Report
ALENEY DE WINTER explores how travel can teach kids about the power of making a positive impact on the environment.
Aleney de Winter explores how travel can teach kids about making a positive environmenal impact on the road.
My son is tirelessly stripping away leaves and sanding back the dried trunk of a Gymea lily. His brow is furrowed as he takes a pre-carved arrow head and carefully lashes it to his spear-to-be with twine. About two hours into his back-breaking efforts, he scoops up a handful of ochre paint – made from crushed rock and tree resin – mindful of his teacher’s advice to use only what he needs to seal his spear. He looks up, a streak of orange across his cheek and a look of dawning realisation in his eyes, “This isn’t about making a spear, is it Mama?”
“No, it’s not,” I reply.
He grins at me and declares, “It’s about being kind to the Earth and not so greedy that there’s nothing left for anyone else, right?” “Spot on, kiddo!”
The workshop with Indigenous community leader Dean Kelly of Warada Kinship has nothing to do with weaponising a small boy and everything to do with teaching him about living a more responsible and sustainable life. As he works, Dean shares ancient stories, explaining that Australia’s Indigenous people view the land as their mother and believe everything is born from, and will return to, her. To them, Mother Earth represents everything needed for living and they take from her only what they need to survive. It’s a powerful message for my son.
I believe we have a responsibility to teach our kids lessons that will help them grow into eco-conscious adults. And what better way to teach them the importance of treading lightly on our planet than by learning from its people and experiencing first-hand the beauty of our natural world? Travel offers parents an unparalleled opportunity to teach kids critical lessons about the fragility of ecosystems and the damaging consequences climate change, pollution and waste have on them.
But here’s the catch: travel isn’t all that environmentally friendly. The 2018 Emissions Gap Report by UN Environment shows global emissions have hit a historic high and sadly, aviation is responsible for about two per cent of global carbon emissions. That, combined with people checking their environmental responsibilities with their luggage at the airport, is a recipe for disaster. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Planet partners
Choosing travel partners committed to environmental protection is the first step. No matter whether you travel by cycle, road, rail or air, purchasing carbon offsets can help make amends for your impact. If you are flying, support airlines that offer carbon offset programs as your small, but vital, investment will be spent on reforestation and research into renewable energy.
While it is up to us all to conserve energy by switching off hotel lights and air con when we’re not using them, limiting water waste, reusing linen and avoiding disposable amenities, hotels also have to play a part.
“Travel offers parents an unparalleled opportunity to teach kids critical lessons about the fragility of ecosystems and the damaging consequences climate change, pollution and waste have on them.”
It is essential that hotels are not only reducing their footprint but also helping young guests learn about the environment with activities that help to foster environmental awareness.
“Our young guests are the people with whom we will entrust the care of our planet, and who will benefit the most from our efforts today to ensure the long-term sustainability of tourism,” says Gaynor Reid, Vice President Communications and CSR for
Accorhotels.
“Children are really receptive to activities that enable them to learn in a fun and engaging way, so we are embracing more opportunities to introduce eco activities in our kids’ clubs as part of our Planet 21 program.”
Some Accor hotels offer opportunities for children to plant a tree through the Plant for the Planet Program, while others offer children the chance to take part in beach clean-ups to create an understanding of the enormous impact of waste.
Some of the hotels go the extra mile.
Fairmont Yancheng Lake in China offers a Green Dream Stay, where families can enjoy à la carte ‘green activities’ at an adjacent farm. Activities depend on the season and might include feeding the ducks, gathering eggs, exploring the green tea plantation, boating or fishing on the lake and picking seasonal fruit and vegetables or herbs. The highlight of a stay is a cooking class using these freshly gathered ingredients, followed by lunch at the home of the farm’s passionate local guide.
Not-so-fantastic plastic
The impact of plastic pollution in developing countries is devastating. An estimated eight million metric tons of plastic waste makes its way into our oceans annually, killing animals, altering ecosystems and damaging human health as microplastics enter the food chain.
Tour operator Intrepid Travel is doing its bit to reduce single-use plastic by providing reusable cloth bags so guests can say ‘no’ to plastic. All families are encouraged to travel with reusable water bottles and, where possible, the company supplies drinkable water for their use.
