation but has never been conducted statewide in Terengganu therefore the walk will provide invaluable data which the decision makers wouldnt otherwise have. The Walk for Turtles event is a 10 day walk which will start, annually, on World Sea Turtle Day (16th June), in 2010 from Dungun to Kuala Besut, visiting every beach along the way (mainland and islands). The team will be collecting invaluable sea turtle data during the walk, visit conservation projects and give awareness talks. The data will be used to identify potential new areas for sea turtle nest conservation in Terengganu. The walk will be further extended in 2011 to cover all beaches in the State of Terengganu resulting in a thorough annual monitoring of sea turtle nesting densities. Raising awareness is the second objective of the walk with the team hosting presentations, meeting turtle conservation experts and visiting conservation projects. The event will be broadcast via the worldwide web, television and newspapers raising awareness throughout the world. The third objective of the walk is to raise RM100,000 for sea turtle conservation projects throughout Terengganu. The funds will be used to support sea turtle conservation in Terengganu, Malaysia.

To find out more walk for turtles

Top 5 Ecotourism destinations

Since the last few years, there has been growing awareness about the environment and sustainability, thanks to massive campaigns against global warming. This is slowly changing the trends in choice of destinations for holidaying too. There is a growing demand among travelers for destinations that are eco-friendly. You may feel that there are limited options for you to choose from. But fact is, there are countless such destinations all over the globe that are worth visiting.

Top 5 eco-tourism destinations for 2010
Here, we have listed out some of the top destinations that you can visit if you are a green warrior. These destinations are for you if you are keen on protecting the environment while traveling and having fun.

Costa Rica:
This country has been identified as the greenest country in the world. It is actively eco-friendly in every way possible. This country strives to be green, right from conserving wildlife to promoting eco-tourism. It is possibly the best example of an environment-friendly nation.

Costa Rica has beautiful black sand beaches, misty and lush green rain-forests, gushing rivers, along with a number of wildlife reserves housing some rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. There are also a large number of resorts and hotels that are nature-friendly. This is one green destination to look out for if you wish to be sensitive to the environment and have loads of fun at the same time.

Kerala, India:
This is a small state nested in the southwestern corner of India. Many call it “God’s Own Country”, a name that couldn’t be any closer to describing this heavenly destination. It is one of the most pristine locations in India, well preserved and protected.

Kerala has lush green forests and unspoiled sandy beaches. Along with this, it houses a very wide range of flora, many of them endangered. The Lake Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is home to animals like wild boar, elephants and bison. The Rajamala National Park is home to the nilgiri tahr, which is an extremely endangered species of mountain goat. This is the place for you if you like being amidst nature and take in all its sights, smells and sounds.

Brazil (also spelled Brasil):
You may not think of Brazil when it comes to green destinations, as it is known mostly for its beach holidays. But it now slowly emerging as a hot destination for eco-travelers, with the government and the people adopting many environment-friendly measures.

Brazil is home to the Amazon basin, which has been recognized as having the highest concentration of biodiversity in the world. Many species in this region are yet to be documented, and many others are rare and endangered species. To go along with this, there are a number of resorts and hotels that use eco-friendly resources. Almost as much as eighty five percent of the electricity used in homes comes from renewable sources. So if you are an environment and wildlife enthusiast, this is the place to be.

Kenya:
Kenya is a place that you would imagine as vast Savannah with zebras, lions and elephants all around. Well, you will surely find these in Kenya. But there is a lot more to explore in this country than the wildlife. It is a destination with some exciting adventures on offer.

Kenya has more than fifty national parks and wildlife reserves, with a huge variety of animals and birds along with lush rain-forests. In addition, there are lakes, sandy beaches, coral reefs, deserts, mountains and even snow-capped peaks, each with their own unique flora and fauna to boast. You will find all this in a superbly diverse ecosystem, most of which has been well-maintained and preserved. This destination is for you if you love variety and would like to take frequent safaris in thick jungles.

Norwegian Fjords:
This is a destination that not many may know of. It is extremely remote and hidden away safely by its location as well as government regulations preserving it. Norway is a world leader in environmental policy, and this is reflected in the way its ecology is preserved.

