Hotel Hellnar is 10 minutes away from Snaefellsjokull National Park where there is an abundant wildlife such as arctic fox and white-tailed eagles and the park has many incredible views of rock and ice formations as ancient lava flows are prominent in this landscape and there are a wealth of caves in the area, which are said to have inspired Jules Verne to choose the top crater at Snaefellsjokull as the entry point in his famous novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth. The hotel can help arrange horse-riding tours through lava-fields or along sandy beaches and Island Tours from Stykkisholmur where boat sails close to islands where birds such as puffins, cormorants, kitti-wakes and seaeagles nest. Also, there are many hiking trails from the hotel to a wide range of nearby natural attractions.

Hotel Hellnar is the first travel and tourism business in Iceland to be certified by GREEN GLOBE, and has been certified since 2002. This hotel is safely far away from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano which erupted in the spring of 2010 and caused so much havoc with air travel to Europe. They offer accommodations with spectacular ocean view, at the heart of Snaefellsjokull Glacier. They are open from May 10th to September 15th. The hotel was originally planned to be a spiritual retreat it is currently a modern but simple, single story wood building that comfortably coexists visually with the surrounding natural splendor. See more information on the hotel’s website.

For more information on travel in Iceland you may want to check out this great travel guide on Amazon.

Here is a website that will also provide more detailed information about sustainable travel in Iceland.

The outer shell of the Heys Luggage “Eco Leaves” 3 piece luggage set is made from 100 percent recycled plastics. This luggage set won’t be changing the world but it will make a statement as you travel the globe about your desire to help the environment with reducing a little more plastic waste. While it is a bit pricier than non-”green” luggage set perhaps the fashion and reliability it offers makes it a worthwhile purchase for you.

This 3 piece set is frameless, has a 4 wheel spinner system, and a modern aluminum telescopic handle system with a TPR grip. It’s expandable for up to 25 percent of more packing space. It also has a fully lined interior with mesh pocket divider and webbing straps. Another handy aspect is the space saving feature that when storing the set, the piece fit inside each other.

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Eco-volunteering is a great way for people to contribute to solutions to the many ways the environment is being threatened. Where you can offer your brains and brawn in efforts to help with habitat restoration and environmental protection. Your reward for your hard work is not just the satisfaction of doing important and necessary environmental works but also by working in a paradise that rewards you with its beauty. The book, Preserving Paradise: Opportunities in Volunteering for Hawaii’s Environment, outlines a number of non-profit environmental volunteer opportunities for the various islands of Hawaii. These projects range from just a few hours up to those that require a commitment of up to three months. There are descriptions of the particular needs, how difficult the work is and what is involved, what the process is to volunteer, the difficulty level of the activities, and how to contact the various groups.

The author Kirsten Whatley states:

“Consider this an invitation, no matter your origin. Consider it a call to arms – and to hands and feet and backs and rakes and hoes and sweat. We all need a paradise to come home to. But we need to consider our impact on this paradise – more importantly, our responsibility to it.”

The opportunities she discusses in this wonderful book are a great starting point. Some of the projects include: the Hawaiian Island Humback Whale Sanctuary, Hawaiian Island National Wildlife Refuges, Reef Check Hawai’i, Sierra Club Hawai’i chapter, Three Ring Ranch Exotic Animal Sanctuary, Native Hawaiian Plant Society, and many, many more.

Even if you are not sure you can commit to volunteering, this book is good for people considering a vacation in Hawai’i as it will help you respect the delicate environmental balance and needs of the Hawai’ian Islands. Here is a link to a site to get more information on eco-touring in Hawai’i. Another site can be found here.

The Federation Of Damanhur, or simply Damanhur, is an ecovillage and spiritual community in the Piedmont region of northern Italy near the city of Turin and also very close to the Gran Paradiso National Park. The commune has its own constitution and currency, the Credito.
Founded in 1975 by Oberto Airaudi, the Federation of Damanhur is an eco-society: a federation of communities and eco-villages with their own social and political structure in continual evolution. It started with around 24 followers, and had grown to 800 by the year 2000. The group holds a mix of New Age and neopagan beliefs.

