College Students Travel, Learn, Give on Eco Surf Volunteer Trip

For college students who love travel, surfing, the environment and helping others, there’s nothing quite like the Eco Surf Volunteer effort. This program – which is truly in the spirit of one of our favorite green celebs and do-gooders, Jack Johnson – takes groups of students to historic beach town of Canoa, Ecuador for surfing, relaxing on the beach, learning about the local culture – and most importantly, helping school kids.

Eco Surf Volunteers – Canoa, Ecuador – Footage courtesy of Nicole Andersen & Sarah Han from Sam Bailey on Vimeo.

From Surfline.com:

To these students, the idea of merely visiting an international travel destination was not an option. These student’s desired a deeper sense of adventure, one that would immerse them completely in Ecuadorian life, the Spanish language, and the exotic South American beach culture.

As a participant with Eco Surf, each student-volunteer spent half their day working with local children by teaching English in an English Through Art program, helping in local medical clinics, and building new playground equipment from recycled and natural resources. The second half of their day was spent surfing with local Ecuadorian surf guides, all peers their own age. Volunteer team members not familiar with surfing were offered two hour surf lessons each day.

Additionally, Eco Surf donated three new laptop computers to the community, effectively establishing the first academic computer lab in the village.

Interested in going along next time? Future volunteer projects are scheduled for January 2-10, March 20-28, and July 31-August 9, 2010. For more information about Eco Surf Volunteers, visit www.EcoSurfVolunteers.org or email info@ecosurfvolunteers.org.

Link [EcoSurfVolunteers.org]

When Elephants Fly…Think Twice About Animal Souvenirs

Have you ever seen an elephant fly? In this German public service announcement, the International Fund for Animal Welfare makes the point that all travelers should think twice before purchasing souvenirs made from animal tusks, skins or other body parts.

Thrifty Washington DC Tips for Green Inauguration Visitors

Headed to DC for the inauguration? Expect it to be extremely crowded, really cold and expensive. Don’t let the chaos of the event lead you astray from your green ways, though – Maura Judkis of US News & World Report’s Fresh Greens has a thrifty guide for green inauguration visitors that covers transportation, food, shelter, nightlife, free events – even ‘glamour’.

From Fresh Greens:

Shelter

Another green choice forced upon last-minute visitors: there are no hotels to be found anywhere near this city. That’s ok, though, since there are thousands of Washingtonians willing to rent out their places to you. You can get anything from an entire house to an air mattress on someone’s floor, all priced accordingly. Staying in a house is greener than a hotel (not that you have the option) because you likely won’t be consuming any more energy than the house’s original occupants would have. Many of the apartments are in great parts of town, within walking distance of the ceremony, parade, balls and nightlife. Perhaps your carpool buddy can stay with you, if you find a great deal in a close apartment, so that fewer people will need public transit. For last-minute housing, search Craigslist or AirBed & Breakfast.

Food

You’ll need reservations now if you want to eat at one of D.C.’s nicer restaurants at any point this weekend. With millions of people expected, many of whom are already beginning to file into the city, tables will be at a premium. For upscale eco-friendly dining, I like the appropriately patriotic Founding Farmers (1924 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W.). Food is local, organic and delicious, and the bar’s mixologist shakes up prohibition-era cocktails – the restaurant’s specialty. Another notable green restaurant in D.C. is Nora (2132 Florida Ave. N.W.), which was the first restaurant in the country to be certified 100 percent organic. Hook (3241 M St. N.W.) in Georgetown was recently named one of the country’s best eco-friendly restaurants by Bon Appetit magazine.

Get the rest over at Fresh Greens, including details about both green inaugural balls. Have fun, be safe, and take lots of photos!

Link [Fresh Greens]
Photo credit: PIC2009.org

The Greenest Hotels in the U.S., from Manhattan to Waikiki

Most of us have learned by now that you can’t trust a company to be honest about whether they’re truly eco-friendly or not.  Greenwashing is rampant right now, and many consumers are noticing the terms ‘eco-friendly’, ‘green’, ‘earth-friendly’ and other claims on brochures and other marketing materials for all kinds of products and services.  Lately, more and more hotels have been trying to get in on the game, and as Forbes Traveler found, some claim to be green with nothing but an ‘optional recycling program’ to back it up.  That’s why Forbes Traveler set out to find the greenest hotels in America – the ones that have worked sustainability into the daily operations of their businesses.

Some of the hotels on the list, from Forbes Traveler:

• NYC, NY – New York Marriott Downtown: Company-wide policy to cut energy consumption by 25% by 2017; biodegradable cutlery; turned golf courses into Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries.
• Townsend, MT – Bison Quest Sanctuary and Spa: Founded by a wildlife biologist on a private bison reserve; completely wind and solar powered; composting for organic waste
• Key West, FL – Banyan Resort: Solar-powered swimming pools; biodegradable tiki bar; deck made of recycled lumber; grounds are xeriscaped with native flora; first ‘Green Lodging Facility’ in the Florida Keys.
• Boston, MA – Seaport Hotel: Chemical-free, electrolyzed water instead of bleach for cleaning; food waste is composted; purchases from eco-friendly suppliers; on-site vegetable and herb garden.

The list also includes hotels, resorts and bed & breakfasts in Honolulu, Hot Springs Arkansas, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Homer Alaska, San Francisco, Asheville North Carolina, Taos New Mexico, Buena Vista Colorado, Austin Texas and Maiden Rock, Wisconsin.

Check out the rest at ForbesTraveler.com.

Link [Forbes Traveler]