The Norwegian Fjords offer waters that are crystal clear and pristine, snow-capped mountains and cascading waterfalls. There is a lot of wildlife here to go with this scenic and beautiful surroundings. If you are looking for some fun and adventure, this place also offers you a chance to go biking and hiking across the rugged terrain if the fjord. You can also get a glimpse of age-old traditions in small fishing villages that are scattered all over the region.

These are some of the top destinations that you could look at when planning your holiday if you are looking at having a good time while keeping up your role as an eco-warrior. Happy Holidaying!!!

Ecoteer ecotourism and responsible travel

Worst coral bleaching event on record!

I’m volunteering at a Thai University, and have been studying corals for several months now. Naturally, when the opportunity came to go to the Andaman Sea for field work, I jumped at the chance. We were going to survey the extent of what we initially thought to be a local coral bleaching event, and although I knew it would not be pretty, I had seen a few bleached corals before, and wasn’t expecting a shock. My expectations could not have been further from the harsh, stark white reality. Looking from the boat into the crystal clear waters around Ko Adang, it was obvious from the surface that the corals, usually rich tapestry of mixed purple, green, browns, yellows and blues, were all startlingly pale. Closer inspection on SCUBA revealed that almost 100% of corals were affected. Some were bleached only partially, with pale hints of their previous colour or small patches that were less severely affected, but most were all over a brilliant glaring white. Giant clams, anemones, soft corals and zooanthids were all also affected.

Alarmed at what we had seen, we contacted people over a wider area and my fields at Ecoteer informed me that Malaysia has also suffered severe bleaching. It seems that the entire Indian Ocean has been affected, from Mauritius right across South East Asia to Papua new Guinea. There are even predictions that this event, caused by an extended spell of calm, warm weather conditions, may be even worse than the widespread mass coral bleaching of 1998 which is the worst on record. Both 1998 and 2010 are El ninio year’s, where prolonged hot weather creates stressful conditions for marine life. In response to the stress, corals eject their symbiotic algae, known as zooxanthellae, which give them their bright colours. They then appear ‘bleached’ and have transparent tissues, leaving the white skeleton clearly visible. However the zooxanthellae give corals part of the energy they require to survive, and without them the corals soon die.

We do not expect our bleached reefs to be able to survive much longer. Unless the temperature cools quickly, all that we can do is monitor any recovery. But perhaps we can give the reefs a helping hand… by working with local communities as a ‘coral dating service’ to help enable the few surviving colonies connect with one another when they are able to spawn again! Re-growing coral reefs is a slow process though, and ultimately reducing our carbon emissions to stop the trend of increasingly severe and frequent El nino event is the only hope for recovery of our precious coral reefs.

If you have bleaching reports, or would like more information on what can be done please contact Cat Wilding at Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. cat.wilding@hotmail.co.uk

volunteer abroad

What is sustainable tourism?

Many people have told me they are just so confused with all the different names for tourism.  One of the most common is what is sustainable tourism?

Sustainable tourism is simply tourism which has minimal impact on the location you visit.  Sustainable tourism could be in a city just as it much as in a pristine environment.  The best way to describe it is to look at the financial meltdown of Europe.  People, banks and now governments have borrowed more money than they can pay back – is that sustainable?  Could that last forever?  As we have seen the answer is no.  Linking this to tourism if you exploited the environment or mistreated people would that last forever?? The answer is no.

So how to make sure your holiday is sustainable?

1)      Ask about the facilities environmental and social policy;

2)      Pay money direct to the facilities rather than buying through an agent;

3)      Ensure you visit the local villagers and if you like their products buy direct from them;

These are just three ways to ensure your holiday is more sustainable, for more information the best website we have found is http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org/

Ecoteer has just got their licence to sell tour packages and will start to sell only true sustainable holidays.  The website is www.ecoteerresponsibletravel.com

Daniel

Volunteer Abroad

The Story Of Your Stuff

This is a long video (20 minutes) but definitely worth the watch. It’s a call for us to wake up!

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

Can You Live Without Money?

It has been said – money is the ruler of people, businesses and all things!

But not for Mark Boyle. This UK resident, since 2007, sold his house boat and began to live a new life – without money! Yeap – absolutely zero.