The Damanhur community states on their website…

“The movement to create ecovillages is perhaps the most comprehensive antidote to dependence on the global economy. Around the world, people are building communities that attempt to get away from the waste, pollution, competition and violence of contemporary life. The Global Ecovillage Network links several of these communities worldwide.”

The settlements of the Federation in the area of Valchiusella extend across more than 1,200 acres of territory which includes woodland, farmland, residential areas with around a hundred private dwellings, arts workshops, craft studios, businesses and farms. Damanhur has centres in Italy, Europe and Japan and collaborates with spiritual and community groups throughout the world.

Damanhur is perhaps known most for its Temples of Humankind, an underground work of hand made art. The Halls of Water, Earth, Spheres, Mirrors, Metals, the Blue Temple, and the Labyrinth. Damanhur offers courses and events all year round and it is possible to visit at any time, for short or long stays, they also have 3 Day and 7 Day programs twice a month through June. For more information please see their visit and courses center website.

An excellent read for more information is the

The Traveler’s Guide to Damanhur: The Amazing Northern Italian Eco-Society

Here is an interesting first part of a series of YouTube videos on the Damanhur

Black Sheep Inn is a relatively inexpensive eco-friendly hotel high in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. It is near Lake Quilotoa, a beautiful volcanic crater lake located at 3800 meters (12,400 feet)and is near the town of Chugchilán. One of the best day hikes in Ecuador is nearby, a hike from Laguna Quilotoa, through the Rio Toachi Canyon, to the town Chugchilán. The cloud forest near Black Sheep Inn is part of The Iliniza Ecological Reserve. The inn is considered one of the top 50 Ecolodges in the World in 2009.

One of the most awesome views in Ecuador is that of the Cotopaxi’s snow-covered volcano, the highest active volcano in the world at 19,347 feet. Black Sheep Inn is located in the Cotopaxi Province and the trip to the volcano is a 3+ hour drive from the Inn.

Just a few of the Black Sheep Inn’s features include Gourmet Vegetarian Meals, Yoga Studio, Sauna and Hot Tub, a Gymnasium, a 10 acre farm with dogs, a cat, pigs, chickens, rabbits, llamas, and a flock of Black Sheep. They have satellite internet available and a Water Slide and zip line! Check out their excellent website for extensive details, descriptions and photos.

One of the best hiking guides for Ecuador is the Trekking in Ecuador – see below.

Amazonia Expeditions in Peru’s Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Primate and Wildlife Reserve

A huge Peruvian Amazon rainforest reserve encompasses over a million acres around the Tamshiyacu and Tahuayo Rivers, originally designated a reserve by the Peruvian government in 1991 to protect the range of the rare red uakari monkey, an orangutan-looking monkey with a bright red face. It is now considered one of the world’s richest areas of wildlife diversity. In 2003, on study found more species of mammals and trees here than any other documented natural area in the world.

One amazing mammal of the reserve area is the freshwater Pink Dolphin. Large, intelligent animals, they often approach tourists who are canoeing or swimming. The diversity of birds is likewise extraordinary. Over 500 species of birds have been documented near the Tahuayo Lodge, the only lodge that has access to the Tamshiyaco-Tahuayo Reserve.

A great book for more background information on wildlife and eco travel in the Peruvian Amazon is this book, Travellers’ Wildlife Guides Peru.

To visit the Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo Reserve from Iquitos you journey by boat up the Amazon River, for a distance of about 50 miles, then up the Tahuayo tributary, another 40 miles. The trip takes 4 hours by speedboat. Amazonia’s lodge on the Tahuayo River has fifteen cabins that are rustic, yet comfortable.

Each cabin is raised above the jungle floor on stilts and is connected to other buildings of the lodge by a raised boardwalk.The modern flush toilets and showers use a sanitary septic system. There is some electricity provided by solar panels and batteries, as well as kerosene lighting. The food is prepared for you by trained staff and they claim that there is no worry about getting sick from any of the food they prepare for you.

