Photo courtesy of the Cottages at Spring House Farm, Marion, N.C.
Chimney Rock, Black Mountain and Lake Lure are among the many outdoor attractions available to eco-tourists who visit Spring House Farm in Asheville, N.C.

Traveling green can spare your cash and your conscience

by SARA BULARZIK

Composting toilets, underground power lines, carbon offsets. These terms are becoming commonplace among eco-friendly tourist locales, the hot new fad in the travel industry.

The International Ecotourism Society, a Washington-based group, defines ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.” It promotes principles such as building awareness, empowering local people and minimizing impact to the environment. The organization reports that since the 1990s, ecotourism has grown by as much as 34 percent every year.

Getting there without damaging the air

Even before tourists hop into their cars or take off in airplanes, they can reduce the environmental impacts of travel. To combat the carbon-dioxide emissions of airplanes and cars, which an increasing number of scientists say contribute to global warming, some groups allow travelers to pay for carbon offsets.

One way to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions caused by travel is to pay organizations that promote “clean energy” projects. Travelers can use Web sites that calculate how much carbon dioxide their trip will emit. For example, Terrapass.com calculates that a round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles will emit 1,924 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions per passenger. To pay for a carbon-neutralizing program for this flight, the site charges $9.95. Terrapass funds benefit carbon-reducing energy projects.

Each carbon-reducing organization donates its money to a different program, so costs vary. The Climate Trust, a nonprofit based in Portland, Ore., gives to wind energy farms in Oregon and Washington. Myclimate, a nonprofit group based in Switzerland, is building solar energy greenhouses in the Himalayas in Asia. The wide-ranging environmental benefits depend on the projects that receive the funding.

Responsible lodging

Green hotels, also known as eco-lodges or eco-retreats, seek to minimize tourism’s environmental impact. Spring House Farm, near Asheville, N.C., is an eco-lodge with six cabins on 92 acres. Arthur and Zee Campbell restored an old farmhouse there and then built the cabins without damaging surrounding wildlife. They installed underground power lines in part to reduce radiation and to avoid tree removal. The Campbells also try to avoid the use of chemicals and pesticides.

“It’s letting Mother Nature take care of the place,” Arthur Campbell said.

Campbell said they wanted to create a place where people can enjoy the land without being intrusive. As a result of their efforts, Spring House Farm is one of the only eco-retreats in the United States recognized by Eco Club International, one of the leading groups that organizes and monitors ecotourism facilities.

International ecotourism locations are also becoming popular among travelers. Finca Esperanza Verde, or Green Hope Farm, in central Nicaragua, features an organic coffee farm and a nature preserve. It was developed by Sister Communities of San Ramon, a nonprofit organization from North Carolina that wanted to strengthen relationships among its community through tourism.

The goal is “to promote economic development, preserve the environment, promote Nicaraguan culture and provide an opportunity for North Americans to experience the wonders of Nicaragua,” said Lonna Harkrader, president of Sister Communities of San Ramon.

Finca Esperanza Verde uses solar energy, provides educational tours of the rainforest and supports projects such as rebuilding elementary schools and supplying clean water to communities affected by mining pollution.

RESOURCES FOR GREEN TOURISTS
Carbon-reducing programs

• www.terrapass.com
• www.my-climate.com
• www.carbonfund.org
• www.carboncounter.org

Green Hotels

• www.springhousefarm.com
• www.cabinsbyobrien.com
• www.fincaesperanzaverde.org

Eco-tours

• www.tarponbayexplorers.com
• www.journeys-intl.com
• www.wildland.com
• www.statravel.com

Green, with a passport

Tourism is the principal export of 83 percent of developing countries, according to The International Ecotourism Society. Environmentally friendly tourism plays a vital role in these communities, where up to 95 percent of profits from eco-tours can go to the local economy, according to the group.

Journeys International, an organization based in Ann Arbor, Mich., takes groups to dozens of countries from Bhutan to Zambia. The organization says that all the hotels it patronizes are eco-friendly, all the tours are conducted with respect for the environment, and all the guides are trained in environmental safety.

The organization also devotes time and funding to projects for locals, such as a business project in Laos with village women.

“We met with the women, and we helped them build a sustainable community by using their traditional crafts,” said Pat Ballard, director of sales for Journeys International. “But it’s done exactly the way the people want.”

Once the community is economically strong, Journeys International can bring tourists there without causing stress to the area.

Another group that blends tourism with community development is the Seattle-based Wildland Adventures Inc. The company organizes trips worldwide, including ones to Antarctica. Kurt Kutay, Wildland president, said ecotourism is about being a conscientious traveler.

“Before you go, you can read up on ways of minimizing impacts,” Kutay said. “Make an effort to become informed about the cultural differences so that you don’t do things that are disrespectful.”

Minimizing impact is important to Wildland’s program in Kenya. Tourism is the biggest part of the economy in Kenya, Kutay said, but the indigenous Masaai people have been excluded from this industry. So Wildland has created a tour that the Masaai people operate according to their knowledge of and traditions on the land.

“It’s a model for the tourism industry to show how tourism should be conducted on indigenous land,” he said.

The STA Travel, a student travel agency, operates volunteer programs worldwide, from working with pandas in China to conserving rainforests in Ecuador. These packages are gaining popularity, according to Christi Day, a spokeswoman for the company.
“They’re looking for ways to give back and become global citizens,” Day said.

STA organizes volunteer spring break trips, such as one to Costa Rica, where volunteers work on organic farms and sea turtle conservation projects.

When searching for eco-tours, experts say it is important to look for the stamp of approval of certified organizations.