“We believe in doing our bit to bring up the next generation of responsible travellers. This means educating the family travel community in low-impact, sustainable travel practices and sharing ways in which we can all travel responsibly,” says Dyan Mckie, Intrepid Travel family product manager.
As part of its commitment, The Intrepid Foundation has been set up to empower travellers to have a positive impact on the communities they visit, improving livelihoods through sustainable experiences.
“We believe if we can teach children from a young age about the environment and responsible travel, they will continue to travel in such a way throughout adulthood. Children are learning about the environment in school, so we hope travelling on our trips is an extension to that learning,” Mckie says.
Clean marine
At the 2018 Global Eco Tourism Conference, Intrepid Travel’s Darrell Wade suggested that “eco-tourism needs to become tourism” if there is to be a future.
This absolutely applies to marine tourism. Snorkellers and divers want to see pristine marine environments and an abundance of life, and they want an intimate experience. Deborah Dickson-smith of Diveplanit Travel, a dive travel agency promoting only dive resorts and dive liveaboards that operate sustainably, believes it’s up to responsible marine tourism operators to act as guardians of their patch.
“This means educating guests about responsible behaviour, responsibly managing guest numbers to prevent overtourism and ensuring the local community is supported and embraced as part of the marine conservation program,” she says.
Overtourism has already caused irreparable damage to coastal areas and coral reefs, but Deborah sees this being addressed more and more. “The Thailand Government recently closed several islands indefinitely, introduced stricter fisheries management and a permit system for popular dive sites off the Similan and Surin Islands. Divers are flocking back as the difference can be seen in less than a year of new measures being put in place.”
Small Pacific Island nations are also leading the way. Years ago, the tiny island-nation of Palau established the world’s first shark reserve. Eighty per cent of its waters now have full protection as a no-take zone marine reserve; sunscreen is banned; and tourists must sign and agree to a “Palau Pledge”
“We believe in doing our bit to bring up the next generation of responsible travellers. This means educating the family travel community in low-impact, sustainable travel practices.” – Dyan Mckie
to the environment before they enter the country. Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands’ Western Provinces are also shining brightly as environmental heroes, having banned plastic bags, straws and styrofoam containers.
But it is also up to visitors to do their bit. Deborah believes kids are future ocean guardians, and simple steps families can take like learning how to snorkel horizontally and control buoyancy, avoiding singleuse plastics, using rashies instead of sunscreen that can leach into the ocean and damage coral, as well as contributing to local conservation projects can help keep marine environments safe.
Leave no trace
On the upside, tourism generates jobs, stimulates economies and assists in the development of infrastructure; but it can also lead to increased pollution and pressure on endangered species through habitat loss. While we are all part of the problem, the health of our natural world can best be aided through educating our children to do a better job than we have at minimising our environmental impact.
“The natural environments we travel to are fragile and abundant with precious culture and traditions that are so often reliant on endangered species. “We have a responsibility as visitors to minimise the impact of our presence, protect what is delicate and, where and when we can, leave a positive influence,” says Donna Lawrence, World Expeditions’ Responsible Travel Manager.
Leaving minimal impact in places visited has been at the heart of World Expeditions’ travel philosophy since it began. Donna explains that from selecting campsites and ensuring a ‘Leave No Trace’ policy, to removing litter through its 10 Pieces litter collection initiative, World Expeditions is committed to sustainable travel.
World Expeditions believes in teaching young people about the role they can play in making the world a better place. “Collecting 10 pieces of litter along a wilderness trail or on a beach teaches children that they, too, can make a difference to the global issue of plastic pollution, and that our individual efforts can collectively result in big change,” Donna says.
And it does take just one person to create that change. At the end of his laborious workshop with Dean, my son proudly holds his finished spear aloft. I see no weapon – only a bright-eyed force for change. And I realise, in that moment, that these vital lessons in environmental preservation don’t take away from my kids’ travel adventures, they only add to them.
“While we are all part of the problem, the health of our natural world can best be aided through educating our children to do a better job than we have.”