5 things we need to do to protect nature when we travel
Biodiversity is the richness of ecosystems and abundance of all species. Summed up, this one little word coined in 1985, is a combination of biological and diversity, representing the fantastic complexity of life on Earth. Biodiversity is also greatly under threat. Despite what seemed like a hiatus for the natural world from the slowdown of the last two years, nature needs our care and attention more than ever. Much conservation work was put at risk or on hold due to a loss of charitable support. And without tourism revenue funding the protection of ecosystems and wildlife, thousands of acres and species are vulnerable to exploitation.
Since the natural world needs all of its interconnected ecosystems to be balanced for biology and geography to work in harmony together, for the benefit of humanity today and tomorrow, we need to nourish nature’s way of being to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gases hitting our atmosphere. Time is running out to tackle the much-needed reduction in carbon emissions is the overriding message from scientists. One of the best ways to be part of the solution when travelling? Book nature-positive holidays that support conservation and stop our planet’s systems from short-circuiting.
Getty ImagesFunding conservation
Safari and nature guides can provide much-needed eyes and ears on the ground. They also help protect wildlife, and without tourism revenue, rangers from Africa and Asia to the Americas have not been able to continue decades of conservation work, particularly in places where poaching for bushmeat has increased as people lose jobs due to the decline in tourism.
Delphine King, executive director of The Long Run, says, ‘When we travel, supporting those businesses and organisations funding conservation and investing in local communities is critical. Conservation is only successful in the long term when local people benefit, so this is a really important consideration.’
During the last two years, conservation success stories have included a boost in leopards prowling South Africa’s Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy and pampas cats roaming close to organic vines at Condor Valley in Argentina. A generation of humpback whales experienced silent seas for the first time (as cargo and cruise ship numbers fell in lockdown), and, from Costa Rica to Indonesia, green and hawksbill sea turtles had a bumper laying season on deserted beaches in 2020. But will this continue now that business is back to normal?
In Botswana, one of the safest rhino habitats in the world, poaching increased so much in the first month of the pandemic in 2020 that critically endangered black rhinos had to be relocated. In Cambodia, the CEO of Yaana Ventures, Willem Niemeijer, is also concerned. Wildlife protection in the 18,000-hectare Botum Sakor National Park was threatened by their inability to receive clients. ‘Cardamom Tented Camp is a not-for-profit operation, with profits funding the ranger station and patrol activities… everyone has been hard hit and so poaching is on the rise.’ The Wildlife Conservation Society believes that three critically endangered giant ibis were killed for meat in April 2020 as a result of the closure of tourism in Cambodia. Now we can travel, we have the chance to support them again.
Illegal fishing has also been a concern in some of Indonesia’s conservation hotspots. In April 2020, rangers at the 120,000-hectare Misool Marine Reserve caught poachers taking advantage of the sudden vacuum created by the collapse of tourism in Raja Ampat. With the support of the marine police, rangers confiscated 150kg of fish, including ecologically sensitive species.
Getty ImagesBoosting biodiversity
Supporting nature-positive initiatives in the UK is also more precious than ever. From primroses peppering mossy woodland glades to ragged-robin splashing hedgerows with pops of colourful brilliance, wildflowers provide escapism in spring, which spares us from needing to fly to foreign lands. Look for businesses supporting initiatives, such as the lawnmower-eschewing No Mow May initiative, to encourage our wildflowers and grasses to flourish when critters and creatures need them most.
Rewilding advocacy and travel group Scotland: The Big Picture recommends taking photos (if it’s safe to do so) of blooming verges to campaign for permanent change. Frans Schepers, managing director of Rewilding Europe, reminds us that, ‘The fact that we can see more wildlife is mostly because we are now seeing the benefits of longer-term efforts: better protection, less poaching, habitat improvements, safe havens, less hunting.’
Less tangible forces are at play, too. Dr Phoebe Carter, chief ecologist at Habitat First Group, observed that during the lockdowns, with less traffic, birdsong never sounded so clear, hedgehogs were likely suffering fewer casualties, and wildlife was benefitting from public green spaces being less manicured. Our time of slowing down helped many people reconnect and we must now become “nature inclusive” in all that we do.’
Having drawn so much solace from natural wonders on our doorstep over the last couple of years, conservation-led places to stay in the UK hope this will boost future bookings. One example is Elmley national nature reserve in Essex, where guests can watch barn owls gliding over reeds or hares feeding just a couple of feet away.
Getty ImagesKicking carbon
Having spent recent years coming around to Greta Thunberg’s dogma, and after a brief burst of optimism from NASA’s satellite images of atmospheric pollution, perhaps we were given a false sense of hope that emissions were stalling. Sadly, it’s proving to the contrary.
The most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report underlined that the effects of the climate emergency are proving worse than predicted and the climate collapse is happening faster than expected. The scientists' stand-out findings were that human influence is warming the atmosphere, ocean and land. Temperatures are rising, and even if every company and government stuck to their COP26 pledges from 2021, we’re still on course for global warming to exceed 1.8 degrees, above and beyond the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degrees – a devastating prospect for people and planet.
We’re happy to see the travel sector’s recovery, of course, but it also suggests there won’t be an overall reduction in the hefty eight per cent of global carbon emissions for which the sector is responsible.
The good news is, we are, for now, flying less frequently and travelling for longer with a tendency towards slow travel and more meaningful engagement with the destinations we visit. For our travelling habits and the travel industry to be sustainable, the mantra 'travel less, but better' has never been so urgent.
Getty ImagesFlying less
Going slower, and travelling overland by train or electric car is always going to be kinder to nature. And best of all, depending on your route it may even mean you get to appreciate, from your seat, the great outdoors in full scenic glory. Yes, airlines are upping their game when it comes to reducing their carbon and investing in reforestation offset projects, but we have a long way to go until we can genuinely fly cleaner and greener.
We love Richard Hammond’s new book The Green Traveller, which recommends flight-free itineraries across the UK and Europe, and positive impact holidays further afield. It includes nature-loving tips such as the best beaches worth the walk, off-grid places to stay, car-free holidays, the best citizen-science projects, and the best rewilding projects. And as he advocates in his intro, let's 'travel in a way that is sensitive to the climate and nature emergencies’.
Business travellers used to make up the majority of fliers, so think before you hop on a plane, and consider dialling in via your computer for the sake of the natural world.
Getty ImagesMaking every trip count
Recent changes in travel have offered the chance to hit reset and realign priorities. Community, compassion and nature have helped to pull us through uncertain times and hopefully will remain top of mind for years to come. As travellers weaving our way around the new world order of hiked airfares and varying restrictions, we have the opportunity to make every trip count.
As Justin Francis, founder and CEO of Responsible Travel, says, ‘We should think more carefully about the purpose for our trip, rather than it just being the annual routine. I like the mantra ‘build back better’; that means I want more enriching travel, and to see it supporting local people and places.’