The Green Parent: A Kid Friendly Guide to Eco Friendly Living

Think a green vacation means trekking through the wilderness or surviving on nothing but granola and berries? Think again! Green vacations come in as many shapes and sizes as American families. In fact, with a little preparation, you can turn almost any vacation into an “eco-vacation.”

As a general rule, the closer you stay to home, the less energy will be used and pollution created to get your family to your destination. But that doesn’t mean you need to skip the vacation or avoid traveling altogether. Here’s how to green your next trip.

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Try A Staycation: Skyrocketing gas prices have caused many American families to cancel their travel plans this year. If your family will be “staycationing” (or staying at home for vacation), consider this your golden opportunity to check out your local scene. Explore nearby parks, museums, shops, and restaurants. Put up a tent in the backyard and let your kids stay up late telling ghost stories under the stars. Hit your local library and movie rental store to stock up on new selections. If you don’t already have one, borrow or rent a canoe to explore your local waterways. Take a walk or ride bikes, play board games, order pizza (eco-friendly pizza, of course) or just curl up with a great green read.

Vacations That Give Back: Looking for an unconventional family vacation? Consider a volunteer excursion where you and your family exchange work for accommodations, food, and sometimes even travel expenses. The Sierra Club offers a number of family service trips such as building new trails near <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />Aspen or preserving artifacts in Dinosaur National Monument. Or contact the World-Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms to learn about organic farms around the world that welcome families in exchange for a few hours of work.

Low-Impact Travel: If you do decide to hit the open road (or tracks or skies), be good to the planet by minimizing the impact of your travel. Planes emit more carbon dioxide per traveler than any other means of transportation, followed by cars and trains. If you are traveling in the United States, consider taking a family-friendly train ride to your destination. You will reduce your family’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and save yourself the torture of flying with children. Need to fly? Consider offsetting your trip with a program like Better World Travel's TravelCool Carbon Offset Program or Green-e that will support green energy or tree planting programs that neutralize the greenhouse gas emitted during your travel. And if you drive, get a tune up before you go to improve your gas mileage by up to 15%.

For more info about eco-friendly vacations and sustainable tourism, check out these sites:

Better World Club

Green Map Atlas

Green Travel Hub

Planeta

Responsible Travel

The Rainforest Alliance