How to organize an eco-friendly holiday

What does a mean? eco-friendly holiday? Definitely choose a place that has a particular environmental and naturalistic significance, or travel in small eco hotels, favor travel on foot and by bike, and sustainable tourism locations. But a holiday Ecological is made up first of all of simple gestures, small daily behaviors that make the difference.

Green holidays

Talking about holidays green One immediately thinks of extreme choices, those of orthodox environmentalists. This is not the case. Le holidays green, inspired by the most authentic sustainability, and not by the usual cliché, are a mix of right and targeted choices, behaviors during the rest period, new lifestyles Also applied to vacation planning. For example: to truly understand the soul of a place and its people, it's important to avoid organized tours, prefer small hotels, not plan everything ahead of time as if you were going to military service, and give in to your imagination and even to the occasional unexpected surprise. Again: When possible, always choose to walk, use a bike or take public transport.. And truly respect the environment, places, plants and animals, with small choices and small daily behaviors. In everything. We have selected some of them with the help of the WWF.

Waste Management

Don't abandon them in natural environments, and don't throw plastic bags, cans, bottles, or other objects into the sea or mountains. It's a crime. Waste also arrives at the sea from land: recycle plastic in the winter; we'll find less of it on the beach in the summer. In the mountains, bring a bag to dispose of in the recycling bins once you reach the valley. Every object abandoned in the environment lasts much longer than we think. It takes 3 months for a paper handkerchief to degrade, a cigarette butt 1 to 5 years, plastic bags 10 to 20 years, aluminum cans 10-100 years, glass bottles 1.000 years, polystyrene 1.000 years, plastic bottles never completely degrade..

Marine parks 

Avoid already crowded beaches. Excessive pressure alters the balance of the coastal habitat. It's better not to miss a visit, in the open air, to the marine protected areas and natural parks. We should take it from Northern European and Anglo-Saxon countries: everywhere marine parks and reserves are ideal places for holidays, whether with family or in the company of friends or the person you are close to.

Ecotourism by bike

Cycling with the family It is a wonderful experience, which brings adults and children closer together, and it is a perfect opportunity to share values ​​and sensations, the desire for new things adventures along the road, theattention to the environment, awareness of one's own potential, respect for others and their time. The bicycle is the ideal means to best appreciate the landscape and nature in which one pedals. For the children la bicycle it is an opportunity for growth, it is the discovery of the environment in a way that is more within their reach and so they learn to move on their own, acquiring independence and curiosity about the world.

Sustainable behaviors

Le green holidays, speaking of behaviors, they also have a meaning with respect to the way we reach places. To the seaside as well as to the mountains.

• How to get to the beach

Le dunes They represent a fundamental natural barrier for maintaining the beach and the surrounding environments (farmlands, woods, etc.). They are formed by pioneer plants, spontaneous vegetation that retains the sand with its roots. These extraordinary environments are increasingly threatened by coastal development and therefore must be protected.

We reach the beaches using the sentieri Designed to preserve their fragile balance, in the protected areas we can also discover the names of the species that populate the dunes thanks to the signage provided. Among the most beautiful are the white and fragrant sea lily or pancratium (Pancratium maritimum), which blooms in summer right where the beach meets the dunes. This summer, go look for it (always along the trails) and photograph it... it will be a pleasant discovery to share with your friends.

• How to reach the mountain

• Comply with the rules

Report any anomalies to the competent authoritiesAnimals in distress, illegal dumping, landfills, dangerous floating objects, uncivilized behavior by other tourists. Many rules are already written: let's respect them and try to make others respect them, such as the bans on motor navigation within 300 meters of the beaches and 200 meters of the cliffsAt sea, we avoid making noise and racing close to the coast with noisy and too fast vehicles such as jet skis or flying boards. Pay particular attention to signal buoys of divers or swimmers keeping a safe distance. We don't go off the mountain paths: it could also be costly to our safety. Let's learn the rules of each park before entering nature, picking a protected flower can be expensive as well as damaging biodiversity. Reports can be made to port authorities nearest or to the national number 1530, to the Forestry Corps at 1515 for any environmental reports in addition to fires, to the associations present in the area, to local administrations.

• How to behave at the table

Refuse, at the fishmonger's or at the restaurant, fish smaller than the regulatory size and protected speciesOnly in this way can we contribute to protecting biodiversity, making informed consumer choices that, in addition to saving the sea, reward the work of honest and fair fishermen.

