Better Than I Found It
by Cheryl Martin
As a wee lass growing up in rural North Carolina in the Sixties, I lived in a small cinderblock house on a long dirt road surrounded by tobacco fields, a backyard with woods and a creek, neighbors with ponies and chickens and pigs (and we raised a few of those ourselves!). Family vacations meant loading up the pickup truck with camping gear and a tent and heading to the beach, about a three-hour drive from home, although it seemed MUCH longer!
Once we got to the campground, my younger brother and I immediately set off to meet our neighbors, to get a whiff of what they were having for supper, to make acquaintance with their dogs and to make ourselves known in our temporary neighborhood. All of this while our parents set up a four-person tent to serve as our home away from home. At the end of our glorious week of body surfing and sunburn, my brother and I were responsible for cleaning up the campsite, erasing any evidence we’d ever been there.
“Don’t leave it like we found it,” Daddy said. “Leave it better.”
Good memories, and a good creed for exploring the backyard, the nearest beach, the other side of the world.
And I’ve carried this mantra into my adult life and my dozen or so trips to the United Kingdom. How can we leave Cornwall or Bath, London or Perthshire better than we found it? One person at a time, and here’s how it looks for me:
Pack reusable items.
Water bottles. Rather than buying bottled water, I bring my own collapsible bottle that is easy to carry and refill throughout my journey. Airports, hotels, and other public areas have refilling stations, so I can stay hydrated all day long. Bringing a reusable bottle is good for the environment and easy on my wallet.
Shopping bags. I travel with a couple of reusable shopping bags. They pack up tightly, so they don’t take up much room in my luggage or daypack, and they’re super handy when I’m buying groceries or bits and bobs in local shops. And in the UK, customers are required to pay for those flimsy (albeit recycled) plastic bags that can’t hold more than a pint or two of clotted cream. Save those quid for a scone!
Toiletries. I’ve started using “zero waste toiletries”—lotion in reusable bottles, toothpaste tablets, bar soap/shampoo. Again, they’re easy to pack and don’t take up much room. Another upside is fewer liquids in my luggage!
Spend my money locally.
Food. Lots of folks are shopping locally sourced food at home, and it’s important to me to carry this habit abroad. One way is to dine at independent restaurants that offer the best seasonal produce from local farmers, fishermen, and producers. Delicious, fresh, and good for the planet!
Accommodations. Staying in homes or eco-friendly hotels is another way to travel wisely. We often stay in Premier Inn, the UK’s largest hotel chain, whose 800+ hotels are powered by renewable energy and are committed to removing all unnecessary single-use plastics from their hotels and reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2025. And the homes we book are mindful of the environment (recycling, EV chargers, reusable kitchenware), just like I am at home.
Gifts and souvenirs. When I first started traveling abroad, I would inevitably wait too late to purchase gifts to take home, always thinking I might find something better (and less expensive) later in the trip. Sadly, what I found was myself at Heathrow Airport frantically buying kitschy and expensive Made in China trinkets to take home. Ugh! Thankfully, experience is a good teacher, and I’ve learned to explore local shops throughout the trip and make thoughtful purchases from local artisans. Case in point: This beautiful (signed!) print of Cornwall I purchased from the artist in Marazion.
Guides. One of my favorite things about As You Like It Tours is that I get to meet, work with, and learn from amazing local guides! Over the years we’ve built relationships with people who love their place on the planet and are eager to share that love with others. Gary in Cornwall, Helen in Scotland, Adrienne in Normandy. Our money goes back into the places they live and work. And it’s a double blessing because they source their work to local folks who are paid a living wage and who are also contributing to the local economy. How cool is that?!
Choose transportation carefully.
Planes. Without a doubt, air travel wreaks havoc on the environment, and there’s no easy way to get from here to there without a jet. Nevertheless, I’ve learned a few helpful tips along the way: 1) Check which airlines have the lowest emissions per passenger mile and use them when you can; 2) Fly as few legs as possible (splurge on nonstop if you can), and if you need get from one end of the UK to the other (i.e., London to Edinburgh), consider taking the train. It’s cheaper, less harsh on the planet, and the scenery is great!
Trains. Yeah, this is my preferred way to travel. And from London, I can enjoy a 5-hour train ride to Penzance or a 4.5-hour journey to Edinburgh. It’s slow and scenic and the best transportation option for low ecological impact.
Automobiles. For the brave few who can drive on the wrong side of the road and shift with their left hand (not I), go for it! Many car rentals in the UK are low emission, though petrol is pricey. EVs are also an option. Either way, it’s better for the earth than flying.
Feet. Whenever possible, walk. Last June, Emmeline (my daughter-in-law and AYLIT colleague) and I walked all over London—from the London Eye to the Borough Market to Covent Garden and back, over 8.5 miles! It never occurred to us to take the Tube! Like trains, traveling on hoof is slow, scenic, and eco-friendly. (And a really good way to justify those scones!)
Path. Speaking of feet, another practical way to minimize our “footprint” is to stay on designated footpaths to avoid eroding the beautiful, sometimes delicate landscape we explore.
So here you have my small steps to traveling lightly. I’m sure there are myriad other ways to travel without a trace (and I would love to hear your tidbits and tricks). Together we can make a difference by traveling mindfully and leaving the world better than we found it. Daddy would be proud.
For more on sustainable travel, visit Global Sustainable Tourism Council.