In addition to staying at this lodge, tourists can also stay 1 to 3 nights at their research center, which is located in an even more remote area of the forest. The research center also has comfortable amenities, such as private cabins and flush toilets. The research center emphasizes conservation and works in collaboration with the Chicago Rainforest Conservation Fund and other similar groups. Fund raising for the conservation program is operated by the Rainforest Conservation Fund. One major area of research here is primate conservation. The trail grid behind the research center lodge covers 52 miles spread over 1000 acres. It is the largest trail system offered in the Amazon. It is the best hike known in the Amazon for viewing primates in their natural environment.

Here is a list of just a few of the many possible items on a jungle itinerary here.

1. Swim in a blackwater lake with pink dolphins.

2. Visit a native shaman.

3. Medicinal plant hikes.

4. Swim in a blackwater lake which has warm thermal springs.

5. Excursions to see feeding or nesting Macaws, Parrots and Toucans.

6. Canoe into flooded varzea forest (Feb-May).

7. View pygmy marmosets, the world’s smallest primates, which live in trees close to the lodge.

8. Close look at the unusual hoatzin birds (when young fledge Jun-Aug).

9. Fish for piranha.

10. Hike to a manakin lek.

Sunset, Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, Luca Galuzzi 2006

A recent issue of the New Yorker magazine has a fascinating article about Lithium mining in Bolivia. It discusses the issues around how Bolivia could become the next “Saudi Arabia” of Lithium as their Salar de Uyuni salt lake flats have the world’s largest Lithium deposits and with the advent of increased production of new electric cars – could position Bolivia to become a leading force, however some people worry there may be serious environmental costs to lithium mining in Bolivia. Here is a good article that you can read online from In These Times about this issue.

In the meantime the area is largely untouched and the riches of this area are more apparent in its natural surreal beauty and amazing diversity of wildlife. This YouTube video gives a good taste of what it’s like.

Sacred Earth Travel has a great package for travel to the Uyuni in Bolivia that you can read about here.

If you decide to visit Bolivia and the Salar de Uyuni consider getting the excellent guide book Bolivia, 5th: Tread Your Own Path (Footprint Bolivia Handbook), A book by the the same people who contributed to the South American Handbook (considered the definitive, classic guide to travel in South America) since the first edition back in the 70’s.

The Everglades is the largest and most important freshwater, subtropical peat wetland in North America. The Everglades consists of sawgrass prairies, mangrove and cypress swamps, pinelands, and hardwood hammocks, as well as marine and estuarine environments. The varying water depths, diverse habitat types, and abundant food across the Everglades attract large populations of wading birds and threatened and endangered species, including wood storks, snail kites, bald eagles, Florida panthers, and American crocodiles. Over 50% of the historical Everglades ecosystem has been lost to farming, development, pollution and poor management. There are many groups and agencies such as the Friends of the Everglades fighting to help protect the Everglades and need your support.

One way to support the Everglades and gain further appreciation and knowledge is to go there yourself. The best way to experience the Everglades is by canoe, kayak or other boat. The canoe is more intimate and direct, you can move in as silently and as close as you want and it allows you to see the Everglades in a far more engaging manner than the relatively superficial glimpse that you get from the various park walkways and structures.

The Wilderness Waterway is a popular canoe route once only traveled by the hardiest pioneers and Native Americans. If you’ve got a week or more for paddling, the Wilderness Waterway is well–marked inland water route that stretches from Flamingo to Everglades City. Sequentially numbered markers guide you along its 99 miles (160 kilometers). Boats more than 18 feet (6 meters) long or with high cabins and windshields should not attempt the route because of narrow channels and overhanging foliage in some areas. The route takes a minimum of six hours with an outboard motor or seven days by canoe. One-day round trips are not advised. Campsites are available on the route; backcountry permits are required.

If you are thinking of going check out the excellent book by Johnny Molloy Paddler’s Guide to Everglades National Park Sept 2009 Many people consider this book an indispensable guide for planning and conducting an Everglades backcountry canoe expedition.

