Eco-traveling with kids

Ecotourism and sustainable tourism are becoming increasingly popular ways to vacation, especially with North Americans. It's a great way to introduce your children to not only other places and cultures, but also to being environmentally conscious and respectful to our planet. There are tons of different ways to travel and keep your impact on the planet low. Here are some ideas of how to do that along with some great ideas of eco-traveling with your kids....

Getting there and getting around: Whenever possible choose to travel by train or by bus - or better yet, by boat (this, of course, does not include massive cruise ships). On average, trains create one third of the CO2 emissions of planes. Flying to your destination has the worst impact on our environment and leaves the largest carbon footprint. If you have no choice but to fly, choose a direct faster route that will minimize the amount of time you spend in the air - you'll be glad you did this when traveling with kids as well! You can also book your travel with an airline or travel agency that allows you to contribute to a carbon offset program. Once you arrive in destination, choose public transit over rental cars and taxi cabs - even rent bicycles where you can. If you need to travel between two destinations, again try the train or a bus.

Where to stay: When you arrive at your destination, try to stay in one place to reduce the amount of carbon emissions you create with traveling from spot to spot. Using one hotel as an homebase for your trip will also reduce some of the stress that comes with traveling with kids. When choosing a place to stay, opt for a locally run hotel or bed and breakfast that will benefit the people where you are staying rather than a large corporate hotel chain. Eat local as well for the same reasons.

What to do: There are tons of companies coming out with eco-adventures now - but there are still only a handful that are geared towards families. There is always the tried, tested and true option of taking your family on a backwoods adventure - canoeing, hiking, and backpacking are all great ways to reduce your travel impact and teach your kids about nature. GAP Adventures is also now offering family vacations to Costa Rica, Ecuador and Africa. GAP is known for offering adventure travel that focuses on benefitting local communities and on education. Also check out different volunteer vacations that are available to families where you and your kids can get involved in local community projects - many of these are within Canada as well and are a great way to contribute to your own local environmental causes. These can be found online and also in many other resources - try Volunteer Vacations by McMillon, Cutchins, and Geissinger.

The most important thing for your child's environmental education is to involve them in the process of deciding where to spend your vacation. Teach them about why you are making the decisions you are making and how their travel is having a positive effect on the planet.

If you are curious about your own carbon footprint - check out www.toronto.zerofootprint.net for Torontonians or www.carbonfootprint.com.