How to organize an eco-friendly vacation

Once you have decided on your destination and booked your journey by train, bus or planeWithIt is possible to avoid printing the ticket and present it in digital versionA simple gesture that will allow you to save paper and, at the same time, ensure that you don't lose or forget paper tickets. Here are some more tips:

• Always choose an environmentally friendly accommodationMore and more campsites, hostels, and hotels are designed with water and energy savings in mind and are able to offer their guests meals made with local products.
• Try to travel light as much as possible. avoiding bagagli Full of clothes, items, and accessories you won't need later. Not to mention that traveling with carry-on luggage is much more convenient.
• Once you reach your chosen location, For travel, if possible, prefer public transportAlternatively, opt for renting a bike. This is also a great way to explore the city's most hidden yet charming spots and connect with the locals.
• At mealtimes, always prefer local productsThis is an excellent opportunity not only to learn about the local culinary traditions but also to support the local economy. To protect biodiversity, remember to avoid undersized fish and protected species.
• And on returning home, Don't forget to bring a local souvenir with youThis is also a way to support the local economy and preserve a memory of the experience. No to natural souvenirs instead such as sand and shells, mountain flowers or dried pine cones: everything we take away is something we steal from nature.
• Don't forget, even on holiday, to continue to put into practice all the precautions you take in your daily life to avoid waste.Turn off the light when you leave the hotel room, try to consume the right amount of water, especially when you go to bed. shower, avoid filling your plate with food at the buffet if you already know you won't eat it.
• Respect the place you are in by following the rules and avoiding any behavior that could cause pollution. Never abandon waste in natural environments, at sea or in the mountains: plastic bags, bottles, cigarette butts, and other objects can not only pose a danger to marine and other wildlife, but also take a very long time to degrade: for example, while a cigarette butt can take up to five years, a plastic bag takes 10 to 20 years, and an aluminum can can take up to 100 years.
• in the sea absolutely do not disturb the underwater fauna especially in the case of scuba diving excursions and, if you decide to take a trip with a pedal boat or canoe, remember not to disturb the animals such as seagulls or hawks that live along the cliffs.
• If you in the mountains instead, absolutely do not approach wild animals such as bears, wolves, foxes and squirrelsIf necessary, observe them by adhering to the established rules so as not to put your safety and theirs at risk.

What to do in case of close encounters

• At the sea
  

We do not disturb the underwater fauna by chasing octopuses or collecting starfish and other organisms. With a calm snorkeling the sea we can enjoy the spectacle of nature. If we walk in canoe or pedal boat let's not disturb what lives outside the water, like seagulls, cormorants and hawks that live along the cliffs. Just keep the right distance. avoiding unnecessary noise and uproarTo admire animals in nature, the advice is always to equip yourself with a good binoculars: they won't run away scared and we'll be able to enjoy the show.

• In the mountains
  

In the mountains we do not try to approach bears, wolves, foxes and squirrels, perhaps with food. Fortunately, animals have formidable adaptive strategies for finding food, and if we want to observe them better, all we need to do is remain still, completely silent, and have a little patience. Not all animals behave the same way; each has its own personality, just like us humans. Some may be calm, while others react with a bite. This rule applies to small animals as well as large ones. Safe distance, silence, avoid disturbances, even noise, and keep everyone in their place. There's room for everyone. Let's teach it to children too!

Dangerous and prohibited souvenirs

At the beach or in the mountains we will not be alone: ​​take away shells, wood and other remains from the beach reduces the presence of shelters and even food for small ones insects and crabsNo more sand bottles, and we remove excess sand from towels and other items before leaving. For example: AProtected Marine Area of ​​Sinis in Sardinia, for safeguard the beach of the rice grains from Is Arutas, has created a closed-circuit shower system behind the dunes, which brings the sand that remains on swimmers back to the beach. To maintain the rich biodiversity of beaches, the WWF often advises beach managers not to clean them at the end of the day with mechanical means such as bulldozers or tractors, but to use small rakes designed exclusively for waste. Educating beachgoers will do the rest.

In the mountains before harvesting dry pine cones, branchesLet's think about the rule of numbers: everything we take away is something we take away from nature, and even in the mountains, our actions could be repeated by others thousands of times. In reality, the danger is for our safety because among the rocks and wood, something could be hidden. viper which, if disturbed, could react. If we really can't resist the basket of dried pine cones, at least tap the ground with a stick before approaching. Always follow the instructions. indicazioni (in the parks they are always abundant and comprehensive) on the rules to be respected for each region. Furthermore, in the mountains almost all species of flowers are protected: also in this case a good guide It's helpful, like reading regional regulations, which often vary from area to area. Unfortunately, the risk of uprooting a protected plant is very high. A note of common sense: since the walks are long, the bouquet of flowers or our medicinal herb it is almost always destined to wither.

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