Though received much criticism from online readers, his never say die attitude spurred him to go even further. He no longer drinks Starbucks for breakfast – he settles it with nettle and cleaver tea, in which he says has high nutrients. He grows food on an organic farm and bathes in a solar powered shower.

Extremist or not – well, you’ll be the judge!

Read an article by CNN of Mark Boyle, here.

Green travel gadgets

Green travel gadgets not only help reduce your carbon footprint whilst travelling but actually make a lot of sense.

Carrying endless chargers and buying batteries can take up alot of space in ones backpack and money whilst travelling and if lost cause alot of headaches.  I have recently heard about solar chargers and these gadgets are fantastic they not only reduce the amount of space you need but are more practical and save you money.  The Solio charger with an extension pack can fully charge a hand phone from just 3 hours of sunlight.  They are small and can attach to your bag, charging while you walk from temple to temple or on a trekking or kayaking trip.  These gadgets are the travellers dream and they help save the planet at the same time.

Solar chargers just make sense!

Other gadgets you can find range from wind-up torches to hats with solar panels to charge up an ipod.

The best place i have found for green travel gadgets is Nigel’s Eco Store based in Brighton, UK or look at this blog http://www.petergreenberg.com/2007/07/20/green-travel-gadgets/.

Have you found any other good sites???

Daniel

Volunteer abroad

Air Travel – the unseen consequence!

Air travel currently accounts for 3-5% of global carbon emissions. However it is the fastest growing cause of global warming, and by 2020 is estimated to be the single biggest contributor to global warming (one EU report states that it will be bigger than all the other sources of carbon emissions combined).

To put this in context at this level air travel would account for all the UK’s carbon allowance – meaning that every single business and person in the UK would need to have zero emissions to meet our targets of reducing emissions by 20% on 1990 levels (which many feel is not sufficient anyway).

In addition emitting carbon (and nitrogen oxide) directly into the atmosphere has a more damaging effect than ground level emissions. The emissions from a transatlantic flight per person are double those of the average car in the UK for a year.

So as we are flying into the Alps we are contributing to their destruction; our flight to the Maldives is slowly sinking it under rising sea levels and destroying coral through bleaching associated with global warming; and finally our flight to Africa is contributing to drought, famine and disease. It’s not an appetizing thought is it?

What can YOU do?

Some destinations are possible to visit on trains such as Eurostar rather than low cost airlines – a train journey typically creates 1/8th of the emissions of a flight.

However where our help is needed most usually requires us to spread our wings a little and travel further – and realistically we have to fly. The desire to travel and discover new places and cultures for trade and pleasure has been with us since the earliest hunter gatherers, through to the first pilgrims and the original package holidaymakers.

Your volunteering and tourists provides real social and economic benefits to local people and destinations. UK tourists spend £2bn a year in developing countries – similar to the UK governments AID budget – some of which trickles down into local hands. Tourism revenues support the conservation of National Parks (which account for 6% of our land surface) and cultural heritage worldwide. As an industry tourism is the biggest employer in the world. In short if we all stopped flying altogether then both development and conservation worldwide would be negatively effected – which would have its own impact on global warming associated with for example deforestation.

So you as volunteers and tourists in general, seemed to be caught between a rock and a hard place! However In 2001 responsibletravel.com was one of the first companies in the UK to offer travellers the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions through a carbon calculator offered in partnership with Climate Care. By entering your flight details into the calculator your emissions, and the cost to offset them, are calculated.

For example, a return flight from London to Paris emits 0.05 tonnes and would cost £5 to offset via contributions to schemes such as providing low emissions stoves to people in India that burn crop waste (and help farmers generate supplementary income), low energy light bulbs for hotel in St. Lucia and through tree planting. We are more in favour of examples such as the stoves than tree planting as a) there are real benefits here to local communities b) the ‘accountancy’ behind the amount of carbon that trees emit is less precise.

I hope this has given you something to think about and highlighted the consequences of our travel! By no means do we want to put you off international travel as when you volunteer you provide so much to the local community and gain so much yourself! But I just want you to know the full consequences and provide you with ways to reduce the impact from the emissions of your flights.
Visit Ecoteers green travel page to find out more and for links to carbon neutralizing schemes and other ideas on how to travel with a lower carbon footprint.

Dr Justin Francis
Responsibletravel.com