Macaws are massive, long-tailed parrots plumaged in such bright colors that it’s heard to believe they exist outside of a zoo. Despite being more frequently seen at bird shows, on commercials, and travel brochures to tropical locales where they aren’t native (such as Jamaica, Florida, or the Virgin Islands) than in much of their natural range, large numbers of these majestic parrots can still be encountered in some of the more wild and remote areas of Central and South America.

Since they require huge areas of unbroken forest inhabited by very few people, it should come as no surprise that macaw central just might be southeastern Peru. The Amazon rain forest in this region is like an unbroken sea of every shade of green, there are almost no roads, and there are huge, uninhabited protected areas. Oh yeah, and there’s also these places along certain river banks where macaws, parrots and parakeets come to eat clay.

Yes, that’s right, they munch on dirt but it’s not just any old soil that they are interested in. The birds consistently take clods of dirt from particular river banks and only appear to be interested in certain types of clay. It’s thought that this helps them to remove toxins acquired from the fruits and seeds they feed upon as well as providing them with important minerals.

Although no one knows for sure why they do it, what is known is that large flocks of macaws and their smaller relatives show up at the same spot almost every day. This is great news for the eco-tourist because the spectacle presents some of the most evocative and awe-inspiring wildlife viewing in the world.

Among the dozen or so accessible clay licks in southeastern Peru, the most famous is at the Tambopata Research Center. The clay lick near this rain forest wilderness lodge attracts huge numbers of up to 16 species of macaws, parrots, and parakeets while rare animals such as jaguars and tapirs are sometimes seen in the surrounding forests.

On the best days, up to two hundred macaws of six species (!) fly in to hang out at and feed on the clay. They are also accompanied by hundreds of colorful parrots and parakeets. The mere sight of dizzying flocks of these birds flying around and feeding on the river back is incredible all on its own but throw in the fact that most of the birds are screaming and screeching and the experience leaves most people speechless.

San Blas is a small town that was formerly used as a base to fight pirates in western Mexico. Perhaps because swashbucklers have ceased to be a threat for some time, the town has developed a forgotten, rather neglected personality. Some of the larger hotels resemble left-over horror movie sets as they are reclaimed by the surrounding jungles, crocodiles are increasing their numbers in nearby mangrove swamps, and the town is famous for swarms of tiny, biting bugs that adore the place. These are of course a few of the reasons why San Blas is such a great destination for the eco-traveler.

This might sound like a contradiction but because San Blas is not growing by leaps and bounds like seaside locales in so many other areas of the world, habitat for wildlife is kept safe from being converted into sterile, plastic-dominated resorts.

Boat tours are excellent for seeing a wide variety of waterbirds that reside in the mangrove forests and wetlands that surround San Blas. Most of these tours also include a visit to the Tovara Springs and a crocodile farm. The springs are a swimming hole in the middle of the mangroves while the farm is self explanatory and the reason why crocodiles are frequently seen from the boat. The croc farm might also explain the presence of supposedly tame crocodiles in the springs and why more people hang out at the on-site restaurant than in the water (although no one has been attacked yet).

Back in town, other than enjoying a place that actively practices the art of taking it easy (also known as doing nothing), one of the other main activities is a visit to scrub-covered islands just across an estuarine channel. Most travelers get ferried across the narrow stretch of brackish water to hang out on the island’s beaches. Huichol natives from the highlands, however, trek down to San Blas and specifically go to this island for sacred ceremonies they have been carrying out since pre-colonial times.

Because of this, care should be taken to not disturb any prayer circles or otherwise obvious sacred sites on the island, nor should you touch any God’s Eye weavings or arrows found in the area as these are sacred objects that were purposely left behind after Huichol ceremonies.

Living and thriving in an eco-friendly, sustainable manner requires a great deal of innovation, creativity, and courage in the modern, industrial world. Two people that embody this way of thinking are the owners of the Inn Serendipity Bed and Breakfast in Browntown, Wisconsin. Lisa Kivirist and John Ivanko don’t just talk the talk about eco-living. They also walk the walk and it doesn’t look like their shoes will be wearing down any time soon.

They are strong proponents of including the role that nature plays when doing business (and have written books about the subject) and thus refer to themselves as “ecopreneurs” and “bioneers”. Perhaps the best (and certainly the most comfortable) way to learn more about their ideas and strategies for living and working in such an eco-conscious manner is to stay at their bed and breakfast.

The place may look like other small, quaint, country inns but beneath the surface, this is one seriously green endeavor. Everything in the hotel is powered by renewable energy sources, the food is vegetarian and mostly comes from their organic garden, and they are always coming up with new, green ideas to improve their inn.

One of their latest projects has been changing an old granary into “an active solar heated straw bale greenhouse”. The hoped for end result of this project probably has such a long descriptive name because it’s the first of its kind. They hope to use it so they and guests of the Serendipity Inn can enjoy tropical fruits like papayas and carambola as winter snows blankets the surrounding countryside.

Even if one doesn’t stay at the inn, it sounds like it would still be a worthwhile destination to see what will hopefully be the wave of the future in action. The inn is described as a “demo home” for sustainable living so the owners would probably be willing to show visitors how they converted an old farm house into a carbon neutral dwelling.

The residents of Portland, Oregon have been longtime proponents of the “DYI” or “do it yourself” philosophy which adheres to the idea of making things rather than buying them. Recycling, reusing, bike riding and other eco-friendly activities and endeavors also fit nicely into this self-reliant, no waste creed and have helped this northwestern city become recognized as the most eco-friendly or greenest city in the United States of America.

This is one community that has made efforts to live in a more sustainable fashion and is a model for the future. For example, half of the city’s power needs come from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, more people ride their bikes to work in Portland than in any other American city, and it has over 30 buildings that have been certified as “green” by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Portland should also win a prize for the support it has shown to people who opt for using their bicycle to get around town. The bike friendly services and facilities that the city provides earn it one of the highest rankings of bike-friendly cities in the world and the home grown Bicycle Transportation Alliance doles out prizes to commuters who bike the most often and farthest to their places of work.

The city is also literally quite green when ones takes into consideration the large number of parks found within its borders. In addition to thousands of acres of development-free green space occurring in ecologically sensitive areas that have been purchased by the city, there are such parks as the Mills End (which being a circle just two feet in diameter is the world’s smallest), the much larger and beautiful Tom McCall Waterfront Park found along the Willamette River in downtown Portland, and the Tryon Creek State Natural Area (which features a creek still used by Steelhead Trout).

Perhaps the greenest way to explore Portland is with your own two feet. Here is a good book you can get from Amazon that looks at 20 explorations on foot in the Portland area.

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

In a beautiful setting within 400 acres of the Connemara forest, sheltered between Killary Harbour and the Bundorragha River, the location is ideal for all types of mountain, forest, and surf activities. Alternatively, the spa in the resort is available for an organic seaweed wrap if what you’re looking for is to just lay back and relax.

Meals are prepared with organic ingredients locally sourced; variety of room types and suites available. Educational resources furnished to the community and visitors.

For Full Booking Information, CLICK: http://delphimountainresort.com

Thanks to Catherine Mack and a suggestion that if you’re traveling through Ireland an excellent resource is her book, Ecoescape Ireland: The handbook to responsible escapism: A travel Guide to the greenest places in Ireland