SolVin Bretzel: The Future Of Canopy Tours?

by Willy Volk on

Formerly, researchers and travelers had to explore forested areas by walking on the ground, looking up. Later, canopy walks provided improved access to the heart of a forest. However, building canopy walks was still somewhat invasive as it involved constructing supports and stringing rope bridges. While canopy walks allow humans access to hard-to-reach places, they nevertheless alter the ecosystem. What’s a true eco-tour company to do? Maybe it’s time to get a SolVin Bretzel.

Though the idea is centuries old, the SolVin Bretzel is a relatively new generation of canopy raft. Made from UV-resistant PVC pontoons that are connected by a net, the SolVin Bretzel provides a low-impact, earth-friendly 400m² viewing platform for people to ride in.

In 2003, scientists used a SolVin Bretzel in Panama to undertake research. Though considered a success, the SolVin required a helicopter to fly it into the area, which is not particularly sustainable. Before you “Aw, shucks” your chance to ride in a SolVin, note that SolVin also makes a Canopy Glider — a large helium balloon that could ferry in a Bretzel.

Are helium balloons and giant netted pretzels the future of canopy exploration? I hope so.

One for the Road (04/22/07)

by Kelly Amabile on

I turned to the eco-tourism folks at Planeta for inspiration on today’s book suggestion. Although not specifically a travel book, this collection of ecologically-minded maps reinforces an important point we travelers must be mindful of as we move through the world — this great vessel that feeds all our passion for global exploration is seriously threatened — often by our very own desire for adventure and the means we use to fuel our travels.

The Atlas of Climate Change: Mapping the World’s Greatest Challenge examines the signs of climate change (rising sea levels, erratic weather patterns), looks at the serious implications of global warming, and provides insights into the politics and global debate shaping these issues. While it may not provide detailed solutions on what can and needs to be done to reverse our earth’s decline, the atlas does provide a comprehensive overview of the issues at play and the damage that is already being done.

Using over fifty full-color maps and graphics, this environmentally-conscious collection of maps is a good one for travelers to thumb through. It’s an educational and essential resource that provides a valuable visual overview of this pressing concern. Besides the basic food/water/health implications of climate-change, the atlas also looks at vulnerable cities and cultural landmarks around the world–especially in countries lacking the resources to adapt. As we travel through these lands, a book like this serves as an important reminder: Every movement we make has some impact on the life-span of our planet.

Free Light Bulbs Today at Home Depot

by Justin Glow on

Today, Sunday — Earth Day — Home Depot is doing their part for the environment by giving away 1,000,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs to customers who visit any of the U.S. stores, while supplies last.

According to their website, if all of the compact fluorescents in the promotion are used to replace standard bulbs, it will result in an estimated $12-million savings in annual energy costs, and a reduction of 196 million pounds of CO2 emissions. Such a large CO2 cutback is the equivalent of removing 70,000 cars from U.S. roads.

To find the Home Depot nearest you, head to their website, click “Store Finder” (I can’t directly link you, unfortunately), and enter in your zip code. They have over 2,000 stores in the Unites States, so if my calculations are correct, and they sometimes are, each store will have about 500 free bulbs to give away.

The Australian government has already begun the process of phasing out regular incandescent bulbs in favor of compact fluorescents on a national scale, with plans to complete its goal in 2010. This is expected to “reduce Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions by four million tonnes” by 2012.

If you don’t have any compact fluorescents in your home yet, now is the time to act. Be proactive; Recognize your impact on the environment as an individual, and take the necessary steps to reduce your ecological footprint. Don’t wait for your government, no matter where you live, to enact regulations and force you to be concerned about the condition of our planet. Be concerned now because it’s the right thing to do.

[Via Lifehacker]

Earth Day: Cache In Trash Out

by Kelly Amabile on

Although this year’s official Cache In Trash Out Day has already past (it was April 14), there are still a bunch of clean-up events being held today across the US, dovetailing nicely with Earth Day activities. CITO events are organized by geocaching enthusiasts, who travel all over in search of hidden treasure. It’s an opportunity for GPS hunt-lovin’ hobbyists to make sure cache-friendly locations throughout the world are being kept clean and environmentally unharmed.

In the US, there are a variety of Earth Day CITO events planned to clean up roads, parks and hiking trails. And around the world folks are getting creative about clean-ups too: At one CITO gathering in Canada, 85 new trees will be planted in coordination with the local township. In South Africa, a Big Bay Beachcomb will be followed by a group breakfast, and a maintenance check on a nearby cache, a regular geocaching task that will surely happen often during CITO events. There may also be dicsussion about how geocachers can make sure recent scares like this don’t happen anymore. Although at times the hidden caches can cause confusion, geocachers are generally quite mindful of cache placement and its’ impact on the environment and surrounding community.

Of course, CITO is something that should be happening every day, and each time geocachers interact with natural surroundings in the course of their hide and seek adventures. (Which is basically all the time.) But CITO events are a great way to build additional awareness about the popular scavenger hunt activity, and make sure its participants are doing their part to keep Planet Earth happy while they play.

Environmentalist Greats Tour

by Jamie Rhein on

Since Earth Day is only once a year, but environmentalism is a year-round venture, here’s a way to travel the earth in the footprints of good company. The Ecology Hall of Fame is not an actual place, but a Web site that lists various people instrumental in the environmental movement. Some of those listed do have places you might pass by in your travels or head to as a destination.

Here is a sampling of what I’m dubbing an “Environmentalist Greats of the East Coast” Tour. There are several others, but here’s four to start you off.

1. Edward Abbey –Most famous for his books the Monkey Wrench Gang and Desert Solitaire, Abbey was a true environment champion meshing politics and the environment with philosophy and literature. You can see the historic marker dedicated to him near the Home Township marker on State Route 119 in Pennsylvania.

2. Theodore Roosevelt– The first American president to throw himself into environmental causes. He increased the National Forest service by 400% and established the National Park and the National Monuments System. Visit his home Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York.

3. Rachel Carson – Author of Silent Spring, the book that pointed out science is not always used for the good. The balance between chemical use and food production is imperative for a healthy planet was Carson’s way of thinking. You can visit the Rachel Carson Homestead where she was born and grew up in Springdale, Pennsylvania and the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge in Maine that was named after her to enjoy the essence of Carson’s life.

4. Rosalie Barrow Edge– First woman to hold any position of prominence in the environmental movement. Her big thing was birds, particularly raptors. Her love led to her creation of the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary. Today, it is still a haven for hawks, eagles, falcons and warblers.