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Sustainability Blog: Sustainable Travel!

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Chatham chapter.

Whether you have no idea where to go this year, are planning for next year, or are already on the road to your destination, check out these tips for a sustainable spring break or summer vacation!
 
1. Eco-tourism.  Many vacation spots (like Victoria, British Columbia) offer numerous sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to normal vacationing. An example: eco-friendly whale watching!!

2. Carpool.  Take three of your fave girls for a ROAD TRIP!!!! While you’re still using fossil fuels, you’re using less than if all four of you drove individually, which reduces your carbon footprint. If neither you nor any of your gals own a car, consider renting a hybrid. You’ll save a ton on gas and a ton in cash.

3. Check your airlines. Check out some carbon emissions websites and find out just how much fuel it takes to fly to your destination.  (PS:  CarbonNeutralCalculator.com is a great site to try!)

4. Volunteer. Instead of going on a vacation, consider volunteering for local organizations.  It’s always great to help out your community, especially if it’s for a great cause. Habitat for Humanity and GoEco are two fantastic organizations to get involved with!

5. Check the hotel’s green rating. Yes, hotels are not only rated on comfort, but also by how eco-friendly they are. Check out some cool green hotels here.
 
Regardless of where (or if) you’re traveling at any given point in time, the most sustainable action you can make is to keep yourself safe. Stick with a buddy, have fun, and be careful!
 
Source:
Ecoki
 

  Mara Flanagan is entering her seventh semester as a Chapter Advisor. After founding the Chatham University Her Campus chapter in November 2011, she served as Campus Correspondent until graduation in 2015. Mara works as a freelance social media consultant in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She interned in incident command software publicity at ADASHI Systems, gamification at Evive Station, iQ Kids Radio in WQED’s Education Department, PR at Markowitz Communications, writing at WQED-FM, and marketing and product development at Bossa Nova Robotics. She loves jazz, filmmaking and circus arts.