How to reduce your impact on the New Zealand environment while traveling

OPINION: After decades of environmentalists living on the fringes and fighting for the good fight to protect our beautiful planet, sustainability has finally become the buzzword of 2019 and being eco is now all the rage.

It was only recently that the world saw young Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg sail from Europe to New York on a zero-carbon yacht to attend the UN Climate Action and Hotels Summit. and tourism companies proudly display their commitments to sustainable development. To finish!

For years, I dreamed and worked in the travel space hoping that sustainable travel would no longer be just a niche luxury for those who could afford it. Anyone who has traveled to New Zealand, or lives here, understands how this is a magical and special land and how lucky we are to have it – therefore, we must continue to protect and cherish it.

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One year ago, Tiaki New Zealand was started in our backyard. A collaboration between the biggest players in local tourism, it aims to help all travelers to New Zealand take care of people, places and culture, for now and for future generations.

People recognize that if we don’t act now, especially in the tourist space, all of these beautiful places that we love so much will not be around for very long. In theory, it’s a nice concept, but reduced to its most basic sense, what does it mean to us? How can the average traveler tell the difference? What can we do to walk a little lighter?

The answer is easy. If we all do something small to be a little more responsible on our travels, things can change.

Start by asking questions. Do they have information online about their carbon footprint? Their commitment to sustainability? Do they use single-use plastics? Do they approve of polluting activities?

As travelers, we have the power to choose where to invest our money on the road. Spend a few minutes researching the hotels, tour operators, and businesses you plan to use. Choose carefully who you give your dollars to. Check if the accommodation or activity you are looking to book has the Qualmark Enviro-Gold status, making it easier for travelers to New Zealand to travel without guilt. Download Forest and Birds Best Fish Guide to help you choose sustainable seafood to eat.

There are Eat New Zealand, a New Zealand food movement dedicated to connecting people to our land, through food. They are working hard to change public perceptions about New Zealand food and inspire people to be more responsible and ethical in their food choices by moving towards a more sustainable food system here.

It’s a super uncomfortable conversation to have, but it has to happen; that’s the only way things will change.

For example, I often try to book my vacations using accommodation providers that have some sort of conservation message in their brand – like supporting local conservation projects. Over the past few years, I have noticed many amazing hotels and B & Bs that have stood out with a strong emphasis on sustainability with very cool messages behind their philosophy, like the Eco-Villa, a new sustainable concept of travel accommodation in the heart of Christchurch, which even makes its own milk, or Earthstead Villas near Cambridge, which are made from recycled materials and use solar energy, grow their own food and operate with a strong commitment to sustainability.

Other operators in New Zealand have engaged in conservation through other practices, such as supporting some of the many incredible wildlife groups that work to protect New Zealand’s endangered creatures and environments. For example, many luxury lodges are working on land regeneration by replanting native trees, trapping introduced predators, and getting rid of invasive plants. Mahou Whenua, outside of Wānaka, is one of the private sector leaders for this, and with over 55,000 hectares of land, they have replanted over a million native trees and worked for years to regenerate their beautiful property. The name “Mahu Whenua” even means “to heal the earth”.

Lots and lots of people in New Zealand are doing it on a smaller scale. To verify Predator Free NZ for ideas on how to apply those ideas and maybe start by setting traps in your garden or replanting native trees to try and encourage some of the birds to come back. Consider taking an electric car road trip, as with the new Britz eVolve, New Zealand’s first fully electric motorhome. Discover our native creatures with ecological activities like Zip Trek Eco Tours in Queenstown, or on one of the Real trips‘Nature Cruises, a company that is committed to conservation and actively works on conservation projects.

Choose activities like walking the Hump ​​Ridge Trail, which was born from a passionate community seeking to preserve and protect their homeland. Managed by the Hump Track Charitable Trust – in collaboration with the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Sustainable Tourism South Project – it is part of a variety of initiatives and programs that help reduce the environmental impact on natural landscapes relatively unspoiled Fiordland.

Just because New Zealand is famous for its wildlife and amazing scenery doesn’t mean all is well, because the opposite is true. New Zealand’s wildlife is still in crisis, with over 4,000 of our native animals and plants threatened or endangered. This is huge for such a small country – and that has to change. Conservation Week is a chance to bring everyone together to do something, big or small, to create change.