philippajacks.co.uk

[This article first appeared in TTG]

Despite a thorough explanation from instructor Derek on how to hold my paddle and how to slow down and change direction, I was still concerned about losing control and smashing up my kayak on the rocks. But Derek assured me the kayaks were practically indestructible. “You might hit into each other, though – the kayaks have got magnets in them,” he warned us.

I’d have thought magnets would make the… Continue reading

[this blog first appeared on greentraveller]

The National Forest has launched a new visitors’ website with a focus on ‘going green’.

The site emphasises eco-friendly attractions and places to stay within the forest, and encourages visitors to use public transport and explore by bike or on foot rather than driving.

The National Forest covers an area of 200 square miles in Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Staffordshire, and 7.7 million trees have already been… Continue reading

My feature for Australia and New Zealand magazine on eco-volunteering in the Antipodes is in stores now….

Thanks to Biosphere Expeditions, Conservation Volunteers, Reef Check Australia and everyone else who helped out!

Click here to read it as a PDF

I was pleased to hear that Cancun has devised an underwater museum as a new tourist attraction. Not because I thought the world necessarily needed an underwater museum (more on that later) but because this is good news for the threatened coral reefs in the Cancun area.

The massive expansion of tourism over the last 40 years has led to the rapid decline in the quality of the… Continue reading

I was interested to find out more about the Rainforest Alliance at WTM last week. I first heard about the organisation when I was out in Central America last month – it’s a not-for-profit organisation with three distinct arms, advising and campaigning on sustainable agriculture, forestry and tourism in rainforested areas around the world.

Its work in tourism ranges from training hotel staff on green technology, to helping them attain certificates of sustainability, to educating tourists on how they… Continue reading

I had a fascinating meeting at WTM yesterday with NatureAir, the world’s first (and only) carbon neutral airline.

It’s going through an exciting period right now. It’s hoping to sign codeshare agreements with international players like Continental Airlines, Copa, Mexicana and Iberia in the near future.

This means passengers won’t have to check their luggage back in at Costa Rica’s San Jose airport before they fly onto their final destination with… Continue reading | 1 Comment

I’m researching a feature about conservation volunteering for Australia and New Zealand magazine at the moment, and have been upset to hear what’s happening to the Tasmanian Devil.

They’re much cuter in real life than in the Looney Tunes cartoon. They’re not fussy eaters, and have one of the strongest jaws in the world so will chomp down bones and all, but they’re actually quite a shy marsupial, and an icon the Tasmanians are very proud of… Continue reading

I’m now back in the Big Smoke after a recent trip to Honduras. It was a brilliant trip, but also quite a sad one. The country has been in the midst of a political crisis since June, and tourism to the country has been decimated as people are afraid to visit.

The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office is advising against all but essential travel to the country, but from what I saw and… Continue reading

Is it just me, or did the BBC go out of its way to find ridiculous contestants for its ‘Wildest Dreams’ programme? In case you haven’t seen it, the premise is this: nine ‘ordinary people’ were flown out to Africa to learn the skills of wildlife film-making, facing a different challenge each week, with the worst performer being sent home.

I’m a little bitter because I would have loved to be on the show myself (I certainly didn’t see… Continue reading | 1 Comment

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) has announced the winners of its Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. There are four different categories and the winners were a refreshing surprise…

The ‘Conservation Award’ went to an airline – not an entity you’d usually associate with environmental excellence! But NatureAir is not your usual airline. The Costa Rica-based airline offsets all of its greenhouse gas emissions by preserving and restoring tropical rainforests, and uses biofuel for its company road vehicles. It… Continue reading