The Everglades feature the most extensive warm water paddling area in the United States. Outings can range from two hours to two weeks. Settings range from the ultra-narrow Hells Bay Canoe Trail to miles-wide Florida Bay and even more open Gulf of Mexico. There are so many backcountry sites that you could canoe for years without repeating yourself. There are several excellent designated routes for day trips in the canoe that will give people with more limited time a wonderful overview of what the Everglades can offer. The Everglades Diary website is an excellent resource of information that goes into canoeing the wilderness waterway in the Everglades in depth. The Everglades Area Tours site has various guided tours for kayaking and canoe eco-tours that you may want to consider as well.

Ecocamp is an environmentally friendly place to stay when visiting southern Chile’s rugged Torres del Paine National Park. This camp provides a comfortable home base made of several geodesic dome tents at in which to explore the surrounding wilderness park which offers world-class mountain vistas and where it’s possible to view wildlife such as the llama-like guanacos, puma, condors and rare birds like the ostrich-like Lessor Rhea.

The domes tents are big enough to comfortably walk around in, has its own bathroom, heated with low-emission wood stove and electricity is generated by solar panels and micro hydro turbine. These tents, echo the early dome-like dwellings of the nomadic Kawesqar tribe, an ancient native people who lived in the area. The dome shape helps maintain stability in high winds, which are common in Patagonia. The tents are linked together by boardwalks and have wooden floors, beds, round windows for amazing views. There is a common-area tents for meals, chilling out, and socializing.

The camp is deep inside the often windy park along dirt roads and in a valley surrounded by awe-inspiring granite mountain peaks, glaciers and azure lakes. In the summer months (end of September through end of March) you can get up to 17 hours of daylight, so you will have lots of time to explore the park. This camp in Chile’s Patagonia is as about as far south as you want to get, but if you want to get even closer to the end of the world then you will need to make complicated travel plans that will eventually get you about 300-400 miles further south in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego.

Details on the various options to book a trip are on the EcoCamp’s website

San Francisco, is perhaps one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the world and a great vacation destination. The city boasts many green hotels such as the Orchard Garden Hotel, the one of the first LEED-certified hotels in the world. There are many opportunities to eat locally grown organic foods from up to 30 venders in the Ferry Building which also has a farmer’s markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays. But the centerpiece of any eco-related destination in San Francisco should be the newly rebuilt (2008) California Academy of Sciences, one of the ten largest museums of natural history and the largest public LEED-certified building in the world. Nearly 10 years and $500 million dollars in the making, the Academy is a crown jewel of sustainable architecture.

The Academy is a single structure but containing an aquarium, a planetarium, a natural history museum and the 4-story rainforest. In addition, there’s a 3D theater, a lecture hall, a Naturalist Center, two restaurants, an adjacent garden and aviary, and the amazing living green roof with panoramic views of the Golden Gate Park. The rainforest exhibit is an indoor ecosystem with macaws, moths, treefrogs, lizards, snakes, giant fish, and butterflies flying amongst the huge tropical trees.

In addition to being world’s greenest museum the Academy has many environmentally important research programs as well as the many exhibits that help inspire appreciation and understanding of nature. The building itself boasts many significant green accomplishments such as makes 50 percent less wastewater than previously, recycles rainwater for irrigation, uses 60,000 photovoltaic cells, covered with a 2.5 acre green roof, uses recycled concrete and recycled steel and uses wall insulation made from scraps of recycled denim. The building also houses the Academy science labs and administrative offices, including an extensive library and scientific archive consisting of more than 26 million specimens. The architect, Renzo Piano, is one of the world’s greatest architects who won the 1998 Pritzker Prize.

They have a great website, be sure to check out their live penguin cam! The museum can get very crowded on the the weekends so best to go in the middle of the week (every Third Wednesday of the month are free) Parking can be difficult and expensive so consider biking or using public transportations (you get a $3 discount if you do) Adult ticket is $24.95
Be sure to check out the Golden Gate park as well as the De Young Museum and/or the Japanese Tea Garden across the street.

For more in depth and excellent information check out the book, GrassRoutes San Francisco by Serena Bartlett

View of an Orchard Garden Hotel Room

Ferry Building interior